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An Engineering Major,eh? EE?, ME? ...?
You are already pre-programed to "screw around with guns" (HaHa!) I've spent decades working with my "smith" on rifles with calibers that are useless ... but what fun! Interested in a rimmed 7.62 X 39? Why? So you can shoot it in a repro M1885 Winchester.
Other calibers for that Carcano ... 7.62 X 45 Czech. Basically a 7.62 X 39 with a 6mm longer case. Add 6mm more and you have a 7.62 X 51. While it's not our 7.62 X 51 ... it is a .308" Carcano. The AR 7.62 X 39 is the Soviet cartridge (same for 5.45 X 39), just a different bolt face from 5.56X 45. There's the old 6.5 X 54 Manlicher-Schoenhauer. In fact, before Privi started doing 6.5 X 52 Carcano, I made my own Carcano from it.
You mentioned not having an interest in reloading. I didn't either, until I wanted to shoot my first Carcano ... a 6.5 TS Carbine that my Dad sent back from Italy. That got me started and now I'm into something like 212 different calibers, many of them extremely obsolete (11mm Murata or .276 Enfield) or wildcats (7.62 X 39R or 7.62 X 25R). I just want to make sure you keep that option open ... it's way too much fun and if you keep your wits about you, not even remotely dangerous.
The reason I thought to stear you toward a .264" bore Carcano was to have you avoid reloading. You still have all the expense of a new barrel and custom profiling, you'll need a chamber reamer with a .264" pilot, then there are the "smithing" charges for chambering, fitting and barreling, removing and reinstalling sights. What you will save is any cost related to reloading; small by comparison to the project you contemplate. Not that your project is a bad idea. (I have, as I said, dozens of useless calibered rifles and it hasn't stopped yet) However, if you want to shoot a Carcano cheaply, reloading IS the route to go. Just sayin'!
Curious, does your Dad have a Carcano? (If he doesn't... maybe you need to convince him that he REALLY NEEDS to get one ... wink, wink, hint, hint) :-)
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