Carcano

Carcano
Carcano Modello 1891 infantry rifle
Type	Bolt-action rifle
Place of origin	Kingdom of Italy
Service history
In service	1891–1981 (Italy) 1981–present (others)
Used by	See Users
Wars	Mahdist War First Italo-Ethiopian War Boxer Rebellion Italo-Turkish War World War I Vlora War Second Italo-Abyssinian War Winter War World War II Kosovo War Libyan Civil War
Production history
Designed	1890
Produced	1891–1945
Number built	2,063,750–3,000,000 of all variants
Variants	Long rifle, short rifle, cavalry carbine, special troops' carbine See Variants
Specifications (Fucile mod. 91)
Weight	3.9 kg (8.6 lb)
Length	1,285 mm (50.6 in)
Barrel length	780 mm (30.7 in)
Cartridge	6.5×52mm Carcano 7.35×51mm Carcano 6.5×54mm Mannlicher–Schönauer 7.92×57mm Mauser 6.5×50mm Arisaka (Type I)
Action	Bolt action
Muzzle velocity	700 m/s (2,300 ft/s)
Effective firing range	1,000 m (1,100 yd)
Feed system	6 round integral magazine, loaded with an en-bloc clip

Carcano is the frequently used name for a series of Italian bolt-action, magazine-fed, repeating military rifles and carbines. Introduced in 1891, this rifle was chambered for the rimless 6.5×52mm Carcano cartridge (Cartuccia Modello 1895). It was developed by the chief technician Salvatore Carcano at the Turin Army Arsenal in 1890 and called the Modello (model) 91 or simply M91. Successively replacing the previous Vetterli-Vitali rifles and carbines in 10.35×47mmR, it was produced from 1892 to 1945. The M91 was used in both rifle (fucile) and carbine (moschetto) form by most Italian troops during the First World War and by Italian and some German forces during the Second World War. The rifle was also used during the Winter War by Finland, and again by regular and irregular forces in Syria, Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria during various postwar conflicts in those countries.

The Type I Carcano rifle was produced by Italy for the Japanese Empire prior to World War II. After the invasion of China, all Arisaka production was required for use of the Imperial Army, so the Imperial Navy contracted with Italy for this weapon in 1937. The Type I is based on the Type 38 rifle and uses a Carcano action, but retains the Arisaka/Mauser type 5-round box magazine. The Type I was used primarily by Japanese Imperial Naval Forces and was chambered for the Japanese 6.5×50mm Arisaka cartridge. Approximately 60,000 Type I rifles were produced by Italian arsenals for Japan.

A Carcano Model 91/38 was used in the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy.

Although this rifle is often called "Mannlicher–Carcano", especially in American parlance, neither that designation nor the name "Mauser–Parravicino" is correct. Its official designation in Italian is simply Modello 1891, or M91 ("il novantuno"). The magazine system uses en bloc charger clips which were originally developed and patented by Ferdinand Mannlicher, but the actual shape and design of the Carcano clip is derived from the German Model 1888 Commission Rifle.