91ts Carcano

[neilwest]

1. This one just came in. It is still in box full of cosmoline. It is a 1917 model with some interesting graffiti on it. I will post before I start cleaning the cosmo off so you can see the condition. Wood is good and bore is gunked up so I cant tell what it is like yet.

:D

http://album.gunsnet.net/data/tammywest/90_p466.jpg

http://album.gunsnet.net/data/tammywest/90_p542.jpg

[HerrdoktorSchuetzengruvin]

Bella Moschetto, Paesan!

Now, if you could get that original redish orange look of the Italian Beechwood stock to come out from under all that spent motor oil and cosmoline!

[neilwest]

1. A bit darker then I desired. This is the natural color, I used tung oil and paste wax to finish it.

http://album.gunsnet.net/data/tammywest/90_p542.jpg

[carcano]

Originally posted by HerrdoktorSchuetzengruvin
Now, if you could get that original redish orange look of the Italian Beechwood stock to come out from under all that spent motor oil and cosmoline!

Hm. The stock of most M 91 TS in their original configuration should be walnut, but in a 1917-made wartime example, beech is indeed quite possible. Let us know, please.

Regards,
Alexander
carcano91@hotmail.com

[zouavexx]

Good job Neilwest. I never thought you could get all that grime off that one...

[HerrdoktorSchuetzengruvin]

Originally posted by carcano


Hm. The stock of most M 91 TS in their original configuration should be walnut, but in a 1917-made wartime example, beech is indeed quite possible. Let us know, please.

Regards,
Alexander
carcano91@hotmail.com

Good point. I just picked up a 91/28 TS Beretta 1929 in a trade and it has a light colored walnut stock. It too looks like it may have been a cutdown, although (since it matches the barrel serial number), I would say Beretta did an excellent job, if they did cut down an M91 walnut stock.

I am so used to collecting M38's, I have got Beech on the brain!:D

[HerrdoktorSchuetzengruvin]

Originally posted by neilwest
1. A bit darker then I desired. This is the natural color, I used tung oil and paste wax to finish it.

http://album.gunsnet.net/data/tammywest/90_p542.jpg

Neil, here is what I think might be an original finish with no stain, if you want to use it as a benchmark. I saw a picture of an unissued M38 SR in the Beretta museum which looked very similar to this, though this wood might be on the light side. I am fairly certain they were never glossily finished, though.

http://www.rifleslings.com/carcano_sling_on_rifle.jpg

Alexander, if you could comment on this, it would be appreciated.

[carcano]

Originally posted by HerrdoktorSchuetzengruvin
I just picked up a 91/28 TS Beretta 1929 in a trade and it has a light colored walnut stock. It too looks like it may have been a cutdown, although (since it matches the barrel serial number), I would say Beretta did an excellent job, if they did cut down an M91 walnut stock.

Ecco ! That would be a feasible solution for the enigmatic "trasformazione" stamp on M 91/28 Moschetti TS. It would make sense if the stock were a cut-down rifle stock.

Please kindly share the other data of this Beretta gun with me, for the database. Many thanks.

Regards,
Alexander Eichener
carcano91@hotmail.com

[HerrdoktorSchuetzengruvin]

Alexander, will do. Also as soon as I find my password again, I will start posting as Moschetto again on Tucos. My only gripe (since I see you are now a Moderator over there) is that it makes you re sign back in periodically, even if you setup the cookies to save the password on your computer. I need to prowl my Emails and find it again.

One thing which I might say up front. I am almost certain somebody reblued it, and maybe even refinished the stock, as I cannot see any Cartouches. It only has a Made in Italy stamp on the barrel (No CAI) so I assume it was a 50's/60's era import. It does have the matching serial number on the magazine, at the rear, which I have never seen on any of the Carcani I have owned. It belonged to a discriminating collector, as I understand from the guy I got it from.

Anyway, thanks to you and Gaetano Liberatore, and your excellent Carcano Homepage, I am becoming a collector of Carcani, and am starting to seek out the nicer ones. The Century imports are a great way to get your "feet wet" however!

[HerrdoktorSchuetzengruvin]

Alexander, OK I have gone over her with a fine tooth comb and here is what I see:

The stock is all walnut and appears to be refinished with no stain and Tung Oil.

All metal parts appear to have been polished and reblued.

The serial number of the stock (stamped in the barrel chamber channel) is 3827.

The serial number on the barrel (twice), the receiver (underneath), the side of the stock near the buttplate, and the magazine is 3825.

The serial number on the buttplate is 3827.

The barrel inlet in the stock has a cross channel about 2" in front of the front sight which looks like a channel for the M38 sight. Does this indicate it was used in 1891 configuration? The leaf sight on the barrel does not even need a slot in the stock, as it doesn't encircle the barrel.

The barrel is dated 1929 on the left side of the barrel shank, right below Gardone VT.

Beretta is stamped atop the barrel shank.

PG inside an oval is stamped to the right of the serial number.

The barrel appears to have progressive twist rifling.

No importer stamps, just Made in Italy - left side behind front sight.

No Cartouches visible on the stock.

On top of the magazine, hidden by the stock, is a fancy B and a 9.The B looks like this: )3

This rifle came with a very very old leather sling. There is a very faint oval stamp on it that milght read "GALLIOS", but all I can definitely see is the G and the two L's. Struck over this stamp, is "SA" inside a rectangle. The fastener for this sling is unlike any other I have seen, in that the clasp is attached to the outside of the buckle, rather than the middle piece as most buckles are.


I will update the Carcano Homepage database with this info shortly.