Carcano Modello 91/38 Short Rifle
Italian State Arsenals (Terni / Brescia / Gardone) · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1938
Also known as: Fucile Corto Mod. 91/38, Model 91/38, Mannlicher-Carcano
Overview
The Carcano Modello 91/38 (Fucile Corto Mod. 91/38) is an Italian bolt-action short rifle of the Mannlicher-Carcano family, fed by a 6-round en-bloc clip and chambered in 6.5x52mm Carcano. Adopted from 1940, it was a simplified, mass-production wartime version of the Model 38 pattern that reverted to the older 6.5mm cartridge, abandoned the Carcano gain-twist for a constant-twist barrel, and used a fixed 200 m rear sight in place of the earlier adjustable tangent sight.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3400 g (119.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1020 mm (40.16") |
| Barrel Length | 535 mm (21.06") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | En Bloc Clip |
| Muzzle Velocity | 700 m/s (2297 fps) |
| Effective Range | 550 m (601 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1500 m (1640 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 6.5x52mm Carcano · primary — also known as 6.5 Carcano, 6.5mm Mannlicher-Carcano, 6.5x52mm
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: En Bloc Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Bolt Sleeve Safety
- Features: Mannlicher Action, Fixed Twist Rifling, En Bloc Clip Fed, Fixed 200m Rear Sight, Folding Bayonet
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Royal Italian Army · adopted 1940 · as Fucile Corto Mod. 91/38
- Nazi Germany
- Finnish Defence Forces
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
Production
Production years: 1938-1945
6.5mm M91/38 produced from 1940; large wartime output, no firm total documented in accessible sources
Origin
Country of origin: Italy
Designer: Salvatore Carcano
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
The exact constant twist rate is not definitively documented in surviving records. The simplified fixed 200 m sight is a key distinguishing feature from the long M91 rifle. This model is infamous as the rifle type used in the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Background
The M91/38 is infamous as the rifle Lee Harvey Oswald used to assassinate President John F. Kennedy on 22 November 1963; that specific rifle (serial C2766) was made at Terni in 1940 and mail-ordered with a 4x scope for $19.95 from a Chicago sporting-goods store under an alias.