Carcano Carcano is the frequently used name for a series of Italian bolt - action military rifles and carbine s . Introduced in 1891 , this rifle was chambered for the rimless 6 . 5×52mm Mannlicher - Carcano cartridge ( " Cartuccia Modello 1895 " ) . It was developed by the chief technician Salvatore Carcano at the Turin Army Arsenal in 1890 and called the Model 91 ( 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 " , sing . ; " fucili " , pl . ) and carbine ( " moschetto " , sing . ; " moschetti " , pl . ) 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 utilizes a Carcano action , but retains the Arisaka / Mauser type 5 - round box magazine . The Type I was utilized 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 . History . 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 rifle depends for proper usage upon a magazine system using 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 . Until 1938 , all M91 rifles and carbines were chambered for the rimless 6 . 5×52mm Modello 1895 cartridge , using a round - nose metal case bullet of 160 grains weight at approximately 2 , 000 - 2 , 400 ft / s muzzle velocity , depending upon barrel length . At least one small arms authority noted inconsistencies in powder types in arsenal - loaded 6 . 5×52mm military ammunition , often with different powder types and ammunition lots intermixed within a single clip of ammunition . The practice of intermixing powder types and ammunition lots in clipped rifle ammunition was generally avoided by arsenals of other nations , as it generally resulted in varying bullet velocities and excessive bullet dispersion on the target . After reports of inadequate performance at both short and long ranges during the campaigns in Italian North Africa ( 1924 - 1934 ) , and the Second Italo - Abyssinian War ( 1934 ) , the Italian army introduced a new short rifle in 1938 , the Modello 1938 , together with a new cartridge in 7 . 35×51mm caliber . In addition to the slightly larger caliber , Italian ordnance designers introduced a spitzer - type bullet for the new cartridge , with the tip filled with aluminum to produce an unstable ( tumbling ) projectile upon impact in soft tissue ( a design most likely copied from the . 303 British Mk VII bullet ) . However , the Italian government was unable to successfully mass - produce the new arms in adequate quantities before the onset of war , and in 1940 , all rifle and ammunition production reverted to 6 . 5 mm , but no 7 . 35 mm Mod . 38 rifles nor carbines were ever re - barreled to the old 6 . 5×52mm caliber . Some Italian troops serving on the Russian front were armed with 7 . 35 mm Mod . 1938 rifles , but exchanged them in 1942 for 6 . 5×52 mm arms . Approximately 94 , 500 7 . 35 mm Modello 1938 rifles were shipped to Finland , where they were known as " Terni " carbines . They were primarily used by security and line - of - communications troops during the Winter War of 1939 – 1940 , though some frontline troops were issued the weapon . According to reports , the Finns disliked the rifle . With its non - standard 7 . 35 mm caliber , it was problematic to keep frontline troops supplied with ammunition , and its non - adjustable rear sight ( fixed for 300 m ) made it ill - suited for use in precision shooting at the varied ranges encountered by Finnish soldiers during the conflict . Soldiers also complained that the ammunition demonstrated excessive bullet dispersion on the target . Whenever possible , Finnish soldiers discarded the weapon in favor of rifles acquired on the battlefield , including standard models of captured Soviet - made Mosin – Nagant rifles . The latter at least had the advantage of using commonly available 7 . 62×54mmR ammunition . By the outbreak of the Continuation War , Finnish Army headquarters had got the message . The remaining Mod . 1938 7 . 35 mm rifles were issued to the Finnish Navy , as well as anti - aircraft , coastal defense , and other second - line ( home front ) troops . In 1941 , the Italian military returned to a long - barrelled infantry rifle once again ( slightly shorter than the original M91 ) , the Carcano M91 / 41 . True sniper versions never existed , but in World War I a few rifles were fitted with telescopic lenses and issued for service use ( World War II scoped rifles were strictly prototypes ) . Since the 1980s , several lots of Moschetti M91 / 38 TS ( special troops ' carbines ) chambered for the German 8×57mm Mauser sS heavy ball round , have appeared on the surplus markets . Two small batches of Moschetti M91 / 38 TS carbines shows barrels marked 1938 and 1941 , but they were not used at these times with any Italian forces , and their peculiar serial numbering suggests that these might just be rebored unused surplus barrels that were converted with other ones after 1945 . Many 7 . 92 mm Carcano carbines were apparently exported to Egypt after World War II , where they served as drill and training carbines . Several also bear Israeli armed forces markings . The occasionally used model moniker " Model 1943 ( M43 ) " for these converted 7 . 92mm rifles is wrong , as they were never so designated by the Italian military . German forces captured large quantities of Carcanos after Italy ' s capitulation in September 1943 . It was the most commonly issued rifle to the German Volkssturm ( " People ' s Militia " ) units in late 1944 and 1945 . After World War II , Italy replaced its Carcano rifles first with British Lee - Enfield s and then with the US . 30 caliber ( 7 . 62 mm ) M1 Garand semi - automatic rifle which the Italians labeled the " ' Model 1952 ( M52 ) " . Finland sold all of its approximately 74 , 000 remaining 7 . 35 mm M91 / 38 Carcano rifles on the surplus market . As a consequence , large quantities of surplus Carcanos were sold in the USA and Canada beginning in the 1950s . In Italy , the Polizia di Stato retained the rifle , retiring it from service in 1981 . Captured 6 . 5mm Carcano rifles were used by Greek forces post - war , with ammunition supplied by U . S . Western Cartridge Co . Some were also converted to 6 . 5×54mm Mannlicher - Schönauer , one of the standard cartridges of the Greek military at the time . The original Carcano Modello 1895 cartridge ( 6 . 5×52mm ) , was also used in World War I - era machine guns in the Modello 30 light machine gun ; the latter was employed in Abyssinia and in World War II by Italian troops until the Armistice . In 1935 the 8×59mm Breda cartridge was adopted for some Italian heavy machine guns ( rechambered Fiat - Revelli , Breda M37 , Breda M38 ) ; its longer range and heavier projectile proved much more effective in combat , particularly against motorized troops . During the Libyan civil war in 2011 , many rebels went into battle with their personally - owned weapons , including old bolt - action rifles and shotguns . Of these , Carcano - style rifles and carbines have been the most frequently observed style of bolt - action rifle . They were predominantly used by rebels in the Nafusa Mountains . These old weapons saw combat once again due to the rebels ' limited access to modern firearms . Additionally , some Libyan rebels preferred to use their familiar hunting weapons over the more modern , yet unfamiliar , assault rifles available . According to Al - Fitouri Muftah , a member of the rebel military council overseeing the western mountain front , as many as 1 in 10 rebels in the region were armed with World War II - era weapons . The vast majority of these weapons are likely Carcanos . Variants . All variants used the same Carcano bolt action , fed by an en - bloc clip ; the rifles and carbines had different barrel lengths and differences in stocks and sights depending on barrel length .