NEWS ARTICLES SHOWS PODCAST

Rechambering a already sporterized Carcano to .223

905 Views 14 Replies 10 Participants Last post by 4575wcf, 2 mo ago

aloysius d.abercormbie

Discussion Starter · 3 mo ago

Hello I was wondering what y'all think about the logistics of relining a Carcano from 6.5mm to .223 Remington. I've done some basic research and the ammunition is at least fairly similar in ballistics and size. magazine would be another separate and more complicated issue that I'd like to figure out on my own but what do y'all think about that in terms of safety? I have a decent amount of .223 ammo stored and I've always loved Carcano carbines and it seems logical enough.

1 - 15 of 15 Posts

johnsxj

· #2 · 3 mo ago

Other than the relining the barrel and chamber along with figuring out the magazine feed and the fact that the Carcano uses a one piece bolt with a head that's a fair bit larger than .223/5.56
The major issue is the fact that maximum pressure of the 6.5 Carcano is about 41,000 psi vs. the maximum pressure of .223 Remington at about 55,000 psi and 5.56 NATO goes up to about 58,000 psi. That's a healthy jump in pressure!!!!

Reactions: 4

shootbrownelk

· #3 · 3 mo ago

Sounds too complicated to me, looks like it'd be a good reason to buy another gun chambered in .223.

Reactions: 2

Hawg

· #4 · 3 mo ago

A master gunsmith could reface the bolt but it wont be cheap. He can also address any feeding issues. If I was going to spend that kind of money I'd go ahead and get a custom barrel but you'd still be limited to reloads.

Reactions: 1

TRAP55

· #5 · 3 mo ago

You can do anything, ...with enough money.

Reactions: 4

sharps4590

· #6 · 3 mo ago

Seems it would be pouring good money after bad.

Reactions: 4

Venom6

· #7 · 3 mo ago

Sorry, have to echo all the above. Possible? Yes. Practical? Not so much. Cost would far exceed the gun's value. I dunno how you would feed cartridges; Carcano clips are proprietary and not all that easy to find, and designing and building a feed system for .223 would be complicated and therefore expensive. Does sound like fun, though.

Reactions: 2

Old School or Nothing

· #8 · 3 mo ago

IMO - You can purchase a econo 223 bolt gun for around 450$+/-. You would be better to sell your Carcona to someone that would appreciate it and buying a modern gun designed for the 223 if you want one.

On the other hand - its your gun and money do what you want to with it.

Reactions: 2

grcsat

· #9 · 3 mo ago

My shop was built around converting bubba rifles in to high-end sporters.
We did every thing in conversions from 222 all the way up to 50 cal.
The Carcano is a rather peripheral rifle, and it is not suited for any real type of conversion.
Can it be worked on to chamber a 223? Yes it can, but the cost would be far more than buying a new rifle.
Would I take on such a conversion? The answer is no because the action will not hold up to the pressures involved with the 223.

Reactions: 3

aloysius d.abercormbie

Discussion Starter · #10 · 3 mo ago

grcsat said:
My shop was built around converting bubba rifles in to high-end sporters.
We did every thing in conversions from 222 all the way up to 50 cal.
The Carcano is a rather peripheral rifle, and it is not suited for any real type of conversion.
Can it be worked on to chamber a 223? Yes it can, but the cost would be far more than buying a new rifle.
Would I take on such a conversion? The answer is no because the action will not hold up to the pressures involved with the 223.

Is there any other ammo you would recommend to rechamber it to other than 6.5 carcano? I understand its be difficult but I'd like Maybe even 9mm, .22 magnum, or maybe .22lr. I want a rifle I can shoot for fun more than go hunting with, but also be a novelty.

grcsat

· #11 · 3 mo ago

I have gone through my notes and have found only one reference in regard to the custom work of a Carcano rifle that was converted to7.62X39 with the note of "function, unsatisfactory"
I'm afraid, you are stuck with using Carcano ammo or spending a small fortune if you can even find a gunsmith to do the work.

Reactions: 2

Hawg

· #12 · 3 mo ago

Unless you can find a cartridge with the same rim diameter as the Carcano you're going to have to have the bolt face reworked. In the case of smaller calibers like the .223 it will have to be welded up and then machined back down to fit and that will include having the extractor reworked as well. Its a job beyond most gunsmiths skill set and master gunsmiths don't work cheap. Then you still have the magazine issue to get worked out.

Reactions: 3

shootbrownelk

· #13 · 3 mo ago

Ruger American in .223. Problem solved.

Reactions: 2

4575wcf

· #14 · 2 mo ago

I love your idea. The Carcano is a strong design, plenty beefy enough for a .223. The Italian military of WWI and WWII saw the need to load all of their service cartridges down, whether pistol or rifle, the cartridges are considerably lightly loaded for the various designs, some of which are actually quite strong. Frank de Hass mentions this very conversion in Bolt Action Rifles, but he also mentions the need to reduce the bolt face from .440-.450 of the 6.5 x 52, or 7.35 x 51 cartridges down to .378 for the .223. If it was me, I would bore the firing pin hole through to a somewhat larger diameter and bush the bolt face with a correctly shaped stepped tool steel plug to give the exact size I wanted. Some caution is in order because the extractor rides on a shelf behind the locking lug a la '91 Mauser to keep from pulling out to the front, so keep the hole size reasonable when drilling out the firing pin hole. Then you gotta make or modify an extractor, I see no easy way to bend the original to work. Either get a new one out of spring steel, or weld a new tip on the old stem and start over. The magazine has got to be worked over, I would fit an AR magazine or something similar in the modified trigger guard/magazine housing. Just my 2 cents worth. : ).

See less See more

4575wcf

· #15 · 2 mo ago

On the other hand, you could forget the whole idea and watch some Seinfeld or Perry Mason reruns on TV. If you get the conversion working be sure to post some pics and information cause I seldom get caught watching reruns!

1 - 15 of 15 Posts