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Case Histories: 6.5mm x 52 Carcano

Case Histories: 6.5mm x 52 Carcano

On the face of it, the 19th Century 6.5mm x 52 Carcano would seem to be an unlikely choice as a 1963 sniper cartridge. Furthermore, the use of a rifle to which the fitment of a scope was difficult would seem equally incongruous. Sadly, the combination achieved its objective, or did it? The ballistic performance of the original 6.5 x 52 was notable for its ‘shoot-through’ characteristics, with one Winchester 160-grain JRN bullet passing through both JFK, the front seat and front seat passenger of the car. So perhaps the fatal head shot, with its substantially different ballistic trauma, did indeed come from an HP round accidentally fired from an AR15 in the hands of one of the Secret Service agents in the Kennedy convoy. Alternative scenarios and conspiracy theories abound.

ODD SIZE PILL

It was in the late 1880’s that the Italian military commissioned the development of a new service round and rifle to make best use of the smokeless propellants that were just coming to market. Whilst experiments ranged across a diversity of calibres, the final choice was 6.5mm. Although this dimension is now synonymous with 0.264” bullets, their chosen bullet diameter was 0.268”. The original 162-grain JRN pill was housed in a compact rimless bottleneck case employing a large rifle primer. This long bullet making the cartridge look rather ungainly. Tests with a range of smokeless propellants including initial unsatisfactory production with Ballistite were finally resolved by the development, in Italy, of a new triple-base powder called Solenite. This was a coarse, reddish brown, cut rod material. The 2200 fps cartridge was launched in 1890 but it was the following year before the appropriately chambered service rifle saw the light of day.

GAIN TWIST RIFLE

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The bolt action Model 1891 Carcano rifle had progressive (gain) twist and used a clip-fed, 6-round box magazine. It was named after its principal designer, Salvatori Carcano. In order to accommodate the lengthy pill the chamber leade (throat) was extremely deep. This, together with the range of twist, creates something of a challenge for the modern handloader if using much lighter, smaller diameter bullets.

Hornady list the 6.5mm Carcano (.268”) F/L 2 die set and Lee offer something similar so tools are not an issue. The Hornady manual quotes comprehensive data for four bullets, all .264” diameter. However, some American sites quote HRN Part number #2645B, which does refer to a .268”, 160-grain JRNSP and Hornady themselves web list a (suspended) #2645 160-grain pill of .267” diameter. Furthermore, some sites offer un-primed Prvi Partizan brass, so all the necessary parts can be sourced, albeit from around the globe. As we observed earlier, the key to successfully handloading this cartridge will be a good understanding of the chamber, leade and rifling characteristics of your rifle.

JUSTIFYING A CARCANO

I suspect that macabre interest would not make for a good reason to possess in the eyes of the Law. However, the accurate flat shooting performance of the cartridge over short and medium ranges make it an interesting contender for any historic military rifle comp, of which there are quite a few. Furthermore, examples of Carcano rifles are not that expensive. On the down side, they have a reputation for being fragile and fussy as well as awkward to cycle quickly. I’ve never used one so it’s your call.

6.5 Carcano PPU ammo, brass and dies - Henry Krank & Co Ltd, 0113 256 9163 Hornady dies, bullets and data – Edgar Brothers Ltd, 01625 613177

  • Case Histories: 6.5mm x 52 Carcano - image {image:count}

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  • Case Histories: 6.5mm x 52 Carcano - image {image:count}

    click on image to enlarge

  • Case Histories: 6.5mm x 52 Carcano - image {image:count}

    click on image to enlarge

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