Carcano M38 Cavalry Carbine

About the Carcano M38 Cavalry Carbine

The Carcano M38 Cavalry Carbine (Moschetto Modello 1938 da Cavalleria) is an Italian bolt-action carbine introduced in 1938 as the cavalry version of the new Modello 1938 system chambered in the experimental 7.35x51mm Carcano cartridge. A short, half-stocked carbine fed by a six-round en bloc clip, it retained the Carcano family's permanently attached triangular folding bayonet that hinges back beneath the forend. Unlike the M91/38 pattern, the M38 cavalry carbine carries only a fixed 200-meter rear sight, reflecting the Italian decision to simplify wartime carbines for short-range fighting.

The 7.35x51mm cartridge was Italy's answer to lessons of the Spanish Civil War - a heavier, more lethal round to replace the long-serving 6.5mm. The M38 cavalry carbine was built around it, but wartime ammunition logistics forced Italy to abandon the new caliber in 1940, leaving the 7.35mm Carcanos as one of World War Two's shortest-lived service cartridges.

Carcano M38 Cavalry Carbine specifications

Italy adopted the 7.35x51mm cartridge in 1938 but reverted to 6.5x52mm Carcano in 1940 due to wartime logistics, so M38 carbines were also produced (and many existing ones rebarreled) in 6.5mm. The 7.35mm M38 cavalry carbine is the earlier short-production configuration. Weight figure (~2.98 kg) converted from 6 lb 9 oz.