Components and Disassembly

Exploded diagram of Carcano Modello 1938 Action

No.	Part Name	Application Notes (Standard Types)
Image from: The World Guide to Guns Parts, Volume 18, 1994, p. 175, Gun Parts Corp.
1	Bolt - Stripped	- Straight Handle Bolt: Fucile. - Bent Handle: Moschetto Cav, Moschetto T.S. and Fucile Corto. - Rifles chambered in 8x57IS Mauser and 6.5x50 Japanese use bolts with different face dimensions. - Early production (pre-1912) bolts (not shown) used an extractor that ran through the right bolt lug. These bolts were taken out of service, but reused in later production guns (primarily M91/41 Fucile). - Later production bolts (shown) use a circumfertial hook extractor that runs from above the right lug, down in front of the lug.
2	Extractor	- Early production (pre-1912) bolts used an extractor that ran through the right bolt lug. These bolts were taken out of service, but reused in later production guns (primarily M91/41 Fucile). - Later production circumferential hook extractor shown.
3	Cocking Piece Nut
4	Cocking Piece Nut Retainer
5	Retainer Spring
6	Retainer Pin
7	Cocking Piece
8	Safety
9	Firing Pin Spring
10	Firing Pin
11	Bolt - Complete	Parts 1 - 10. See notes regarding stripped bolt.
12	Sear Pin
13	Receiver	Guns chambered in 8x57IS Mauser (except Heinrich Kreighoff Single Shot conversions) have a relief cut in the front of the receiver opening to accomodate the longer length of the Mauser round.
14	Barrel	Caliber, rifling rates, length depend by model and phenotype. See the specification on the Models Identification page for more information.
15	Rear Sight	- Adjustable: M91, M91/24, M91/28, M91/41, TipoI and some M91/38 Moschetto Cav. produced by Brescia. - Fixed Rear Sight: M38 and most M91/38.
16	Front Sight	Moschetto Cav. Front Sight w/Integral Bayonet Mount. M38 Fucile Corto used by Finnish Troops have a taller sight sight blade than arsenal issue.
17	Sear Stud
18	Ejector
19	Sear Spring
20	Sear Bar
21	Trigger Stud Pins	2 Required.
22	Trigger
23	Boltstop	Some later guns had a bolt stop that allows the bolt to be slipped in without having to depressing the trigger. The upper rear edge of such a bolt stop is beveled.
24	Clip Latch Spring	Not applicable to Tipo I.
25	Clip Latch	- Not applicable to Tipo I. - M38's chambered in 8x57IS Mauser use a clip latch that is taller than the standard item. The characteristic S should stamped on these latches. Use of reshaped standard clips requires using a standard clip latch.
26	Rear Guard Screw
27	Trigger Guard	Tipo I Trigger Guard (not shown) does not have a Mannlicher style magazine.
28	Clip Latch Screw	This is interchangable with the Housing Retainer Screw.
29	Housing Retainer Screw	This is interchangable with the Clip Latch Screw.
30	Front Guard Screw
31	Follower	- Tipo I follower uses a different type of follower system (not shown). - Single shot Heinrich Kreighoff conversions have a wooden feed ramp installed between the receiver and magazine, with the follower holding it up in place.
32	Follower Spring	- Tipo I follower uses a different type of follower system (not shown).
33	Follower Housing	- Tipo I follower uses a different type of follower system (not shown).
34	Follower Hinge Pin	- Tipo I follower uses a different type of follower system (not shown).
The following 'typical' parts are not illustrated and vary by phenotype. Applicability to a particular model and/or phenotype is also subject to production changes and post-production rework.
	Stock	- Length varies depend by model and phenotype. See the specification on the Models Identification page for more information. - Even within models and phenotype, features of stock can vary (e.g., M91 Moschetto TS or M38 Fucile Corto Single band stock with extended handguard).
	Handguard
	Buttplate	- W/o Trapdoor: Fucile and Moschetto T.S. - W/o Trapdoor and vertical top screw: M91/41 Fucile - W/Trapdoor: Fucile Corto and Moschetto Cav.
	Buttplate Screws	2 Required. Top screw is filed down to shape.
	Rear Swivel w/2 Screws	- Fucile and Moschetto T.S. - Some M91/41 Fucile and most Moschetto T.S. use both a sling swivel and sling bar.
	Sling Bar w/2 Screws	- Fucile Corto and Moschetto Cav. - Some M91/41 Fucile and most Moschetto T.S. use both a sling swivel and sling bar.
	Stock (Rear) Band	- W/Spring lock and swivel: Fucile and most Moschetto T.S. (most M91 T.S.'s may have a long handguard - W/1 Screw and swivel: Fucile Corto - Some Fucile Corto (with Single Band/Long handguard stock) and all Moschetto Cav. do not have a rear band. Sling swivel is on nose cap of such rifles. - Some M91/41 Fucile and most Moschetto T.S. have both a sling swivel on bottom and sling bar on the side.
	Nose Cap (Front Band)	- W/Integral Bayonet mount: Fucile and most Moschetto T.S. - W/Integral Bayonet mount and front swivel: Most M91 Moschetto T.S. - W/through screw(s) for barrel bayonet mount: Fucile Corto - W/o provisions for bayonet mount: Moschetto Cav.
	Nose Cap (Front Band) Screw	- 1 Required: Fucile, Moschetto T.S., Moschetto Cav., and Single Band/Long Handguard Fucile Corto.
	Cleaning Rod	- 1 peice, under barrel: Fucile, Moschetto T.S. - 2 peice, in butt: Moschetto Cav. - 3 piece, in butt: Fucile Corto.
	6 Round Clip	- Steel or brass clips available on market are interchangable for 6.5x52 or 7.35x51 Carcano. - 5 round clip manufactured specifically for 8x57IS Mauser are not currently available. Standard clips can be modified for use. - Not applicable for Tipo I.

Disassembly for Modello 38 Fucile Corto (Other variants similar)

Open bolt and pull back to stop. Press trigger and pull back on bolt to remove.
Remove front and rear guard screws. Pull down on trigger guard to remove.
Remove screws for front band and rear band.
Slide rear band and handguard forward (up to front band).
Pull receiver from up from stock (approx. 2cm). Barrel will pivot and slide around stock at front band. Slide receiver/barrel forward a few centimeters.
Remove front band by pushing forward on band. Front band, rear band, handgurard and barrel/receiver will come off stock as a 'unit'. Bands and handguards can now be slipped off of barrel.
Pull sear pin out from receiver. Sear and associated pieces can be removed and disassembled.
Remove follower housing retaining screw.
Push follower housing through the hole located behind the front guard screw hole on top of housing, then pull housing forward to free from guard.
Compress the follower and insert a thin bladed screwdriver through the front of the slot in the side of the housing.
Release the follower and pull the follower hinge pin out. Follower can be removed.
Slide the screwdriver towards the rear of slot and gently remove the screwdriver. Be careful, the follower spring is under compression until the screwdriver is fully removed.
The follower spring can now be removed by pulling up to about 90° and then pulling it out.
Remove clip latch screw and remove clip retaining latch and spring. Please note that this part is also under spring compression.
Grab bolt body and rotate cocking piece counter-clockwise (facing in direction of cartridge loading motion). You may need to pull back on cocking piece to start the rotation. This will release spring tension from cocking piece. Depress cocking screw retaining pin and unscrew cocking piece retaining nut. Pull cocking piece off firing pin. Notice alignment marks on firing pin, safety and how cocking piece must align with these two pieces when reassembled.
Press safety and rotate counter-clockwise and release pressure until it stops. Now, very carefully as the firing pin spring is still under compression, depress safety about 5mm and rotate counter-clockwise again until it stops and release pressure. The firing pin can now be removed from the bolt body.
If you wish to remove the extractor (not recommended, except for unusual situations), with small pliers (needle nose), grab extractor claw and pull out (radially) and forward.
At this point, the gun has been stripped to about a far as it can go. Reassembly is the reverse of the above.

Dissassembled M91/38 Fucile Corto Paul J. Burke

Machine Screw Threads

Occasonally, the need arises that a machine screw thread needs to be chased or recut altogether because of stripping, cross threading, corrosion, etc. Below is a table of the screw threads found on a Carcano. These sizes were obtained from the the 4 Carcano samples I had on hand ... a M91 Fucile, a M38 Fucile Corto, a M38S Moschetto T.S. and a M91/38 Moschetto Cav. Thread sizes in italics are estimates, as these have not been confirmed by chasing the threads with a die or tap, as these are not standard sized threads. Please note, production chages and/or post-issue modifications may have occured to change the screw sizes for your particular rifle.

Screw	Thread
Screws common to all variants
Trigger Guard Screw	M6.5x1
Firing Pin Retaining Screw	M6.5x1
Clip Latch/Follower Retaining Screw	M3.5x.6
Screws specific to M91 Fucile
Rear sight base retaining screws (Qty. 3 ... 2 on top, 1 set screw on bottom)	M3.5x.6
Rear sight leaf spring screw	M4x.75
Front band screw	M3.75x.8
Cleaning Rod	M5x.9
Screws specific to M38 Fucile Corto
Stock band screws for 2 band stock (Qty. 3)	M5x.8
Rear sight screw	M4x.75
Cleaning rod	M3.5x.8 or 6-32UNC
Screws specific to M38 Moschetto Cav.
Stock band screw	M5x.8
Rear sight screw	M4x.75
Front sight screw	M3.5x.6
Bayonet screw (pushbutton type)	M4.5x.75
Cleaning rod	M3.5x.8 or 6-32UNC
Screws specific to M38 Moschetto T.S.
Front band screw	M3.75x.8
Rear sight screw	M4x.75
Cleaning Rod	M5x.9

Oh ... you may have noticed the 6-32UNC thread listed above. It appears that the M3.5x.8 threading is very close to the 6-32UNC thread. But before you think "Hey a SAE size! Commercial cleaning rod attachments might fit." They won't. Commercial cleaning rod attachments for rifle/pistol calibers above .17 use 8-32UNC threading.