Ammo Review: Milsurp Munitions 6.5 Carcano!

[@Annabanana5526]

Military 6.5 Carcano had a .268" diameter bullet. Most 6.5 available is .264" . That's like using a .30-'06 bullet, .308" in a .303 British cartridge that uses a .311" bullet

[@lankyjeep8432]

If you look on their website they seem to be gearing up for a .248 run of ammo, also most of the market loads .264 because the .268 bullets are more difficult to source

[@MilsurpMikeChannel]

I think most of the market does .264 due to bullet availability (as I said in the video, I believe these are the same bullets used in 6.5 Swede).

[@MovieMaker225]

Can we see a chrono test of the different brands that offer m1 garand rated 30-06 like PPU, S&B, Hornady, and American Eagle? Underwood makes a hunting load for the M1 too. The PPU definitely has a different recoil impulse than the American Eagle m1 ammo. The American Eagle stuff feels softer.

[@MilsurpMikeChannel]

That is a great idea!

[@MovieMaker225]

@@MilsurpMikeChannel just subcribed to ya. I really like your videos!

[@chrisr251]

Okay. a few things. First, the correct bullet diameter for the Carcano is 0.267" to 0.268". Part of the reason that Carcanos have such a poor reputation with accuracy is because they are constantly loaded with jacketed bullets that are too small. Hornady still makes a 0.267" bullet specifically for reloading the Carcanos. However, you MUST use their load data for it. Otherwise the pressure spikes too high, and you will melt the base of the cartridge in to the bolt face. Ask me how I know this... Second, it was common practice for shooting at targets that were closer than the 300 yard minimum sight setting to "bury the front post". That means instead of having the top of the front sight post being level with the top of the rear sight, as is common practice more or less everywhere else in the world, you put the top of the front sight post at the same level as the bottom of the rear sight V notch. That corrects the gun for distance, and lets you easily hit targets from 25 meters out to over 200 meters by aiming at the center of mass. Third, your carbine is not a 91/24 TS. There was the Model 91 TS, and the 91/24 Carbine. Yours is a 91/24 carbine. You can tell from the longer, rifle-sized rear sight. These were made early in the Fascist era when money was scarce, but they wanted a shorter, handier rifle. They took full-sized M-91 rifles that were worn out from WWI, and cut them down to the same length as the standard M91 TS carbines. The problem with that is that Carcano rifles have gain-twist rifling, and the fastest twist in the barrel is in the last foot of its length. When they chopped that faster twist off, the 91/24 carbines could no longer stabilize the 160 grain standard ball loads. Those would start tumbling, and usually key holing at anything over 25 yards. They can stabilize bullets that are lighter a little bit better, but they don't fully stabilize bullets until they get down to about the 100 grain weight. Your inaccuracy at 25 yards had nothing to do with your ability to shoot. Frankly, that is one of the best groupings I have ever seen out of a 91/24. I have had brand-new Norma Alaskan 160 grain loads shooting over a 2 foot group at 20 yards, with almost all of them hitting sideways. That is the same load that will shoot a sub-4 inch group at 100 yards out of a full-sized rifle. Which, given my eyesight, is more likely due to me being a bad shot than the gun or the ammunition.

[@neutronalchemist3241]

91/24 carbines were not made by simply chopping long rifles barrels. They were made by chopping the barrel near to the receiver, then reboring the rear end of the barrel, and then inserting the muzzle end of the barrel into the rear end. That way they had the correct twist rate at the muzzle anyway. If you take down the handguard of a 21/24, you can see the "step" where the front end of the barrel is inserted into the rear end. Many of them had not a great accuracy because they had been made with worn out WWI barrels, but not because of the twist rate.

[@chrisr251]

@@neutronalchemist3241 I do not believe you are correct on this one. That wouldn't actually work that way. The Italians did bore out and reline worn barrels. And those that received that treatment are generally marked "Tubati" on the receiver. However, what you are describing wouldn't actually be possible. The barrel would blow out of the receiver. I will look at the examples I have tonight, but in every research book I have found on these, both in English and Italian, it clearly states that they were simply cut down.

[@neutronalchemist3241]

@@chrisr251 It works that way. The barrel has no more chances to blow out of the receiver than in the "tubata" rifles. The only difference is that, in the "tubata" rifles, you need a marking to spot the treated rifles, while in the 91/24 the work is evident. See kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYO9e3WKiNuCrqc The cut is directly in front of the rear sight. At the end of the same clip you can see the barrel of a 91/28 carbine, for a comparison.

[@glhx2112]

I'm glad to see somebody else is making ammo for our Carcano rifles. Previous options were not that great due to bullet diameter & rifle condition so those of us who've been dependent on Privi ammo have had hit or miss (no pun intended) luck on whether the ammo would stabilize out of our Carbines. It would be pretty cool (and expensive, gulp) to be able to get a review of accuracy of Milsurp Munitions 6.5 Carcano ammo compared to the 5 different options as offered by Steinel, and just for giggles, some Privi thrown in the mix. Main problem with that idea is if and when Steinel makes more ammo. Everything is out of stock. I can't remember the last time I saw a shipment of Privi 6.5 Carcano hit The States, so that is also a problem.

[@MilsurpMikeChannel]

Yea... I didn't want to kill my stock of PPU (not to mention that is what that other channel I mentioned did).

[@corycarlson8712]

Did you do any testing to make sure the bulletts werent tumbling? some of these manufacturers are using undersized bulletts in 264 so the rifling wont catch or stabalize the projectile well enough.

[@MilsurpMikeChannel]

That is an idea for if I get some more rounds.

[@MidwesternFC]

Happy they are producing hard to find ammo. Glad to see your review as this was out of my price range unfortunately.

[@MilsurpMikeChannel]

Most of the milsurp caliber ammo is pretty high unfortunately.... Just not enough demand for large production runs to eat up the cost.

[@billy56081]

Good to see ammo being made for those old boys. It is nice to see it is offered in 2 different diameter bullets.

[@MilsurpMikeChannel]

Hopefully we will see more offerings in the future.

[@cheapolegunguy]

At $30-$40 a box of 20 ea, I expect a helluva lot better loading precision, just saying. :-)

[@MilsurpMikeChannel]

It is a high price point... but unless you are into reloading, it seems like we have to rely on these smaller companies if we want to shoot our milsurps. You don't want to know what I just paid for some newly loaded .577/450 :)

[@walterdavis4808]

Good to see carcano coming back. Thanks

[@MilsurpMikeChannel]

Mainly thanks to those Ethiopian rifles coming in... I am afraid that these will add to the myth that the Carcano is a poor quality rifle.

[@jeremywells5241]

Sure, bring on some more milsurp ammo tests!

[@MilsurpMikeChannel]

The comments have given me some good ideas! Plus I might actually do a little more modern test of my favorite carry ammo.

[@offdeadeye88]

Casto getting straight buried lol

[@MilsurpMikeChannel]

As they should.

[@INeverMetAGunIDidntLike]

@@MilsurpMikeChannel I'm guessing that he went full Jared Fogle?

[@karlhoffman1985]

I like when people do this so you know what you are getting. Thanks for this, I just subscribed.

[@MilsurpMikeChannel]

Awesome! Thank you.

[@timblack6422]

Outstanding!! Take my money!!! Wait.. .263?!! .264/.265 will work

[@MilsurpMikeChannel]

Hopefully there is some still in stock.

[@ThecrazyScotsman]

Extreme spread is up there for sure but overall seemed consistent. Sidenote all for posting affiliate links in description the pop ups on screen kinda annoying

[@MilsurpMikeChannel]

This video cost me a little extra to make, so trying to recoup some of the cost. Different guns I buy stay in the collection... but ammo testing is money I can't get back.

[@ChrisClinton-y7i]

The bearing surface of a bullet often can only be measured by pulling a bullet…it exists in the case neck, not exposed in a cartridge. Waste of time measuring a bullet in a loaded round

[@navyvet7665]

As has already been mentioned, it is too small a bullet diameter. I don't understand why these manufacturers don't do some research when they make this ammo. If you just want to throw bullets down range, it'll work. Most European 6.5 caliber weapons are at least .267 groove diameter. Early weapons anyway. Except for the swedish 6.5. That is one example that is .264.

[@MilsurpMikeChannel]

I think your last sentence answered the question.... probably using the same bullets as the Swede. That is why I made the off had comment when I measured the diameter.

[@donwyoming1936]

As the sole investor, I guess you could say RTI owns Milsurp Munitions. Convenient RTI sells Carcano's. The ammo is assembled here from mostly PPU components. Joining the ranks of several new, milsurp ammo assemblers doing the exact same thing. 🤠

[@MilsurpMikeChannel]

There is one dude who owns Milsurp Munitions, and he has worked on RTI's website. A company whose main income comes from Carcanos currently would be smart to feature some ammo they can fire on their site. Also, while they need to tighten some things up a bit on the ammo, they have done things right by making sure they were set up to crank out the ammo and only sells the ammo when they have it in stock... unlike a certain company who would sell the ammo THEN make it (and they went under due to questionable pictures on the owner's hard drive)

[@navyvet7665]

91/24 carbine rifle. Cut down from a long rifle. It's not an accurate weapon to begin with.

[@337923chris]

The person your talking about is koba49 he is very credible in the gun community and has been making ammo longer than most he made a comment about what happened to him by ordering you product you dont have to insult the man by calling him a boomer

[@MilsurpMikeChannel]

I didn't insult his knowledge on ammo... I called out his ignorance in questioning the website's security where he sounded like a boomer. When credit card fraud happens, your info is usually swiped days or weeks before the fraud actually happens. The owner of Milsurp Munitions is a software engineer for his day job who has done excellent websites for many small and large gun and ammo retailers out there (not to mention work on several large normie sites). He has put in a lot of work to get his company up and to do things right. I know that Koba does has an audience, so I am going to stand up for a young dude who has more hustle than Koba and myself have put together (and I am much closer to Koba in age than I am the owner of Milsurp Munitions) in case his rambling on the website security prevents someone from considering purchasing the ammo.

[@GarandGuy2553]

Being good at making ammo and having an expertise in one area doesn’t mean you’re infallible in others. Opening a credit card fraud case 2 minutes after making a purchase and then causing potential reputation damage to a new vendor is certainly grounds for legitimate criticism.