Ammo For Sale - Handgun Calibers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
“6.5x52mm Carcano or 6.5x52mm
Mannlicher-Carcano is an Italian military 6.77 mm (.266/67 cal.)
rimless bottle-necked rifle cartridge, developed from 1889-1891 and
used in the Carcano 1891 rifle and many of its successors. In US
parlance, "Carcano" is frequently added to better distinguish it
from the rimmed hunting cartridge 6.5x52mmR (US version: .25-35
Winchester). Ballistically, its performance is very similar to that
of the 6.5x54mm Mannlicher.
Under the direction of the "Commissione delle Armi Portatili"
(Commission for Portable Weapons), instituted in 1888 to develop a
smokeless-powder rifle for the Italian Army, the "Reale Laboratorio
Pirotecnico di Bologna" (Royal Pyrotechnical Laboratory of Bologna)
developed and tried several different cartridge designs, with a
bullet diameter from 8 mm to 6 mm. Finally, due also to the
influence of Maj. Antonio Benedetti, of the Brescia Arsenal,
Secretary of the Commission and strong supporter of the advantages
of smallbore cartridges, the 6.5x52 cartridge was definitively
adopted in March 1890, prior to the rifle that had to use it (it
would be the M91 Carcano rifle).
Since the adoption of the cartridge, the arsenals technicians
worries about the characteristics of the original ballistite load,
since that propellant was considered too erosive (flame temperature
of 3000-3500 °C) and not stable under severe climatic conditions.
Several other loads were tested, including the British cordite but
without good results, until the Reale Polverificio del Liri (Royal
Explosives Factory of Liri) developed a new propellant called "Solenite",
composed of trinitrocellulose (40%), dinitrocellulose (21%),
nitroglycerine (36%), mineral oil (3%), and shaped in large
tube-like grains. The new propellant, that reduced the flame
temperature (2600 °C) and proved to be very stable, was adopted in
1896 and never changed until the end of the military production of
the cartridge.
The 6.5x52mm Carcano was designed as a full-blown infantry
cartridge, in accordance with the tactics of the time, the
adjustable rear sight of the rifle allowing for volley fire up to
2,000 metres. It was the first to be officially adopted of a class
of smallbore military rifle cartridges such as the 6.5x50 Arisaka
(Japan), 6.5x53R Mannlicher (Romania / Netherlands), 6.5x54
Mannlicher (Greece), 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser (also Norwegian
Krag-Jörgensen), 6.5x58 Portuguese, of similar ballistic
performances.
A comparison with other cartridges of the 7.62mm and 8mm calibre
class (starting in 1886 with the French 8x50R Lebel, continuing with
the German 7.92x57. the Austrian 8x50R, the British .303, the
Russian 7.62x54R, the Belgian and Argentine 7.65x53, the .30-40 Krag,
and the much later .30-03 and .30-06) may make all these 6.5mm
rounds appear "underpowered" on paper though[citation needed], and
lacking of stopping power, compared to other military cartridges and
rifles of the time. On the other hand, they seem to have a long list
of advantages, as the flatness of trajectory, outstanding
penetration at distance, less weight, less recoil, smaller
dimensions, less material required to produce them.[citation needed]
Its short-lived intended successor cartridge, the 7.35x51 Carcano,
is sometimes identified as the first intermediate round, before the
German 7.92x33 and the Soviet 7.62x39.
The original 6.5x52mm Carcano barrel design, developed by the
Brescia Arsenal at the same time of the cartridge, and first than
the M91 Carcano Rifle, used a gain twist barrel with deep rifling to
reduce wear, extend barrel life and give consistent
accuracy.[citation needed] Gain twist has a slow initial twist in
the barrel progressively getting faster until the full twist rate is
attained at the muzzle, resulting in less torque being imparted to
the bullet during the highest stress phase of the interior ballistic
cycle, and thus less barrel wear in the throat of the barrel."
6.5x52mm Mannlicher-Carcano. (2009. March 7). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23:15, March 17. 2009. from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=6.5x52mm_Mannlicher-Carcano&oldid=275586983