Carcano M91/38 TS Carbine

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Specifications

Carcano Rifle Family Overview

The Carcano family of rifles was Italy’s standard military long arm from 1891 through the end of the Second World War. Designed by Salvatore Carcano, the system evolved into numerous variants to serve infantry, cavalry, engineers, and special troops in multiple theaters of war. Major patterns include the long M91 infantry rifle, the M91/24 and M91/28 conversions, the simplified M38 short rifle, and the M91/38 TS carbine represented by this example.

The 91/38 TS – Special Troops Carbine

The 91/38 TS (Truppe Speciali) was a compact, lightweight bolt-action carbine intended for Italy’s support and elite units—paratroopers, artillery crews, medics, Carabinieri, and other special troops requiring a handy rifle rather than a full-length long gun. It chambers the 6.5×52mm Carcano cartridge, uses a 6-round en-bloc clip, and typically features a one-piece beech stock and a fixed 200-meter rear sight optimized for short to medium ranges.

FNA-Brescia Production (c. 1943)

This rifle was produced at FNA-Brescia, a major Italian arms factory located in the Gardone Val Trompia industrial district. By 1943 the arsenal was under intense wartime pressure and subject to bombing, and production practices became increasingly irregular. Many late FNA-B rifles either lack a visible date or show only minimal inspection markings, a pattern consistent with this example. Instead of a clear date stamp, the rifle carries a small shield-oval proof cartouche, typical of late-war FNA-B acceptance.

Serial RA53108 – Regia Aeronautica Issue

The “RA” prefix on serial number 53108 definitively connects this rifle to the Regia Aeronautica, the Royal Italian Air Force. Research compiled from the Liberatore Carcano database and surviving examples indicates that RA-prefixed 91/38 TS carbines were issued primarily to airfield security, logistics personnel, and ground-support elements associated with airborne units rather than front-line infantry formations.

Markings, Date & Import Status

On this rifle, the portion of the barrel shank where a full date would often appear is blank. This matches documented Mod. 91/38 T.S. production patterns where some 1943 FNA-B examples show reduced barrel shank markings. A Savoy shield is present, indicating the forced proof of the barrel and serving as a Kingdom of Italy-era inspection device. The absence of both a post-war “Made in Italy” export marking and a U.S. import stamp suggests that RA53108 entered the United States as a wartime bring-back or an early pre-1946 import before Italy started stamping exports, and before 1968 where such marks were legally required in the U.S.

Collector Notes

This 91/38 TS carbine presents as a strong representative example of a late-war Italian special troops rifle with documented Air Force association. Its key collector points include the RA-prefixed serial, FNA-Brescia manufacture, lack of import/export marks, and overall consistency with known 1943 production characteristics.

Provenance & Identification Summary

• Model M91/38 TS carbine in 6.5×52mm Carcano.
• Manufactured at FNA-Brescia during late-war production (c. 1943).
• Serial number RA53108 with “RA” prefix indicating Regia Aeronautica issue.
• Matching receiver and stock serial numbers.
• No “Made in Italy” export mark and no U.S. import stamp, suggesting wartime or early post-war entry into the U.S.
• Savoy shield present in place of a full date stamp, consistent with late FNA-B rifles.

Editorial Note

These pages are presented for historical and collector-reference purposes. Relics & Rifles does not sell firearms or facilitate transactions. Any discussion of configuration, markings, or accessories is descriptive and intended to preserve context for research.