Carcano M91 Cavalry Carbine
- Category
- Carbine
- Barrel
- 450 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.11 kg
- Introduced
- 1893
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Carcano M91 Cavalry Carbine (Moschetto Modello 1891 da Cavalleria) is a bolt-action carbine adopted by the Royal Italian Army in 1893 as a shortened, lighter companion to the M91 infantry rifle for mounted cavalry and special troops. Chambered in 6.5x52mm Mannlicher-Carcano and fed by a six-round en bloc clip, it features a permanently attached folding bayonet that hinges back along the forend, and the Carcano's distinctive gain-twist (progressive) rifling.
The cavalry carbine's folding spike bayonet pivots back under the barrel when not in use, so a trooper could carry the weapon 'blade ready' without it snagging while mounted - a feature Italian arsenals kept on the design for over half a century.
The integral folding spike bayonet that swings down from beneath the muzzle is the defining feature of the cavalry carbine, distinguishing it from the M91 TS (Truppe Speciali) carbine. The Carcano's gain-twist barrel starts with a slow rifling pitch that progressively tightens toward the muzzle.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Italian State Arsenals (Terni / Brescia / Gardone)
- Category
- Carbine
- Country
- Italy
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1893 to 1945
- Variant of
- Cavalry carbine
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 450 mm
- Overall length
- 922 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.11 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Rotating bolt
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 6
- Magazine
- En bloc clip
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 630 m/s
- Effective range
- 300 m
- Maximum range
- 1500 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Integral folding bayonet
Gain twist rifling
En bloc clip feed
Turned down bolt handle
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 409 carbines | 3.11 kg | 3.00 kg | Heavier than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 407 carbines | 922 mm | 895 mm | Longer than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 423 carbines | 450 mm | 406 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 423 carbines | 6 | 21 | Holds fewer rounds than about 80% |
Answers
Questions about the Carcano M91 Cavalry Carbine
How much does the Carcano M91 Cavalry Carbine weigh?
The Carcano M91 Cavalry Carbine weighs 3.11 kg (6.86 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Carcano M91 Cavalry Carbine?
The Carcano M91 Cavalry Carbine is chambered in 6.5x52mm Carcano.
How many rounds does the Carcano M91 Cavalry Carbine hold?
The Carcano M91 Cavalry Carbine holds 6 rounds, fed from an en bloc clip.
How long is the Carcano M91 Cavalry Carbine?
The Carcano M91 Cavalry Carbine is 922 mm (36.3 in) long overall, with a 450 mm (17.7 in) barrel.
Who makes the Carcano M91 Cavalry Carbine?
The Carcano M91 Cavalry Carbine is made by Italian State Arsenals (Terni / Brescia / Gardone) (Italy). It was designed by Salvatore Carcano.
When was the Carcano M91 Cavalry Carbine introduced?
The Carcano M91 Cavalry Carbine was introduced in 1893 and discontinued in 1945.
How does the Carcano M91 Cavalry Carbine operate?
The Carcano M91 Cavalry Carbine uses a bolt action, and its firing mechanism is rotating bolt.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Royal Italian Army
- 1893
Provenance
Confidence in this record
74%
Stockists
Where to buy
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No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
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Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/carcano-m91-cavalry' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "carcano-m91-cavalry", "name": "Carcano M91 Cavalry Carbine", "manufacturer": { "id": "regio-esercito-arsenals", "name": "Italian State Arsenals (Terni / Brescia / Gardone)", "countryCode": "IT", "foundedYear": 1875, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "updatedAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "version": "6de7e72b4412acb112d424e900f74c649ff4787b994443b6f6b3ef1ed7848d26" }, "category": { "id": "carbine", "name": "Carbine", "description": "Shortened rifles for close-quarters use" }, "country_of_origin": "IT", "year_introduced": 1893, "barrel_length_mm": 450, "weight_empty_g": 3110, "action_type": "bolt_action"}