I have an old Vetterli long rifle. I did a chamber cast and it mikes out to my eyes at 6.5 by 48. Definately NOT a 10.4mm. It has the non removable magazine, good bore, decent wood, missing cleaning rod,sling and bayonet. Does anyone out there know any thing about these old guns and can you give me the correct designation for the ammo. TIA.

It's a 10.4x38R and uses .429-.431 bullets. Suggest you go to www.swissrifles.com for all your Vetterli information needs.

I think The Italian's had a few Vetterli's in 6.5mm. BEJ's suggestion is a good one. Big Lee(swissrifles), Para, or somebody should be able to help out. I believe some of the people convert rim fire to center fire. Best-o-Luck

@landtrain

I own a Vetterli M1881 Stutzer. And I did the center fire conversion. Please see this link for more information about the ammo, the front sight adjustment and the center fire conversion...

If you have more questions, please feel free to ask...

Good shooting and good hunting

Collani

@all

... and now we are starting a Vetterli Bullet mould group buy. For more infos please click here...

Good shooting and good hunting

Collani

Thanks Collani and SwissRifles, It seems as the Italians had Vetterli's since 1870 or so and in the early 1900's a number of them were converted to the 6.5 Italian round. Yours may or maynot be. You said the chamber was 48mm. IIRC, the Ital case is about 52mm. I don't have the case specs in front of me. Does your rifle shoot rimfire or centerfire? You might have an 'Ital wildcat' in 6.5X vett??or something else Best-o-Luck

SOME Vetterlis were made in 6.5mm as the Italian gov't was experimenting with cartridges in that cal. .....

[ 06-15-2003, 18:58: Message edited by: eldeguello ]

I have a Vetterli-Vitale in 6.5 Carcano. I have done a little reloading for it with mild loads using the 140 Hornady. Accuracy is indifferent and it shoots about two feet high and about a foot right. It probably needs a larger bullet and some day I will slug it and try some properly sized cast bullets.

Thanks everyone. You have to be careful what you scratch at an estate auction.

TO: BEJ. It definately is NOT a 10,4. A ,243 bullet won't fit the muzzle.

TO: Ionniemike. The receiver is dated 1898 but only a few proof/inspector marks. No caliber. I know the casting is shorter than the round itself but I have no way to compensate for that so I measured what I had. I won't rule out a wild cat but this is an awfully ugly gun to convert to something else. The 6.5 X 52 is visually about right.

TO: Carcano91. I too suspect it is a 6.5 Carcano from what I remember of an old president shooter I once had as a boy. The big gap between the case mouth and the rifleing is a dead give away. 6.5 CC is hard to find here in Northern VA., in other than collector grade boxes.

TO: Marc. Thanks. I'm not anxious to shoot it until I know what I'm dealing with but it is in such good shape for an old war gun, I don't want to put it the corner just yet.

Question: What happens to the stripper (?) clip once all the rounds are fired? Is it ejected out the bottom by the fresh one?

What a breadth of knowledge in these forums!!! Ok, Ok, I was being "narrow". When someone says "Vetterli" I always think Swiss. I learned a bunch from this thread.

carcano91 has it right on the caliber and model.

Thousands of these rifles were sold surplus in the U.S.A.in the early 60s for$4.95 ea.

A friend of mine liberated one in 1945 in
Japan of all places.

WC

Carcano - thanks for the clarification. I was not aware of the WWI conversions ....