Saw Some Interesting C&R Guns in Rome Today

[Capybara]

I am in Rome on vacation and stopped by the Museo Nazionale del Palazzo di Venezia and saw some interesting guns. I know very little about C&R guns earlier than 1900 so it would be good to hear from all of you experts on if the curators know what they really have. I was struck by how much the Carcano resembles my new Mosin 91/30. I guess bolt action military rifles didn't change that much for quite a while. Enjoy and let me know what you think. All of the captions below are per the museum, not me. Judging from signs and advertisements here, Italian to English translation is always a crap shoot anyway.

Top - Breech-loading Mannichler-Carcano, Model 1891, 6.5mm
Bottom - Special Forces Infantry Musket, Model 1870 Vetterli, 10.35mm



French Six Shot Pin Revolver - Lefeaucheaux 1862



Percussion Pistol, 1850 (obviously missing the hammer mechanism)

[dogfood]

The thing that strikes meas a bit odd is that a national museum would display a broken firearm. Is it of some specific historical significance?
/I hope you're enjoying Italy, I loved it over there.

[gunboat]

I wonder why the pin fire muzzle is threaded --

As to the missing hammer, even bits go missing in the best of museums.

[Spiggy]

and many museums have a policy where if it falls off, they won't repair it.

I know is the sad case for Heracles' junk at The Getty

[pitfighter]

Yes - or oil the parts, I have seen this in Malta, beautiful medieval swords rusting, where a quick spray of oil would save them another 50 years.

[Warrior King]

I was impressed with the sleek beauty of some of the Italian military rifles before WWI. It was easy to see Italy was a leading center for industrial design, before other parts of Europe, and that they designed military rifles for more than just function.

[Capybara]

The thing that strikes meas a bit odd is that a national museum would display a broken firearm. Is it of some specific historical significance?
/I hope you're enjoying Italy, I loved it over there.

I thought the same, I don't think that they had suppressors that early, perhaps it is a for a bayonet? Bayonets were a lot more practical on pistols back then as the firearms often didn't fire or misfired and they tool a lot longer to reload than a modern pistol.

Italy is very nice, but believe it or not, my 17 year old daughter is bored here after three days of sights and museums. I'm not, I love it here but I am a lot more into history than she is.

We are doing the Segway tour on Friday and the Vatican tomorrow, anyone have any interesting ideas for a bored 17 year old to do in Rome?

[Capybara]

The thing that strikes meas a bit odd is that a national museum would display a broken firearm. Is it of some specific historical significance?
/I hope you're enjoying Italy, I loved it over there.

I agree, seems strange but then again, they display just a leg and reconstruct what the rest the of statue would have looked like and they have a lot of headless and handless statues too, although those are ancient and this is modern in comparison.

The pistol was not labeled as any sort of historical significance, it is just included with a bunh of other uniforms, helmets, medals, etc.

[PEZHEAD265]

If you can go in to a gunshop and check out the m1 carbines or any US military weapons.I was on a web sight awhile back from Italy and the had low digit Inlands with the early features but they could not send them here.If you have a C&R lic. can you buy then and send them back?

[dogfood]

if i was a bored teenager year old in rome? discotheque, without a doubt. but seeing as how it's your daughter, i'd advise against that.
maybe find an internet cafe? or whatever else the kids over there are doing these days. i remember making friends with some local kids when i was there (at 14yo) just having met them in the common areas of our hotels.

[glennsche]

If you can go in to a gunshop and check out the m1 carbines or any US military weapons.I was on a web sight awhile back from Italy and the had low digit Inlands with the early features but they could not send them here.If you have a C&R lic. can you buy then and send them back?

an American C&R isnt going to be valid outside the US, dude.

[dogfood]

an American C&R isnt going to be valid outside the US, dude.

maybe he can ask *really* nicely. their economy is in the terlit, i hear.

[glennsche]

maybe he can ask *really* nicely. their economy is in the terlit, i hear.

heh. what better way for an italian gun store owner to better his lot in life than to break italian firearm laws and lose his license to satisfy the thirst of a single american tourist.

[Alex$]

I don't know what Italian gun export laws are, but the FFL03 will help with import.

[Quinc]

We are doing the Segway tour on Friday and the Vatican tomorrow, anyone have any interesting ideas for a bored 17 year old to do in Rome?

Pub crawl. And maybe a walking tour with other people her age. A-lot of the young people like to hang out at the fountains at night too.