Was the carcano, CE 139, painted black?

[Richard Smith]

Charles Collins posted this picture of CE 139.   It appears to have been painted black in the past.
   


This is very interesting.....   Because, before Benito  Mussolini was lynched, he was Il Duce.   And he had a special, elite, corps of body guards.  Those elite body guards had special and very distinctive black uniforms. All of their equipment was highly polished black....boots, belts, helmets, etc. 

Their rifles were the carcano model 91/ 38 short rifle , ( the same model as CE 139) ) The wooden stocks of those rifle were lacquered with a gloss black lacquer ..... They are very very rare and I don't believe that there is one in the US.   ..... BUT.... CE 139 does appear to be one of those carcanos....   

Does anybody know of a very detailed description of CE 139?

Whew.  Red rings, umbrella signals, and now Mussolini.  Maybe Mick and the boys can incorporate this latest fantasy into song:

I see a MC rifle
And I want it painted black
No colors anymore
I want them to turn black.

[Charles Collins]

Did we ever resolve the problem of the discrepancy between the Alyea film that shows the carcano lying on the floor and Lt  Day grabbing the leather sling and lifting the rifle FROM THE FLOOR  while the official DPD in situ photo shows the rifle jammed between boxes of books?

Question for you Walt: If you try to make the rifle stand up by itself (on a flat surface like a floor) with the bottom (flat) part of the magazine as partially supporting the rifle, will it stay upright without any additional support?

[Bill Chapman]

I think it's black from the fingerprint tests that were done on it. It was originally brown I'd imagine.

[Walt Cakebread]

That's a very good picture of ce 139.....   And I do believe that the stock was painted black at some point in time.   And I would guess that it was painted black over the brown finish that all carcano's left the factory with.  So WHO put the black paint on that rifle and Why?

I wonder if there is a list of the serial numbers of the rifles of the Guardie Del Duce?

[Dan O'meara]

Did we ever resolve the problem of the discrepancy between the Alyea film that shows the carcano lying on the floor and Lt  Day grabbing the leather sling and lifting the rifle FROM THE FLOOR  while the official DPD in situ photo shows the rifle jammed between boxes of books?

Yes, about a dozen times.

[Bill Chapman]

That's a very good picture of ce 139.....   And I do believe that the stock was painted black at some point in time.   And I would guess that it was painted black over the brown finish that all carcano's left the factory with.  So WHO put the black paint on that rifle and Why?

I wonder if there is a list of the serial numbers of the rifles of the Guardie Del Duce?

Ya thanks but that was the picture you put up; I just applied a little contrast.

[Bill Chapman]

Same rifle as above