Watch out for this one

I think everyone here knows about the M91 long rifles that were cut down and offered for sale on the American market as the "Suprema". Since they lack a nose cap/bayonet lug, they are easy to spot and avoid unless the price is low enough that it could be acquired just for the usable parts.

The sporter shown here is a little trickier to spot. One exported lot of M91 long rifles were cut down to make them "handier", but the nose cap/bayonet lug was retained for some reason. How to spot these?

The sharp collector will quickly notice the muzzle to bayonet lug distance seems excessive. It is, and there's your primary indication. Given that close combat was far too common in WW2, a bayonet was an absolute necessity. So compare this example to a normal Carcano of any type that took the M91 bayonet, and you see the difference. Something like this could be advertised as an M91/24, but it lacks the dedicated rear sight of that model. The stock has not been cut down to make a more balanced TS, either.

Also shown are 1938 markings. Which could mean anything or nothing. In this case, I vote for nothing. My opinion is that they were applied after the purchase.

Always watch for the small details, Friends! SW