The Carcano has been disparaged in this country ever since they started coming in, when they sold for $12 or so. But at the time they were adopted by Italy they were on a par with other guns of the era, both in power/caliber and in quality. A pre-WWI Model 91 is well made and operates smoothly. Its clip loading makes it capable of quite rapid fire. But its design, like other Mannlichers (including the commercial Mannlicher-Schoenauer, which achieved a cult status here in the 1960's) it does not lend itself to over-the-bore scope mounting, and many wartime models are fairly rough. Further, the gun and loading system cannot be feasibly converted to any other cartridge, making it unsuitable for gun tinkerers.
Jim