Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

Identification of the Assassination Rifle

The Commission found that the rifle did not bear any manufacturer’s name visible upon examination. An inscription indicated it was made in Italy. The weapon was identified as a 6.5 Mannlicher-Carcano by Captain Fritz and Lieutenant Day, who were the first to handle it.

Misidentification of the Rifle as a Mauser

Deputy Constable Seymour Weitzman speculated the rifle was a 7.65 Mauser, but the Commission found he did not actually handle the weapon and had only a brief glimpse of it. The Mauser and Mannlicher-Carcano are similar in appearance. Police laboratory technicians later correctly identified the weapon as a 6.5 Italian rifle.

Speculation of a Second Rifle

The Commission found no evidence of a second rifle on the roof of the Texas School Book Depository or on the overpass, or in any other location. The shots that struck President Kennedy and Governor Connally came from the single rifle found on the sixth floor of the building.

The Irving Sports Shop and a Second Rifle

While a work tag was found at the Irving Sports Shop indicating scope mounting on a rifle for “Oswald” in early November, the Commission found that the rifle found on the sixth floor had already had its scope mounting holes bored prior to shipment to Oswald in March 1963. The Commission concluded the tag’s authenticity was doubtful and that Oswald owned only one rifle.

Reliability of the Ammunition

The Commission determined the ammunition was American-made by Western Cartridge Company, which still manufactures such ammunition. Experts fired the Mannlicher-Carcano rifle more than 100 times with the same type of ammunition without any misfires, demonstrating the ammunition’s reliability.