casting for 30 carbine?

[Marlin Hunter]

Has anyone cast for the 30 carbine?

Do I need a gas check bullt for the 30 carbine?

I was thinking about using the Lee 32 cal pistol boolit 311-100-2R

http://www.leeprecision.com/graphics/bullets/3111002r.gif

the 30 carbine should be similar to a 38/357 round.

[Bret4207]

If you want the action to cycle then a GC design would sure make things easier. But, there's no reason you couldn't try the PB boolit with appropriate charges.

[Leftoverdj]

I've cast for the .30 carbine. It's a iffie proposition for plain base bullets. Enough pressure to operate the carbine is right on the edge of too much pressure for the bullet. I was using the Lyman 130 #311410 (312410?), and I'm pretty sure it can't be done with a 100 grain bullet.

Were I to try it again, I'd try the Lee C309-113-RF. Might be some trouble getting it to feed, but it's the right weight, it's GC, and it shoots like a dream in other .30 cals.

[mto7464]

PB work fine in mine but the gas check boolits shoot better.

I tried some of the 32 boolits I had before I got a .30 boolit for it and the 32;s didn;t work very well

[Salmon-boy]

Beagle wrote an awesome couple of articles on cast in the .30 Carbine & Ruger Blackhawk..

http://www.castpics.net/memberarticles/Cast%20in%20the%20M1%20Carbine.htm

Definitely worth a read!

[beagle]

Didn't have any problem with PB bullets in the .30 Carbine. Size it to .310 and that bullet should shoot and feed all right./beagle

[PA Shootist]

I am using the Lee 311-100-2R in my old Inland M-1 Carbine, since recently, only one hundred rounds so far, but no problems with feed, ejection, or accuracy. I am sizing .310" and I have actually found fewer problems in loading, due to the slightly larger-diameter boolit. The jacketed bullets I have used are all .308". With either of two sets of dies, one RCBS, one Lyman, the case isn't resized small enough to give a good neck tension, and the jacketed bullets want to push back into the case mouth. I have tried all the tricks of taper crimping I know, and with many brands of cases, same problem. The .310" dia cast stays put. I am pleased!

[Le Loup Solitaire]

I have been using the RCBS 115 grain Round nose with gas check. Load is 13.5 grains of IMR 4227. It feeds reliably, cycles the action and groups as well as GI ball. Sized to .310 with NRA 50/50 Beeswax-Alox and a slight taper crimp. LLS

[mooman76]

Were I to try it again, I'd try the Lee C309-113-RF. Might be some trouble getting it to feed, but it's the right weight, it's GC, and it shoots like a dream in other .30 cals.

I tried this bullet and had major action problems. Because of the flat nose you have to set the bullets real deep or the action doesn't work because the bullet keeps the brass from seating all the way and it's a little hard to because you don't have much bullet left. A round nose bullet works ok as long as it is somewhat pointed like the original round.

[thebigmac]

LYMAN 311 359 GC 13.6 Gr. 4227 CCI SP PRIMER RP CASES. GIVES ME 1" GROUPS AT 50 Yds. SOMETIMES ONE HOLE.....BigMac

[captain-03]

I have recently acquired the Lee C309-120-R GC for the carbine. The best load so far is 6.0 grs Unique. It fully functioned in 4 different Carbines with an average vel. of 1470 .. I do have the Lyman #311359 GC but have not really taken to time to workup any loads with it ... SOON!!

[USSR]

Didn't have any problem with PB bullets in the .30 Carbine. Size it to .310 and that bullet should shoot and feed all right./beagle

+1. Cast them hard. No need for a gas check.

Don

[mooman76]

The faster powders work but if it is a fast powder it usually doesn't have the pressure built up long enough to cycle the action. Not a major problem, just cycle it by hand or use a slower powder so that the action has time to cycle.

[Chunky Monkey]

I have recently acquired the Lee C309-120-R GC for the carbine. The best load so far is 6.0 grs Unique. It fully functioned in 4 different Carbines with an average vel. of 1470 .. I do have the Lyman #311359 GC but have not really taken to time to workup any loads with it ... SOON!!

Captain, I just cast a few from my 309-120-1R they cast at .311. I will be picking up some checks and a sizer die. My IBM and Winchester M1 carbines both slug at .308. I am thinking of sizing them to .309 or .310. What do you size yours to?

I got some Unique on had but might try picking up some other powders to try (i.e. 2400, accurate #9, etc). What powders other than Unique have you tried?

[jimb16]

I've shot the Lyman 130 gr plain base in more than 25 carbines with excellent results. I currently have 12 of them and use it in all of them. I have good function and no leading.

[Wally]

I've shot the Lyman 130 gr plain base in more than 25 carbines with excellent results. I currently have 12 of them and use it in all of them. I have good function and no leading.

How about in the Ruger .30 M-1 Carbine Blackhwk?

[leadman]

I size my boolits .311" or .310". Tried .309" and acurracy was not as good. If the throat will take a .311" then that is best.
I tried the Lee plain base boolit but did not get good results with it. The Lee 113gr. GC boolit shoots real good in 2 of my carbines, while the 120gr. Lee gc shoots real good in all 3 carbines.
1,900+ fps not a problem with the gas check boolits, 3 to 4 inches at 100 yards most days.

[kawalekm]

I also cast Lyman's 130 grain 311410 (Lyman #2 alloy, sized .309") and my results have been excellent. In my carbine, I get smooth functioning starting with just 10.0 grains of H110 and excellent acccuracy all the way up to 11.5 grains. Clean, with little or no leading. I'd recommend this load to anyone.

[jimb16]

Don't know about the Blackhawk. Mine is .45 colt. But really, I wouldn't expect any different results.

[Doctor Sam]

I bought my carbine from the DCM back in the 60s for $20.00.
I've used Lyman 311359, 115g pointed gas check with 12g of 2400 without any problem. Cast of linotype and no leading. Shoot thru a car door.
Jeff Bartlett's (GIBrass.com)WC820 was made for the .30 carbine round.
Fun plinker but hate scratching around for the cases.

[kens]

Is there a way to turn off the gas system on a .30 Carbine; making it a straight pull rifle?
I am thinking of shooting full load rounds, and keep the brass.

[Old School Big Bore]

You can turn the gas tappet 180• and cycle it with the handle. I'm glad to see all you guys having such fine results in your carbines with CBs...I had a train wreck with mine using a famous (or at least really hyped) brand of CB containing a 'precious metal'. I had some perfectly good Lyman 311410s out of WW+bar solder but was pushed toward the Hi Ho Silvers. I used my own bullets in my .30 Blackhawk, which BTW I wish someone would make some .308 - 310 real pistol boolit molds. The precious metal wonders soldered my tappet. Anyway I guess I'll try some of my fairly hard 311410s starting light & see what happens.

[Larry Gibson]

Old School Big Bore

I use the 313631 GC'd SWC designed for the .32 H&R sized to .309 in my M1 Carbines. Marvelous bullet, especially when HP'd with the Forster 1'8" HP tool. I push them at 1950 fps over H110, very accurate load. Very deadly on coyotes when called in to 150 yards or, preferably, closer.

Larry Gibson

92608

[Ole]

I've had (what I consider) success with two bullets in my 30 carbine. I'm still experimenting and I'm fairly sure I'm close to finding something that will suit my needs (informal, cheap plinking).

The Lee 309c 120 GC bullet with H110 seems to work well.

As to not have to mess with gas checks, I prefer the Lyman 311410 with the (Lyman #4) start charge of 2400. I shot some of these yesterday and they seemed accurate enough shot as cast, but I think I will try sizing them to 309", because I was seeing rather flattened primers yesterday and figured maybe the bigger than bore bullets were raising pressures a bit more than I would like. Velocity was around 1750, which is also higher than what the book says. My M1 Carbine slugs @ .309" and I don't have a .310" sizing die, so I figure 309" is the best I can do right now.

We'll see. I'm not looking for a tack driver, just something cheap to shoot that I can hit pop cans @ 50 yards with.

[cbrick]

My M1 Carbine slugs @ .309" and I don't have a .310" sizing die, so I figure 309" is the best I can do right now.

We'll see. I'm not looking for a tack driver, just something cheap to shoot that I can hit pop cans @ 50 yards with.

I suggest getting a .310" die if your copy of the Lyman casts that large and no, unless your shooting diamonds it won't raise pressure enough to measure much less matter.

Albeit in a Ruger BH not the rifle but the 311410 over 10.0 gr SR 4759, standard primer does pretty well for me as a plinker. My 7 1/2 inch barrel gives me around 1100 fps, expect higher velocity from the rifle of course.

I have the Lyman mold but also got the MP 4 cav version. As a side note I use 32-20 brass in the 30 Carbine BH, a rimmed case with 5% more volume measured with water.

Rick

[dondiego]

I have the Lyman mold but also got the MP 4 cav version. As a side note I use 32-20 brass in the 30 Carbine BH, a rimmed case with 5% more volume measured with water.

Rick

Mr. Rick - Could you elaborate on your use of the 32-20 brass for me please? I am interested in this.

Don

[cbrick]

Don, if your talking about the rifle not to sure rimmed brass would work but in the revolver it gives you a rimmed case that's just a few thousands shorter than 30 Carbine brass so none of the case trimming needed on a cartridge that headspaces on the case mouth. 5% additional case capacity is just to give an idea how close the two are. 32-20 brass is thinner than 30 Carbine but my intention was low end plinking, ground squirrel loads so no problem there. They do need to be re-sized to the bottle neck shape of the 32-20 because of the thinner brass but not F/L sized, I size them only as far down as the boolit seats in the neck. Works well for me.

Rick

[dondiego]

Thanks for that info! I do have the Ruger .30 carb pistol......and a Rockola.

Don

[cbrick]

Try 10.0 gr SR 4759 & standard primer. So far I haven't mess with crimping & at this velocity/pressure boolits aren't pulling.

Rick

[bruce381]

""You can turn the gas tappet 180• and cycle it with the handle"" ?????

How do you do that?
GI M1 Carbine only way is to "plug" gas hole with a solid pulg same size as the nut 1/2 x32 threads I think.

[Cherokee]

I use AA9 or WC820 for my loads with 311359. Cyles great and accurate in M1 Carbine. Also work fine in my BH's.

On the 32-20 cases in the BH, this will work in most new model BH's (so I'm told, or have read) but will not work in the old model BH's or at least in none of the several I checked.

[Old School Big Bore]

Rick - I've tried to fit .32-20 brass in my BH after sizing but had two problems - the rim and the thin neck. I'd have to flycut the rear of the chambers for the rim, and even without expanding them, the cases won't grip a .308 nor .309 boolit. Yes the tappet will install backwards and then will not transmit any motion to the op rod.

[Old School Big Bore]

Larry - Those are gorgeous SWCs and look like they'd be great in both the carbine and the BH. How much do they weigh in your alloy? I bought the Lee 314 SWC but the blasted little bands shear off two sides when I try to take them down to .309 in Lee's own push-through, and they'd really get wrecked in my 450 because the only two thirty-ish dies I have for it are .308 and .311 - and I don't think the .311 would chamber in either gun.

[cbrick]

Did you try to chamber the rimmed brass? The 32-20 rimmed brass fits perfectly in my BH without any issues.

The 23-20 brass is thinner than 30 Carbine and has to be re-sized with the 32-20 sizing die to return it to a bottle neck shape to grip the boolit.

Tappet? Op rod? We are talking the New Model Blackhawk here aren't we?

Rick

[cwheel]

Same mold and load I use Doctor Sam. Shoots much better than the GI ball I have, and acts like a AP round. Think the pointed tip feeds better than ball as well. Just be careful of the primer used, I'd stick with mil spec primers that are a little harder. I've had slam fires with CCI small rifle in my 2 Winchesters.
Chris

[dondiego]

Cherokee - My .30 carb BH is the old 3 screw so it won't work with the 32-20 brass huh?

[Larry Gibson]

Larry - Those are gorgeous SWCs and look like they'd be great in both the carbine and the BH. How much do they weigh in your alloy? I bought the Lee 314 SWC but the blasted little bands shear off two sides when I try to take them down to .309 in Lee's own push-through, and they'd really get wrecked in my 450 because the only two thirty-ish dies I have for it are .308 and .311 - and I don't think the .311 would chamber in either gun.

They run 105 gr. Considering the original GI bullet was 105 gr and then upped to 107 gr they work very well at the standard 1950 fps. You can sized the Lee .314s down to .309 but you have to TL lube them first, let dry, push through at .311 and then through the .309. I size them base first and if cast of 14 - 17 BHN (COWWs + 2% tin) they don't squish. The lube keep the grooves from getting swaged out completely. While I've sized them down that far I've not used them in the 30 Carbine in the M1 Carbine. I always size cast down to .309 as I've had chambering problems with .310 sized cast in some M1 Carbines.

Larry Gibson

[Cherokee]

Cherokee - My .30 carb BH is the old 3 screw so it won't work with the 32-20 brass huh?

Not in any OM I have tried, about 25 or so of them. I was told once the NM cylinder is slightly different, don't know as I never tried a NM. Try yours, maybe it will work.