Different thread on the .30 carbine.....

[Harry O]

I am about to start loading for the .30 carbine. I have done a search here and read what has been posted before. I have a some questions that have not been answered in them.

I have been loading the 32-20 in a Marlin 94 rifle for about 15 years now. I have been using small pistol magnum primers and 2400 powder very successfully. Velocity is in the 1,700fps range with jacketed 100gr bullets and about 1,500fps with Lyman 118gr 311316-GC bullets. It would seem that I could duplicate the load in the .30 carbine (except the Lyman bullet might not feed).

I use standard small pistol primers and SR4756 in my handguns. This powder might work, but I would probably have to increase it over the handgun maximum. Has anyone tried this powder in the cartridge?

Before someone gets upset about the pistol primers, what is the difference between small rifle primers and small pistol magnum primers?

[HORNET]

That gets into a real fuzzy area. The nominal dimensions are the same. The Federal 200 used to be listed as Small Rifle/ High Velocity Small Pistol ( NOTE : notice NOT Magnum). I read in an old issue of Handloader that the R-P 5-1/2 SP Mag was the same as the R-P 1-1/2 SP but with a THINNER cup for better functioning in speed-locked .357's. Don't have any handy to verify but it is interesting. There's a wide range of both and I suspect substantial overlap.

[leftiye]

Not to worry about SP primers. When pressures are appropriate for them, they have a little bit less (maybe not the magnums) kick to them and start the process a little slower - a plus with cast. Haven't used 4756 for a long time, and not in the carbine. I've always used 296 or H110. They don't do reduced loads well, so maybe Lil Gun, It seems to do fine when not reduced too much. Is king in the Hornet.

[Harry O]

One thing I forgot to mention is that I have far more small pistol magnum primers than I need. That is why I would like to use them here. Actually, I probably don't need the magnum primers with the 32-20 2400 load, but I have them so I use them. The pressure on that load must be near what the .30 carbine pressure is.

I bought them back during the first great primer shortage (the Clinton years) and they have been stored in a cool, dry environment since then. For a while there I bought whatever the local stores managed to get in and they seemed to have a LOT of small pistol magnum primers. When I started buying up primers again (a little over a year ago), I passed on the small pistol magnum ones since I still have a lot.

[Larry Gibson]

Harry O

The little M1 Carbine can be a very fun rifle to shoot with cast bullets. I have been shooting cast bullets in .30 Carbines since '68 and have used numerous designs including 311316. That is a very good chioce for the .30 carbine. It is very accurate and can be driven to 1850 fps within the psi limits of the rifle. You can do 1800 fps with 12.5 gr of 2400 which a good small game/varmint load. I used a lot of 4227 (13.5 gr) with that bullet also but in the last 20 some years have just used H110 with my 105 to 120 gr cast bullet loads. However most of my .30 carbine loads are top end in the 1800 -1950 fps range. Your choice of that bullet with 2500 for a midrange load is a good one.

I have found feeding problems in a couple M1/M2s with the blunt FN'd 311316. Almost always a slight tweaking of the OAL solved the problem but there were a couple M1s that had a rough parkerized feed ramp or the bottom lip of the feed ramp caught the edge of the bullet. My M1 carbines are shooters so I haven't had a problem with minor tweeking like polishing the feed ramp or very slightly polishing and opening up the bottom inside lip of the feed ramp (takes very little). In my two M1 Carbines the 311316 is a 100% reliable feeder. It even fed 100% in several M2s on full auto. BTW; I size most all my cast m1 Carbine bullets at .309 and have not had a chambering problem with them. Sometimes a .311 or .310 sized bullet in some cases will not chamber. Your rifle will tell you what size it likes with the cases you have. As to the SP primers; I've never used them because I load to top end performance so I've used lots of CCI 400s and WSRs with excellent results.

311316 when cast of WWs and lead at 70/30% is an excellent cast bullet for small game and varmints particularly when HP'd using a Forster HP tool. Pictures are of the polished feed ramp in one of my M1s and some SWC 313631s HP'd and ready to load in the magazine.

Larry Gibson

[Le Loup Solitaire]

My loading for the 30 Carbine has always been 13.5 grains of IMR 4227. I cast the RCBS 115-120 grain round nose out of straight WW and gas check it. It travels around 1800 fps and is as accurate as GI ball at 100 yards off the bench. I originally wanted to load 14 grains but it is a bit tougher to compress than 13.5. Anyway a pound of powder yields 500 rounds. I size the bullets to .309 and lube them with 50/50 Alox-Beeswax. I use a slight taper crimp. Its better to check the length of the cases often and keep them trimmed to the appropriate length. I use SR primers...any brand that I can get these days. LLS

[runfiverun]

try the 2400 it's what i use i started at 12 grs and worked up to it,it started ejecting shells with some decent accuracy,near 14 grs and i use cci mag small rifles in mine.

[mooman76]

The faster powders don't always work in the carbine. They are so fast the pressure isn't there long enough to cycle so you have to manually cycle so a med-fast powder is better unless you don't mind working it like a bolt action. Not sure what bullet you were talking about but Lyman makes a 30 cal pointed bullet that is like 115 gr that a friend of mine swares by in allot of his 30 cal rifles including the 30c. He's been reloading almost as long as I've been alive. he also uses standard pistol primers for it. he says it works better. The carbine has kind of a weak hammer strike for a rifle. Mag pistol primers should work well. Lyman also makes a 130gr rn bullet that works well in the carbine.

[leftiye]

Mooman refers to the 311359 Lyman which was designed for the carbine.