M1 Carbine and CB loads

[ordway]

Do cast bullet loads present a problem when used in an M1 carbine, i.e. leading in the gas chamber, etc.?
What special maintenance, if any, needs to be done with the M1 carbine?
Contact me direct at: ordway@intergate.com.
Thanks...

[Ron in PA]

I got 500 CB rnds through my CMP Plainfield Carbine. The only problem is the gas piston nut and slide has a light coating of bullet lube. No leading at all.

[Newtire]

Do cast bullet loads present a problem when used in an M1 carbine, i.e. leading in the gas chamber, etc.?
What special maintenance, if any, needs to be done with the M1 carbine?
Contact me direct at: ordway@intergate.com.
Thanks...
Have been shooting cast in my carbine and after 350 rounds, unscrewed the gas piston nut and found some carbonized "lube?" or whatever & wiped it off with carb cleaner.
Try the Lee 120 gr. sized to .309". Some of the loads listed in RCBS manual don't cycle the action and are probably not suitable for gas system. Work your way up to 12.5 gr. H-4227 with that Lee bullet or get the Lyman 311359 for the best accuracy I have gotten so far. Most Flatter nosed bullets won't feed in the M-1. Some guys here use the Lee 113 gr. "soup-can" but that bullet won't feed in alot of carbines. It's the funnest plinker I have!

[Larry Gibson]

Do cast bullet loads present a problem when used in an M1 carbine, i.e. leading in the gas chamber, etc.?
What special maintenance, if any, needs to be done with the M1 carbine?
Contact me direct at: ordway@intergate.com.
Thanks...

Since 1968 I have shot thousands of cast bullets (311410. 311359, 313631 and several others) through numerous M1 and M2 carbines. I have only encounered one that gave any leading and that was in the barrel behind the gasport due to a burr. Shooting the M2s was a gas (pun intended). A good hard GC'd bullet with proper lube poses not leading problems. Go for it.

Larry Gibson

[StarMetal]

Larry,

I know you shot cast, but I'm wondering why that one rifle with the burr didn't have that burr polished out with alot of jacketed, I'm sure you shot alot of jacketed through it. Must have been a damn nasty burr.

Joe

[Larry Gibson]

Larry,

I know you shot cast, but I'm wondering why that one rifle with the burr didn't have that burr polished out with alot of jacketed, I'm sure you shot alot of jacketed through it. Must have been a damn nasty burr.

Joe

Joe

Right you are, burr was not the correct word. I should have said chip. The front edge of the gas port was chipped. My only excuse is I shoveled 10 yards of bark dust and spread it around flower beds at the in laws yesterday. Yes it's a poor excuse but it's the only one I've got so I'm sticking to it!

Larry Gibson

[Newtire]

I just went to the range again & shot 311316 Hollow-Point after squeezing the point a bit in a pointed nose punch to get it to feed. Got a 1 1/2" wide X3" high group. Maybe the result of not letting the barrel cool enough. Still not too bad for me and this gun. 50 yds. aperture rear sight. Plainsfield carbine. My little Lee 120 grainer still a very consistent performer. Only thing beats it so far is 311359. I am like Junior and like aluminum moulds. Just need a new set of handles for the Lee nnow that I bent the handle doing the Bruce B speed casting thing. I was gonna sue him but it is cheaper to buy another hundred or so moulds from Lee.
Better check for leading...Now is over 500 rounds...Will check tonight.

[versifier]

Try some soupcans in it. It's one of my favorites in that case.

[Newtire]

Try some soupcans in it. It's one of my favorites in that case.
Unfortunately for me, I have one of those "persnicketty" carbines that absolutely won't feed the soupcan. Loves those round-nose 125 gr. Lee gaschecked ones though.

[versifier]

Try polishing the feed ramp, just like you would with a balky 1911. It can't do any harm, and it may make your carbine a bit less persnickitty. Five minutes with a dremel tool can work wonders with most any semi-auto, not necessarily miracles, but it might just do the trick for you.

[Ron in PA]

Try polishing the feed ramp, just like you would with a balky 1911. It can't do any harm, and it may make your carbine a bit less persnickitty. Five minutes with a dremel tool can work wonders with most any semi-auto, not necessarily miracles, but it might just do the trick for you.
Versifier what dremel attachment do you use to polish the feed ramp.

[Will]

I had feeding problems with the Lee 113FNGC but when seated with the top grove just below the neck and then using steel wool to polish the sharp front edge of the top band they all feed without problems. It only takes a couple of turns of the loaded case into a patch of steel wool to round over that sharp edge.

[Newtire]

Thanks everyone, I will take a look at the back end of the barrel situation. It is plenty smooth but a bit abrupt. Guess I might be inclined to do something like this if I had more info and how will the head of the case be supported etc. I ran those hollow point 311316 bullets into a nose punch in the Lyman sizer to put the roundness into the nose like someone here told me to do and it worked great. I haven't tried seating the bullets like the Lee soupcan deeper because of the jump it would have to make to the rifling and the other pressure things with deep seated bullets. Like I said, it's an automatic so a bit choosey about it's ammo. I still am very happy with the way it shoots though.

[versifier]

Versifier what dremel attachment do you use to polish the feed ramp.

I have a mandrel set that holds abrasive disks. It was a gift from a retired dentist and came with hundreds of different disks and just happened to fit the Dremel's chuck. I'm not sure how fine a grit disk you can get, emery might be too coarse. I'd try for 800-1200grit. Valve grinding compound suspended in some heavy weight oil, or if you have some green polishing compound, either would work with the little cloth wheel.

[StarMetal]

If I just want to polish what I use is my Dremel with a felt disk. Being I fool around gunsmithing I have the polishing paste you use to polish a gun before bluing and this is what I use on those Dremel felt disks. This is better then a fine grinding wheel because it doesn't really grind metal away but polishes. Those Craytex or Cratex (spelling) wheels are pretty good also.

Joe