CB issues with M1 Carbine?

[cwskirmisher]

Reading several threads claiming accuracy and success using cast boolits in the M-1 Carbine, I have to ask... I remember reading somewhere that cast loads should not be used in the carbine because lead may be shaved off at the gas port and contaminate the piston and eventually cause a failure to function. Is this true? Or, can this condition be mitigated by occassionial field stripping (including the gas system) and cleaning the port and piston?

[StarMetal]

Reading several threads claiming accuracy and success using cast boolits in the M-1 Carbine, I have to ask... I remember reading somewhere that cast loads should not be used in the carbine because lead may be shaved off at the gas port and contaminate the piston and eventually cause a failure to function. Is this true? Or, can this condition be mitigated by occassionial field stripping (including the gas system) and cleaning the port and piston?

Not true. If you do your homework on your bullet and reloading you can get quite a few shots out of those little carbines before the gas system needs cleaning. That cleaning by the way is really easy too. You'll need a special wrench to unscrew the gas system nut though. I made mine and it works great. So shoot away and enjoy your carbine.

Joe

[zomby woof]

I shot several hundred CB through my Carbine this summer. I had no problems with the gas system.
The tool is not expensive and comes apart easily. You should own one anyways.

[R.C. Hatter]

If you have a good load, in keeping with normal Carbine pressures, you can shoot many rounds before the gas system is affected. As outlined by other posters, you will need a special wrench to remove the piston nut to allow the removal and cleaning of the piston. The gas port may be cleaned, if necessary, via a proper sized drill bit that is rotated by hand in a pin vise. You must use care to insure you don't break the bit off in the barrel. This procedure, followed by a good bore cleaning, has worked very well for me over the years. I've never had my Carbine to shut down on me while shooting cast.

[ELFEGO BACA]

I have not gone beyond field stripping after shooting hundreds of cast bullets through my cmp carbine during the last few years.

Elfego

[NickSS]

I shot nothing but cast bullets through my carbine for over 30 years and never had any trouble with leading and I have never cleaned my gas piston in all that time.

[cwskirmisher]

Thanks to all for the great replies and confidence using CB's in the carbine! I have several hundred cast and ready to load - and will "get on it" asap. I plan on starting with a 115 gr RN w/GC, over 13.8 grains 4227. I have about a thousand pieces of once fired commercial brass (no mil primer crimp), so I am looking forward to this.

I have an IBM. An with J-rounds, it shoots marvelously good. So, I am hoping to at least duplicate its accuracy with CB's, and do it much, much cheaper!

[USSR]

I have about a thousand pieces of once fired commercial brass (no mil primer crimp)...

USGI .30 Carbine brass (unlike the .30-06 brass), never had crimped in primers.

Don

[jimb16]

I've owned more than 30 carbines. I've shot CBs in all of them. Only one had gas port problems with CBs. That one clogged the gas system so badly I had real problems getting the piston out and that was after only 15 rounds. So as a general rule, carbines like CBs. But do watch out for that rare one that doesn't. It can make a real mess of things.
And yes, there are carbine cases with crimped primer pockets. I've run into a very few of them over the years. They are so scarce that I don't even remember what brand they were. But there are a few out there.

[StarMetal]

I've owned more than 30 carbines. I've shot CBs in all of them. Only one had gas port problems with CBs. That one clogged the gas system so badly I had real problems getting the piston out and that was after only 15 rounds. So as a general rule, carbines like CBs. But do watch out for that rare one that doesn't. It can make a real mess of things.
And yes, there are carbine cases with crimped primer pockets. I've run into a very few of them over the years. They are so scarce that I don't even remember what brand they were. But there are a few out there.

I know some fellow that had Winchester military 30 carbine ammo with crimped primers.

Joe

[beagle]

Check out Castpics/Articles/Cast in the .30 M1 Carbine.

If everything is right diameter wise on the bullet, and I have found .310" to be the best diameter, there will be very little leading with cast bullets in the carbine.

I specifically addressed this issue in that article as I had problems in my first attempts back in the 60s whne I first attempted to load for the carbine using a .311" bullet and a ungaschecked 311359 bullet with the wrong top punch and wrong seating screw. I was young and did everything wrong back then and I mined lead big time when I first pulled the piston.

It makes no difference...gas checked or PB bullets. Neither will clog the piston if your loads are right and they are very reliable. When I completed that article, I cleaned the bench and loaded 200 rounds of "orphan" bullets. Ten of these, 15 of those, 30 or another kind. I then loaded them 25 rounds to a bananna clip and did some rapid fire plinking without a jam. I beleive I had fired about 2,000 rounds compiling data for that article and when I cleaned the gas piston for the first time, there was insignificant lead. Lot of fouling that broke up with Ed's Red but no lead shavings as I had previously encountered when I made my first attempt at loading.

And a 3118HP or a 311359HP sure makes for a great cheap varmint or plinking round out of the carbine.

MHO./beagle

[O.S.O.K.]

I will just add a couple of things. One - if you are casting your own - use a mold that's intended for the carbine - they are picky about the shape of the boolit. Two - cast with linotype or water quench your ww boolits - you want a hard alloy. Three - gas checks are recommended, and Four - load them to around 1800-1950 fps.

H110/W296 is an excellent propellant being originally developed for the carbine...

[Patrick L]

Of course every carbine is different, but I disagree with the need for GCs, unless your carbine is one of the few prone to lead. I shoot thousands of plainbase cast bullets through mine with no leading problems at all. I do have a castle wrench and take the gas system apart every 300-400 rds, and have never found anything more than the normal carbon buildup you get with jacketed ammo. GCs will significanly raise the cost of your bullets, so why use them unless you need to?

BTW, I use two custom molds run here as Groupbuys. I think they're looking into re-running the RN, and I heartily recommend it. That six cavity Lee bangs them out in a hurry.

[smkummer]

I was running the Lyman 130 grain plain base out at maybe 1600 FPS. No problems and would maybe shoot a 2 in. group at 50 yards. I had to put the rear site on the 250 yard setting to shoot point of aim. The only reason I am not shooting it right now is because I bought a sh#tload of pulled carbine bullets from Bartlet at I believe .03 ea. years ago and I stll have maybe 3K of them.

[C1PNR]

I've been shooting the ACWW 311359, with GC, through my Std. Prod. Carbine for years without a hiccup. Just tailor your load to cycle the action and you'll be "good to go."

My favorite load is 12 to 13 gr of H 4227. Very reliable and reasonably accurate.

[Chunky Monkey]

Not true. If you do your homework on your bullet and reloading you can get quite a few shots out of those little carbines before the gas system needs cleaning. That cleaning by the way is really easy too. You'll need a special wrench to unscrew the gas system nut though. I made mine and it works great. So shoot away and enjoy your carbine.

Joe

Of course every carbine is different, but I disagree with the need for GCs, unless your carbine is one of the few prone to lead. I shoot thousands of plainbase cast bullets through mine with no leading problems at all. I do have a castle wrench and take the gas system apart every 300-400 rds, and have never found anything more than the normal carbon buildup you get with jacketed ammo. GCs will significanly raise the cost of your bullets, so why use them unless you need to?

BTW, I use two custom molds run here as Groupbuys. I think they're looking into re-running the RN, and I heartily recommend it. That six cavity Lee bangs them out in a hurry.

I just acquired 2 carbines (IBM and Win) that I am starting to gather items to cast for. So I am researching all the threads I can find. I have a couple of questions.

I have the castle wrench but I have heard that the gas nut is staked in? I cannot see any staking on my guns, is it true. If I remove it how tight do I need get it?

I slugged both my barrells and the IBM is .308 and the Win is .308-almost .309. I see that Beagle recommend not sizing larger that .309. I was looking to size to .310 or .311 due to what my guns slugged at?

I think I am going to go with the Lee C309-120-1R due to price over the Redding/Saeco #302 ~ these will just be used for plinking. I will be using WW alloy water quenched. I will be using Lars Carnuba Red that I have on hand to lube. I won't be shooting a ton so checking will be no big deal.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

I have used The RCBS 120 grain round nose cast from WW and sized .309 for a long time with 13.5 grains of IMR 4227. Velocity always ran the action reliably and the accuracy at 100 yards has always been as good as I can get with



















I've always used the RCBS 120 grain RN cast from WW and sized to .310 with 13.5grains of IMR 4227. Runs the action reliably and the accuracy at 100 yards has been comparable to GI ball ammo. Have never experienced any leading or lead fouling in the gas port. Always kept my cases uniformly trimmed and used a slight taper crimp. LLS