M1 Carbine plain base gas check

[abunaitoo]

Has anyone tried to use a plain base gas checked boolet in a M1 Carbine????
I'm using a 310/120gr plain base with 2400.
Shoots good but I think it could do better.

[bdbruce]

I've been shooting Lyman 311359 cast boolits for 30+ years in my M1 Carbine, 115gr gas check bullets, I've used copper and aluminum gas checks, and really see no difference. I also use Aliant 2400 also, off the top of my head I can't remember the weight of the 2400 charge, somewhere between minimum and maximum suggested loads from the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook. My carbine fires/cycles just fine, we can typicaly hold our group sizes to about 2" at 100 yards. For 29 years I casted these with a single cavity mold, last year a bought a used 2 cavity mold from a Cast Boolits member and doubled my production. Out here in San Jose, CA, I have never seen anyone else shooting a M1 Carbine at all the shooting ranges I go to. I didn't think that they were that rare.

[Scharfschuetze]

I've not tried a plain base design or an unchecked GC design as I always felt that for reliability, near max loads were/are needed to function the M1. I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that a plain base 115 grain boolit at 1,800fps + will probably leave a tad bit of leading fram gas blow by on the unprotected base.

My favorite cast boolit for the Carbine is the RCBS 30-115-SP gas check design over H110, 296 or 2400. I size to .309 for my barrel and use the NRA 50/50 Alox formula lube with results that equal US M1 Ball ammo in accuracy and reliability.

[wadcutter]

I shoot nothing but the Lyman 311410 through my carbine. I was using 4227, but prefer 4198 now. I haven't noticed any leading using #2 alloy.

[koehn,jim]

I also use the 311410 in my carbine and have no leading problem. I use 4227 behind it.

[silhouetteshooter]

abunaitoo, bdbruce is absolutely on TDC. the 311359GC (13.5/14.0) is a great bullet as well as 311410, 122Grns. Either imr4227(13.0 grns) or AA1680 works very well...1in. grp at 50 yds, 1.5/2in at 100yds. As a side note, I have been using a variant powder; TCC680, which is equivalent to AA1680. 13.5/14.0 grns will operate the bolt. In my carbines, nothing else comes close and as for leading, nada.

[Sur-shot]

Be careful about lead buildup on the case mouth with an M-1 carbine. This happens as the case is crimped back to straight when seating a cast bullet. Some of the older guns have an old, out of spec., disconnector, they can fire on a one lug, just barely locked bolt. The lead shavings with lube for glue can build up on the chamber cut for the case mouth to headspace on, which will hold the bolt out of battery. I had one brought to me for repair, an early issue gun, that blew the right locking lug right off using cast bullets with a tiny bit of lead shaving around each case mouth in the partially shot box of loaded rounds.

Suggest you use a towel to wipe the case-bullet joint before you box them up.
Ed

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

Somewhere on this site, Larry Gibson wrote a good bit on cast in the M-1 Carbine. He said you can get the plain based bullets to work, but the gas checked ones always did better with less fuss developing the load. He was using H-110 I believe.

[bstone5]

I have a 117 grain bullet mold from Magma Engineering that is used in my Master Caster Machine.

The bullets are powder coated and gas checked.

Have shot hundreds of the bullets in a M1 Carbine. No lead any where. Use the A - 110 powder from Europe, about the same as H-110 but does not require magnum primers, load from Lyman Loading Bullet.

I keep a few hundred rounds loaded, my wife likes shooting the M1 Carbine.

Some of the brass is ex military but most is from Star Brass. The Star Brass is very well made and has been loaded several times.

Keep the brass length correct by checking and trimming to proper length on a regular bases.

[zomby woof]

NOE 311115 PB cast hard Hi-Tek coated works great. The GC version is my favorite for the M1C.

[abunaitoo]

Is there a 311410 in gas check?????

[runfiverun]

the 576 and 359 are both close the 576 being the closest.
I run the 359 but have to push each one through the star die before doing the next.

[Jeff Michel]

Mihec ran a gas checked version a couple years ago. There is some movement towards another run. Mine drops right at .310. Never used it in a carbine but it works great in my .300 BO (Ruger)

[KenT7021]

I have used the Lyman 31133HP in the carbine.I used it for small game hunting back in the 50's.It was effective and fed well.The mold is the HP version of 311008.

[Geezer in NH]

Get some plain base gas checks , load and report back.

I did not see one answer to your actual question, just others advice what they use successfully.

I do not see why they would not work. Also they will be inexpensive I bet.

[fcvan]

Years ago, dad bought a SAECO 321-95 RN PB boo lit mold specifically for his 30 Carbine Blackhawk and M1 Carbine. He never used it because the half jacket 110 gr bullets were so cheap. A couple of years ago, I cast some up, tumble powder coated, and loaded over IMR 4227. They cycled the carbine flawlessly, and left no signs of fouling in the gas port/piston area. I was thinking I would need a plain base gas check but I did not. I have several plain base check makers (thank you PatMarlins) and love making and using them. Most medium duty loads don't need them when PCd, but full house loads (.357, .44 Mag, 45 Colt Ruger/Carbine) really benefit from the soda can checks. I'm sure the .30 M1 would too, but they were minute of soda can at 100 yards standing already.