Winchester M-1 Carbine (5.7 MMJ)

[SWANEEDB]

Recently picked up this little rifle, to bad it's been converted but now it is what it is, looking for an org barrel but in the meantime we'll play with the 5.7 spitfire cartridge, have brass and a die set on the way. Am sure it has the IMI barrel but has no I'D stamping. Barrels are available from the CMP but as for now would like the org. Anyone with experience with this cartridge and you would share with us would be real nice. Before we do anything tho we'll try and find a good g-smith to check it out, have a concern with the head spacing, hope it checks out as should be.

[leadman]

Since you are going to have to form the cases you should be able to fit them to the chamber to eliminate a headspace issue. I saw some original barrels recently on the web while looking for something else. If I remember where I'll post it.
Also be aware there are some reject barrels out there that I don't recall what what was wrong with them but are supposed to be fine for a plinker.
A good place to get info and parts is the CMP forum on the CMP website.

[Ithaca Gunner]

Flea-bay usually has some barrels listed. Winchester will probably bring a premium though.

[SWANEEDB]

Since you are going to have to form the cases you should be able to fit them to the chamber to eliminate a headspace issue. I saw some original barrels recently on the web while looking for something else. If I remember where I'll post it.
Also be aware there are some reject barrels out there that I don't recall what what was wrong with them but are supposed to be fine for a plinker.
A good place to get info and parts is the CMP forum on the CMP website.

If you think of the places where you seen any of the info a heads up would be great, Thanks.

[Light attack]

Riverbank Armory usually has barrels also. http://riverbankarmory.com/parts1.html

[Multigunner]

M1 carbine replacement barrels I've seen were all short chambered. A special finish reamer would be inserted into the chamber and threaded to a long rod inserted from the muzzle. IIRC the reamer would be given a few turns then the chamber checked with a head space gauge. Repeating till the bolt closed on a go gauge.

When test firing a carbine that jammed tight every sixth round, requiring the application of a boot heel to open the bolt, I finally checked all the expended cases for length nd found that one case in six was .006 longer than the others.
Its not unlikely that a too tight chamber coupled with variations in case length was the cause of almost all such jams.

Interestingly some Chinese made counterfeit .30 Carbine ammo worked perfectly in this same carbine.

[GONRA]

GONRA reminds ya'll that the Chicom "LC 52" ammo is CORROSIVE!

[Speedo66]

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w209/tgstoken/sale/M1%20Shark%20Carbine_zps5ivnfdxh.jpg (http://s177.photobucket.com/user/tgstoken/media/sale/M1%20Shark%20Carbine_zps5ivnfdxh.jpg.html)

[SWANEEDB]

Neat Pic, I have seen it before on all my researching, today we have got the 5.7MMJ Johnson up and running ( I think) will know more tomorrow when we go to the range. Have a box of ammo from Graf's, die set from CH4D, have plenty 30 carbine brass to convert and a good bunch of 40 & 45gr bullets. Wish us luck !!!!

[TCLouis]

Good Luck on the project.

Let us know of your progress.

This is like the good ol days when people were fiddlin with things

[SWANEEDB]

Well we did it, made it over to brothers today. Small town does have advantages, drove out to country to a drainage ditch. Loaded up the carbine 5.7 MMJ and pulled the trigger, went bang, fired off about 10 rounds, no pressure points any where, 3 had a little backed out primers. 3 did not fire, light primer strike, think it is the ammo, Precision cartridge that we got from Graf's, will try and do some measuring, will get some of mine loaded up and see what happens. Is really a fun little gun.

[Mk42gunner]

I think a Spitfire would be about perfect for called coyotes, as long as it is accurate enough. I would want a standard wood stock though. That one in the advertisement looks to be even less useful than the GI folding stock, at least to me.

Robert

[Geezer in NH]

I had one 30+ years ago. Pain making the brass as NONE found. Note pre computer internet. My first loads in home made brass using data from Cartridges of the World Blew the cases bases spewing brass. Loads reduced 50% did shoot and with an added grain of powder worked the action.

I shot a few snowshoe hares and one fox. It worked great but every case was lost. I sold the gun, dies and brass to a friend who also got sick of the brass problem and sold it.

It is one of the guns I played with and if I could have afforded to keep it may have kept it but I moved on to new projects to play with. Many of us gun types do this every year or two so we can keep experimenting and playing.

Wish I was rich enough to never have to sell a gun but alas that has never happened as family always comes first. :bigsmyl2:

[SWANEEDB]

I'm not having a problem forming any of the brass just using the reloading die set, however I do resize first with a carbide die, don't want to over work the die set have, not done any annealing yet, will see how we fair out without doing that. Only lost 2 pcs of the brass, flew into the creek, just backed up a few feet and recovered all the rest. Have about 400 converted and primed, now to do some test loads. Am thinking IMR4227 and 2400 to start, am sure we'll split a few, some of the brass is Military LC 52 but have plenty so no problem. Will update as too how we turn out. Thanks for all the replies.