.30 carbine load...

[Bad Karma]

OK. I love my little carbine. I have a Lee boolit that weighs in at 123 gr with a gas check. 6.0gr of Unique should make it operate smoothly.

I do have a question. If I decide to shoot these little boolits without a gas check is there a chance of gas cutting? I wouldn't think so because the boolit would behave like a plain base boolit. It seems like a waste of a perfectly good gas check to me.[smilie=1:

[TXBRILL]

I am no expert but from what I read at the DCM board the folks that shoot lead. shoot a jacketed load every 3 or 4th round to avoid clogging the gas port

[Larry Gibson]

I one time shot close to 1000 GC'd 311359s out of one M1 Carbine without cleaning it what so ever just to see when it would quit. It never did. Gas piston wasn't leaded at all. Load was 13.5 gr H110 and velocity was 1870 fps. Only failures were caused by use of a bad 30 round dented mag which I got rid of. I also shot lots of that load through several M2 Carbines (belonged to SF Reserve company and we had 20 very nice ones) with out any leading of the gas system. I've since switched to 313631 SWCGC'd bullets and have also shot gobs of them without problems. Never found the need to shoot a jacketed bullet after wards to clean the gas system out. In the past I've also shot quite a few PB 311227s (90 gr .32 ACP bullet) over a minimum load of Unique that would just function the action reliably for use on an indoor range.

Caution; be very careful with minimum loads of Unique or other fast burning powders. They can push the bullet ahead of the gas port and the gas bleed off to function the action can leave the bullet in the barrel. The action can then function and pick up another cartridge and be ready to fire with the first bullet still in the barrel. Make sure the bullet went down range even though the action functioned. I had numerous such occurances when working up minimum loads with Unique and similar buring powders in the M1 Carbine.

Now with the slow load you are contemplating without GC there could be a problem. Only one way to find out. Let us know the results.

Larry Gibson

[fishhawk]

i have had the same with my carbine shot lots of GC boolits and never once pluged up a gas port. if you realy stop and think about it the ONLY way that you can shave the lead is if there is a burr sticking into the barrel from the port and if thats the case you will also shave Jbullets and as fare as the lube it should be past the port before the gas get there any way. steve k

[Cactus Farmer]

Back in the early 60's my Dad bought a DCM carbine for $17.50. What a toy for a 12 year old kid. Jacketed bullets were high even then so when I heard about casting, I found a WWII vet to teach me the ropes.My first visit we cast, sized and racked a large cigar box of 311359's(he had a 4 cavity).I didn't know there were that many bulllets in the world! I was hooked.I had to buy some equipment. Big bottom pour pots were too high for a kid to afford. Found a used Potter 5 lb pot and bought my first Lyman 45 and a pair of molds,31133 HP and a 311359. I still have all the origional stuff and a lot more!:-D
Also found some 30 rnd mags and a flash hider.Now I know I don't gain a thing with a FH in the daylight but it sure looked cool! Loaded 12.something grains of 2400,don't you love the smell of nitro:mrgreen:.Tried some lighter loads but joy was lacking.Even loaded some shot loads to be loaded singley to deal with leggless vermin. Over the years I've tried H110,4227 and a few more.Always come back to 2400. It just works for me and old friends are the best kind,aren't they?














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[Bad Karma]

The load I got for the 6.0gr of Unique was a maximum load. I doubt that the 124gr boolit will stick. What I REALLY want to know is if I exclude the gas check, will this cause gas cutting? I don't think it would because it'll be like a plain base boolit. The only real difference is the step shank for the gas check.

[fishhawk]

in my opinion it think it probley would. gas would be "consentraded " around the edge

[Cactus Farmer]

FH, pressure is equal in all directions. It knows no direction. I'm wondering why leave a gas check off.....Anything I load over 1300fps is CGed. They aren't that costly. Melted bullet bases make for poor acuracy.

The idea behind a slower burning powder is to use a load that is using all the case volume, ie, 12 grains of 2400,H110 or 4227 that is double charged is a dead give away. Will 6 grains of pistol powder do the same? Many a 38 special,45 colt or 45 ACP has been destroyed by a double dose of Bullseye or Unique!

[beagle]

I have never gotten my carbine to function with posted loads of Unique. May just be my rifle but that's been my experience.

In my earlier reloading attempts, I have had leading of the gas piston system when using the Lyman 311359 without gas checks. Minute slivers of lead were deposited in front of the piston and eventually it ceased to function. I cleaned out a pretty good hunk of what looked like course lead wool from in front of the piston and reliable functioning was restored.

In writing the article, Cast in the .30 M1 Carbine (on castpics) I fired approximately 2,000 rounds of cast through mine. This was mostly with PB bullets. Functioning remained reliable and when cleaned, the gas port and piston had only powder residue in it.

Based on this experience, I'd say any PB or GC bullet is good to go in the carbine but if using a bullet w/o a check that was equipped with a GC shank, I'd check the piston after 200 or 300 rounds and see what is happening. Might be all right but I'm highly suspect of this practice./beagle

[fishhawk]

well cactus farmer if that is the case then why do boat tail Jbullets wear a barrel faster than flat base?