M1 Carbine in .357 Magnum?

[clydesdalekevin]

Does anyone know if anyone sells the M1 Carbine platform in .357 Magnum...or if anyone has ever done a conversion? It looks doable to me, and it would be pretty cool to own and shoot one. I would definitely buy one to add to my gun safe. :D

Kev

[LAGS]

I had a M1 in .256 Winchester many years ago.
It was great.
I always thought about making one in a .357.
But I was afraid that the rifle action would not hold up to the chamber pressure.
It might handle most loads , but if it couldn't handle ALL .357's it could become a safety hazzard if someone put in too hot of loads.
But I never did any Real calculations.
I figured , that if it was doable , the factory would have jumped on it.
But the .256 worked good and shows that the Bolt can be modified to fit the .357 case.
I use to make my .256 cases out of .357 cases rather than buying the factory ammo.

[cwtebay]

I have owned one (kinda still do, my BIL has had it for several years). It was done by a gunsmith in south central Nebraska. It's definitely fun, but tends to run a little rough - several stovepipes and failure to eject. Actually runs better with 38 special +P than 357 magnum. I believe there is a fella that put his example on YouTube also.

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[Der Gebirgsjager]

This has been done many times, and was kind of in style for awhile. I think Geo. Nonte was involved with .357 conversions, so you could seek out and read some of his books and magazine articles. The obvious problem, of course, besides having to re-barrel for the larger caliber is converting it to work properly with the rimmed .357 Mag. cartridge, rather that the original rimless .30 Carbine round.

[frkelly74]

Sounds like a legend of some kind might be the thing. There is plenty of 223 brass to cut down.

[charlie b]

I always wanted a .30 carbine with the semi-auto pistol chambered for the same round.

What about a 10mm? Too big?

[Kosh75287]

If you have a .30 Carbine that you're just dying to convert to something, consider the 9mm Winchester Mag. The case dimensions, though not identical, are similar. The 9mm WM case is shorter, and operates at a high pressure, so moderation in reloading would be a consideration. Just a thought.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I always wanted a .30 carbine with the semi-auto pistol chambered for the same round.

What about a 10mm? Too big?

Somebody, I think it was AMT, made a .30 Carbine semi-auto pistol. Buying one of them would give you the pistol/carbine same ammo, and save a carbine re-barreling.

[Divil]

I would think the rimmed .357 Magnum round would give grief to idea of reliable feeding and chambering.

[Landy88]

If those in government had half of a brain to share among them - I know unlikely then unthinkable now - all M1s would be in the slightly more potent than .357 .351WSL. The .32WSL was their jumping off point for designing the .30 Carbine cartridge. How the morons overlooked the existing and much superior .351WSL is only something that those in government could do, and I bet that it took a committee of even them to do so.

[Stephen Cohen]

My local gunsmith did one in 44 Auto mag many years back, no it did not survive test firing. Regards Stephen

[Ozark mike]

I know alot of folks give the small 30 grief about being puny but it does operate at true magnum pressures and was designed to stop humans and it does that pretty well. My father shot a violent drunk with a factory round in the thigh. That guy about bled to death before they could get him to a ambulance. Seen multiple deer get taken out with em. As far as the 357s in a clip look into how the 45-70s were chambered into the lee enfields might give ya some ideas

[15meter]

Wasn't aware this had been done, it would be interesting to see photos of one.

The magazine would have to be slanted so the last cartridge inserted into the magazine would have it's rim in front of the prior one.

Mauser did it with their sland box version. The Lee Speed in 303 was another. The Mannlicher straight pulls also were slanted.

Just can't picture the 30 carbine straight magazines being an easy conversion.

Converting one would be kind of like beating your head on a wall.

Why beat your head on a wall you ask? Because it feels so good when you stop[smilie=s:

But I've been wrong before, pretty sure I'll be wrong about something tomorrow (unless I don't wake up).

But then the mother-in-law will find something I did wrong in 1987.

[Texas by God]

If one wants to try it, please use a Universal, Plainfield, or some other commercial type instead of ruining a genuine GI model. I have used both cartridges in carbines and there's not much power difference- so why mess up the design of the legendary M1 Carbine?
And Winchester was the lead company in development- they probably shot their own blowback .351 out of the saddle the first week.

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[JSnover]

Tim Legendre (LeMag Firearms) did them in 10mm, 45 WinMag and 50AE.

[elk hunter]

I saw one years ago in 44 magnum. I don't remember if it was the rimmed or auto-mag version. It didn't have the gas port or piston you pumped it like a shotgun. I didn't get the chance to fire it so I have no idea how well it worked.

[charlie b]

Somebody, I think it was AMT, made a .30 Carbine semi-auto pistol. Buying one of them would give you the pistol/carbine same ammo, and save a carbine re-barreling.

I know of them, but, from what I knew they were not that reliable. Ruger made a single action as well for a while.

I think the issue of using the .30 round was the length being a bit too long for a comfortable grip and required a 'long throw' on the slide. So the pistol ends up being a bit 'oversize' as a companion piece.

PS when going down this 'rabbit hole' you can always 'step up' a little and just get a ruger mini30 :)

[Texas by God]

Thank you, JSnover. I remember they sent one in .45 WM to Finn Aagard for a write up; it blew out at the action. Luckily he wasn’t injured, but the article was canceled. .50AE is even more scary due to the metal that would have to be removed to accommodate that wide round.

[rockrat]

Universal made a .30 carbine pistol called the "enforcer" that used 30 carbine mags. Looked like a shortened 30 carbine with a pistol grip. AMT made one and Ruger has their Blackhawk in 30 carbine.

[Larry Gibson]

I worked with an M1 carbine converted to 357 magnum back in the early '70s; Barrel bored/reamed out and rifled with 18" twist and bolt face opened up. As I recall only 4 or maybe 6 rounds could be used in a 15 round mag as the rims had to be loaded in front of each other. Capacity was determined by oal of the cartridge. Even then reliability wasn't assured because the rounds were canted in the magazines. Ballistically, only the 110 and 125 gr jacketed 357 loads could come close to 30 Carbine performance. Heavier 140 - 158 gr bullets just didn't improve anything.

The 30 Carbine with 90 - 110 gr bullets in the M1 Carbine outperforms the 9mms and the 357 magnum in any semi-auto they may be in.

[Mk42gunner]

Back in the 1980's or 90's there was a company in Michigan I think that was doing conversions to 9mm and .45 WinMag.

I think the 9mm version would be safe, but I would balk at the .45. There just isn't a lot of mass in the M-1 Carbine to go turning it into something it wasn't designed for.

Robert

[fiberoptik]

I have a rabbit hole. What if the .357 Mag. did NOT have a rim to get in the way??? Problem solved.


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[cwtebay]

I believe there is a cartridge called the AR 357 which is exactly that - straight wall 5.56 brass.
This thread actually had me thinking I need that carbine back for just that reason.

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[gpidaho]

I have one of the Universal M1 30 carbines and a Citadel Puma by Chiappa M1 carbine chambered in 9X19. Of the two I prefer the 30 carbine but the 9mm brass is pretty much free for picking up or very reasonably priced bought once fired in bulk from the vendors here at Boolits. The 30 carbine is a hot enough round for the M1 C I don't feel the need to hot rod it farther. Gp

[Jack Stanley]

Back in the 1980's or 90's there was a company in Michigan I think that was doing conversions to 9mm and .45 WinMag.

I think the 9mm version would be safe, but I would balk at the .45. There just isn't a lot of mass in the M-1 Carbine to go turning it into something it wasn't designed for.

Robert

Yes there was , somewhere near the Flint , Saginaw or Fenton areas as I recall . They've been out of business for some time I think . There are a few guns out there though .

Jack

[fiberoptik]

Yes there was , somewhere near the Flint , Saginaw or Fenton areas as I recall . They've been out of business for some time I think . There are a few guns out there though .

Jack

Was it Williams Gunsight? williamsgunsight.com


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[Baltimoreed]

If your goal is a pcc then an AR is what you need to tinker with. The hard work is already done and it can be had in a variety of pistol calibers. My personal preference is the .45acp. The heart of any semi auto is the mag, is it isn’t 100% reliable you’ve only got a single or 2 shot paperweight. The .38 or .357 magnum will not do what you want them to do. Bullseye .38 spcl pistol mags of the ‘50s and ‘60s were very picky and hard to tune and that was in a pistol designed around the .38 spcl. My last pcc AR used the CMMG rotary bolt system which is the slickest. Good luck and if you continue to try to use an M1 for your experimenting find a aftermarket donor and not a milsurp.

[abunaitoo]

Somebody, I think it was AMT, made a .30 Carbine semi-auto pistol. Buying one of them would give you the pistol/carbine same ammo, and save a carbine re-barreling.

I had one of those.
Wish I never sold it.
Great fun shooting.
Big flame ball.
It was AMT

[JSnover]

Was it Williams Gunsight? williamsgunsight.com


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Might have been LeMag.

[Geezer in NH]

I always thought an M1 carbine and soft points was more powerful than a 357 mag handgun. Have I been led astray?

Seriously a Carbine loaded with soft points in a 15 round mag or a 30 round mag beats a 357 every time for me.

[Lloyd Smale]

I always thought an M1 carbine and soft points was more powerful than a 357 mag handgun. Have I been led astray?

Seriously a Carbine loaded with soft points in a 15 round mag or a 30 round mag beats a 357 every time for me.

my first deer rifle was an m1 carbine and i shot probably 20 deer with it using soft points back when i didnt know it wouldnt work[smilie=l: Keep in mind its pushing a 110 to 2000fps which is about what a 300 black out will do out of a rifle.

[muta4warrior]

I had one of those.
Wish I never sold it.
Great fun shooting.
Big flame ball.
It was AMT
Same here, I sold mine and regretted selling also. I tried the Ruger Blackhawk, but just didn't have that same fireball that the AMT did. Nothing like a fireball the size of a soccer ball in broad daylight to make you smile.

[Tokarev]

I always wanted a .30 carbine with the semi-auto pistol chambered for the same round.

What about a 10mm? Too big?

Get a PPSH and Chicom NP762 or a Tok.

[elmacgyver0]

Personally I do not see a heck of a lot wrong with a M1 Carbine with the round that was designed for it.
Anyone that thinks they can improve it would probably be able to design a new rifle along with their superior cartridge.

[GregLaROCHE]

Sounds like .357 would make a sweet carbine. Only wonder about rimed cartridges never being designed for self loaders. However, the Russians have been using them in machine guns for decades.

[303Guy]

I believe there is a cartridge called the AR 357 which is exactly that - straight wall 5.56 brass.
This thread actually had me thinking I need that carbine back for just that reason.

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And so there is. Starline sells the cases as un-neck sized brass.

https://i.postimg.cc/vmcHdHZk/357-AR-mag-mods.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

But for the M1, wouldn't IT be easier to de-rim 357 mag cases, than shortening and reaming 223 cases? On the other hand, creating a 357 rimless carbine wildcat from 223 brass would allow for a thicker walled mouth if so desired.

[oldred]

I had one of those.
Wish I never sold it.
Great fun shooting.
Big flame ball.
It was AMT

I had a Ruger Blackhawk in 30 carbine so I can relate to that flame ball but it had one other distinction that really stood out to me, not sure why but that thing was absolutely and without the slightest doubt the LOUDEST pistol I ever shot!

[Texas by God]

To me, this would make as much sense as converting a Luger to .40 S&W. Why ruin a classic gun that is perfectly scaled to its original cartridge? I have nothing against a .357magnum carbine; as long as it’s not a converted M1 Carbine.

[RU shooter]

I've often mulled this over in just a what if manner seems like the 9mm win mag would be fairly easy and still get respectable ballistics but it's still less than a 357 in the same length barrel .

[Hanzy4200]

I like the M1 as it is. I dont see a big benefit to chambering one in .357 mag. Projectiles are prolific as are the molds. I just dont see the draw to do so.

[Geezer in NH]

I had 1 M1 carbine in supposed 5.7 Johnson. Wildcat by the time I had it. Pain in the ***. Had to make brass , had to figure out loads. Note none of the published data worked, They blew cases to the point I worried about the guns safety.

Finally experienced trial and error loads the was working the action and not showing pressure signs. By that time the loss off brass hard made became to much. I sold the gun.

I thought it would make a sweet little varmint rifle but it was fantasy. I replaced it with Mini-14 and downloaded the rounds to the point the action still worked. It weighted 8 ounces more than the custom M1 carbine.

I still have an M1 carbine for my son. He does not shoot it but it's in his safe.

I also had a Winchester M2 carbine on an NFA stamp. That gun was useless IMHO 3-5 round clime would be over a 12 foot backstop. Sold it for a big profit. Don't miss it whatever.

[beagle]

Back in the old Shooters forum days, there was a fellow on there by the handle of Grumble. I was playing with the .351 Self Loading in those days and he had one so we corresponded for a while. His had been modified or at least the extractor had so that it would shoot .357 Magnum cartridges. I started tinkering around and mine would chamber and shoot the .357 cartridge but extraction was unreliable with my unmodified extractor. I did learn from him that .351 cartridges could be loaded with a TC .357 die set which helped some.
Now, having owned 6 or 8 carbines over the years and having a couple in VN, I can tell you it is more pleasant to shoot than the .351 SL was. Even as heavy as the .351 was, with 180 grain bullets, it kicked about like a .30/30 and threw the $1 apiece brass about 20 feet.
The M1 carbine so modified to .357 could maybe be tamed down to where it was pleasant as it taps off the gas for functioning and the .351 is recoil operated and can't be messed with much. As I recall, the guy that made the .357 Mag conversions wasn't too hot on doing them as the carbine action with the larger .357 Mag case chambered barrel made the safety limits pretty iffy with .357 Mag loads but a lot were made back when.
Sounds like the blown out .223 case would be the route to take./beagle

[AnthonyB]

I miss Grumble. His shooting himself and fire stories were great!
Tony

[Three44s]

My early Inland Carbine looks terrible but functions and shoots great!

My 1980 Marlin in 357 does exactly what is supposed to do. If I want more beans there is the SKS.

I have not gotten the 300 BO bug yet but that is available with the bugs worked out in ARs a plenty.

If a gunsmith were around doing that to Carbines I would run the other way because unlike days gone by, Carbines have gone through the roof in price and I would spend a fortune wrecking an otherwise valuable rifle.

I do have to shout out to Larry Gibson for his load he developed with the Hornady 90 gr. XTP in his Carbine however. I got a bunch of those j-words from working with a CZ 52 and an itch to try them in my Inland.

Three44s

[Larry Gibson]

I use 15 gr H110 in LC cases with WSR primers under the 90 XTP. Ran 2151 fps (15' from muzzle); target and Oehler m35 printout. The load data is from Hornady with a max load listed of 16.8 gr. The 15 gr load is just what I use out of my shooter M1 Carbine.

268904

[Three44s]

That’s a dandy! It would zip the overcoat off a coyote in a heart beat!

Thank you again sir!

Three44s

[Larry Gibson]

That it does.......

[Cargo]

Back when ammo was abundant and affordable, I was wondering about converting one over to 7.62×25 Tok