which lee mold for 30 carb. w/ T.L.

[supertodd]

Im thinking of getting a mold for 30 carbine. I was wondering for 30 carb. do I want a Gas check or will plain base work. I will be tumble lubing. I was thinking of the following molds let me know if anyone has any exerience with those boolits in a m1 carbine.

Lee molds-tl314 90swc, 311 100 2r or c309-120 r. I like the idea of a tumble lube swc, I just don't know if it will function. please let me know thanks guys. I will be getting just one mold, just want to get the best one

[Shiloh]

What do you think 309 120R would weigh if the gas check shank was milled off? It look like a perfect boolit for the .30 carbine.

SHiloh

[oldhickory]

I used the 311-100-2R for quite some time and it worked very well, I don't recall any functioning problems at all. I was using 14gr of H4227 and a CCI standard s rifle primer. It's a pretty good plinking round for 100yds and under.

[Echo]

I used the 311-120-rn way back, and still will, when I get back to shooting the M1. I got good accuracy with that little GC number, nearly as good as condom bullets.

[NickSS]

I too use the 120 gr GC bullet by lee and it works very well in my carbine. I really do not shoot it much as I have too many other rifles to play with but it does give me good service when I do let some rounds go down range.

[Newtire]

Hi SuperTod,

The 120 grain RN Lee boolit is only second best to the Lyman 311359 113 grain version in my M1 carbine.

I used a load right out of the RCBS cast bullet book at 8.5 grains of Blue Dot and another of 12.5 grains of Win. 296.

The 120 RN load with the 8.5 grains Blue Dot chronographed at 1600-1634 fps. The same boolit with 12.5 grains Win 296 chronoed at 1576-1675 fps.

The Lyman 311359 at 113 grains and 8.5 grains of Blue Dot chronoed at 1687-1696 fps. Beagle put together an extensive report on the carbine and I will try to put the link in here. (BRB)

http://www.castpics.net/ then go to "Articles by Members" on the left hand side of the page and then finally "Cast in the M1 carbine".

[supertodd]

it looks like most people like the lee 120 gc

[zomby woof]

I've only used the c309-120 r, so I can't compare. I've had good results.

[mooman76]

I also like the 311359. It works well in the carbine but also works good in allot of other 30 caliber applications. Lyman also has another that is simlar to it but it has a rounded nose similar to the original but it runs I believe 120gr. Another good all around 30 caliber bullet.

[supertodd]

I can't afford lyman bullet molds right now, and Lee has worked for me in 44, 45 lc, 45-70, 50 muzzleloader.

[captain-03]

These are the three moulds I use for the 30 Carbine .. all have excellent feeding qualities -- actually never tried one without a gas check ..

Lee C309-113-F 113GC 309
Lee C309-120-R 120GC 309
Lyman 311359 115GC 311 (size down to 309 or 310)

Here are a couple recent loads ....

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj19/twwoodall/IMG_2526.jpg

[oldhickory]

it looks like most people like the lee 120 gc

The 311-100-2R was designed for the .32 S&W long, a few of the more enterprising, (read cheap) casters found it a suitable boolit for short range applications in the carbine.

The TL314-90-SWC won't feed in a carbine so don't waste your money. It'll work in Ruger revolver and even a Marlin "Lever-Matic", but not a carbine unless you single feed it.

The C309-120-R is a suitable boolit for the carbine, if you wish to use a gas check design. I have that mols also and it works very well indeed, feeds very well and shoots good out to 200yds with a charge of 13.0gr of 4227. Shiloh brings up an interesting point with the idea of removing the gas check shank and casting a plain base boolit probably weighing in at around 125-130gr.

My favorite boolit for the carbine is the Lyman 311410 weighing in at 130gr. It's plain base and matches the nose profile of the G.I. 110gr. ball almost perfectly. I have never had a feeding issue with this boolit. With 12.5gr of 4227 will give a good account of itself.

Lastly I've even tried the LEE 314-113F sized to .309. It's a boolit designed for the .32WCF and is a flat nose. It doesn't feed at all, but fed into the chamber by hand, it does make a pretty fair varmint boolit for short range shooting.

[Shiloh]

Nice pics and info Captain-03 !! How do they shoot??

Shiloh

[captain-03]

..My favorite boolit for the carbine is the Lyman 311410 weighing in at 130gr. It's plain base and matches the nose profile of the G.I. 110gr. ball almost perfectly. I have never had a feeding issue with this boolit. With 12.5gr of 4227 will give a good account of itself.

I have the 311410 and actually cast about 300 of them yesterday ... It never occured to my to try them in the carbine .. they looked a little too long just eyeballing 'em. Since they are not gaschecked maybe I can save about .03 per round with 'em!! Gonna give them a try - tomorrow!!

[oldhickory]

I have the 311410 and actually cast about 300 of them yesterday ... It never occured to my to try them in the carbine .. they looked a little too long just eyeballing 'em. Since they are not gaschecked maybe I can save about .03 per round with 'em!! Gonna give them a try - tomorrow!!

No gas check to bother with is why I use them!;)

[Gerry N.]

My .30 carbine boolit is the old Lee C 309-130R in wheelweight metal. I shoot 'em unsized, unchecked and double tumbled with Lee Mule Snot. 12 gr 2400 gets 'em to 75 yds toot sweet in clusters about 4" across. I've never had leading or any issues with the gas system, they feed just fine.

It's my go-to load for rampaging pop cans and the like.

Gerry N.

[Newtire]

My .30 carbine boolit is the old Lee C 309-130R in wheelweight metal. I shoot 'em unsized, unchecked and double tumbled with Lee Mule Snot. 12 gr 2400 gets 'em to 75 yds toot sweet in clusters about 4" across. I've never had leading or any issues with the gas system, they feed just fine.

It's my go-to load for rampaging pop cans and the like.

Gerry N.

Hi Gerry,

I have shot the Lee 130 but since I only have a single cavity mould, I have given up on using it much. It is a shooter with the 8.5 grain Bluedot load also.

[supertodd]

so would I want to size to 309 or 311

[Newtire]

so would I want to size to 309 or 311

If it's a genuine M1 carbine, size to .309 seems to be the consensus. I don't know about the "Universal" carbine. Universal=complete different animal.

Try a couple different sizes ans see which works the best. Lee sizers are cheap.

[mto7464]

.310;-)

[supertodd]

its a 1944 Inland with inland flat bolt, and 01-44 inland gm barrel

[oldhickory]

Carbines usually slug at .308, size them to .309-.310 and you should be good to go.

[Newtire]

Buy yourself a little spanner wrench for the gas piston nut, or make one up and every once in 5 or 6 hundred rounds or so, pull out the piston and clean the carbon off the piston/nut valve seat.

In Beagle's article, he talked about getting leading with oversized boolits so that's why I stuck to the .309 size.

After breaking the nut by tapping on it to get it loose, I bought the wrench for about $6.00 and a new nut too.

The nut comes loose unless you tighten it up and put a little blue loctite on the threads.

[captain-03]

so would I want to size to 309 or 311

Best bet is to go ahead and slug your barrel. I shot several different carbines and they slug either .308 or .309. I normally size to .309 and have not had any leading problems. I have sized to .310 and .311 but saw no real difference in accuracy.