M1 .30 Carbine Pistol Options?

[Reggie TisFree]

Hey Studs!

Happy Fathers Day to all the Daddios out there!
BRAVO to each of you for the standard & self-sacrifice you operate in.
I have done some "light research" on the early M1 .30 Carbines that were standard firearms for the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
I know technology has made them expendable/antiquated, yet the ballistics and testimonials show that they are no slouch and in actual close/medium range firefights they present a problem for the enemy!

I think I would like to own an M1 Carbine .30 Pistol that has the 15/30 round options. It would be fun to shoot & perhaps double as home/on-the-road defense also.

I like the M1 Inland Island Advisor & IVER JOHNSON ENFORCER.

Could any of you guys share your experience or any intel on these two or any other formidable M1 Carbine Pistol?

Thanks,

Reggie

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Many years ago a friend had an Iver Johnson enforcer. It shot well for what it was. A full size carbine is a MUCH better weapon and it not that much longer. One thing. In short barrels such as the Ruger Blackhawk and other pistol length barrels it is VERY LOUD......VERY LOUD.

 

[pawncop]

I had an Enforcer years ago, sold or traded it. It shot well, was not terribly accurate but I didn’t spend much time working with it.

I also have a Ruger Blackhawk in 30 caliber carbine.

First time I shot it I was totally surprised with the recoil and how loud it was. It’s another I have not shot much.

 

[STCM(SW)]

The M1 Carbine was a replacement for guys who could not handle a 1911 .45 ACP......

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Also had a Ruger.
It seemed like a good idea at the time!
Mine was also Loud.

 

[KEN L]

I own and enjoy a Ruger Blackhawk in .30 carbine. It's a wonderful companion to the M1 Carbine. The Enforcer pistol is a fun toy, but not really practical for accurate shooting. There are other .30 carbine pistols out there, all are no longer in production, but the Ruger is definitely the most accurate and fun to shoot. I highly recommend it!

 

[DWalt]

I would far rather have a full length carbine than one in handgun length. I also have a Blackhawk revolver in .30 carbine. I keep the noise and muzzle blast down by simply downloading the .30 carbine cartridge to something close to the .32-20, usually with lead bullets. I rarely use GI loads. My standard Blackhawk load is 4 grains of any of the faster powders like Bullseye, 700-X, etc. Accurate and pleasant to shoot.

 

[murphydog]

I am familiar with but have no personal experience with either the Advisor or Enforcer.

My preference in the compact M1 Carbine niche is around as a piece of military history, and fortunately is also still available in a new commercial version called the Paratrooper. It has a folding wire stock that makes it stable as a longarm but feel free to blast away with it retracted if you like.

 

[dsf]

An Enforcer with a folding or wire collapsible stock and an SBR stamp would be a neat set up. I had an Enforcer and liked it, worked fine. With most anything M1 often times it's the mags, not the gun.

 

[SF VET]

I have found that indeed some of the modern mags for the M1 Carbine can be problematic. Some do not hold the bolt open after the last round, like the original ones did, others do hold the bolt open. I had one aftermarket mag that locked in my own carbine, and I had to saw it apart and tear it to pieces to get it out of my carbine. The notches or cut out for the mag release was not in the correct position to let that mag drop. Right now, by the way, Midway is selling original mags, some NOS and others in varying degrees of wear and tear. I have ordered several for my own Carbine. I think I have about a dozen or so mags now. The standard mag was a 15 round mag, although later larger capacity mags were available.

Actually, the 30 cal loaded to military spec is a pretty potent round, I think about what a 357 mag round is. I load my 110 grain fmj to military spec with Win 231 powder. A full stock M1 carbine is just a svelte rifle. I really enjoy shooting mine, easy to reload as it is a straight wall case, but you do need to occasionally trim after multiple reloads. My own is a "transitional" carbine, no bayonet lug, push button safety, round bolt, on a '44 Inland receiver. Paid $600 for it about 6 or 7 years ago. I have an issue sling/oiler on it now.

I had an M2 full auto version with a folding stock in Vietnam. Here, my Inland. SF VET

 

[AJ]

Google AMT Automag II. A friend has a couple and they are a hoot to shoot and loud as all get out.. Accurate enough for a pistol.

 

[glenwolde]

I had a Universal Enforcer a long, long time ago. It functioned fine but I sold it as these cut-down rifles are awkward for me. I'm more accurate with a conventional pistol. I could just never figure out the right grip/stance to make it work. Plus it was really LOUD which makes you want to hold it as far away as possible. Extremely unpleasant shooting from the hip.

Maybe if you put a laser on one it could work. I'd rather have a conventional M1 carbine with a folding stock.

 

[gwpercle]

Google AMT Automag II. A friend has a couple and they are a hoot to shoot and loud as all get out.. Accurate enough for a pistol.

I came so close to buying one ... I looked at it several times .
I still have a AMT Hardballer and like it ... but the only thing holding me back was how LOUD the 30 Carbine round is ... from that pistol barrel it was sure to keep your ears ringing for a couple days . We didn't know about ear muffs back then ... you just went hunting . Kinda glad I passed on it ...delayed my hearing loss by 10 or 15 years !
Gary

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

The M1 Carbine was a replacement for guys who could not handle a 1911 .45 ACP......

NOPE. Check the history.

 

[RGPM1A]

I have found that indeed some of the modern mags for the M1 Carbine can be problematic. Some do not hold the bolt open after the last round, like the original ones did, others do hold the bolt open. I had one aftermarket mag that locked in my own carbine, and I had to saw it apart and tear it to pieces to get it out of my carbine. The notches or cut out for the mag release was not in the correct position to let that mag drop. Right now, by the way, Midway is selling original mags, some NOS and others in varying degrees of wear and tear. I have ordered several for my own Carbine. I think I have about a dozen or so mags now. The standard mag was a 15 round mag, although later larger capacity mags were available.

Actually, the 30 cal loaded to military spec is a pretty potent round, I think about what a 357 mag round is. I load my 110 grain fmj to military spec with Win 231 powder. A full stock M1 carbine is just a svelte rifle. I really enjoy shooting mine, easy to reload as it is a straight wall case, but you do need to occasionally trim after multiple reloads. My own is a "transitional" carbine, no bayonet lug, push button safety, round bolt, on a '44 Inland receiver. Paid $600 for it about 6 or 7 years ago. I have an issue sling/oiler on it now.

I had an M2 full auto version with a folding stock in Vietnam. Here, my Inland. SF VET

I hope you saying that you use W231 to reload 30 carbine to military spec was a typo. W231 is way, way too fast for that application and if you are using it I think you are lucky to have not blown up your rifle. You should be using something like H110 or 2400.

 

[smoothshooter]

Hey Studs!

Happy Fathers Day to all the Daddios out there!
BRAVO to each of you for the standard & self-sacrifice you operate in.
I have done some "light research" on the early M1 .30 Carbines that were standard firearms for the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
I know technology has made them expendable/antiquated, yet the ballistics and testimonials show that they are no slouch and in actual close/medium range firefights they present a problem for the enemy!

I think I would like to own an M1 Carbine .30 Pistol that has the 15/30 round options. It would be fun to shoot & perhaps double as home/on-the-road defense also.

I like the M1 Inland Island Advisor & IVER JOHNSON ENFORCER.

Could any of you guys share your experience or any intel on these two or any other formidable M1 Carbine Pistol?

Thanks,

Reggie

My first instinct is to ask “ Why ? “.
But I will also ask if you have ever fired one, especially with little or no ear protection??
I do not want to even think about what the muzzle blast from a short barrel would be like when fired in a room or other confined space.

 

[DWalt]

AMT Automag made a .30 Carbine autopistol (I know nothing about it), and back in the 1950s there was another, called the Kimball. The Kimball had a short lifetime because it didn't take much shooting for it to fall apart. I have read that S&W made a prototype revolver chambered in .30 Carbine during WWII, but it never got beyond that. Aside from the Blackhawk, I know of no other .30 Carbine revolvers.

It's well known that firing the .30 Carbine Blackhawk with GI ammo requires double hearing protection if you don't want your eardrums to rupture. It took me firing about one cylinder full of GI ammo in mine to convince me than handloading mild loads was the only way to go.

 

[dsf]

Regarding the "too loud" assessment of the 30 Carbine from a pistol, all is relative. I have some braked T/C Encore and Contender barrels in 350 Rem Mag, 405 Winchester, 375 H&H, etc - now those are loud. The worst though is WWII 8mm Mauser from 15" Encore.

So, buy a T/C and the 30 Carbine will seem sedate.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

During WWII an S&W N-frame was chambered in 30 Carbine, they found the recoil was too much, muzzle blast too much, etc.
While chambering a long gun in a pistol round makes sense-and is fun to shoot, chambering a handgun in a rifle round makes no sense to me.
The M-1 Carbine wasn't so much for those who "couldn't handle the M1911" as it was for those who needed something handier than a full length rifle and with more range and ease of handling than a pistol.

 

[PALADIN85020]

I think the most practical and slickest handguns chambering the M1 carbine round are the early Ruger Blackhawks. Superb fit and finishing, carefully smoothed recessed chambers. Beautiful guns. The new models have not received such detailed care.

Most of 'em don't get shot much because of the ear-splitting report so you can probably find one in good shape. I did.

The carbine rounds in this picture were brought back from Europe after WWII by a former neighbor who was a veteran of the Battle of the Bulge and the Hurtgen Forest, where he was in a tank destroyer outfit. He was lucky to have survived.

John