.30 Carbine and cast lead bullets

[Strike Eagle]

The M-1 Carbine is one of my all time favorite "working"utility guns--lightweight, easy to handle and with CorBon DPX ammo a formidable self defense piece. Lately I can't find any reasonably priced surplus or commercial new ammo so I'm reloading for it. I've come across some Penn Bullet cast 115 grain RN bullets, some Remington Small Rifle Primers and some once fired Lake City cases. I've been advised that the slow burning magnum handgun powders such as H110 and W296 are to be avoided when using cast lead because there is a possibility that the base of the bullet would get deformed with leading problems and poor accuracy. Anybody have experience shooting cast lead through an M1 Carbine and share your experience/suggestions?

 

[wsl1971]

I have a boat-load of cast lead ammo for my carbine. It shoots fine, just a bit more time is needed when cleaning. I usually shoot the lead a bit slower than jacketed ammo to prevent the bbl from getting hot, it seems to cut down on the fowling from the lead a bit. If you dont mind a bit more effort cleaning shoot away!

Bill

 

[mkk41]

I'd be sure to use a good hard alloy. Something like straight linotype.

 

[model10]

Great little rifle good for small game an middle size game , Just keep it cleaned , some powers work better than outhers , read up on it an find all the information on it you can , all kinds of Mags for it from 5 to 15 up to 30 rounders for it , My dau. loves nine now she ask for it years ago ,

 

[ricks1]

watch your choice of powder the H 110 is ok but dont drive them fast. . Play with a few loads and try to start low and increase .05 gr at a time get the load to where it will drop the brass at about 3ft away and stay there. and as said cast you will have to clean it

 

[jbbatok]

Allways stuck with jacketed 110 myself, but at one time had a friend who shot nothing but cast in his dozen or so carbines. Never asked him for his load but he had no problem rolling jackrabbits out to 100 yds or a bit farther.

 

[john traveler]

My shooting friends and I have loaded and fired many tens of thousands of rounds of .30 M1 Carbine using H110, WW 296, and Hercules 2400 powder behind 120 grain RNGC Lee bullets and various Lyman RNGC bullets up to about 125 grains. No leading problems and no functioning problems either. If you don't use gas checked (GC) bullets the gas port may tend to clog up with extensive shooting and cause short recoil malfunctions. No problem. Just get a gas piston removal tool and clean the port using a hand-tuned drill bit that fits the port.

Using 110 grain RN jacketed and Hornady 100 grain half jacketed bullets, we have had no problems at all.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

My shooting friends and I have loaded and fired many tens of thousands of rounds of .30 M1 Carbine using H110, WW 296, and Hercules 2400 powder behind 120 grain RNGC Lee bullets and various Lyman RNGC bullets up to about 125 grains. No leading problems and no functioning problems either. If you don't use gas checked (GC) bullets the gas port may tend to clog up with extensive shooting and cause short recoil malfunctions. No problem. Just get a gas piston removal tool and clean the port using a hand-tuned drill bit that fits the port.

Using 110 grain RN jacketed and Hornady 100 grain half jacketed bullets, we have had no problems at all.

This mirrors my own experience. Gas check bullets, OK (the gilding metal cup on the base provides a scraping action, clearing lead from the bore and preventing excessive deposits through the gas port). No gas checks, no use in my carbines.

Repeated removal of the gas piston results in unnecessary wear. While it is not an overwhelming job to accomplish, it should be done sparingly, if at all.

 

[Spotteddog]

What J/T and LGL said, so make it three.
My way around it was "Plinkers".