The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Reloading 30 cal M-1 carbine????

Sevens · June 18, 2013, 10:09 PM

I load it for my .30 cal chambered Ruger Blackhawk. I do not currently own an M1 Carbine of any flavor. I like those rifles, but chasing that brass is a horrendous chore.

I'm a handgun reloader, mostly, and I only dabble in rifle. It's my opinion (formed with a lot of thought and experience) that reloading .30 Carbine...sucks, compared to most every other handgun round. Compared to rifle rounds, it's about the same.

You -will- lube cases. If you dare attempt to do this work without case lube, please come back and tell us how far you got until you stuck a piece of brass in your size die.

I highly recommend Imperial, and even the smallest little tin of that stuff will last you YEARS.

You simply must check for length & trim these cases. And be careful, because if you trim them too short by mistake, they become worthless as they headspace on the case mouth and making them too short will make them unable to fire.

For powder, I have great success with Alliant 2400, though H110/W296 might be even better. AA#9 and IMR-4227 are also popular choices. Some have used Blue Dot, I was wildly unimpressed with it in this round. Use small rifle primers ONLY as this round peaks at 40k PSI and a small pistol primer is a dangerous proposition in .30 Carbine.

For bullets, my favorite is the Berry's 110gr plated round nose. These bullets shoot extremely well, are economical, and Berry's gives them a speed rating beyond 1,900 FPS. Purchased in bulk, they are far cheaper than 100 round boxes by any known rifle bullet maker.

June 18, 2013, 10:09 PM	#11
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	I load it for my .30 cal chambered Ruger Blackhawk. I do not currently own an M1 Carbine of any flavor. I like those rifles, but chasing that brass is a horrendous chore. I'm a handgun reloader, mostly, and I only dabble in rifle. It's my opinion (formed with a lot of thought and experience) that reloading .30 Carbine...sucks, compared to most every other handgun round. Compared to rifle rounds, it's about the same. You -will- lube cases. If you dare attempt to do this work without case lube, please come back and tell us how far you got until you stuck a piece of brass in your size die. I highly recommend Imperial, and even the smallest little tin of that stuff will last you YEARS. You simply must check for length & trim these cases. And be careful, because if you trim them too short by mistake, they become worthless as they headspace on the case mouth and making them too short will make them unable to fire. For powder, I have great success with Alliant 2400, though H110/W296 might be even better. AA#9 and IMR-4227 are also popular choices. Some have used Blue Dot, I was wildly unimpressed with it in this round. Use small rifle primers ONLY as this round peaks at 40k PSI and a small pistol primer is a dangerous proposition in .30 Carbine. For bullets, my favorite is the Berry's 110gr plated round nose. These bullets shoot extremely well, are economical, and Berry's gives them a speed rating beyond 1,900 FPS. Purchased in bulk, they are far cheaper than 100 round boxes by any known rifle bullet maker. __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.