Reloading the .30 Carbine

[CHAINSAW]

I just purchased a GI carbine and would like to reload for it. I will use a ball powder like H110-W296-AA#9 . What experiences have you had with these powders? And what primers have you used? I will be loading 110 grain fmj's into Sellier&Bellot brass after I shoot the factory S&B rounds I have.

I plan on getting the Lee Carbide dies as well. Any other info would be appreciated.......................Chainsaw

[dick w. holliday]

i use all the powders you mention except the #9 and i just use what the books show for loads and they work fine......as far as tips go i've got a couple....#1 is trim your cases---they will stretch and will cause problems if you allow them to grow too much..if you don't have a high dollar trimmer the Lee with a drill works just fine. #2 don't crimp them any more than it takes to get the bell out....if you crimp them too much they can't headspace on the front of the chamber and when fired will tear the head of the casing off.......i just remembered that at one time Powder Valley had some H108 for sale cheap and i got some and it works fine also....they may still have some......Dick

[zanthope]

AA #9 works OK for me ... good velocity and economy, clean.

If you use 296, use Small Rifle Magnum primers. (My favorite) Most others are standard Small Rifle. I like CCI...harder.

H110 is the same powder as 296 in a different wrapper.

Don't crimp any more than what the seating die will do.

Don't fool around with lower velocities....accuracy and rifle function suffer. (Found out the hard way.) Load to the max.

Plated bullets for .30 Carbine suck. Remington FMJ or JSP good, Lake City pulldown brass and bullets work the best. Widener's has no-name pulldowns for about $60.00/1000...so-so quality, but affordable. Hornady offers a V-Max bullet I'll try sometime.

I load .223, 30-06, .380, 9mm, .38, .357, .45ACP, and .30 Carbine.

30 Carbine is the easiest.

[PaulTX]

I load a 110 gr. Remington JSP bullet over 15 grs. of Win296 using a CCI small rifle primer. This gives me nearly 2,000 fps in my carbine.

When you resize/decap your cases, be sure to lube them a little. I've found I can get a wrinkle or bulge on one side near the web of the case if I don't lube it.

[Sisco]

I have been using 14.0gr of H110 under a 110gr FMJ & a win small rifle primer.
Loaded a batch with 14.5 gr Hodgdon Lil' Gun the other day and it seems to work well too, with less pressure.

[griz]

I'll second most of what's been said. I've used #9 and 110, both worked great. I haven't had the problems mentioned with loading below max. Typically a load about halfway between start and max has worked well for me.

I didn't have much luck with pointed bullets. They had to be seated too deep for my taste. Soft point bullets feed well but expansion was not reliable. I used either FMJ or the short hollowpoints.

Also, I used carbide dies and liked not lubing the cases. I was told not all the manufactures offer carbide in that caliber.

[Sisco]

I have carbide dies and still feel a need to lube the cases. Without lube they seem to get pretty stiff coming out of the die. Paranoid about getting one stuck.
I have a bunch of 110gr cast gas checked hollow points I've never loaded, anyone ever use any?

[cheygriz]

All of the powders you mention work well. Many years ago, when I had an M-1 Carbibne, I used both 2400 and IMR 4227 with pretty good results. I would guess that your carbine will like all of them, so my advice would be to get whichever you can find at the lowest price.

[CHAINSAW]

Thanks for all the replies. Looks like I will buy some milsurp for the Carbine loading. I buy AA#2 in milsurp form and need some, so with the milsurp for the carbine, I am only 2 jugs away from a good deal on the haz-mat fee. Might pick up some pulldown bullets as well...............Chainsaw

[LIProgun]

Count me as another satisfied user of both AA#9 and Win 296.

FYI, I chronographed these loads:

1) 15.0 grains Win 296, CCI 450 primer, PMC brass, and Speer 110 grain Varminter SJHP gave an average velocity of 1828 fps (SD = 24.59); and

2) 12.0 grains AA#9, CCI #41 primer, Lake City brass, 110 grain pulled USGI-surplus FMJ gave an average velocity of 1846 fps (SD = 19.59)

both from a USGI-surplus M1 Carbine.

For comparison, USGI Ball M1 ammo (RA54) gave an average of 1918 fps (SD=20.85) from the same carbine.

I will probably stick with the AA#9 in the future, because I can use less of it to get the same velocities.

[CHAINSAW]

LIProgun, Thanks for the info. I will probably buy some milsurp powder to save that way. I can get the equivalent of 296 and H110 in milsurp, I'll have to search for AA#9 equivalent milsurp. --------Chainsaw

[Paul Fitz Jones]

I have a thousand once fired civilian and GI brass and 4 cavity Wheel Weight molds or gas checkable saeco molds and a die conversion for a Star progressive reloader in 30 M1 carbine [email protected]