30 carbine

hornet41 · January 10, 2014, 11:17 AM

Anyone reloading 30 carbine? How is brass life? How many reloads before chunking?
Thanks 'Mo

jag2 · January 10, 2014, 11:36 AM

I don't shoot it as much as I used to but I don't remember ever tossing any because of usage. Now the gun tosses them to places I can not find, but that is a different problem. I guess they can stretch a little and you might need to trim some if you have a feeding problem. But believe me, you will lose more than you wear out. My only advise is to remember they are not straight wall cases, they need lube, even if you are using a carbide die. They are extremely hard to get out if you don't.

madmo44mag · January 10, 2014, 11:38 AM

I use Starline brass and load med range load with a 110. gn bullet
I trim to minimal length and shot them till they split.
You have to check length every time but I can usually go 2 - 3 reloads until they need to be trimmed again.
I have some brass that has been reloaded 20 plus times

NWPilgrim · January 10, 2014, 02:28 PM

Just like pistol brass, I don't sort or keep track by number of reloads. I reload them until they split/crack and then toss.

They are a bit long so even though I have a carbide die I also lightly lube the cases before sizing.

Sevens · January 10, 2014, 02:50 PM

I load .30 Carbine... but only for a Ruger Blackhawk revolver. Compared to other "handgun" rounds, .30 Carbine is much less enjoyable.

No matter what brand of dies you run, no matter how "carbide" they are advertised, you will lube those cases for resizing or you will have a bad day. Truth.

For my needs in the Blackhawk, my .30 Carb brass does stretch and they simply will -not- chamber when they've grown too long. This is even more of a hassle than some might understand in the way the Blackhawk revolver is set up simply because if you have a "BARELY wee bit too long" one and you chamber it, it will "kind of" fit right in there and you'll advance the cylinder and when it makes it 180 degrees around to the other side and meets shorter clearance, then it locks the revolver up like a bank vault. Of course, the design of the revolver also doesn't allow for reverse rotation of the cylinder, so you end up having to pull the pin and drop the cylinder in order to get the offender out of there.

I avoid all of this by (literally) chamber checking each piece of brass, and I do not do this until AFTER each has been resized.

At this point, I've got to be quite careful with the trimming operation because if I should happen to trim them too short, they will not discharge in my revolver, having crept too deeply in the chamber to feel a proper hammer/firing pin hit on the primer.

If the goal is simply plinking, making noise and throwing lead and grinning, I would suggest you consider the Berry's 110gr Plated Round Nose for .30 Carbine. These slugs are thick-plated and Berry's rates them safely to 1,900 FPS. Bought 1,000 at a time, only a cast lead slug can be had for less money. Buying .30 Carbine specific rifle bullets in 100-count boxes is irrationally expensive, IMO.

I can live with all this... perhaps because I don't put the crazy volume of shooting through my .30 Carb B'Hawk. But in comparison with 9mm or .38 Special... .30 Carbine at the load bench, especially for a handgun... well, it kinda sucks.

madmo44mag · January 10, 2014, 03:15 PM

The 30 Ruger carbine pistol is a PIA to load for.
That's another reason I trim to minimal length.
The round head spaces on the brass like 9mm – 45 so if the brass is to long the cylinder will not rotate or binds.

Sevens · January 10, 2014, 03:32 PM

Quote:

That's another reason I trim to minimal length.

Yup, but if you accidentally should happen to trim it a wee bit to short and don't realize it, you'll end up with a sized, primed, charged round with a nicely bullet on top, a completely loaded cartridge... that you can't discharge. And if you're like me and the only .30 Carbine chambered firearm you own is that -one- Blackhawk, then you end up with a loaded round that you can only manually disassemble... but you can't shoot.

Stinks.

hornet41 · January 10, 2014, 04:36 PM

Thanks for all the input guys. I will be loading for an M1 carbine. With the price and availability, reloading seems like a no brainer these days!! Anyone have a preference for brass mfg.???

madmo44mag · January 10, 2014, 04:43 PM

Shop around.

Year before last I picked up some new Rem brass for $225.00 plus shipping for 2,000 pieces of brass.

I have been reloading this round for years and never found one manufacturer any better than another.

30 Carb is just one of those rounds that once you learn what the gun likes you can reload it to that spec every time regardless of who made the components.

m&p45acp10+1 · January 10, 2014, 06:57 PM

I load for it to shoot out of a repro Iver Johnson. I had a lot of trouble finding brass when I got the rifle. I tend to just buy factory Monarch brass ammo. I recover as much as I can find of it. I save them up. Then I reload them. I have about a 15% disappearance rate with brass. I never counted how many times I have reloaded any of the cases. I loose them before they need trimming anyway. I do measure them after sizing.

Also spray lube works fine with them as long as you follow directions. I use the Cabella's lanolin based stuff. Though I let it sit for at least an hour before I use it. I tumble the finished rounds to remove the case lube.

For powder I would suggest AA#9 if you can get it. If not H110/Win 296 work well also. Be careful as the load weight range is a very narrow one.

hodaka · January 10, 2014, 07:07 PM

I'm loading for 2 WWII carbines. Lately I have been loading cast bullets but I have loaded a lot of FMJ. I use Redding dies and they seem to work fine. I have not stuck any in hundreds of rounds. I need to get a shell plate for my Dillon. Like others have said, I loose them before they split. It is hard to find cheap brass. I use 296/110 and 2400 and Tula 223 primers. I can't remember needing to trim any..........yet.

I'm glad I sold my Blackhawk. It seemed like a good idea at the time but painfully loud and a PITA to reload.

tangolima · January 10, 2014, 07:33 PM

Remington brass. Close to 20 firings. Still going good. Megtech brass no good. Primer pocket went loose after one firing.

-TL

chiefr · January 10, 2014, 08:00 PM

I bought a large quantity of milsurp brass made in the 40s well over 30 years ago. I have never kept track of how many times I have reloaded this stuff, but it is a lot.
Since 30 Carb is a straight wall case, It will last for many reloads. 296 is my powder of choice for this round. I never bought a carbide set. I use the same RCBS steel set I bought new almost 40 years ago with a Dillon press.
Today, 30 carb surp brass is almost impossible to find. There was plenty around made of steel as well. I can remember using a magnet to separate the steel cases which we tossed.

Sevens · January 11, 2014, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Since 30 Carb is a straight wall case

It is not...
It is one of the most tapered cases if any mainstream chambering typical to American shooters, along with 9mm which is also tapered.

Ozzieman · January 11, 2014, 08:30 AM

It is not... +1
I find them easy to reload even with a carbide set. But as Sevens said if you don’t lube you will have a bad day.
My cases are all military and I think manufactured in the Philippines. I don’t shoot them that much but I also reload till the case cracks then toss.

chiefr · January 11, 2014, 09:38 AM

Sevens and Ozzie, you are correct. The 30 Carb is tapered, but slightly.
My point was the number of reloads per case is greater than bottleneck carts. At least that is my experience.

January 10, 2014, 11:17 AM	#1
hornet41 Senior Member Join Date: February 2, 2006 Location: MS Posts: 101	30 carbine Anyone reloading 30 carbine? How is brass life? How many reloads before chunking? Thanks 'Mo

January 10, 2014, 11:38 AM	#3
madmo44mag Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2008 Location: Ft.Worth, Texas Posts: 1,522	I use Starline brass and load med range load with a 110. gn bullet I trim to minimal length and shot them till they split. You have to check length every time but I can usually go 2 - 3 reloads until they need to be trimmed again. I have some brass that has been reloaded 20 plus times __________________ Texas - Not just a state but an attitude! For monthly shooting events in DFW visit http://www.meetup.com/TexasGunOwner-DFW

January 10, 2014, 02:50 PM	#5
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	I load .30 Carbine... but only for a Ruger Blackhawk revolver. Compared to other "handgun" rounds, .30 Carbine is much less enjoyable. No matter what brand of dies you run, no matter how "carbide" they are advertised, you will lube those cases for resizing or you will have a bad day. Truth. For my needs in the Blackhawk, my .30 Carb brass does stretch and they simply will -not- chamber when they've grown too long. This is even more of a hassle than some might understand in the way the Blackhawk revolver is set up simply because if you have a "BARELY wee bit too long" one and you chamber it, it will "kind of" fit right in there and you'll advance the cylinder and when it makes it 180 degrees around to the other side and meets shorter clearance, then it locks the revolver up like a bank vault. Of course, the design of the revolver also doesn't allow for reverse rotation of the cylinder, so you end up having to pull the pin and drop the cylinder in order to get the offender out of there. I avoid all of this by (literally) chamber checking each piece of brass, and I do not do this until AFTER each has been resized. At this point, I've got to be quite careful with the trimming operation because if I should happen to trim them too short, they will not discharge in my revolver, having crept too deeply in the chamber to feel a proper hammer/firing pin hit on the primer. If the goal is simply plinking, making noise and throwing lead and grinning, I would suggest you consider the Berry's 110gr Plated Round Nose for .30 Carbine. These slugs are thick-plated and Berry's rates them safely to 1,900 FPS. Bought 1,000 at a time, only a cast lead slug can be had for less money. Buying .30 Carbine specific rifle bullets in 100-count boxes is irrationally expensive, IMO. I can live with all this... perhaps because I don't put the crazy volume of shooting through my .30 Carb B'Hawk. But in comparison with 9mm or .38 Special... .30 Carbine at the load bench, especially for a handgun... well, it kinda sucks. __________________ *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.

January 10, 2014, 03:15 PM	#6
madmo44mag Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2008 Location: Ft.Worth, Texas Posts: 1,522	The 30 Ruger carbine pistol is a PIA to load for. That's another reason I trim to minimal length. The round head spaces on the brass like 9mm – 45 so if the brass is to long the cylinder will not rotate or binds. __________________ Texas - Not just a state but an attitude! For monthly shooting events in DFW visit http://www.meetup.com/TexasGunOwner-DFW

January 10, 2014, 06:57 PM	#10
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	I load for it to shoot out of a repro Iver Johnson. I had a lot of trouble finding brass when I got the rifle. I tend to just buy factory Monarch brass ammo. I recover as much as I can find of it. I save them up. Then I reload them. I have about a 15% disappearance rate with brass. I never counted how many times I have reloaded any of the cases. I loose them before they need trimming anyway. I do measure them after sizing. Also spray lube works fine with them as long as you follow directions. I use the Cabella's lanolin based stuff. Though I let it sit for at least an hour before I use it. I tumble the finished rounds to remove the case lube. For powder I would suggest AA#9 if you can get it. If not H110/Win 296 work well also. Be careful as the load weight range is a very narrow one. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

January 10, 2014, 11:36 AM	#2
jag2 Senior Member Join Date: June 30, 2009 Location: dallas Posts: 773	I don't shoot it as much as I used to but I don't remember ever tossing any because of usage. Now the gun tosses them to places I can not find, but that is a different problem. I guess they can stretch a little and you might need to trim some if you have a feeding problem. But believe me, you will lose more than you wear out. My only advise is to remember they are not straight wall cases, they need lube, even if you are using a carbide die. They are extremely hard to get out if you don't.

January 10, 2014, 02:28 PM	#4
NWPilgrim Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2008 Location: Oregon Posts: 2,346	Just like pistol brass, I don't sort or keep track by number of reloads. I reload them until they split/crack and then toss. They are a bit long so even though I have a carbide die I also lightly lube the cases before sizing.

January 10, 2014, 04:36 PM	#8
hornet41 Senior Member Join Date: February 2, 2006 Location: MS Posts: 101	Thanks for all the input guys. I will be loading for an M1 carbine. With the price and availability, reloading seems like a no brainer these days!! Anyone have a preference for brass mfg.???

January 10, 2014, 04:43 PM	#9
madmo44mag Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2008 Location: Ft.Worth, Texas Posts: 1,522	Shop around. Year before last I picked up some new Rem brass for $225.00 plus shipping for 2,000 pieces of brass. I have been reloading this round for years and never found one manufacturer any better than another. 30 Carb is just one of those rounds that once you learn what the gun likes you can reload it to that spec every time regardless of who made the components. __________________ Texas - Not just a state but an attitude! For monthly shooting events in DFW visit http://www.meetup.com/TexasGunOwner-DFW

January 10, 2014, 07:07 PM	#11
hodaka Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2006 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,010	I'm loading for 2 WWII carbines. Lately I have been loading cast bullets but I have loaded a lot of FMJ. I use Redding dies and they seem to work fine. I have not stuck any in hundreds of rounds. I need to get a shell plate for my Dillon. Like others have said, I loose them before they split. It is hard to find cheap brass. I use 296/110 and 2400 and Tula 223 primers. I can't remember needing to trim any..........yet. I'm glad I sold my Blackhawk. It seemed like a good idea at the time but painfully loud and a PITA to reload.

January 10, 2014, 07:33 PM	#12
tangolima Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2013 Posts: 3,824	Remington brass. Close to 20 firings. Still going good. Megtech brass no good. Primer pocket went loose after one firing. -TL

January 10, 2014, 08:00 PM	#13
chiefr Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2010 Location: AR Posts: 1,401	I bought a large quantity of milsurp brass made in the 40s well over 30 years ago. I have never kept track of how many times I have reloaded this stuff, but it is a lot. Since 30 Carb is a straight wall case, It will last for many reloads. 296 is my powder of choice for this round. I never bought a carbide set. I use the same RCBS steel set I bought new almost 40 years ago with a Dillon press. Today, 30 carb surp brass is almost impossible to find. There was plenty around made of steel as well. I can remember using a magnet to separate the steel cases which we tossed.

January 11, 2014, 08:30 AM	#15
Ozzieman Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 6,117	It is not... +1 I find them easy to reload even with a carbide set. But as Sevens said if you don’t lube you will have a bad day. My cases are all military and I think manufactured in the Philippines. I don’t shoot them that much but I also reload till the case cracks then toss. __________________ It was a sad day when I discovered my universal remote control did not in fact control the universe. Did you hear about the latest study.....5 out of 6 liberals say that Russian Roulette is safe.

January 11, 2014, 09:38 AM	#16
chiefr Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2010 Location: AR Posts: 1,401	Sevens and Ozzie, you are correct. The 30 Carb is tapered, but slightly. My point was the number of reloads per case is greater than bottleneck carts. At least that is my experience.