Anyone ever shot an M1 carbine (30carbine) suppressed?

Nope but it sounds fun

I looked into it once or twice, but everything I read said that it massively overgasses the system and screws up cycling and is unpleasant to shoot because all the gas in the face. But I haven't tried it.

exhibit A


if you watch to the end he puts a 45 cal can on it instead of a 30 and it works a lot better. And that is an inland suppressor ready gun. I don't know if that changes the springs or anything.

Back in the 1970's there was load data floating around for a subsonic .30 carbine that cycled an unsuppressed gun using a 150 grain RNSP intended for the .30-30. There was also a sub round IIRC for the Alberts bullets 150 Swaged lead SWC.

Just saying.....

-kBob

one of the Annuals not sure which had an article on the Albert's Shutzen Plinker Swagged lead SWC .308 bullet that may have had the lead bullet data.

-kBob

Added: Ed Harris article "Reduced Load Roundup" in one of the Handloader's Digests.

748 said:

Till I can find those loads I'm just guessing it.
Looking at other straight case rounds that have big variations of common bullet weight by 50% they tend to use the same powder, just less of it.
Probably dump 8 to 10gr of h110 in a carbine and see if I can stuff a 150gr bullet in there.

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I would use imr4227 for something like that. H110 isn't very friendly if you get the charge weight wrong.

5744 might be a good powder to try.

748 said:

Subsonic plus that antiqued 1:20'' bbl twist can spin up a 150gr bullet enough to stabilize it!?
That's news to me.
Now time to play find that load.

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Trust me, it ain't gonna work in your gun.

Been there, done that.
I no longer have the data, but IIRC I used SR4759 (now discontinued) and a 150 gr. RN 30-30 bullet.

Tried them in a Plainfield and a 1943 Inland.

Function was close to 100%, but Ray Charles could've outshot me with a rusty, smoothbore Raven .25 ACP.

I was considering having the Plainfield threaded, but didn't. I can throw rocks more accurately than a 1/20" Carbine throws 150's.

That was before I learned that there was at least one post war manufacturer of civilian M1 Carbines that used turned down M1903 A3 barrels, Alpine Manufacturing. I believe there were others as well.

Once I learned that there were M1 carbines mass produced with 1/10" twist barrels back in the 60's, it made some of that old heavy bullet Carbine data I'd read more plausible.

Some subsonic heavy bullet loading info on this thread: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/archive/index.php/t-104065.html

Hope you're planning on using a commercial carbine, not an original GI -- I know they made lots of them during WWII, but they're becoming valuable heirlooms nowadays in service trim.

Alternatively, these guys can make you a custom TC Contender/Encore barrel in .30 Carbine with a threaded muzzle and custom twist, if the cartridge is more important to you than the rifle platform: https://matchgrademachine.com/

748 said:

So get a darn near custom bbl or just shoot standard super sonic ammo.

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It's not difficult to work up functioning subsonic loads in .30 Carbine, you just gotta use two bullets per case.

The weight of two bullets will allow you to build sufficient pressure for reliable function while leaving the individual projectiles short enough to stabilize in that lazy twist barrel.

About 30 years ago I worked up a duplex load with one, 100 grain Speer "Plinker" loaded atop another one with the nose milled off, making the rear bullet almost a full wadcutter.

I no longer have the notes, targets or data from those loads, but they functioned well and shot reasonable groups. I don't recall seeing any evidence of keyholing, though I only shot 'em to 100 yards.

They were fairly quiet and seemed subsonic, but I never shot them over a chrono or through a can.

I think I used 2400 powder, but it may have been surplus WC 820. If someone wanted to try something like this, I'd recommend that they use cast bullets rather than the half jacketed Speers. There's just too much chance of leaving the bottom bullet jacket stuck in the barrel as an obstruction for the next shot.

I think an Inland Advisor or those old Universal Enforcers with a can and stock (SBRed) would be a hoot to shoot.

Please don't thread the barrel of a GI Carbine. If you're going to do this, at least use an aftermarket carbine.

I once had a Carbine that someone had threaded for a muzzle brake. I took it to a machine shop and had them turn the threads off in a lathe. Then, they made a sleeve and pressed it on the barrel with a hydraulic press. The place where the sleeve ended was hidden under the front sight, and of course the barrel was recrowned. I always felt a little guilty not telling the next owner that it had been "restored."

I got quite a bit more money for it than I had paid for it in its threaded condition.

748 said:

Mine a parts bin Korean carbine.

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"Blue Sky" import? On some of these, the "Blue Sky" stamping near the muzzle was heavy enough to distort the bore. Check the bore for concentricity before you do anything further. Some of these actually have an oval bore because of the import stamping.

Import or not, it still has some collectibility if it was originally a GI gun. If you want to thread the barrel, use an aftermarket copy.

Most GI carbines are "parts bin" guns because of all the in-service rebuilding during their service lives. That doesn't mean a lot to collectors since the parts discrepancies can be "corrected."

Carbine always seemed a poor host.
Ammo was predicated around being supersonic, the gas port in the rear, with the short tappet also in the rear, with no easy way to lock up the bolt.

A complicated combination at best.