AR platform in .30 Carbine
- Thread starter Avenger
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Never seen one,but most AR/ M16/M4 type rifles are/were designed around a straight walled case( hence,case geometry dictates magwell& magazine design)... Can't see why it wouldn't work,beyond obvious buffer& recoil spring differences.
NWcityguy2
Member
Never heard of one myself. For ARs, if you're going to under-realize the platforms potential, you might as well have it be cheap to shoot too. Hence the popularity of 22LR conversions. Or a loaded down 300BLK, which would be cheaper as well.
The Alaskan
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I don't mean to offend, but this just makes less than no sense at all. (Probably why no company has ever made one.)
Why wouldn't you just buy an M1 Carbine? They aren't THAT heavy.
Why wouldn't you just buy an M1 Carbine? They aren't THAT heavy.
dh1633pm
Contributing Member
Olympic Arms made a 30 Carbine upper for a while. If you do a google search you will see lots of talk and interest in a 30 Carbine upper. I don't think anyone currently makes one.
K
Kame B.
Guest
Inland M1 Carbine
Try this on for size. Not everything has to be a AR.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdRcQJg2d2Q
Try this on for size. Not everything has to be a AR.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdRcQJg2d2Q
Double Naught Spy
Sus Venator
It does if you want an AR15, LOL.
You have to wonder why people provide information on M1 carbines when the OP specifically asks about an AR15. That makes no sense at all.
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You could go the .300 blk, but you could also go 7.62x39. Here are Rock River's offerings.
https://www.rockriverarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=558
As noted, Oly Arms did or does offer them. A buddy of mine hunts with an Oly Arms 7.62x39 AR15.
Armalite made one...
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=497658012
I am sure there are others, but now you have some additional ideas where to look.
kBob
Member
Couple of decades ago Olympic made .30 carbine AR 15s, I handled one at either a shot show or NRA annual meeting. They told me they did so in hopes of securing a contract from a national police force located somewhere between the Suez Canal, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and the Med. Not more specific than that though.
Those folks did use M-1 Carbines for police work and those were getting long in the tooth. As it was they opted to make new barrels and some new receivers so Oly was left with a gun no one else at the time wanted. The little 10.5 inch barreled gun I saw actually took carbine mags in an adaptor in the AR15 mag well. With the M-4 type stock and shorty barrel it was a cutie. It was a full sized AR15 lower.
I looked before posting and don't seem to have any pictures, sorry.
-kBob
Those folks did use M-1 Carbines for police work and those were getting long in the tooth. As it was they opted to make new barrels and some new receivers so Oly was left with a gun no one else at the time wanted. The little 10.5 inch barreled gun I saw actually took carbine mags in an adaptor in the AR15 mag well. With the M-4 type stock and shorty barrel it was a cutie. It was a full sized AR15 lower.
I looked before posting and don't seem to have any pictures, sorry.
-kBob
K
Kame B.
Guest
Oh that's my bad friend, I was just trying to give the OP a better option. He may have not known about the new .30's, not a lot of people do.
For the people saying "just buy an M1 Carbine", keep in mind that they're considerably more expensive than ARs for some reason. I'd be interested in an AR-15 in .30 carbine that used M1 carbine mags, assuming it was cheaper than buying an actual M1 carbine...
Carl N. Brown
Member
Some folks want to keep their training and familarity with the AR platform and be able to use .30 Carbine ammo for whatever reason (availiabily due to reloading comes to mind).
Supply and demand. They haven't made USGI Carbines since WWII, and that was some time ago. Also, the politicians keep blocking GI Carbines from overseas that have been surplused. The new, commercial copies are also expensive. That being said, I just got an Inland for $700 which is probably the average price of a new AR.
A 300 BLK AR makes more sense in general...but I have an M1 carbine and dies and it would be cool to have ammo and magazine commonality if I was really into M1 carbines and wanted something different so I can see it.
Hmm...according to my micrometer, 5.56 case head is about .375" and .30 carbine. is .355". The .30 carbine fits into an AR bolt under the extractor fine. Getting an AR barrel chambered in .30 carbine shouldn't be too hard, I don't think the slightly larger bolt face would be unsafe in a proper chamber and the .30 carbine operates at a much lower pressure than 5.56 (40k vs 55k or so). Get an adjustable gas block to fine tune the gas. Hardest part would be figuring out an insert in the magazine well.
Hmm...according to my micrometer, 5.56 case head is about .375" and .30 carbine. is .355". The .30 carbine fits into an AR bolt under the extractor fine. Getting an AR barrel chambered in .30 carbine shouldn't be too hard, I don't think the slightly larger bolt face would be unsafe in a proper chamber and the .30 carbine operates at a much lower pressure than 5.56 (40k vs 55k or so). Get an adjustable gas block to fine tune the gas. Hardest part would be figuring out an insert in the magazine well.
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Tommygunn
Member
Actually they are now making new M-1 Carbines. "Inland" is back. Well, it's not the same Inland but it is out there and from what I've heard they make some pretty decent M-1 carbines.
I'm sort of puzzled why the OP wants an AR in .30 carbine. Is the AR platform important? The 5.56mm. round is a flatter shooting round and much more common than .30carbine theses days.
I say that when I have both the 5.56mm. Mforgery and an inherited Inland M-1 carbine my father brought home from Korea.
Yes, that's why I referenced commercial copies. The new "Inlands" are around $1K if memory serves, and you can get a decent USGI shooter for less than that. I am hoping the next President's admin allows all the S. Korea M1 Carbines back in
Swampman
Old Fart
For those questioning the OP as to why he wants a more modern version of the M1 Carbine, just Google "Israeli Magal" and you'll see that he's not alone.
Personally, I'm content with the original.
Personally, I'm content with the original.
It just isn't my preference, maybe because I have an M1 Carbine. IMO, there are better cartridge choices. I would think a 7.62X39 AR would be better and a little more powerful and still be 30 caliber. Also, the FMJ 30 carbine ammo is reasonably priced, but soft point ammo can get expensive.
That said, I have never seen an AR in that caliber. If it could be made more powerful, it would be interesting since you can cram a lot of ammo into a small magazine. Makes me wonder if you could adapt 5.7X28 magazine design and action.
That said, I have never seen an AR in that caliber. If it could be made more powerful, it would be interesting since you can cram a lot of ammo into a small magazine. Makes me wonder if you could adapt 5.7X28 magazine design and action.
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jmorris
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Might ask these guys if they have any of the .30 carbine AR mags left.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxiEyGlE4gY
That would be the hard part of the conversion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxiEyGlE4gY
That would be the hard part of the conversion.
Tommygunn
Member
I will admit that .30 carbine is not well stocked -- that's true -- but it really isn't "weak." If compared to pistol rounds it is more powerful than most calibers out there that are in common use/supply. As a rifle round it's sorta low end of the intermediate power group.
For must realistic shooting events it will work very well especially with soft-nose or hollowpoint rounds. Even ball ammo is good -- plenty of dead WW2 German and Japaneses soldiers will attest to that ... if they could.
But ... my central point remains .... why not 5.56mm. in a Colt M4orgery?
Pilot .. my error in overlooking your comment about commercial copies. Guess I don't read too well at 11:00PM.
The new Inlands go for $1000? IMHO that is a really good price for the gun, assuming it's made right. Yes I know some ARs are now cheaper.....
as far as WW2 carbines I have seen some go for about that amount or even a little more. I hope the people selling them are selling ones in extraordinarily good condition.
My Inland was little-used. The barrel was marked 2-44 which means it saw maybe 1 year in WW2, and as I said my father brought it back from Korea, so that's maybe 3 years. But my father never used it so it sat in a closet from maybe 1954 through 1994. I had a gunsmith do a minor adjustment on the rear sight and he offered to buy it, saying he'd never seen one with the action in such pristine condition (!). But it was my father's, now it's mine....it is the LAST gun I'd sell.
You can buy two AR-15s for the cost of one M1 carbine (provided you get really basic, no frills ARs).
I'm a huge M1 carbine fan, I really wish they were cheaper. I think it's a better carbine than the AR-15 "M4gery", I suspect that at short range (100 yards or less) a .30 carbine round will hit harder than a .223 fired from the same length barrel.
The AR-15 has the advantage when shooting at longer distance (anything over 100 yards), or when fired from a full sized rifle (20 inch AR vs 14.7 or 16 inch makes a big difference in muzzle velocity).
Actually I wonder what the .30 carb round would do if fired from a longer barrel, and maybe with a more pointed, higher B.C. bullet...
I'm a huge M1 carbine fan, I really wish they were cheaper. I think it's a better carbine than the AR-15 "M4gery", I suspect that at short range (100 yards or less) a .30 carbine round will hit harder than a .223 fired from the same length barrel.
The AR-15 has the advantage when shooting at longer distance (anything over 100 yards), or when fired from a full sized rifle (20 inch AR vs 14.7 or 16 inch makes a big difference in muzzle velocity).
Actually I wonder what the .30 carb round would do if fired from a longer barrel, and maybe with a more pointed, higher B.C. bullet...
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