What's the cost of reloading for .30 Carbine, and what kind of reloading equipment do I need? I'm only interested in plinking, shooting at paper, and maybe building up a small supply of ammo for a SHTF scenario.
I have a .30-06 M1 Garand that I stopped shooting due to the high price of ammo. I'm thinking about selling it and buying an AK-47 instead.
But the gun I've always wanted is an M1 Carbine...but not if the ammo for it will be as expensive as surplus .30-06 ammo.
Armchair, if you get into reloading, adding a second caliber is not very expensive. With two sets of dies (30 Carbine and 30-06) you would be able to load for both rifles with the same equipment.
If you shoot any other centerfire firearms, it is easy to add dies for them as well.
From your comment on what you plan to shoot, a single stage press would serve your needs well. On a single stage press, I can load 100 rounds in an hour. If you are concerned about spending hours and days reloading, you can do things in small batches in short sessions. For instance, I prepare my brass shortly after shooting it so it does not take very long. Then, I store the brass for future reloading.
The big savings from reloading comes from reusing the brass. Folks have different opinions and experience on the life of brass, and it varies by cartridge, but with 30-06 and 30 carbine it can be reloaded from 5 to 15 times or more.
Surplus and commercial ammunition is a good source of brass cases. So, keep your brass. Plus, you get to "unload" it as well. I would stay away from corrosive primed surplus ammunition though.
There is lots of information on this forum and others about reloading. For starters, check out the sitckies at the top of this forum.
Reloading can be an enjoyable hobby by itself.
Regardless, I would keep the Garand and add a carbine. But, it is your decision.