What kind of reliability is HP ammo in an M1 Carbine?

[Kestrel]

I was talking to Clint McKee the other day at Fulton Armory and he said that HP ammo was not always reliable in an M1 Carbine. He said they were designed to shoot FMJ.

Any of you with experience with this, is your carbine completely reliable with factory/commercial HP ammo?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[SodaPop]

Just like the 1911, if you reload your own ammo you can always mess with OAL and figure out all the quirks.

I'd like to hear from anyone else that has reloaded for the M1 Carbine? Is there commercial HP ammo out there for the Carbine?

 

[Dave Markowitz]

SodaPop,

Winchester makes a jacketed hollow soft point, while Remington and Federal (and maybe others) make JSPs. As with many other guns, if you want to run expanding ammo through a Carbine you need to try it out and see how it works in your gun .

I reloaded for an Iver Johnson M1 Carbine back in the 1980s, so my memories are a bit hazy. I used Speer 100 grain "Plinker" bullets, a half jacket design, which IIRC were pretty reliable. They were less accurate than 110 grain loads, though. Powder was Hercules 2400.

I currently have an Underwood M1 but so far all I've run through it is ball. It's reliable with that, of course.

 

[SodaPop]

How much did you pay for the Underwood?

 

[saddlebum]

i have a IBM that wont feed hp or sp ammo at all, i also have a underwood and it will feed anything. saddlebum

 

[Swampy]

I don't load for my carbines, but the local prez of our CMP club does....

He sez that with the Sierra 100 HP bullet, you can't get it seated in far enough to feed properly and still get a load of powder in the case that will drive it at any decent velocity....

That's about all I know.... not tried it myself. Don't know if he's tried any other bullets or not.

Best to all,
Swampy

 

[Dave Markowitz]

How much did you pay for the Underwood?

It was free.

Ron in PA (AKA "Dad") gave it to me. He paid ~$169 for it back in the late 1980s when he picked it up at Woolworth's in the Plymouth Meeting Mall. It's one of the Blue Sky imports, but is rather nice shape.

 

[SodaPop]

When are you going up to W&W so I can try out all your toys?

 

[Dave Markowitz]

PM sent.

 

[MolonLabe416]

If JHP doesn't feed, use JSP. Works about as well. Both will do the job at urban ranges if you will.

 

[ChairborneRanger]

I 've reloaded quite a bit with/for the .30 Carbine and agree with what McKee is saying----neither JHP or JSP rounds reliably feed in the M1 Carbine----FMJ's do, not rounds with 'hunting' bullets, though.

 

[Pappy John]

It must depend on the quirks of a particular weapon. My Postal Meter has fed two brands of soft points without a hitch. I've never tried any type of hollowpoint though. never even seen any.....