M1 Carbine ammo?

[Sixer]

I just recieved an original M1 from my grandfather. He kept it in extremely good condition. The day after he handed the gun to me I went to my local gun shop to buy some ammo. They had one box of 50 rounds for a small fee of $20! Anyhow, it was the only box of .30 carbine ammo in stock, needless to say it didnt last long at the range with my 30 round mag. My grandfather also gave me three 15 capacity magazines with the rifle, which had about 45 rounds in all. I guess my question is a)where can I find more ammo for this gun (its a blast to shoot!) and b)would the ammo he gave me (approx 10-15 yrs old) still be okay to shoot?

 

[Buzzcook]

The odds of the old ammo being good are very high. People are still shooting WWII ammo without any problems.
For where to get the ammo, try Walmart. On line midway

 

[Smokey Joe]

.30 Carbine ammo

Sixer--First of all, congratulations that your Grandfather trusted you to carry on the family tradition. The M1 Carbine is a neat, neat little rifle!

I recently got one from CMP, and while not "family" like yours, it sure is a handy, light firearm. The designers did it right: Light and handy, and more accurate and easier to aim than the .45 ACP pistol.

As to ammo, I ordered some from Cheaper Than Dirt, which came on stripper clips, which are very handy for feeding those magazines. You DO need a stripper clip feeder to use 'em though. Price IIRC was pretty good too.

Wal-Mart is of course an easy source, but spendy, the way the carbine--or any autoloader--eats ammo.

Bo't some reloads @ a gun sho, which hadn't been sized properly, and which don't allow the bolt to close quite shut, w/o a hearty slap on the op handle. Makes quick 2nd shots impossible; annoying; I won't be buying any more of that reloaders' product.

Bo't other reloads @ another gun sho which work just fine. The resizing of the cases, all the way down the body, is crucial.

Of course, my cheapest ammo, and best, all comes from Smokey Joe's Reload Shop. Currently I'm working at getting good at reloading .30 Carbine, and it is different from any other cartridge. I've not mastered it yet; all I can say is I'm making progress.

BTW, my sizing die does not contain the decapping rod (that's in the bell-mouth die) so I resized the live ammo that didn't fit, and afterwards it almost fit but still not perfectly.

Anyhow, what I'm getting at is, that this is a perfect excuse to get yourself into reloading.

 

[CanoeCrasher]

Sources

My M1 also has quite the appetite.

Check the CMP (www.odcmp.com) - they sell Aguila ammo by the case at a reasonable price. Plus, any profit goes to youth shooting activities, etc. They are sold out at the moment, but I mention them because when they have it in again, they will be my go-to ammo source.

Georgia Arms also sells ammo by the case at a reasonable price. Plus, they are at a lot of gun shows, so check their schedule - you'll save quite a bit of $$ on shipping.

For what it's worth, buying by the case is usually cheaper. Good luck!

CC

 

[Creature]

Congrats on that rifle!! .30 Carbine ammo isnt as hard to find as one might think. Just look around.

Note:
Do not be tempted to sell it...ever...no matter how tempted you might become. And don't think for one minute that you wont. I guarantee that one day, you will. If you do succumb to temptation, you will DEEPLY REGRET IT less than five minutes after you did. Take it from someone who knows...

 

[Sixer]

Thanks for the help guys! I absolutley love this gun. Mainly because it was given to me by my grandfather, but also because it is sooo fun to shoot! I actually took it apart to give it a good cleaning and oiling, not exactly as easy as stripping my Glock!

I hope Im never in a situation where the thought of selling it would cross my mind. It is a commercial M1, so speaking in terms of money, it does not carry the value of the other military issued M1's. To me the gun is priceless! I am interested in reloading but have no idea where to start. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again!

 

[Creature]

I just recieved an original M1 from my grandfather. He kept it in extremely good condition.

It is a commercial M1, so speaking in terms of money, it does not carry the value of the other military issued M1's.

I am a bit confused...what brand M1 Carbine is it?

 

[Sixer]

Well I guess my grandfather was a bit confused too He had originally told me he had it when he was stationed in Haiti during WW2. Upon taking it to my local gun shop, I was shown that it is a "Plainfield" M1 rifle, all of which were issued for commercial use in the 1960's I believe. I asked my grandfather about this and he couldnt really remember (he is 88 yrs old) so I probably wouldnt remember either. My guess is that he had an M1 carbine in the army, didn't keep it, then purchased this one sometime in the 60's. Somewhere in the last 50 years he must have gotten a bit confused by having an M1 that probably looked exactly like the one he had in the army. Regardless, it was a rifle he had for a long time, and it meant alot to him. He trusted me with it and that means alot... To me it is priceless!
Have a look

 

[DMK]

Nice looking carbine! It's in great shape after all these years.

I've been shooting the Aquila ammo. It works great in my Inland. Lots of places sell it:

www.aimsurplus.com
www.jgsales.com
www.natchezss.com
www.midwayusa.com

 

[Smokey Joe]

Reloading...

Sixer--Yeah, the Plainfield was a commercial M1 Carbine; never sold to the military as I understand it. Far less collectible. That doesn't diminish the "family" value of yours, though. And of course it is every bit as good a shooter as any of the M1 Carbines. I agree with Creature--NEVER sell a "family" gun.

As to reloading:

I am interested in reloading but have no idea where to start. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

The place to start any new endeavor is with knowledge. The "standard textbook" of reloading is titled, not surprisingly, The ABC's of Reloading. It is put out by Krause Publishing, www.Krause.com

It covers the basics of all aspects of cartridge reloading, and goes quite a bit beyond just the basics. Something for reloaders @ every level. Belongs on every reloader's bookshelf, well thumbed, IMHO.

Get it @ yr local sptg gds sto, gun sho, the I'net, or order from the publisher. My spies @ Krause inform me that a new edition is due out "early this year;" that'll be the 8th edition. So Krause must be doing something right. IMX, the 6th and 7th editions are good too. Have not heard if the 8th is available to the public yet.

If you go into reloading, The ABC's will guide you. If you decide it's not for you, you will come away with a better understanding of the intricacies of this ammunition we shoot. Either way, you're better off. I fail to see a down side.

 

[Sixer]

Thanks Smokey... I just picked up The ABC's of Reloading at the library. Wow, havent been there in years! Time to hit the books.