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Post by Junior on Nov 4, 2020 20:07:41 GMT -7
Last week I traded into a unconverted Ruger 3 screw 30 carbine. This pistol had been cut down to 5” at some point in its life, and had the aluminum parts polished, undoubtedly by someone that read a little too much Skeeter Skelton. When they chopped the barrel, they cut the front sight just a bit too short, so that will need to be addressed. Interestingly, I went and bought a box of factory ammo to be able to shoot it since I couldn’t find any ammo on hand. Shooting it with modern factory ammo, it’s was not nearly as obnoxious as I thought it would be, no worse then my 357 mag. However, today while cleaning under my bench I found a baggie I knew I had. But had put in a safe place at a earlier date with some Korea era milsurp ammo. I loaded up a few rounds of this and stepped outside, and oh man what a difference. The gun let out suck a blast, that it caused a avalanche of all the snow up on my roof to come down, and also set off the car alarm on my Suburban. I’m guessing they must have loaded the modern ammo a bit different to accommodate the people shooting it from revolvers. I’ve always thought the 30 carbine was kind of a off caliber for a pistol, but I suppose back in the day when cheap surplus ammo was plentiful, it would have made more sense. http://instagram.com/p/CHMXNvAJlW0 |
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Post by Bullshop on Nov 5, 2020 6:16:08 GMT -7
The Ruger BH in 30 carb is likely my favorite just for fun shooting revolver. Loud is an understatement but to 100 yards awfully flat shooting so front sight picture to that distance is nearly constant not having to remember to hold a little more or less front sight for points in between and a bit beyond.
There have been a lot of these converted to 32/20 which it is very much like in a revolver. The big difference is chamber pressure. The 30 carb is loaded to about twice the pressure than the 32-20 is normally loaded to thus producing the LOUD !!! report. Bullet weight were similar but not bullet diameter. Cylinder throat diameter and barrel bore and groove dimensions will be tighter in the 30 carb than in the 32-20 so in converted guns this should be addressed when loading ammo.
Anyway once again I am sinfully covetous so will disguise the fact with , congratulations!!! great score !!! Have fun ! And in this case poke double ear plugs in your head before the fun begins.
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Post by missionary on Nov 5, 2020 8:27:03 GMT -7
At FT Hood one of the tank commanders I was gunner with had a Ruger 7.5" 30 Carbine. Our arms room had cases of 30 carbine and no carbines so anyone who wanted some just walked up and got a box or two. Great fun sitting on a tank turret while moving through the brush popping at those pesky wabbits !
But not to bad loud with a CVC helmet on.
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Post by Junior on Nov 20, 2020 0:00:38 GMT -7
A couple weeks ago, I traded into a 5” Ruger 3 screw in 30 carbine. I went down to the gun store and picked up a box of modern Remington 30 carbine ammo. I was surprised when shooting this, that it was no louder then shooting a 357, nor did it really seem to throw the big fireball. Fast forward a week, and I found some Korea era surplus 30 carbine ammo. Standing outside next to our suburban, I touched one of these off and the blast was absolutely atrocious, and was loud enough to set off the car alarm on the suburban. Tonight I went ahead and tried these two loads in the dark. It’s hard to tell the sound difference on the camera, but the fireball difference is obvious. Firs round if modern Remington, second was a 1953 Lake city surplus. http://instagram.com/p/CHzXbQipOcK |
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Post by missionary on Nov 20, 2020 17:01:52 GMT -7
At Ft. Hood late 71-72 we had access to near unlimited LC carbine ammo. With our crew helmets on the noise was awful in the Rugers. With earplugs and helmet it was OK. The crew helmets (CVC) have ear covering with speakers for commo.
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Post by shootist---Gary on Nov 20, 2020 19:30:09 GMT -7
Daniel, back in the late 1960's, my shooting buddy & I each bought .30 cal. carbines, (I still have mine), & then he bought a Ruger that if I remember correctly, had 2 cylinders, 1 know that it shot the .30 carbine round. We also bought a sardine can, consisting of 1,800 rounds of surplus ammo that was made by Remington. I only fired 2 or 3 rounds, & handed his gun back & said that was enough for me. Just thinking about it still jars my brains.
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Post by Junior on Nov 20, 2020 21:29:14 GMT -7
When I picked up the 30 carbine, I figured I would load it down with 32/20 type loads. I may even have another cylinder fit to it.
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Post by Bullshop on Nov 21, 2020 6:54:33 GMT -7
In a revolver I would rather use a round that head spaces on a rim rather than on the case mouth. I have never been able to get quite as good accuracy from my Ruger 45 convertible with the 45 acp cylinder as with the 45 Colt cylinder. That fact may have nothing at all to do with the different head space type but that wrinkle has burned into my mind and is now persistent.
It may well be bullet jump from the 45 as the acp has a longer trip from cylinder to barrel. The longer 30 carb and 32-20 wont have quite the jump as the short 45 acp in the same cylinder length.
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Post by Junior on Nov 21, 2020 13:44:02 GMT -7
32/20 and 30 carbine dimensions are nearly identical. As a matter of fact, 32/20 ammo will slide into the 30 carbine chambers all the way till the rim bottoms out. Ruger uses a .308” groove on their 32 caliber guns anyway.
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Post by Bullshop on Nov 21, 2020 17:22:16 GMT -7
So with 32-20 rounds in the cylinder will the cylinder still fit in the frame ?
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Post by Junior on Nov 21, 2020 21:56:29 GMT -7
No, the rims are just a bit too thick. Super close though
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Post by Junior on Nov 21, 2020 22:01:42 GMT -7
Here, I went and took a photo. The rounds will chamber all the way, however, the cylinder won’t go into the gun since there is not enough clearance between the frame and the Face of the cylinder. http://instagram.com/p/CH4WjtBJFz_ |
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Post by missionary on Nov 22, 2020 7:09:25 GMT -7
A little case head work and you are in business. Or get a spare cylinder and recess the heads.
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Post by Bullshop on Nov 22, 2020 8:07:18 GMT -7
I would suppose a spare 30 carb cylinder is about as common as hens teeth.
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Post by Junior on Nov 22, 2020 13:07:59 GMT -7
Yeah, I’ve looked and it’s not something that’s just floating around anywhere. I have thought about just getting a reamer and touch them up a bit.
Out of curiosity, have any of you compared the 30 carbine and 32/20 case dimensions?
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Post by missionary on Nov 22, 2020 19:30:27 GMT -7
Carbine .354 at base tappers to .336 at the mouth 1.290 length
32-20 .354 at base .342 at shoulder .327 at mouth 1.315 length
Curios how that 32-20 drops in with no resistance. I would think the extra length with a bullet loaded would hang in the throat area unless the there is no throat in a Ruger carbine chamber. Wonder if someone already ran a 32-20 reamer in it ? Or the Ruger chamber is a bit fat ?
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Post by Bullshop on Nov 22, 2020 20:20:49 GMT -7
""Wonder if someone already ran a 32-20 reamer in it ""
I wondered the same thing
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Post by Junior on Nov 22, 2020 23:00:24 GMT -7
I don’t think so, because the rims are not recessed.
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Post by missionary on Nov 22, 2020 23:54:23 GMT -7
Good point. Rim thickness is probably enough to hold back the neck issue.
How muck would you have to reduce a 32-20 rim to get the cylinder to close ?
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Post by Bullshop on Nov 23, 2020 6:38:24 GMT -7
In the picture there appears to be a groove milled in the cylinder that intersects the center of each chamber. What is that about ?
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Post by Junior on Nov 23, 2020 14:04:28 GMT -7
I’m not sure what that deal with the groove is, but I have seen it on other old model Rugers before.
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Post by missionary on Nov 23, 2020 14:04:43 GMT -7
I think that is for a spring clip that clips into the ring groove of the carbine brass as the 45 ACP models do.
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Post by Bullshop on Nov 23, 2020 18:33:50 GMT -7
I have a new model 45 convertible and it does not have that milled groove. The cylinders for my revolver are not original to the gun though. I sent it to Ruger for a re-barrel and when I got it back the old cylinders didn't fit. The new barrel shank had more protrusion into the frame which did not allow the cylinders to enter. They said oops, send it back. They made two new cylinders for it no charge. I don't remember if the original 45 acp cylinder had the groove or not.
I traded a couple hundred bullets for the gun at a gun show in Anchorage. The barrel had been shortened to about 3" and when they drilled the hole for the ejector rod housing they went too deep and came through inside the bore. I shot it that way for a bit but was not happy with it so off it went to Ruger for the new original length 7.5" barrel.
Some time later our shop in AK, took in for trade a 44 mag Bisley Vaquero. Being more partial to the Bisley model and not liking the Vaquero model at all I traded all the Bisley parts from the Vaquero to my BH and visa-versa. Sold the Vaquero and kept the Bisley 45 convertible. The only difference between mine and a factory Bisley is the factory Bisley's had non fluted cylinders and my cylinders are fluted. Saves a little weight though and still handles any loads I care to shoot in a 45 Colt.
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