The 30 Carbine is a relatively popular cartridge from days gone by. It was used heavily in WWII and is normally known as an underpowered rifle cartridge that would have been better suited for use in a handgun.
While there may be some truth to the fact that the 30 Carbine was underpowered when compared to other 30 cal rifle cartridges like the 30-06 Springfield, it was developed to fill a very specific need during war.
M1 Carbine:
The rifle was designed to be lighter weight than its older brother, the M1 Garand. It would become the go-between of the longer range Garand and Browning’s 1911.
It offered better range than the 45 ACP found in the 1911, but was lighter to carry and easier to maneuver than the M1 Garand was.
30 Carbine Cartridge Info:
The US requested Winchester make the ammo for the new lightweight rifle and they ended up with the 30 Carbine. They needed a bullet with a diameter of at least .27 and to still be effective out to about 300 yards.
What they ended up with was a .32 Winchester Self-Loading cartridge as the parent case that was designed to accept a round nose 308 caliber bullet.
The original bullets weighed 120 grains and could travel at about 2,000 FPS.
30 Carbine Ballistics:
The 30 Carbine ballistics are on average as follows: 2000 feet per second at the muzzle, with 977 foot pounds of energy. At 100 yards velocity drops to 1601, and energy drops to 626.
Hornady 110 Grain FTX Critical Defense:
| Muzzle | 100 YDS | 200 YDS | |
| Velocity (FPS) | 2000 | 1601 | 1279 |
| Energy (FT/LB) | 977 | 626 | 399 |
| Drop (Inch) | / | 0 | -12.9 |
Winchester 110 Grain Super X Hollow Soft Point:
| Muzzle | 100 YDS | 200 YDS | |
| Velocity (FPS) | 1990 | 1567 | 1236 |
| Energy (FT/LB) | 967 | 599 | 373 |
| Drop (Inch) | / | 0 | -13.5 |
Federal American Eagle 110 Grain 30 Carbine FMJ:
| Muzzle | 100 YDS | 200 YDS | |
| Velocity (FPS) | 1990 | 1564 | 1231 |
| Energy (FT/LB) | 967 | 597 | 370 |
| Drop (Inch) | / | 0 | -13 |
30 Carbine Uses:
The 30 Carbine is still a relatively popular cartridge. There is a market for the hunting industry and the cartridge is capable of taking animals up to deer in size at closer ranges.
There is also a smaller segment of folks who use it for self-defense, utilizing the M1 Carbine in a “truck gun” for defensive purposes.
The Hornady FTX rounds listed above are good for self-defense in this rifle.
Conclusion:
The 30 Carbine has a rich history, and it seems like it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. All of the major ammo makers produce at least one loading for it, and some of them make more than one, as is the case with Winchester and Federal.
