The Carbine as SBR

[AmEngRifles]

I know not everyone will like this subject, but I have always been enamored of the .30 carbine as an SBR when first spotting a cut down version in some vintage photos from the Viet Nam conflict. And of course, the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) used some cut downs in their reign of terror in the mid 70s. Funny how this coincides with the Viet Nam conflict.

The cartridge seems about right for a shorter barrel, as it really isn't a full powered rifle round anyway. I suspect an 11.5" barrel would give almost as good of efficiency as the 18"barrel. That and the fact the gun looks sexy in a short skirt so to speak.

I will post pictures of my SBR once complete, but in the meantime, here are a few pics gleaned from the Internet. Anybody else think this is a sexy SBR?

Btw, as a point of interest, this carbine in the SLA collection might have been one held by Patty Hurst and her two travel companions or one of two women who fled from beneath the burning house they had been hiding, as you can see the stock is intact, unlike all the other weapons in the picture that surely had been in the house, as it burned to the ground in the final conflict.

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[browningautorifle]

At one point in time I built an Enforcer using a stock I purchased from Numrich and a gun I had on hand. I'd always wanted one. I no more than finished it and took it to visit a friend of mine and he bought it...payed way more than he should have. What was I to do? I HAD to take his money...short lived Enforcer. I wanted one for 20 years and only owned it for 20 minutes.

[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

Maybe not like a 6" Auto Mag, but there is still quite the barrel flash at 11.5".

[imntxs554]

That brings back memories. I remember watching that live on TV the shoot out the SLA had with the Police. I think it looks sweet. I just missed out on a nice Enforcer Stock on a bidding site last month or a little longer..i have something that would of been nice for it.

Frank
S F

[firefuzz]

I think I'd pass unless I was going to run a can on it. The muzzle blast of a .30 carbine out of 10" Contender barrel is something I'll never repeat willingly.

Rob

[browningautorifle]

Yes, it's a bit noisy and a can would tame it down, but it sure would be fun if you had an M2 kit assembled on an Enforcer stock...

[Mizzouboy]

The muzzle blast from my 6 1/2 inch Ruger Blackhawk in .30 carbine is something to see at twilight! ;-)

[us019255]

The muzzle blast from my 6 1/2 inch Ruger Blackhawk in .30 carbine is something to see at twilight! ;-)

Just cruios my reloading manual lists different loads and powders for pistol use than carbine. Do you shoot reloads? If so what loads do you use.

[AmEngRifles]

OK gents, been away for a while and actually found my own post with a renewed interest. lol.

I have my SBR carbine now and have enjoyed it immensely! YES, IT IS LOUD! I get people stepping back from their lanes any time I shoot it indoors. It thumps like a .44 Mag! And the muzzle flash lights up about 20 feet of my shooting lane! I wish I would have had the foresight to have left enough barrel in front of the front sight to thread for some form of flash suppressor. That will happen on the next build.

But it makes it sound just that more powerful!! I guess this is akin to those guys like to SBR a .308 rifle!? I never understood that process from a ballistics standpoint, but I get it now from a Show and Go aspect. Still not my thing. I think a .300 Black out or 7.62 x 39 would be the most potent cartridge I would ever SBR. Just talking .30 cal for now.

I built mine from a commercial copy ( Iver Johnson) that I have owned for a while and checked to be sure was functioning properly before applying for cutting it down. It functioned fine as an 18" rifle, but after the cut down, with NO adjustment to gas port, it was experiencing some failure to eject. I traced this to this simplest denominator. New extractor and spring. That fixed it! So a carbine cut to 10" is fine with existing gas port opening. Like the XM177E1 and other short barrel AR-15s, it needs a fresh, strong extractor and spring due to possibly faster bolt velocities?? Fortunately, the M1 carbine does not seem too finicky. It continues to give me reliable service. I would NEVER consider doing this to a G.I. carbine, almost no matter how beat up that rifle would be. There are enough working commercial copies and that seems like the appropriate donor to use. IF you get a commercial and it is giving some functioning issues, buy a fresh new operating spring from Wolff and you will more than likely be good to go. Same for the ejector spring and extractor spring. Even these commercial copies are now 40-50 years old and the original springs were possibly later commercial versions without the benefit of meeting USGI Mil Spec requirements?

With the rifle in an M1A1 folding stock, I love how compact it is for transportation and toten around. I wrap my sling around the steel folding arm to make it more comfortable against my cheek, but the sling is always with me in case I need it for utilitarian reasons.

The accuracy is really not bad and I get 6" groups at 100 yards with 110 fmj surplus style fodder. I need to try some of the Hornandy Critical defense ammo.

In the meantime, I do see that the NEW Inland company is revamping the old Enforcer concept which I now believe was inspired by guys coming out of Viet Nam who had used or at least seen these cut down carbines that SF and helicopter pilots used in small quantities. I have a few pics gleaned from the Internet that I will include with this post.

I think my next project will be to buy a new Fulton Armoury M1 carbine receiver and build my pistol version of the cut down Viet Nam carbine. I am pretty sure I can build one for much less than the $1100 retail I hear Inland is going to charge. Interestingly, I found what looks like a promo picture from Inland with their Advisor mounted in an M1A1 stock just like I was inspired to do. I have included a picture (also sourced from the Internet) that shows a nicer cut down in a folder. It has a front sight too. I will certainly build my pistol with the front sight, even though most pics show a cut down from Viet Nam with no front sight.

I am undecided whether to do this tribute with a threaded muzzle or without? A FH is a nice addition, but for authenticity, going without one would be closer to the pictures I have seen.

Input and stories are welcome. Thanks!

[browningautorifle]

I built an M1 Enforcer some 25 years ago and after waiting for 20 years to have one only owned it for hours. I took it to show a friend that promptly paid way too much for it...and I could never replace it. What a neat little gun too. Don't know what happened to it after...