Interesting data on 110 FMJ effectiveness

[INLAND44]

Whatever, a 110 gr .30 caliber roundnose FMJ, soft point or semi-jacketed hollow point (Speer #1835) at 1950 fps is a serious round for a pistol-caliber carbine. 5.56mm NATO has too much penetration potential in my suburban environment to consider firing it inside the house. For those times when a pistol isn't enough and a shotgun may not suffice either, the .30 Carbine is very attractive. Particularly in a sub-gun, its a serious chopper. The Israelis still use a 'bullpup' M1 Carbine sub-gun in some security forces. But even in a semi-auto, .30 carbine is devastating at 100 yds or less, particularly the hollow point. Now an AR15-type in .30 Carbine would be very cool to me. Such a gun was once made by Olympic but didn't sell, so they dropped it. I think a conversion would be possible using a chamber insert in a 7.62X39 barrel. You would use a standard bolt. The magazine would consist of basically a 5.56 mag as the outer shell with a carbine mag inside, shimmed correctly to feed. But I digress; a factory-made one would be preferable, of course.
I no longer have any tactical applications in mind for my one M1 Carbine which is in preservation mode, but an AR or other carbine, even a High Point in .30 Carbine would get my attention as a home defense gun.

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[vintage hunter]

but an AR or other carbine, even a High Point in .30 Carbine would get my attention as a home defense gun.

If you're hesitant to use the 5.56mm for home defense due to worries about over penetration then you don't want to use the 30 carbine either. With FMJ bullets it will penetrate just as much if not more than a 5.56mm will and as long as it doesn't hit an appliance, breaker box or some such it's gonna go through at least 2 and possibly 3 walls with an expanding bullet.

[imarangemaster]

True.... Now that I live in a rural neighborhood (1/2 acre lots) I use an 18" pump riot gun with 3" magnum #1 buckshot. Each shot has (24) .30 caliber pellets! I have a Turkish copy of an Ithaca Model 37 that holds 5+1, with a stock sling with 5 more. When I lived back in Illinois on 5 acres surrounded by farmland 2007 to 2011, I used my M1 Carbine, as I did when I had 20 acres in California up until 2007. In 2006 (in California), I scared off a car load of villains entering my property in the middle of the night with felonious intent with the Carbine!

[INLAND44]

If you're hesitant to use the 5.56mm for home defense due to worries about over penetration then you don't want to use the 30 carbine either. With FMJ bullets it will penetrate just as much if not more than a 5.56mm will and as long as it doesn't hit an appliance, breaker box or some such it's gonna go through at least 2 and possibly 3 walls with an expanding bullet.

Maybe. But I would use the special ammo I designed and had made (pictured above) with lead hollow point semi-jacketed bullet. And no .30 Carbine FMJ is going to penetrate like M855, one of the most popular 5.56 rounds (at least it was until Holder banned it). Anyway, its not going to happen. I have so many different guns for this purpose that they would most likely find my body in front of the open safe trying to figure out which gun is just right for this incident. And unless somebody makes a semi-auto carbine in .30 Carbine other than an M1 Carbine copy its a moot point for me because I am definitely not using my Inland for this purpose.

[jmoore]

And unless somebody makes a semi-auto carbine in .30 Carbine other than an M1 Carbine copy....

I've contemplated some sort of conversion of the FN PS90 PDW to .30 Carbine. That would be a very practical use of the platform, rather than the 5,7mm round. (Which would be a fine thing in it's original select fire P90 format.) But it is probably beyond a simple parts swap. Probably need a complete re-engineering done. But one can dream.

[vintage hunter]

But I would use the special ammo I designed and had made (pictured above) with lead hollow point semi-jacketed bullet.

Something like these?






And as far as 855 goes it looses effectiveness as a penetrator in soft materials(wood, ect.) and is no better than any other GP ball round.