I keep coming back to the M1 Carbine as my GO TO HD Weapon

[imarangemaster]

I find that hard to believe, based on the Gel Tests. If you compare them in Gel, the CD does not penetrate as much as the standard 110 JSP, expending more energy, sooner. If he is basing it on a single instance, it could be anything from shot placement, organ hit, bones struck, etc. I know there was a review comparing the two, but it was from a pistol, and the CD wasn't as good as from a rifle.

[shamrocks]

Since we started to discuss function of Federal HST in our carbines, I thought I would post a brief result of my range trip. It was raining so I made a trip to a local indoor range with 25 yard line and fired 35 rounds of the Critical Defense with one fail to feed. I am positive that it was a result of the magazine and not the round as the mag had unseated so all it took was a tap, rack and fire. I put it aside and had no more issues. This was one of the Korean made mags and it unseated a couple times later so it will be taken out of service. The Critical Defense fed fine and seemed quite accurate given that I was only supporting my off hand elbow on the bench and not using a bench rest. I changed targets and fired 50 rounds of PPU 110 grain fmj with very good results as well.
Having seen the ballistic gel test by Hornaday I do believe that coupled with my Nat. Postal Meter, I have a handy little home defense weapon.
here is a quick shot of the 8 inch shoot 'n see target using Critical Defense. I think with a solid bench rest this grouping would be even better but I am happy with the result and the accuracy of my carbine.

[CrossedCannons]

What kind of sight picture were you using? Were you shooting to point of aim?

[shamrocks]

What kind of sight picture were you using? Were you shooting to point of aim?

I was shooting pretty much point of aim at the yellow center dot or maybe just a fraction below it. I noticed that at first I was holding above the center on the high shots so, I then adjusted to hold just a fraction below the center and got the better centered ones. I know on some of the shots I was a bit shaky when the shot broke but when I held a better steady position I got the centered shots.
I don't shoot as much anymore and with my eyesight going a bit now that I'm older it's a bit harder to clearly focus and stay steady on the POA so I figure if I aim center mass I will do well enough.

[imarangemaster]

Nice. I got my CD ammo today. will load it up tonight.

Here's a picture of a 25 yard from my 6 digit Inland rebuild with the undated (year only) Underwood barrel with "0" ME from a solid rest. ( think this is the right picture, anyway. This carbine is the tightest one I have had since my Winchester in 1982 or so.) This was R-P 110 FMJ, but it shoots this well with the HP and my handload with 15 grains of WW296 and a 110 grain copper plated Rainier Ballistics bullet.

[shamrocks]

Nice shooting Inland for sure. My NPM has Buffalo Arms 11-43 barrel with a ME of fraction over 2. I think you will have no problems at all with the CD.

[imarangemaster]

Thanks. The Inland was possibly a white bag gun. The finish of: receiver, the brazed trigger guard, slide, trigger, and hammer is matching darker grey overall (almost Charcoal) typical of later rebuilds. The bolt and some action pieces a lighter grey parked. I do know that it had a different stock on it with rebuild stamps before I got it (it was put into the lightly sanded highwood cartouched Inland stock to sell to me, and the nicer stock kept). The barrel is an Underwood: the finish is near 95-100% on the barrel, with a year only date of "-44" stamped and ordnance bomb stampings VERY crisp. The ME is "0" so I am not surprised it shoots so well. No import markings, either. To me, it is almost the ideal "mixmaster." While it is 6 digit, it obviously continued its service to the county through one or more upgrades.

[imarangemaster]

Shadycon's story about keeping his carbine handy in a crisis reminds me of my own M1 Carbine crisis story. When I was an LEO, I used an M1 Carbine much of the time as a trunk weapon. It was used more than once of felony car stops, raids, and high risk arrest situations. My favorite story, however, happened after I retired. I know I have shared it before, but for those who have joined us since.

It was around 2004-2005. I had a house on 20 acres in the Sierra Foothills outside Grass Valley, CA at the end of a gravel road, surrounded by a thousand acres of BLM (Federal Bureau of Land Mis-management) While the road continued through my property, it was 4x4 only past me, and there was NOTHING out there except scrub oaks and Digger Pines of the sierra Foothills. We also had two cabins on the property, occupied by my wife's mother in one and her aunt in another. Late one night (actually early morning around 3AM) I was up suffering from insomnia while my wife and her relatives were absent the property at a family function in the Central Valley.

There was a parking area between the road and the house, that was lined with 2-3 foot diameter boulders to set boundaries. Both cabins were dark, as was my house, for the most part. Two of the three vehicles normally there were absent with the clan. My jeep was parked around by the back (den) door, on the side away from the road. I was in my recliner in the front room, lights out, with the History Channel on low, trying to sleep!

Suddenly I hear a vehicle with a somewhat loud muffler coming up the road from town. I look out the window through a crack in the curtains, and I see a blacked out, beat-up POS, nasty old, junky car slowly coming up the road in the moonlight. He pulls into my parking area towards the front door with the lights still off. In the moonlight (of an otherwise dark night), I see the car is full of 4 or 5 "hairy-scary-scumbagus-maximus, low life, hairballs. I had grabbed my M1 Carbine (30 rounder in the weapon, and two 15s in a Type I "stock" pouch on it) when I first saw them coming with the lights out on the road towards my house.

Just as the miscreants were starting to dismount the vehicle, I threw open the front door, turned on the porch floodlights, and and stepped onto the porch with the carbine pointed in their direction (though I could later swear it was at port arms only!) an shouted "Hello boys!" and something else. The driver's eyeballs got as big as coffee saucers, and I hear surprised profanities from inside the car. The driver slammed the beater car into reverse, bashing the rear end into the boulders, and then clipped them with the front end as he tried to quickly exit the area. The last I saw the vehicle, it was headed back to town with his lights still out. He did leave his muffler behind on the road, as even by our house, 5 MPH is the fastest you want to go on that rough dirt and rock road.

I am sure the miscreants had shown up, thinking my property was empty. My wife had earlier contracted a handyman and his helper (who both looked like "Warrants on the hoof" to do some brush clearing while she was doing the preparations for the trip. The bozos (who I fired after less than about two hours due to their absolute incompetence and the fact they had not yet accomplished a single thing while on my dime) probably overheard the women talking about and preparing for the trip.

[USGI]

There's a pretty good deal at Sportsman's Guide on Hornady Critical Defense, now through the 29th, I believe. Should show as under $20. - Bob

[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

There's a pretty good deal at Sportsman's Guide on Hornady Critical Defense, now through the 29th, I believe. Should show as under $20. - Bob

I saw Hornady Critical Defense .30 Carbine 110 Grain FTX Ammo, 25 rounds for $20.89 there.

Hornady Ammo, 25 rounds - 234267, .30 M1 Carbine Ammo at Sportsman's Guide