30- carbine

[any ruger]

Looking at a 1970 30 car. Top strap looks ok forcing cone looks good. What say on a fair price?

 

[NitroAcres]

$450-$600 here..IF you can find one for sale.
: The WantFactor will add $100: it did in my case, as I don't shop online, only F2F and I Wanted IT, and IT was laying on my tailgate Wanting to go home with me, $550 later me and the new '70 / .30cal shooter were riding down the road.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

RENE has "pristine" non-prefix guns at $530, 50-prefix guns at $460, and a nice box at $90.

As mentioned, the trick is finding one.

 

[hittman]

In suspect in many places a very nice non prefix 30 Carbine would be considered CHEAP at $530.00.

Even without a box but especially if it were even a 4 digit gun.

 

[DWL]

I paid $455 a year ago for a OM .30 carbine. Unconverted in very good condition.

 

[Mike Armstrong]

One of the only SA Rugers I prefer in New Model configuration since they can shoot .32-20s perfectly right out of the box. Mine has only fired one box of .30 carbine ctgs. Just my preference....But many of us, I suspect would rather have a "pair'" that included an '85 or '92 Win or '94 Marlin instead of an M-1 carbine with a Blackhawk.

 

[jimbo1096]

Between $400 and $550 in my neck of the swamp, according to condition and package.
They are more scarce than expected, don't know why.

 

[sixshot]

I'm with Mike on this one because shooting 32/20's is so much easier & Starline has brass available that last's a long time.

Dick

 

[Bell Swamp]

One of the only SA Rugers I prefer in New Model configuration since they can shoot .32-20s perfectly right out of the box.

I was wondering about that. I know 32/20 rounds fits very nicely in the chambers but have hesitated to try shooting them. I would shoot mine a lot more often if it is OK. I never have been particularly fond of single action revolvers that shoot rimless cartridges.

 

[powder smoke]

In 1970 exiting from the military 30 carbines could be bought for 100 bucks or less,
the gun shops had racks of them! 100s. Shoulda coulda live and learn. ps

 

[Ale-8(1)]

One of the only SA Rugers I prefer in New Model configuration since they can shoot .32-20s perfectly right out of the box.

I was wondering about that. I know 32/20 rounds fits very nicely in the chambers but have hesitated to try shooting them. I would shoot mine a lot more often if it is OK. I never have been particularly fond of single action revolvers that shoot rimless cartridges.

Yeah, this is one area where us Old Model fans kinda envy you New Model folks. Our Old Models don't have enough headspace to allow the use of the .32-20 ammo.

 

[veeman]

One could always have the cylinder milled flat on the OM.

 

[any ruger]

More about the old cylinder being milled.

 

[veeman]

Mill the cylinder face flat, to remove the recesses, therefore allowing room for the rims of 32-20 brass.

 

[Acorn]

I have a .30 NM. I’ve heard of shooting loading .32-20 brass for it but never heard exactly what all is involved. Trimming, fire forming?

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Mill the cylinder face flat, to remove the recesses, therefore allowing room for the rims of 32-20 brass.

I dug out my Old Model. There's no "recesses" on the back face of the cylinder, just the "firing pin groove". The .30 Carbine ammo fits essentially flush with the back face of the cylinder. Ammo for .32-20 will drop into the cylinder and stop on the rim. You/d have to machine off about the thickness of the .32-20 rim all around the rear face of the cylinder to allow that ammo to seat deeper and clear the recoil shield when the cylinder revolves. Or you could counterbore each chamber to create a recess for the rim of each cartridge. Either way, when you then went back to .30 Carbine ammo, the cases would stick out the back of the cylinder by however much you removed from the cylinder face. Don't know if that's a problem or not. There is, of course, the potential hassle of running .312" bullets thru a .308" bore.

 

[sixshot]

That sure seems like a lot of work, just to ruin an old model. Just get a new model to begin with, yes you have to trim the brass a bit, I'd have to go look to see how much I trim but it isn't much. As far as using .312" bullets, I actually shoot .313" bullets in my new model 30 carbine with great success & fine accuracy. I reload with 32/20 Redding dies.

Dick

 

[Ale-8(1)]

What keeps me from doing it is the "ruining an Old Model" bit.

And If the mood strikes me, I have a .32-20 revolver.

:wink:

 

[veeman]

I only have the NM, so it's not an issue for me. But yes, one would have to mill the entire cylinder flat to use rimmed cases. I would never do it myself.

 

[Muley Gil]

Wouldn't it easier to fit a New Model cylinder to the Old Model .30 Carbine, if you really wanted to shoot .32-20s through it?

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Wouldn't it easier to fit a New Model cylinder to the Old Model .30 Carbine, if you really wanted to shoot .32-20s through it?

Possibly, but it would require investigation to see if such a swap is easily accomplished. It can be tricky enough to install a randomly-acquired Old Model cylinder into an Old Model gun. Each instance can be a "drop in" or fraught with problems. And just because one swap works out does not mean the next one will.

 

[mohavesam]

There might be some info in the Ruger-Smithing section?

 

[Bell Swamp]

I tried shooting 32/20 ammo out of mine yesterday. It worked well. I have been tinkering at my loading bench working on a load just for the revolver using a bunch of lead bullets that I got for my carbines but decided not to use out of fear that they might clog the gas system. I tried using 30 Carbine dies but found that the 32/20 cases have such thin walls that the 30 Carbine die does not size it down enough. I wound up using the 32/20 sizing die and the 30 Carbine expander plug to get good neck tension on the bullets. I think I am going to have fun with that revolver.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

That sure seems like a lot of work, just to ruin an old model. Just get a new model to begin with, yes you have to trim the brass a bit, I'd have to go look to see how much I trim but it isn't much. As far as using .312" bullets, I actually shoot .313" bullets in my new model 30 carbine with great success & fine accuracy. I reload with 32/20 Redding dies.

Dick

Dick, are you using lead or jacketed bullets?

 

[mohavesam]

Very clean OM just sold at a LGS for 679.+tax. Four-digit, orig box. Un-molested.

Customer saw it and couldn't pull out cash fast enough.

For the record, I'll stick with the chambering stamped on the gun.

 

[Colonel Daddy]

What keeps me from doing it is the "ruining an Old Model" bit.

That's why I have a twinge of guilt when having a custom built on an Old Model frame. Time to stop building the customs, thus removing those twinges :?

 

[Ale-8(1)]

IMHO, there's a difference between "ruining an Old Model" and "resurrecting a basket case". I'd not favor customizing a perfectly good original Flattop, but given access to a real "beater" of any Old Model I'd not think it sacrilegious to consider bringing it back to life in a slick, personalized form.

That said . . . your gun, your money, your choice.

 

[any ruger]

Picked it up 450 it's been converted. The old saying I wanted it. Payed the price. What model internal parts do I need to make it orignal.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Hammer, trigger, pawl, bolt, bolt spring, base pin, and actually the little trigger return spring but you can get by with he conversion spring if you can't find one (very little difference in pull weight). You can likely find them or request them in the Classified forum.

If you can't find a base pin you can use the conversion one by removing the little spring plunger thingie.

 

[any ruger]

Thanks