Been browsing SFRC for the past couple days, trying to find an interesting, economical semi for hunting, and I came across the Auto Ordnance New Production M1.
How are these holding up? My main intent is hunting, so it'd have to be reliable & hold up to hunting abuse.
I'll be hunting does and 'yotes from 75 yards or less, so the 30 Carbine round should suffice.
Disucssing the round: I assume the 30 Carbine round isn't very common? If memory serves correct, I don't remember seeing at my local sporting goods store.
I have looked at a few of the Auto Ordnance carbines. Overall the metal work appears ok. I don't know if there are any interchangeability issues with the parts in regards to GI carbines or not. The one area that is not impressive at all is the stock and handgaurd. The Stock design is quite different from a GI unit, the main culprit being the size of the pistol grip area and it's radius (it's quite large compared to an original GI stock). Next issue is with the cutout for the receiver. It was machined quite a bit oversize along the sides of the receiver rails, so much so that you can see daylight through the cracks. Some also have the recoil plate fitted improperly and give either too little or too much barrel pressure when the front band is installed.
Lastly, and this one can be fixed easily, is that the handguard is too long. That is what is causing the barrel band to be cocked forward and not fit properly. Reducing the overall length of the handguard from the front, then re-cutting the lip portion that is retained by the barrel band to move it further back is all that is required to get the band to fit properly.
How they left the factory installed in that manner needs to be resolved. Things like this should be caught by the QC people, especially for what they cost.
As for the .30 Carbine round... Sierra makes a good softpoint, and very good HP bullet in 110gr. The hollow point, Sierra part #2110 has about the best BC of any 110gr bullet, and consequently shoots flatter than the normal round nose because of it. You have to be carefull with the overall length when loading this bullet as it is longer than the 110gr roundnose slugs normally used. Use an overall length that just fits inside the mag and still functions. IMR 4227, H110, Win 296, Hercules 2400, and Blue Dot are just some of the powder choices avialable.
.30 carbine ammo is available commercially, although not that popular anymore due to the influx of rifles that chamber 7.62x39 available in a price range equal to or cheaper than the Auto Ordnance Carbine.
