Our 21st century world surrounds us in a cocoon of toys and technology. While these distractions provide many services and much entertainment, they keep us on the outside of the technology that is their power and magic. Most of the time, this fact is of little importance because it’s only their services that interest us. Sometimes, however, our interest in one of these marvels evolves from casual curiosity to genuine interest and in a few cases, a lifelong passion. I have been fortunate in life to have been allowed by circumstance and an understanding wife and family to pursue several of these passions. The most enduring of these has been an interest in firearms, ballistics, and associated subjects. From my preteen introduction to hunting with my Savage Model 24 .22/410, my exposure broadened quickly. My 10 years in the Army introduced me to a panoply of weaponry: M-1, M-14, M-16 and a array of foreign small arms in Ranger School, the full range of tank armament as a M-60 tanker in Germany (the 105mm main tank gun is still the largest bench rest rifle I’ll ever shoot!), 2.75” FFAR (Folding-Fin Aerial Rocket) for marking targets from Forward Air Control aircraft, and finally the art and science of adjusting artillery fire from an O-1 Birddog.

All this experience only convinced me that I wanted to know the how, why, and precise process and mechanism involved in projecting an object, in this case a bullet, with great force and accuracy. I have found over the years that the only way I can internalize anything (that is, understand instinctively) is to create or recreate that item from basic concept to a totally realized object or product. In this case I decided to concentrate on a single family of cartridges and explore everything, within reason, that could be done with it. The purpose for the creation of this web site is to catalog one person’s experiences and thought processes during the development of a specific cartridge family. The approach can be applied to most any cartridge. The choice of the 30 M1 Carbine cartridge case as the subject for investigation has more to do with previous experiences and activities (to be explained later) than to any intrinsic magic in the case itself.

The information on this web site chronicles the personal experiences of the author, using specific firearms, components, measuring devices, and software. The author has no control over an individual’s reloading or shooting practices, and, therefore, neither accepts nor assumes responsibility or liability for any consequential injuries or damages.

Individuals using this information and these specific techniques are assumed to be experienced shooters and reloaders. The individual assumes all risks for the safety of reloaded ammunition. Improperly loaded ammunition, or the failure to follow all necessary precautions, may result in serious personal injury and/or death to the shooter or bystanders.

There are many precautions to which reloaders must adhere. This site deals with many of these but cannot possibly foresee or include all possible cautions and caveats.