Insane M1 Carbine 502 Thunder Sabre conversion

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Sven

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Check this out - saw this on BattleRifles.com:

M1 Carbine
502 Thunder Sabre conversion

http://www.hunt101.com/showphoto.php?photo=79041

079041.jpg


I just finished up converting a Universal M1 Carbine to fire the new 502 Thunder Sabre cartridge. Designed by Robyn Church at Cloud Mountain Armory, the 502 TS is simply a 50AE case with a 7.62x39 head on it.

The rounds single stack in a standard mag with no mods. I used the same gas system as the Univeral M1 30 had. I will test fire it on Sunday and let you know how it shoots.

Trajectory is about like a 44 Mag, but with a bigger bullet. About 100-125 yards is about it.

Tony Rumore
Tromix Corp
www.tromix.com
Click to expand...
 
Is there any metal left on the bolt that encompasses the rim?
 
I remember reading of a conversion a few years back in a popular gun rag. If memory serves me, the .50AE model came with a polymer replacement stock as the common birch stock would crack directly behind the action under the dramatically increased recoil. I never heard of such a conversion since, until now.

A very interesting concept.
 
Yeah, I'm guessing thats why. Though, I'm no gunsmith.

Uh...dumb question: How is the rear of the case reinforced?

Also...what is the life expectancy of a carbine with this modification? Seems to my (admittedly inexpert) eyes that it would beat the thing to death in short order.

Mike
 
Looks like for the brass they just turned down the .50 AE on a lathe, there shouldn't be any additional re-enforcement of the case nessisary the webbing on the .50 AE is incredibly thick and it's already designed as a rebated rim. You technically lose some strenth but just knock a grain or to off the max load and you should be OK.

Is there seperate load data for the 502 TS from 50 AE?

If there is what's the max with H110 and the Speer 325gr GDHP? For the .50 AE Speer puts it at 32.5 grains I think (or was it 32.2? Check your manuals and the website, I can't from work :( ) for about 1300 FPS out of my 6" Desert Eagle with about 3 feet of flame. In a carbine like that I bet even a reduced load will push 1500 FPS easy.
 
I don't know them, and I don't own any of their products, but I love Tromix. Those guys come up with the craziest yet coolest ideas. Hey you want an AR that shoots like a semi auto 45-70, hey why not! :D
 
"Waste of a perfectly good carbine. "

My thoughts exactly.

I don't own anything made by Tromix, but I do own a .458 Socom AR15 that was designed by Tromix.
 
I fail to see why it's a waste of a perfectly good carbine. this converrsion turns a poor stopper at best into the equivalent of a semi-auto 20 gauge shooting slugs.

that's some serious juju.
 
Me, personally? I would NEVER convert a carbine that appeared to be mostly in original condition - that would be destroying history. But I see receivers for sale.... hmm....

I would definitely not want to be on the 'bleeding edge' with this. In other words, I will wait and see who gets serial number 002 and how they like it.
 
The article about cracking wrists on wooden stocked M1 carbines in .50AE and .45WM were in an artice about Tim LeGendre (LeMag Firearms) about 4 or 5 years ago; seems like it was a Guns Magazine Annual, Snowdog.

IIRC the wood stocks were good for about 10 rounds before splitting, but he 'had plenty of old originals to replace them with'. The replacement was a Hogue or Choate, I think. LeGendre had developed both a long and short-stroke gas cycle and the long stroke was somewhat easier on the shoulder than the short stroke, which was reported as just short of brutal.

I bet any M1 carbine firing something approaching a half inch diameter cork would be a mighty nice popgun, no matter who makes it. Tromix seems to have a lot of good rocket science in their products. I'd love to see this one for myself.

Regards,
Rabbit.
 
"I fail to see why it's a waste of a perfectly good carbine. "

I just like the carbine as it is. As Sven mentioned, they are a piece of history. I realize this is a civilian commercial version, but if I need a bigger gun, I will use a bigger gun - designed from the start to be a bigger gun. I also realize that many people don't share this point of view, but it is mine.
 
502

I fired the carbine for the first time on Sunday. Ran about 65 rounds through it in the shop while I dialed in the gas system. Then I took it to the range and ran a few more through it. I am running the same basic original design but gave the gas piston a bit more travel than the original. It ran fairly well, with only a couple of feeding stoppages whereas the return spring did not have enough umph to strip a round from the magazine. I will probably beef up the springs a bit. I didn't shoot it for accuracy, but the 50AE is only good for about 100 yards anyway, so I don't think accuracy is really an issue here.

Recoil was very robust, leaving a pretty decent bruise on my shoulder after 100 or so rounds. I am still concerned about bolt strength/life so you won't be seeing S/N 002 until I have several thousand rounds through this particular sample.

Granting, these wild-??? conversions aren't for everyone, but I just build this stuff for my personal enjoyment. I find the thing quite entertaining myself.

Tony Rumore
Tromix Corp
 
Tony: you are not the only person amused. Thanks for sharing your findings - please keep us updated.
 
Tony,

Welcome to THR!

Still would love to see a 7.62x39mm, or even a 10mm...Hm...I'll be back...okay, x39 is waaaay too long (surprise, surprise). Didn't have the 7.62x25mm handy. 10mm fits in the mag, with about the right tension, but it has that extra .3" or so of extra empty space in the mag, because of the shorter length.
 
JShirley, are you talking about a 7.62x52 or 10mm conversion for a M1 carbine? Your post wasn't very clear to me.

I'd like to see one too.
 
10mm fits in Carbine mag, but not as long as the mag.

7.62x25mm not on hand. I think OAL similar to 10mm, though.

7.62x39mm too long for Carbine mag.

7.62x51mm...get an FAL. :)
 
If you're going to go with a 10mm, it might was well be the longer 10mm Magnum. My dad has been talking about doing 10Mag for several years now.
 
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