where to find .32s&w bp?

[troy_mclure]

i just got my great grandfathers h&r 5 shot top break .32 revolver.

it uses .32s&w short black powder loads.

id like to buy 100 or so(prolly all id ever use in this gun) without paying $1+ a round.

anybody know where i can find some cheaper?

[Bret4207]

Are you absolutely sure it's for black only?

[Wayne Smith]

I have my grandmother's H&R 32S&W short breaktop. The factory loads are smokeless. They bounced off the side of a very used burn barrel that a .22 short went through. If you lined a catcher's mitt with the tin off a tin can you could probably catch them!

[swamp]

I have a Marlin top break and am using start loads of Red Dot and Unique from Lyman manual. Tried them and some old factory loads. The RD and Unique loads are milder than factory. The Factory loads are smokeless.

The little 32s are alot of fun. I made my powder dipper with a cut down 22 rimfire case. Works with both of the powders I use.

[troy_mclure]

Are you absolutely sure it's for black only?

yep. it is.

[Mk42gunner]

You might be able to find BP loads from some of the people that cater to the caowboy shooters, but I wouldn't bet on it. You will probably have to load your own, I think a case capacity load is about 8 grains of BP.

If you just want it to go bang, a single 0 buckshot works for a projectile. You might have to size it slightly.

Robert

[troy_mclure]

You might be able to find BP loads from some of the people that cater to the caowboy shooters, but I wouldn't bet on it. You will probably have to load your own, I think a case capacity load is about 8 grains of BP.

If you just want it to go bang, a single 0 buckshot works for a projectile. You might have to size it slightly.

Robert

like ive said, ive found it in a couple places, @ $1+ a shot.

i dont plan on shooting it enough to buy dies and moulds for it.

i just think its wrong to own a gun ive never fired. lol

[R.M.]

Have you looked here?
http://gadcustomcartridges.com/

[Bret4207]

I don't know where you'd get BP loads.

[shotman]

any that was factory loaded in the 20s most wont go off or will delay fire . I had some 38sw and have a few 32s. that the primer has been hit and they didnt fire. The 38s some fired but the brass split.

[Wayne Smith]

I have my grandmother's H&R 32S&W short breaktop. The factory loads are smokeless. They bounced off the side of a very used burn barrel that a .22 short went through. If you lined a catcher's mitt with the tin off a tin can you could probably catch them!

My point is simply that the smokeless loads are loaded probably to less pressure and velocity than the BP loads. Unless you know your H&R predates about 1892 it is safe to shoot in those. If it is steel it is. I'd never load it to any more powerful level with smokeless, but those cartridges were made for these revolvers.

[troy_mclure]

mine was built in '04, but the smith i took it to for repeatedly told me only black powder loads.

[Bret4207]

By '04 smokeless had been in play for several years. I think you smith was being careful, nothing wrong with that. I think getting a second opinion might be a good idea, some collectors association or something? Otherwise I'm in agreement with Wayne.

[troy_mclure]

ive also asked several places on the interwebs getting the gun better id'd. the majority say bp loadings only.

[Bret4207]

Well, as long as you researched it to your satisfaction, do what you feel comfortable with, It's you and your gun after all.

[Wayne Smith]

I don't know all the specialty loaders but I'd guess the only way to get BP cartridges at a reasonable price is to load them yourself. Not hard to do, it's just a full case of FFFG under a bullet or boolit. Same procedure as loading anything else, just make sure there is no air space under the boolit.

[calkar]

The black powder only thing is just silly. Any company who produces a firearm chambered for a specific cartridge is going to be pretty certain that it will handle the pressures of all ammo availible for that cartridge at the time of manufacture.
Wayne if you ever decide to try to catch a .32cal bullet goin 700+ fps with a tin can lined glove. Please let me watch.

[Wayne Smith]

Calker, no thanks! Slight exaggeration, but I doubt the 700fps number. Didn't have a chrono then and Dad did the shooting, I was maybe 13. I'll have to take it out and shoot it over the chrono - I still have about half a box of that ammo. I don't think it's ever been fired since that day.

[firefly1957]

Have you slugged the bore? My Grandmothers Iver Johnson 32 is a true 32 with a outside the case lubricated bullet like a 22 rimfire. It can be used with mild smokeless powder loads however I would not bother to load for it...Then again if I could find a heel type bullet mold....

[Wayne Smith]

...Then again if I could find a heel type bullet mold....

Old West Bullet Molds makes them.

[calkar]

I guess I was wrong (again). www.lasc.us/FryxellThe32s-wlong.htm

[Bret4207]

Yeah, well the first paragraph in that link has incorrect information. The 1 1/2 Smith was 32 S+W, not 32 S+W Long. I believe it was introduced around 1895-1898 period. The 32 S+W was introduced back with the 1 1/2 in the 1875-1880 period IIRC.

[troy_mclure]

I'm gonna try slugging the barrel soon.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

i bought a box of winchester a few years ago , they are loaded very light with smokeless for my 32 S&W 1904 iver johnson saftey automatic pocket pistol

safety as it has a transfer bar safety and spring holding the firing pin from the contacting the primer till struck thru the transfer bar

auto because it auto ejected the brass , whether you want it to or not

it shoots just fine even though the bore is quite pitted

but the manufacturer winchester puts the velocity at 685 fps which means my pellet gun goes faster , that said i still wouldn't want to be shot with an 85 gr pill at 685 fps and it rips thru both sides of a soup and goes into the log behind it where it gets in all of about a half inch if that


it is all a pressure thing it doesn't matter what you use to make the pressure smokeless or bp as long as you keep the pressure safe , because BP is so bulky it would be impossible to get enough in a case to go over pressure there for you are told to use bp loads , i believe i have some in my tool box that i was given with the gun but never fired , but they are old

i can check and see if the are black for sure if you would like

[troy_mclure]

ive got some brass on the way, i should be good. thanks.

[DCM]

The Lyman cast boollit handbook 3rd edition lists a number of smokeless loads for top break revolvers on P254. It says only to use the STARTING loads listed for top breaks.

Edit : spelling of Boolit

[troy_mclure]

thanks, i didnt even think to check there.

[raymil]

I have several old reloading books these are from COMPLETE GUIDE TO HANDLOADING sHARPE

[SSGOldfart]

Hummm good luck even finding the parts to make your own could take a while,I'm looking for a mould to load 32S&W Longs

[troy_mclure]

Midway has lee 314-90-SWC in stock.

[Springfield]

If you are shooting BP, or even if you aren't, a mould is available for this bullet. Or just use most any 32 acp bullet mould. With soft lead bullets just roll crimp into the bullet, works fine.

[SSGOldfart]

Midway has lee 314-90-SWC in stock.

thanks, I kinda want a Used Lyman 311008 or 313445 swc

[SSGOldfart]

ive got some brass on the way, i should be good. thanks.
Sir,
where did you find brass if you don't mind my asking??:coffee:

[troy_mclure]

grey beard outdoors classifieds.
http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/index.php

[leadman]

there is alot of confusion on these old cartridges. The 32 S&W is a shorter cartridge than the 32 S&W Long. The 32 short Colt has a heel type boolit, the S&W does not.

I just bought an old H&R Premier small frame third variation in 32 S&W. Did alot of research and found that if the left side of the barrel is marked with the cartridge name the gun was built for smokeless powder.
Also spoke with the tech at Hodgdon powder seeking loading info and he said to load to the base of the boolit with Trail Boss and the pressure would be very low. I will probably buy some TB tomorrow and load it with the Lee 93gr RN boolit.
This gun has a 6" barrel but is very light. If I can get enough accuray out of it I may use it for squirrels and rabbits.

Got a bunch of handguns loaded up to go to the range in the morning. Going to check the velocity of the H&R 32 S&W out of the Winchester factory ammo.

[evan price]

I have two Iver Johnson Owl-Head Safety Hammerless top-break revolvers in 32 S&W myself. Mine are the 2nd model.

A quick way to tell- the 1st and 2nd models were originally BP only. The owl on the grips faces down the barrel. The first model has a single lug on the top-break lock mechanism. The second model has a double lug on the top break lock. The 1st & 2nd used flat leaf main springs.

The 3rd model has the owl facing down the grips towards the butt of the grip and there are four small pins you can see the ends of on the sides of the frame over the trigger guard. The 3rd model was safe for smokeless. These used coil spring main springs.

That said, my 2nd models I load my own ammo using range brass, the Lee 93-grain round nose bullet with ALOX, and a small charge of a slow pistol powder. I have some 32 S&W brass, I also save damaged 32 S&W Long brass and trim them down to 32 S&W length.

I use 800-X for this as it seems to make lower pressure than most other powders of its class. I have the load in my notebook which I don't have in front of me. I know it was a very small charge, around 2.0 or 2.5 grains. The bullet from less than 10' away will not penetrate a car door. It will penetrate a 5-gallon bucket of water. I would guess less than 600 fps.

I have no signs of stretching or peening or abuse to the frame. The 2nd model was stronger than the 1st model.

For what it's worth. Hope this helps.

[Bret4207]

thanks, I kinda want a Used Lyman 311008 or 313445 swc

I loaded the 32 S+W and 32 S+W Long with the 311316 for many years as it was the ONLY mould I owned. I shot it without the GC for most of that time too. Of course GC's were $12 @thousand back then too! Anyway, Lyman older manuals have good data for the Smith 32 cartridges. Powders like SR7625 and BE work fine.

I've found the sights on those older guns to be the real limiting factor.