Input on mold selection for 32 acp needed

[375H&HGuy]

I need some guidance from those who have more experience than I do with this issue. Hopefully I have posted this question in the right place.

I need a mold that will cast a round nose boolit for the 32 acp cartridge that has the same profile as the 70 to 73 grain FMJ. I recently purchased a 356-102-1R mold from Lee for my 380 acp that has exceeded my expectations. I am very pleased with the mold and I have worked up a very nice, accurate load that shows no sign of leading.

I want to do the same for the 32 acp. I have looked seriously at the Lee 311-93-1R mold and my only hesitation is that the weight is quite a bit heavier than the normal jacketed bullet. Is this a problem? Has anyone used this boolit in the 32 acp and if so, how did it perform?

These loads are for punching paper and economical target practice. I am more concerned with feeding in the Walthers than terminal performance, hence the preferred round nose design.

Thanks for the help. Drew

[jonk]

I use a Lyman 311249.

[quasi]

Ranchdog has a mold but it is not a roundnose, it is a RNFP.

[runfiverun]

rnfp's will generally feed fine in a pistol.
i routinely use them in 9mm's and 45 acp's.

[375H&HGuy]

Thanks for the input. Jonk, I searched for the Lyman 311249. Is that mold still in production? I couldn't find it listed.
Quasi, I have looked at the Ranchdog rnfp and it looks like a good design. I'm just not sure the PPK would feed it. PPK's have a reputation for only liking round nose. If it would feed, it would be a great solution.
Runfiverun, I have had the same experience as you with shooting rnfp in autoloading pistols. I use the Lee tumble lube 200 grain in my 1911 with excellent results. I'm just concerned about the PPK feeding.
Thanks for the advice. Drew

[jonk]

Slight mistype perhaps. Grafs lists it as the 313249: http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/10053

[gray wolf]

I have the R C B S version and it's a fine mold,
cast .313 and we size to .312 --no problems in Julie's Beretta Tom cat.
They drop about 78 grains, shoot fine with 1.7 gr. of tite group up to about 2.1 Gr.

[FergusonTO35]

If you want to try out the Ranch Dog bullets Carolina Cast Bullets produces them. Good deal on a quality bullet, $35.00/500. My Kel-Tec P32 loves 'em.

[375H&HGuy]

Thanks FergusonTO35 for suggeting Carolina Cast. I could order some and see if the feed before commiting to a mold. I'll check them out.

[Duckdog]

I use the Lee mold your looking at and it work very nice with good accuracy. I use Unique, but without looking, I can't say the exact load.

[HARRYMPOPE]

SAECO #325.Also order a custom Lee FCD.This is an Ed Harris recommendation from the Cast Bullet Association articles..I shoot it in a 1903 Colt and a CZ 27 and it feeds well even though its a mini "Keith" bullet.

George

[turbo1889]

AM#31-087T (http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=31-087T-D.png)




http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7020/6827307277_c59b05cd60_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54455625@N04/6827307277/)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6827308165_7490c1654e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54455625@N04/6827308165/)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6827307361_580539e848_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54455625@N04/6827307361/)

[turbo1889]

If you are handy or know someone to do the work for you this is also an option:



The Lee 93gr. is a bit long and causes issues with bulging when set deep enough to chamber--solve the OAL length and then the base bulges the brass and won't chamber anyway. SO, what I did was remove the sprew plate and work it slowly on my belt sander till the base was completely gone up to the bottom lube groove and then use a 5/16 bit to cut that groove into a new base. It went from dropping 94gr to an even 80gr, was able to seat to an OAL that would allow chambering without hanging up in the throat and into the riflings, and didn't bulge the base of the case. Runs like a champ now.

Here's the before and after:
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l259/hillsjim/DSCF5760.jpg

Sitting over 1.6gr red dot runs really nice, and I'm developing a load with Hodgdon Longshot at 1.8gr with reliable cycling. Don't worry about OAL and pressures so much--.32ACP is such a low pressure cartridge that you'd have to really try to cause problems. Seat to reliable feeding and chambering depth and let it ride.

Also, mine is a Ruby as well and it absolutely loves the shortened boolit over Red Dot.

[Echo]

As an aside - these little pills will seem - well - like pills, compared to 375 Boolits, when you are reloading them.

[jlala504]

I am thinking of casting 32 acp as well, would y'all recommend the lee or the Lyman more?

[turbo1889]

I am thinking of casting 32 acp as well, would y'all recommend the lee or the Lyman more?

Neither, even if I didn't go with a quality custom mold I would at least go with RCBS but if I were absolutely forced to choose I would go with the Lyman over the Lee if I was going to use the mold as is without modification. Modifying a Lee 2-cav. like Rangefinder did seems a pretty good option if you want a decent mold on the cheap.

It should also be noted that Lee does make their 93 grain round nose in 6-cav. and one could purchase such and then send it to Eric and have him mill the top of the block down and then ream the base of the cavities to modify the mold to produce a boolit like Rangefinder's mold only with the necessary modifications done to the mold professionally.

[FergusonTO35]

Turbo, I'm really liking that bullet you posted a picture of. What kind of gun are you shooting it out of? Got any pet loads for it?

[bowfin]

Too bad you missed Mihec's group buy on the .32 ACP mold:

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g184/artsmom/32ACPHP.jpg

[ofreen]

Lyman 311252 works well in my Colt pocket model. It appears to be available.

[turbo1889]

Turbo, I'm really liking that bullet you posted a picture of. What kind of gun are you shooting it out of? Got any pet loads for it?

KelTec P32 mainly but several others as well unfortionatly not a PPK at least not yet. As far as pet loads go I'm using a nice warm load of 2400 that isn't anywhere in the books but works really nice but has a lot of muzzle flash in the shorter barrels.

[michiganvet]

The .32 ACP is a purely defensive round. The 73 gr solid shown by bowfin is the best that I have seen. I am sorry that I missed the group buy.

[FergusonTO35]

So, who makes that mold? Is it available to buy individually?

[ofreen]

The .32 ACP is a purely defensive round.

I dunno, I'd hate to have to depend on it for that. It makes for a fun little plinker, though.

[FergusonTO35]

My Kel-Tec P32 with Fiocchi ammo is my daily carry. I have bigger guns but that one is just so convenient and I shoot it very well.

[rintinglen]

I am still on the investigative edge of the project, but I just last month got a very interesting 75 grain (from my pot) TC Mold from Ranch Dog. I cast up a bunch before I went on vacation, and had only got so far as to make up sample rounds. I have not been able to actually test fire them yet, but they feed by hand in my old Colt 1903 and my Beretta Tomcat. I hope to cobble a few dozen together and give them a once through next week.
I will try to post my results.

[FergusonTO35]

Please do. Ranch makes two versions: one is a 71 grain tangent ogive, the other a 75 grain secant ogive. The 71 will not chamber in my Kel-Tec, it hangs up in the throat. I have a sample on the way of the 75, hopefully it will be just what I need.