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Thread: .32 S&W Long Sizing Diameter

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    .32 S&W Long Sizing Diameter

    I have just acquired a quantity of .32 S&W Long once fired brass. I thought several of the .32 caliber molds that I had would make proper bullets for that cartridge.

    All of my .32 molds drop bullets at .314. The two (2) books that I have checked indicate .315 is the correct sized diameter for .32 S&W Long. If that is true, I would probably want to size them .316.

    I have no experience loading or casting for this cartridge.

    If anyone out there casts and loads for this cartridge, I would appreciate some advise on sizing diameter, best bullet weight/design for accuracy, etc..

    Thanks.

    Mike
    mastercast.com

  2. #2
    Boolit Master


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    I'm sizing a 311008HP (105 grains) to .311" and getting good accuracy in a Ruger SS .32 Mag using the the .32 Long case. Now, I realize that this isn't a true .32 Long but a magnum chamber.

    With the .32s, it's a kind of guessing game on the diameter.

    Since you didn't say what gun you were using these in, I'd slug the chambers and take it from there./beagle
    diplomacy is being able to say, "nice doggie" until you find a big rock.....

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    What Beagle said. You need to slug your guns. There are huge variations in throat and groove diameter among guns chambered for .32 S&W Long.

    I'm shooting a Benelli target auto w/ .314 bullets. Been many a year since I slugged the barrel, but I believe it slugged at .312. My pistol requires wadcutters which I cast from a 6 cavity Lee mould. The Hornady swaged HBWC are excellent should you choose to start there.

    I would suggest that you use a ball powder, at least for flush seated WC. The charges are miniscule, and even tenth grain variations are noticable.
    Sometimes you gotta wonder if democracy is such a good idea.

  4. #4
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    Like beagle and Leftoverdj say the important thing is to match the bullets to fit (or be slightly larger) the throats of the cylinder. With my S&W M30 the throats mic .314" so I use .314 bullets, commercial Speer and Hornady Swaged bulets along with Lee's TL314-90-SWC. PB bullets at .314 give noticeably better accuracy than at .312. The Ruger SS in .32 H&R (original run) likes the same bullets at .311 -312 in its .311 throats. The GC'd 313631 and 311316 shoot very well in both at .312".

    I use Bullseye in almost all my .32 S&WL loads. 2.1 gr is max for the swaged HPWCs (more powder will blow the bullet skirt on muzzle exit and destroy accuracy). I use 2.7 gr Bullseye with the Hornady swaged 90 gr SWC but with a 6 hole Lee TL314-90-SWC mould that is the most often used bullet. It is a great GP load for the .32s. However, I find the Hornady or Speer swaged WCs over 2.1 gr Bullseye at 722 fps out of the little 3" barreled revolver to be a dandy killer when still hunting brush bunnies or snowshoe rabbits around their snow covered lairs. The report is mild, recoil non existant, and other rabbits aren't scared away. The little SWC is deadly on headshots and I find it much more fun hunting these rabbits with the .32s and my own reloads than with .22LRs. My 5" M15 S&W with .38 WCs is my second choice.

    Note; 2 rabbits quartered and cooked in a crock pot along with 2-3 cans of mushroom soup is awesome! Don't let the kids near it or all YOU end up with is the soup....been there, done that!

    Larry Gibson

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master
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    All good info above.

    I've seen throat diameters range from .312" (Ruger SSM) to .315" (S&W M-1903) on my 32 Magnum/32 S&W Long revolvers. The fat-throated S&W doted on the Hornady HBWC. Same story with the 32-20 revolvers--lots of tolerance between examples.

    The 32 S&W Long is a very fine and highly accurate small game and target caliber in a good handgun. Most of my work these days gets done with a LIGHTS OUT ACCURATE S&W Model 16-4 x 6", a 32 Magnum loaded with 90-120 grain boolits at sub-Magnum velocities--850 to 1000 FPS. My daughters and several of their friends just adore this caliber--it's not "a 22", but it doesn't buck and bark like a 357 does for new/inexperienced shooters, and the casings say "MAGNUM". I have a Colt Pocket Positive x 6"/nickel that I plan to work over a bit after hunting slows down a bit. Its presence MIGHT enable me to do some shooting with the Model 16 on trips to the desert with the kids and their friends.

    A little off-topic here.....but that never stopped me before. I've taken quite a few of my daughters' friends shooting with us, and one of the most gratifying things about helping those kids learn to shoot is the subtle but certain change that takes place in a young woman's demeanor after she develops skill with a firearm--especially a handgun. It's like, 'I can do this, now--I can protect myself with this skill set, and enjoy myself as well'. Men have these same feelings, for sure--but being female in a world where predators are routinely unleashed by a catch-and-release criminal justice system--predators that regard all women as chattel property, rightful prey, or both--gives a deeper meaning to the acquisition of life-saving skills like shooting for women. The 32 S&W Long has figured highly in the training and exposure of a LOT of young shooters to handgunning, and has opened a new view of the world to them. "For that day, God forbid the necessity".
    I don't paint bullets. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Sacred cows are always fair game. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master trk's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Deputy Al View Post
    ...
    "For that day, God forbid the necessity".

    Ahhh yes; 'serious social purposes'.
    trk
    aka Cat Whisperer
    Chief of Smoke, Pulaski Coehorn Works and Skunk Works
    N 37.05224 W 80.78133 (front door +/- 15 feet)

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master



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    As most of you know here, I am a .32 S&W L and .32 H&R Mag fan. I have been sizing my cast bullets (.32 Keith 100 gr and .32 GB 120 RF) at .314". This just barely cleans up the bullets and applies lube. I am about to order a Star die at .313". It'll let me see if .313" or .314" is better. If there is a signifcant difference in the two I'll just polish out the .313". Right now I am using an RCBS sizer at .314".

    I have shot a couple of thousand Hornady .32 HBWC through my revolvers and they work just fine, also. However, for general use I just prefer my cast bullets. Pitiful attitude, I know, but that is just how it is.

    I didn't really answer the O.P.'s question. Size .312"-.314" (I am using .314", pretty much "as cast"). The most versatile bullet is the .32 Keith (the RCBS version is just fine except it is only a two cavity). I like Win 231 for standard velocity loads in both S&W L and H&R Mag cases and use WC 820 for magnum loads in Mag cases. I use Federal SP 100 primers. The Hornady HBWC are the bullet of choice for S&W L if you do not want to cast your own. I buy them by the thousand (at least I have in the past - now that I have three nice six cavity Lee Moulds (Lee WC, .32 Keith, and .32 GB RF) I will be casting my bullets for the immediate future.

    Dale53
    Last edited by Dale53; 11-24-2006 at 05:07 PM.

  8. #8
    Boolit Bub
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    Few years ago I bought a S&W 1903 for a little more than 50$.
    I load on it two boolits, a 88 grains wc from a Palmetto mould (an old italian mould maker) over 1.7 grains of GM3 (very close to 700X) and 115 grains Lyman 311008 over 3.0 grains of Vihtavuory N340. Both ww quenched sized .315 and, despite the sights, very accurate in this old little jewel.
    Great fun! Increased by the little cost paid for the revolver.

  9. #9
    Boolit Mold xtrmn8tr's Avatar
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    dale53
    when you say Hornady HBWC do you mean...bullet #10028...32 cal. ...90 gr. HBWC... .314

  10. #10
    Boolit Master Guesser's Avatar
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    I load for and shoot 4 Colts that use 32 S&W Long, a S&W 31-1 in 32 Long, 3 Colt 32-20 revolvers, a Taurus 32 magnum and a Charter Arms 327 magnum. I cast 313249, 3118, 311316 and the Lee 93 gr, RN. Using 50/50 lead to WW I can size all of them to .313 and get very good and uniform accuracy in all the revolvers in 32 S&W, 32 Long, 32 Mag, 327 Mag and 32-20. My bullets vary in weight from 85 grains to 116 grains, 3 are plain base and 1 is gas checked. My collection of 32 caliber revolvers spans 110 years and all shoot better than I do, that tells me that 32 caliber is very forgiving.
    Good shooting!!!!!!!!!

  11. #11
    Boolit Mold Sparks's Avatar
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    .32 S&W request for mold information

    I own a Charter Arms. 32 H&R Mag, and slugged the barrel with .315 throat and .311 barrel measurements. Own a Lee .311-100-2R round nose and a Lee sizer for the boolit. I wonder if I should be seeking another mold, one that would cast .312. Have been seeking a pistol for my wife who's handicapped and started with a .32 Browning ACP, thus the mold mentioned above.

    I use the .32's to practice with, so accuracy is important. Practicing with .357 or .45 LC is expensive and noisy. Could sure use some advice from someone with more experience than me.

    Bob

  12. #12
    Boolit Master Guesser's Avatar
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    You should be able to lap that Lee mold out a thousandth or two without a lot of trouble. I did it to my 93 gr, Lee mold and it worked well. I use that bullet for 32 Long almost exclusively. Lee molds are easy to lap, being aluminum.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master




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    Neat topic, seeing how I bored out some 3/8-14 the other night and then honed out to .314. Well I will tell you this- I have a Model 30 Smith No dash, Flat latch, 3in. nickle I frame 6 shot. I had some .32 ACP bullets I got from WallaceM that shot great, but low. They were sized at .314. I then bought the Lee TL SWC mold and bought into the hype of lubing and shooting unsized (I should have known better). I had also bought an RCBS .32-098 double cav from RedneckDan and wanted to see how it did. I claimed a .311-100 Lee mold on PIF forum and it drops at .316. I pan lubed and sized a good bit of the Lee and RCBS bullets after finally getting my push through sizer to .314. Loaded them both up over a charge of 2.3gr. Bullseye with a mild crimp and shot them. It is the best the gun has ever shot!! I made the die at .314 because the ACP bullets were that and they did good. Also for the Enfield when I get to paper patching it. I did not slug the cylinder or the barrel.
    You can miss fast & you can miss a lot, but only hits count.

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master


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    EMC45

    "I then bought the Lee TL SWC mold and bought into the hype of lubing and shooting unsized (I should have known better). "

    That is an excellent bullet in my M30, Ruger SS and Contender. My 6 cavity mould drops them between .314 - .315 depending on alloy. I also tried just TLing them and the results were not that good. I TL them and then push them base first throuh a Lee .314 sizer. Then I will size down from there if needed to .311 or .312 (Lee sizers). BTW; I taper crimp the case mouth into the top lube groove in both 32S&WL and H&R Mag cases.

    Larry Gibson

  15. #15
    Boolit Master gew98's Avatar
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    I've never cast for 32 pistol and sure do want to start. So my question is whom has the RN molds that copy both the 85 & 93 gn bullets for the S&W short and long ?.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master




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    Quote Originally Posted by Larry Gibson View Post
    EMC45

    "I then bought the Lee TL SWC mold and bought into the hype of lubing and shooting unsized (I should have known better). "

    That is an excellent bullet in my M30, Ruger SS and Contender. My 6 cavity mould drops them between .314 - .315 depending on alloy. I also tried just TLing them and the results were not that good. I TL them and then push them base first throuh a Lee .314 sizer. Then I will size down from there if needed to .311 or .312 (Lee sizers). BTW; I taper crimp the case mouth into the top lube groove in both 32S&WL and H&R Mag cases.

    Larry Gibson
    Larry,
    Loaded up a handful of the Lee TL SWCs. I look forward to shooting them. May go tonight. I lube them, then size them after they dry and then lube again and load crimping in the last lube groove like you said. I did shoot some of them without sizing and the results were dismal. This gun really shoots now! I have the Lee TL, RCBS, and the Lee RN 100gr. The RN Lee looks like the factory loads of days gone by. Nice round nose that looks right.
    You can miss fast & you can miss a lot, but only hits count.

  17. #17
    Boolit Grand Master


    Larry Gibson's Avatar
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    EMC45

    While I do love my large bore revolvers and semi's there's something just plain fun shooting the small .32s's....did I mention carrying them on a belted holster? I hardly even know they're there.

    Larry Gibson
    Last edited by Larry Gibson; 04-08-2011 at 11:53 PM.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master




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    Nice rigs Larry! Is that Contender barrel a mag or is it Long? Your little Smith is identical to mine. Although mine is nickle. I am about to order some "Tuff Products" speed strips for the little Model 30. Midway has them. Gonna get some for my 5 shot .44 Special too. I agree- there is something neat about shooting the little guys. I just kept staring at the loaded .32 S&W-Ls this morning. There are quite neat!
    You can miss fast & you can miss a lot, but only hits count.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check