PP .32 Special

[wmitty]

Anyone tried pping in their Marlin 336 in .32 Special? I tried patching the rcbs .32- 170 grain today with what I thought would be moderate loads of Re-7, 4064 and 4895 and didn't have much luck with any of them. I was wondering if the shallow 1-16" twist just wasn't getting a good grip on the patch. I had the same boolits loaded w/ lube and gas checks and they seemed a whole lot happier.

[Dan Cash]

I don't have a .32 but do patch and shoot .30-30 in 2 different Marlins; one is microgroove. Am suing same size bullet for each and have excellent results with full power loads. If you are not having good results and are sure of your bullet to bore fit, increase your charge as your velocity may be too low for the twist. Also, I am using R15 for patched bullets. R7 works well for naked grease groove and jacketed.

[HABCAN]

As posted elsewhere on this forum, FWIW, I've successfully PP'd the Lyman 31141 up to .32 for reloads in a friend's .32 Spl. Win 94 so's he could hunt with it, factory ammo being unobtainable.

[OverMax]

Early in my P-P not really knowing how to go about doing. I patched my 32 Spec. (94) Didn't have much luck at targeting my cartridges The few times I went to the Range with my P-P cast the 32s shooting results brought about a slight change in my demeanor those evening so says my wife.

Maybe the mold cast I was using (Lyman 321297) or my patching paper choice was a poor one I can only guess?
So instead of going on in trying to figure out what the 32 Spec required and correcting.
Well~~~ I soon realized there was much more threaded information on the 30-wcf P-Ping. And that caused me to change my mind about Patching my 32 I proceeded with my quest patching my 30-30. Since that time I surely got a education on what works and what doesn't.

Just so you know wmittyI wouldn't hesitate one bit to go back and give my 32 another try. Maybe later in the Spring I'll get to it when its warm outside.

[wmitty]

HABCAN:

I believe the NOE 311407 modified mould I have was dropping as cast boolits around .314" when I checked it; I'll try patching them and see if they will work in the .32 Marlin. Thanks for the idea!

[Nobade]

Anyone tried pping in their Marlin 336 in .32 Special? I tried patching the rcbs .32- 170 grain today with what I thought would be moderate loads of Re-7, 4064 and 4895 and didn't have much luck with any of them. I was wondering if the shallow 1-16" twist just wasn't getting a good grip on the patch. I had the same boolits loaded w/ lube and gas checks and they seemed a whole lot happier.

I shoot those same boolits in my Marlin 32 spl. Sized to .314", patched with 15# green bar paper to .325", they are a slip fit in a fired case. Load is .5cc IMR 4227 + enough WC860 to set the seating depth so the patch just engages the rifling. Shoots better than I can see, wins cowboy silhouette matches, and is close to factory ballistics.

-Nobade

[wmitty]

Nobade

Thanks, I'd wondered about 860 in the .32 Special; I'll try it.

[OverMax]

I think many who try Patching have forgotten the proper technique of doing was based on a powder charge that nearly fill's to capacity their cartridge brass. Attempting to use many of today's smokeless powders will not provide the powder height your Patched cast requires i.e. to rests upon. {holding your patched cast stationary.} The idea of Paper Patching is not to Resize the cartridge brass what-so-ever. Doing so defeats the patching purpose and surely reduces accuracy. The comments of others using a boolit lube leaves me wondering.> Why?
Just saying:
Go back and re-read Nobade's comment. There's no information lacking. His comment is spot correct on how patching is suppose to be done.

[yeahbub]

I don't think the shallow rifling is a problem. Micro-groove is shallower yet and those barrels are excellent with PP. Patch so the major diameter enters the throat and the nose is bore + .001 or .002. I commonly patch .30's up for use in an 8x57 and they work well, including the 311041. The throat in mine likes a full diameter farther forward than some bore-riders provide, but it likes a 311291. I use two wraps of .004 paper or three of .0025 drafting vellum and size to the finish diameter, tumble-lubed, dried and loaded. I tend to stay with high load density, having had better results with slower propellants filling most of the case, approaching full power.

Patching to a close fit in a fired case is an excellent method IF that diameter will still enter the throat. I've run into rifles with an overly generous chamber neck diameter and a slip-fit patched boolit was larger than would enter the throat, leading to stripped patches and leaded bore. The answer was enough collet neck-sizing to grip a boolit of throat diameter.

[Nobade]

And 8x57 is a prime example of that. Most of those chambers have very large necks and properly sized throats. Marlin 32 spl and 30-30, though, are pretty much perfect for using with unsized brass. I do run them through a 38-55 die when the bases get sticky though, usually every 8 - 10 reloads.

-Nobade