32 Long Load Request

[Mk42gunner]

I like 2.5 grains of Red Dot behind an Ideal 313445 sized 0.313" lubed with FWFL in my little 4¼" I frame. Velocity was in the low 700's, and straight ACWW was too hard for good use as a varmint cartridge. The possum wasn't very impressed, and neither was I.

That mold is such a pain to cast decent boolits with that I have since switched to using the RCBS 98 gr SWC. I haven't ran any of them over the chronograph though.

Robert

[rintinglen]

Another boolit that I like is the MP 314-640 100 grain HP, 2nd from left. I use it more in my 327s, but 2.7 grains of WW-231 shoots very well in my 1923 Hand Ejector. I haven't tried it in my model 30, sigh. Too little time, too many guns.

[Oregon_Dan]

Robert,
Suffice to say that since I became interested in the 32 Long, I have been researching molds fairly religiously! I have to say that the Lyman 313445 was the one that intriqued me the most! Got sniped out of one on eBay last week. At any rate, you have piqued my curiosity. What kind of issues were making it difficult to cast?

Dan

[Oregon_Dan]

Another boolit that I like is the MP 314-640 100 grain HP, 2nd from left. I use it more in my 327s, but 2.7 grains of WW-231 shoots very well in my 1923 Hand Ejector. I haven't tried it in my model 30, sigh. Too little time, too many guns.

I have been told that the MP hollow point molds can be difficult to cast. I suspect the person that told me that was not running the mold, or the metal hot enough. What has your experience been?

Thanks
Dan

[GooseGestapo]

I have several .32S&W-L revolvers to feed. Two are early 1900’s S&W hand ejectors .

My biggest concern is that they hit poa/poi. A Lee 100gr 2R @ .314” over 2.0gr of Bullseye gets closest to original factory loads. My preference is the Lee.309” 93gr 1R Round Nose @.311”. With 2.2gr of BullsEye comes close and is accurate. Especially nice as bullet mold is a 6-cavity
My newest mold is a NOE 5-cavity 100gr SWC . I’m just getting started with this mold but real promising.

[Oregon_Dan]

I have several .32S&W-L revolvers to feed. Two are early 1900’s S&W hand ejectors .

My biggest concern is that they hit poa/poi. A Lee 100gr 2R @ .314” over 2.0gr of Bullseye gets closest to original factory loads. My preference is the Lee.309” 93gr 1R Round Nose @.311”. With 2.2gr of BullsEye comes close and is accurate. Especially nice as bullet mold is a 6-cavity
My newest mold is a NOE 5-cavity 100gr SWC . I’m just getting started with this mold but real promising.

Keep me posted on your results with the NOE bullet! That one interests me too!!

[MrWolf]

I started another thread on the 32 Long Colt as I didn't want to hijack this thread.
Ron

[gwpercle]

Favorite Loads : 32 S&W Long - RCBS 32-098-SWC - 98 gr. SWC sized .314" dia.
Data from RCBS Cast Bullet Manual #1

Start Load - 2.6 grs. HP38 @ 847 fps
Max. Load - 3.1 grs. HP38 @ 975 fps

My "pet" load is 2.9 grs. HP38 @ 912 fps ... best accuracy in my S&W .
Gary

[rintinglen]

I have been told that the MP hollow point molds can be difficult to cast. I suspect the person that told me that was not running the mold, or the metal hot enough. What has your experience been?

Thanks
Dan

^BINGO! Whoever told you that hollow-point molds need to run hot spoke true words (MP molds are not unique in this regard.) I use a hot plate and prewarm the mold before I begin casting, and then I heap metal on the sprue plate and cast as fast as I can. As the mold gets to temperature, I back off slightly on my pot temp, but my goal is complete fill out with light frosting, so I continue to cast as quickly as the sprue will let me.

PS do not inspect your boolits until the pot is empty or you have finished casting. The few seconds you spend eyeballing the fruits of your labor may foul up your next cast. There'll be time to inspect when you size them.

[Oregon_Dan]

There are a bunch of threads here discussing the care and feeding of the 32 S&W Long cartridge. With your soon-to-arrive K frame 32, you can pick the heaviest safe loads from any reliable source. I personally like a 95 gr cast or swaged semiwadcutter over 2.5 gr of Bullseye, but I also like the same bullet over W 231, but I don’t have the charge weight clos at hand. Since it’s a K frame, and you want to hunt with it, bullets of 105 to 115 grains also may be worth trying. Check powder manufacturers or reliable sources for load data. That gun you’re getting is a treasure... be sure to post pictures when it arrives.
Froggie

Froggie,
Got it yesterday! Have pics, but haven't been able to upload them!

[Green Frog]

I’ll be waiting with great anticipation, Oregon Dan. Although S&W called their I- and J frames the “32 size” and the K frame the “38 size”, I find the K frame to be the Goldilocks Standard for all calibers that begin with 2 or a 3. A K frame 32 is just about as cool as you can find!

I too have been gathering up 32 pistol moulds by the boxful. I think my all time favorite Lyman/Ideal moulds are the 3118, 313445, and 313492, along with the near mythical 313631. There are some nice Lee TL designs out there as well as from RCBS, and some of the custom shop makers like NOE and MP.

Froggie

[Oregon_Dan]

Finally!



The 313445 is one I find fascinating. I hope to find one someday. I did score the RCBS 32-98 from a vary generous member here, along with some different test bullets to try! A couple more on my wish list are the 31133, and the 31357, but those are obviously not based on hands on experience ( I have none with this caliber, yet) but just the mold design...

Yes, I could spend a LOT of money with NOE and MP! But I best start by listening to folks such as yourself who have experience with what works best!

[Green Frog]

Too bad this forum doesn’t have a “LIKE” tab! You would get a BUUUUNCH! That’s a very nice K32 you got, and of course the box, wrapper and cleaning rod are nice. You don’t have the SAT and instruction sheet tucked under the VPI Paper, do you?

At one time I had both a SC and a DC example of the 313445 mould. If I still have both, I’ll PM you. For a while there I went wild trying to corner the market, and I now find myself mould poor. Do you have any others you’re looking for?

Froggie

[Oregon_Dan]

Sadly, no on the paper work. Didn't even have the official Smith and Wesson screw driver! I just now scored a 3118! Any pet data you might have for that would be greatly appreciated!

As for "wants" the previouly mentioned 31133, maybe a 31357, and a 31631. I see where Arsenal makes a multi cavity copy of that that is MUCH cheaper than an original, I am betting!

If you were to find that 313445, and decide to part with it, I would be forever in your debt! If I don't find one, there will be some kind of full wadcutter somewhere down the road!

As you can tell, I am a bit of a fun of bullets with healthy meplats. I have been a big fan of calibers that start with the number "4" for many decades, and was an avid fan of Elmer Keith. Of course I needed full power 44 mag rounds to stop the vicious Black Tailed Jack Rabbit!! I will have to admit that they worked well on deer and elk though. Now that I am older, and hopefully a bit wiser, I find that I am happier with calibers that don't hurt or raise blisters if you shoot a few hundred rounds in a weekend...... I still like large meplats though!

[Green Frog]

OD, the 313445 is a neat all around bullet for all kinds of uses in the 32 revolvers. With its abbreviated nose, it’s neither “fish nor fowl”, not long enough to be a “real” semi-wadcutter. But too “nosy” to be a true wadcutter. Regardless, it has a big following among 32 enthusiasts. Another little known and discontinued Lyman design is the 313492. It is not the same as a DE wadcutter as it still has a little bump of a nose, but for some 32 revolvers, it is quite the fine bullet. I’ve fooled around a little with both the ‘445 and the ‘492 and am happy to have both in my mould library. My biggest “problem” is I have enough different moulds, loading the 3 main lengths of revolver cartridges, for enough different revolvers that I can’t just settle down.
Froggie

[Scrounge]

Ron,
Don't know if you are still playing with your Marlin or not, but Starline lists brass in this caliber, though they don't currently have any. Also, Buffalo Arms is listing reformed brass for it!

The Starline .32 Long Colt is reformed from .32 S&W Long brass. Bought some a couple of years ago.

Bill

[Oregon_Dan]

OD, the 313445 is a neat all around bullet for all kinds of uses in the 32 revolvers. With its abbreviated nose, it’s neither “fish nor fowl”, not long enough to be a “real” semi-wadcutter. But too “nosy” to be a true wadcutter. Regardless, it has a big following among 32 enthusiasts. Another little known and discontinued Lyman design is the 313492. It is not the same as a DE wadcutter as it still has a little bump of a nose, but for some 32 revolvers, it is quite the fine bullet. I’ve fooled around a little with both the ‘445 and the ‘492 and am happy to have both in my mould library. My biggest “problem” is I have enough different moulds, loading the 3 main lengths of revolver cartridges, for enough different revolvers that I can’t just settle down.
Froggie

It does sound like you have a bit of a love affair with the 32 bore! The 313292 is certainly and interesting bullet! It definitely should give more powder space than a type 1 or 2, for sure. The only downside for me is that Checking the throats of my model 16, the throats are .314. From what I have read, the 313492 generally casts a bullet between .309 and .312, it's apparently a bit of a crap shoot...

I do see where Accurate Molds lists their version of it as dropping a 314 bullet. Sure gives me something to think about, if I can't find a 313445 somewhere....

Dan

[Green Frog]

If you’re not bound and determined to go original with a Lyman mould, you would be well served to order a custom fitted mould from the likes of Accurate. With a sizing die it’s easy to size them down a thousandth or two as you lube them, but it’s pretty tricky to size your bullets up!. Like you said, buying a factory mould, new or used, is a bit of a crapshoot!

I was fortunate in one aspect of the building of my K32 recreation… the gunsmith is geared toward target shooting so when he rebored my K22 cylinder, he left the throats at a tight .313”. Of course if I decide to go the HBWC route, I get a little extra leeway. I’ve got a beautiful 3 cavity brass HBWC mould (MP) but like so many things in my life it stays on the back burner.

Froggie

[Oregon_Dan]

While I am nostalgic enough to dream about having the originals, I am realistic enough to know that modern molds are held to tighter tolerances, and potentially more accurate. From what I am seeing, a modern multi cavity mold could be significantly cheaper than an original! I see where Accurate Molds make what seems to be a pretty good copy of the 313445 (https://accuratemolds.com/bullet_det...bullet=31-095M), and Arsenal Molds makes a copy of the 313492 (https://noebulletmolds.com/site/wp-c...BE5_Sketch.jpg). One or both of these could be somewhere down the road. In the interim, if an original were to pop up screaming "Buy Me" I would probably jump on it!

I am thinking at the moment that the first modern mold I buy for this gun will likely be a true to form Keith design. I see where Glenn Fryxel designed one that Mountain Molds built sometime back. Apparently this was the basis for a group buy in the Cast Boolits Forum. Don't happen to know anyone that has one of these they want to sell do you?

Still waiting anxiously for my dies to show up, so I can get the 16 up and going!!

Dan P

[Wayne Smith]

Have one, but want to sell, NO. I did loan it to Froggie to cast a bunch until he sourced his own. I haven't cast in the past year or so, but need to start again, once it cools down. If you are desperate this fall PM me.