Help me rationalize my .32 choices.

[Jniedbalski]

One thing I like about the lee mold cut down is it got rid of the bevel base. I never had a problem with this kind of bullet but always wanted to try out a plain base bullet. I size my 32 acp for the bretta at .311 and use the lee fcd . The bretta has a tight chamber.

[Good Cheer]

So I'm into .32 for the best part of a decade now, allegedly the one true caliber and all.

It all started a number of years ago when I got an estate sale deal where I acquire a large lot of excellent quality 115gr RNFP .314 meant for 32-20, I load this bullet into everything from .32 SWL to 7.62x39, it not ideal but work well enough and had provided hours of plinking fun. This 115gr boolit is beginning to run out and I need to find a way to feed my .32s.

I am needing some advise on which molds I should look into so I can shoot the correct bullet weight for the caliber.

-What mold should I get for .32 ACP? I have no boolit for the caliber at the moment but would like to shoot it a lot more.
- Any advise on a .32 wadcutter mold? I love 148gr wadcutter on the S&W 10, but seems .32 wadcutter mold is hard to come by and seem the ones I saw were heavy for the caliber. I can be persuaded to get a 2 cavity Lyman as I have some Lyman 2 cavity mold with no handles that I would like to start using.
- Shall I sell my working LAM II with dies and to finance fixing the STAR sizer that is in parts? The setup for LAM II is too involved and I have only used it twice in 5 years. The only other caliber I cast for is .38

These are the guns I have to feed:
Beretta 81 in .32ACP
S&W 2" 31-1 in .32 S&W Long
S&W 2" 431PD in .32 H&R Magnum
Ruger SP101 in .327 Federal
CZ 527 in 7.62x39

Mold I have on-hand:
LEE 312-160-2R, with the gas check base milled off, I tumble lube these for plinkers with 10gr of Bluedot, seems to work well enough.
LEE 312-155-2R, while I have the gas checks and a LAM II and Star sizer, my current living arrangement means I rarely get the chance to setup the sizer.
LEE 314-90-SWC, this is the mold I use the most, think I might experiment with loading this boolit backwards if I can't get a wadcutter mold.

I only tumble lube at the moment as I do not have the space to set-up my lubrisizer. I do have a working LAM II with all the dies I need and a STAR sizer that is in parts and have no dies. Setting up the LAM II is kind of involved, I am thinking about selling the LAM II to fund purchase of parts and dies for the star which seems to be an easier setup.

I used to shoot .32ACP with #313249 a lot. Was great for sneakin' up the downhill side of cow pond levees. Didn't tear up camp meat very much.

[charlie b]

Don't have any advice about molds as I sold off my only .32 a few years ago.

But, don't mess with either sizer. Start powder coating

[rintinglen]

I have a small boat load of 32 molds ranging from the 32 ACP mold from MP, which goes about 72 grains in HP form up to the 311-465 which runs right at 122 grains with a Hornady Gas Check. But the ones I use most are a Ranch Dog 314-75 TC for my 32 ACP loads and the NOE clone of the RCBS 32-98 SWC. The latter Boolit is used in the 32 S&W Long and the 32 H&R. For my 327’s I use a 315-100 from LBT or the MP 314-640 HP. If I could only have one, it would be the RCBS 32-98 SWC. It works great in everything but the 32 app.

[Jniedbalski]

I shot a bunch of 32 acp this week. I used 71 and 74 gr fmj and the cut down lee mold at 82 gr. The 45-45/10 alox lube worked great at low 32 pressure. My load was 2.2 of bullseye with the 82 gr bullet. It shot slightly better than the fmj’s.

[NoZombies]

It's much easier to find .32 molds these days than it was 10-15 years ago, but some designs are still a little elusive. Lee's DEWC TL bullet works well, but molds are rarely available. RCBS made both an 84 grain and a 98 grain full WC in .32, and Lyman's little WC works well but it's a type 3 (meaning the front portion is designed to be seated out in front of the case) which isn't a problem for most things, but something to know.

[cwlongshot]

Anyone tried lead balls as Plinkers?

[Outpost75]

Anyone tried lead balls as Plinkers?

00 buckshot pushed through .314" sizer die, 1 grain of Bullseye, press flush with case mouth and smear BB-sized glob of bullet lube over ball.

[cwlongshot]

Now to find some buck shot!

CW

[Outpost75]

Now to find some buck shot!

CW

A Lee .319 round ball mold works too and is easy. These are a common size used for the .31 cal. cap & ball pocket revolvers and they weigh 48 grains each. You can load 2 of them in a .32 S&W Long case with 2 grains of Bullseye and they will then shoot to the fixed sights of most revolvers. A single ball will shoot low but is a good, quiet trapline load for close work. A single ball loaded with half of its diameter exposed, crimped into a .32 ACP case with 2 grains of Bullseye will just feed and cycle in a 1903 Colt Pocket Model.