.32 H & R shot loads

[Newtire]

Dug out my little H & R .32 mag. the other day and got to thinking about it's usefulness for shot loads for snakes. I manage to get pretty good close up coverage using .357 shot loads with the shot capsules Speer sells but since noone makes these for the .32, I had an idea that may work and wanted to know if anyone here has fooled around with this sort of thing.

OK, so here's the deal. The .32 H & R really doesn't have very much room for shot....so what about using a .327 Federal case and loading some shot into it? I don't have any laying around but would think that the case from end to end would be able to fit in an H & R chamber and you might be able to get a little more shot in that way.

It seems this would give you a little shorter length than a shot cartridge with the capsule hanging out of it without hitting up against the cylinder mouth.

Does anyone have any .327 Federal cases they could drop into a regular .32 mag. cylinder and see if you can still close the cylinder? I'm not saying to shoot .327 Federals with anything like a boolit mind you.

[9.3X62AL]

My initial thoughts here are that the 327 Federal case will be stopped at the chamber step with the case head protruding some distance, much like a 357 case in a 38 Special chamber.

All is not lost, though......what about finding a sizing method like that used by benchrest shooters (bushing sizer?) that would reduce the case for some distance to .308" or so to allow it into the cylinder throat? No rule says the reduced diameter needs to correspond to the chamber step, since the case rim controls headspace.

[Larry Gibson]

I made some, but since I'm "homeless" and traveling in the RV I don't have the specifics with me. I'll describe it anyways so you can try it if you want. I'll answer any questions I can.

I found the large green straws for "Big Gulps" at the 7-11 stores to be right at .31 caliber. They make very good shot sleeves. I uses a fired .32 H&R case that still slipped into all the chambers on my Ruger SS (original run). I deprimed and reprimed. It was chrged with Bullseye powder (sorry I don't recall the exact charge but think it was 2 gr?). A GC (I used home made ones made from soda/beer pop cans) was pushed down onto the powder with a milsurp .30 cal rod section. I cut the straw into lengths so when seated in the GC the end is 1/8"+ short of the end of the cylinder. This utilized the case capacity and the throat for maximum shot amount. One straw will make 8-9 shot sleeves.

I put a small dab of silicone sealent into the end of the straw and stick into the case and bottom it into the GC. he sealent "glues" the straw to the GC and prevented it from creeping out unde recoil.

I use #12 shot but #9 works as well. I filled the straw with shot just short of full so an inverted GC could be pushed in and glued in place with another dab of the silicone sealent. Compleed shot loads blasted a soda can full of water real well at 5- and 10'. Have shot an critter with them yet but imagne they will do the trick. I'm planning on making some for my .32S&WL also.

Larry Gibson

[jh45gun]

I would think a low temp hot glue gun would work well for sealent also.

[Larry Gibson]

I would think a low temp hot glue gun would work well for sealent also.

No doubt it would, I just happened to use the silicone sealent because "it was there" is all. Forgot to menion I also put a solid roll crimp of the case mouth into the side of the shot sleeve. Just took the seating stem out of the seating die.

Larry Gibson

[Newtire]

Thanks you guys, I think I'll try the big gulp straw method. Really sounds like a winner. Best of all, they are about free.

[beagle]

Check with some of your bigger drug stores. At one time, they sold 100 count boxes of empty gelatin capsules for medication (guess some people loaded their own). I had a box that fit .38s/.357s and as I recall they came in various sizes . Gave you some extra room out front.

Slap! Wake up John. Now we have the internet. Google empty gelatin capsules and see what comes up./beagle

[Newtire]

Had a hard time finding a 7-eleven in Idaho around the Boise area but the Maverick MIni-Mart Red Straws fit real nice. I nabbed 3-with one mega-sized Mountain Dew tonight and am going to go out and give it a try.

[Larry Gibson]

Another point with the straw is not to "stuff" the shot in, just fill it. To much stuffed in can cause it to swell and give chambering problems.

Larry Gibson

[Newtire]

Will try em out this weekend. I made one to fit the shorter h & r cyl & got 65 grains #9. I think the Single six might hold a little more shot. The Speer. 357 shot caps only hold 95 gr. Ought to be pretty effective. I used 2.0 gr. W-231.

[beagle]

Did some research on the gellatin capsules. If the straws don't work, look on the internet or check a health food store for #1 size capsules. According to the spec chart, they're 7.65mm which should work well in the .32 Mags as well as my .30 Carbine Ruger. I'm going to pick up a box next time i'm in the "city" and give them a try./beagle

[NoZombies]

Not saying that the gel-caps wont work, but there are some things to be aware of:

They are hygroscopic, and can swell, as well as transferring moisture to the powder.

They aren't very strong. By that, I mean you might well leave bits of the capsule in the throat or barrel of the revolver.

[beagle]

I haven't used any in years and years but the ones I had for the .38 Special gave no problems.

It is a way to add a few more grains of payload to a shot load with the extended ogive of the capsule. Moisture posed no problems as I recall as I carried one up in the cylinder for snakes and a couple in a plastic zip-lok bag along with a few "ball" backups. I don't like to use dual shot loads in a cylinder as I have experienced creep, especially in the .44 Mag when doing so and that gets messy.

Just an alternate suggestion. I'm not recomending one over the other./beagle


Not saying that the gel-caps wont work, but there are some things to be aware of:

They are hygroscopic, and can swell, as well as transferring moisture to the powder.

They aren't very strong. By that, I mean you might well leave bits of the capsule in the throat or barrel of the revolver.

[Salmoneye]

I know guys make shot-shells for their .44 mags with .445 cases, so I do not see why you could not make .327 cases into long shot-shells for .32 Mag...

I have been making .44 Mag and .357 cases into snake loads also, and am very happy...

I use simple flat over powder and shot discs cut from a styro take-out trays, and 'School' glued over the shot card...

150gr of small shot in the .44 Mag, and 100gr in the .357 cases...