Lee 314-90 SWC seating depth

[Michael J. Spangler]

Hi guys. I just started casting with this mold and I'll be using the bullets to load my first ever 32 S&W long loads.
Should I roll crimp the case into one of the lube grooves? I've seen some cases rolled and some just crimped enough to remove the flare.
I'm figuring a nice roll crimp will help with consistent burning.
I searched all around and couldn't find pics of these bullets loaded into cases to see how people were handling the seating depth. I have seen similar bullets in the 32 crimped over the front driving band.

Anyone. Here using these bullets or maybe have some insight as to why one way or the other? Thanks guys.

[rintinglen]

I roll crimp 'em in the top lube groove over 2.5 grains of WW-231. Nice, soft shooting load that groups as well as I can hold 'em. Not quite as accurate as the RCBS 32-98 SWC though.

[shooting on a shoestring]

Michael, I use the RCBS 98 WC in my 32 SWLs. It has a small crimp groove about 1/8" or less from the front of the boolit. I go with neck tension only or at most a very modest hint of a crimp. I seat them so the crimp goove is at the mouth of the case. I'd suggest that idea is a place to start with yours.

The 32 SWL has a very small case capacity behind WCs, and the powders will be fast ones, so no need to worry about ignition or combustion. The recoil involved will not be pulling your boolits either. There is a possibility you will size down your boolit into leading territory with too much crimp. The pressures are low in 32 SWLs, so squirting them out through a heavy crimp, if they're soft as the should be, can size them down.

I do like some portion of WC to stick out of the case and into the rear of the chamber throat to help center the round so its not just laying in the bottom of the chamber when fired.

There's no hard fast rule. You get to experiment. I would not go seated deeper than flush. And you'll find there is some maximum length where they are too long to chamber. Move around between them and see if it makes any difference in groups, looks or how you like them.

I will say my 32s have more variance in diameters of chambers, throats and groove diameters gun to gun than my 35 calibers do. One I shoot alot needs boolits at least 0.315" to fill its generous throats. It prefers 0.316". The barrel on that one has a 0.312" groove diameter and shoots great. I had to do some serious lapping on the RCBS 98 WC mould to get up above 0.315" boolit diameters. That gun is a late S&W 30-1.

What gun are you shooting?

[Michael J. Spangler]

Thanks guys.

Ok shooting a 32 hand ejector from somewhere in the late 30s early 40s I guess.

I haven't slugged it to see what I'm working with yet. The pot is full of pure lead for 1oz slugs right now. I'll be casting some various bullets in pure for slugging reasons while I'm working with pure.
Thanks guys. Good info. I'll keep you updated.

[Larry Gibson]

I roll crimp 'em in the top lube groove.............

+1.

I load them over 2.7 gr Bullseye for use on modern solid frame revolvers.

Larry Gibson101470

[dmize]

I bought that mold to use in my Marlin 32-20 as a 22lr alternative. And also used them in my 32-20 Vaquero and Blackhawk.
I tried roll crimping over the last band,this works but just looks weird,and in the last lube groove. In my case there wasn't any measureable difference in chambering,shooting or accuracy.