32 S&W - Hard or soft and also Trail Boss

[260 Striker]

I just had John Taylor convert my Remington No. 4 32 rimfire rifle to 32 S&W (NOT Long). He does beautiful work!!!! The bore is mostly shiny but has some minor rust pitting. Should I cast my bullets out of linotype, WW, quenched WW or pure lead? Don't know which will work best with the minor rust in the barrel. I'm planning on velocities in the 650 to a max of 750 fps and was wondering if Trail Boss would be a good candidate to keep pressures low. I also want to try TB in my Meriden 32 S&W top-break and my Colt Police Positive 32 Long revolver. Again, I want to keep pressures low especially in the Meriden. I know the Colt would handle higher pressures but will use mild loads in it too.

[richhodg66]

For what it's worth, I've been shooting plain based cast in a .22 Hornet at higher than the velocities you're talking in a rifle that has a visible rough patch in the middle of the barrel (you can even feel it when you run a jag down it). With 50/50 wheel weights to pure plus a little tin, the rifle is as accurate as I can shoot at 25 yards. Haven't tried it much at farther distances because that's realistic small game range for me.

I would imagine that with those velocities and any decent lube, assuming your bullets are the right size, you can get as good accuracy from it with very soft alloys. I'm beginning the process of putting together a stalking rifle in .32 S&W Long like yours now. The .22 Hornet is good, but I think with cast in the velocities/noise level I'm looking for, the .32 S&W long would be better.

[Mk42gunner]

I cast most of my boolits out of ACWW, the bunch I have now runs about 12.5 BHN and seems to work fine through most of my guns. I really don't see a .32 S&W needing Linotype, although it may.

The mainstream answer would be to tell you to cast a bunch of each alloy and test them all, but I think I would make it easy on myself and start with ACWW and a good lube.

Robert

[dubber123]

I firelapped a pitted bore 32-20 revolver. It cured it's leading issue, and accuracy went from 8" at 50 yds., to 3" at 50 yds. with the same exact loads. I'd give that some consideration. I was shooting a good bit faster than your goal, and air cooled WW's worked fine. I don't doubt much softer would be just fine for you.

[260 Striker]

I firelapped a pitted bore 32-20 revolver. It cured it's leading issue, and accuracy went from 8" at 50 yds., to 3" at 50 yds. with the same exact loads. I'd give that some consideration. I was shooting a good bit faster than your goal, and air cooled WW's worked fine. I don't doubt much softer would be just fine for you.

I did use JB compound in barrel and finished then using some Flitz. Patch through barrel feels OK and doesn't drag so I think I have worst of rust at least smoothed out some. I've seen comments about using hard bullets in pitted barrels and also soft bullets so will just have to try some of each to see what happens. Will start with ACWW since that is what I cast most bullets. Thanks for all the advice. I will try the 70% formula recommended for TB starting loads and see what that gives me.

[Jeff Michel]

50% ww and 50% lead or even cut back on the wheel weights, You won't be going very fast.

[dakota]

I just had John Taylor convert my Remington No. 4 32 rimfire rifle to 32 S&W (NOT Long). He does beautiful work!!!! The bore is mostly shiny but has some minor rust pitting. Should I cast my bullets out of linotype, WW, quenched WW or pure lead? Don't know which will work best with the minor rust in the barrel. I'm planning on velocities in the 650 to a max of 750 fps and was wondering if Trail Boss would be a good candidate to keep pressures low. I also want to try TB in my Meriden 32 S&W top-break and my Colt Police Positive 32 Long revolver. Again, I want to keep pressures low especially in the Meriden. I know the Colt would handle higher pressures but will use mild loads in it too.

I'm interested in doing something similar only 32 S&W Long as I have a I frame S&W in 32 Long. What is the cost of the convertion? Thanks

[Outpost75]

50% ww and 50% lead or even cut back on the wheel weights, You won't be going very fast.

+1 on the above. In my various rook rifles John did for me, I use 1:30 tin/lead from Roto Metals. You want 8-10 BHN.

In the .32 S&W case (NOT the Long) start with the smallest charge of Bullseye that you can meter, about 1 to 1.2 grains approximates factory ammo.

Do NOT exceed 1.5 grains with an 85-95 grain bullet i the Remington No.4. I use Accurate 31-087T in the .32 S&W and the .32 ACP.

I have been unable to meter Trail Boss uniformly at all in the tiny charge weights needed for the .32 S&W or the S&W Long.

If anybody is doing so successfully, please tell us what powder measure you are using!

In a stronger action you can use the RCBS Little Dandy measure with the smallest drum #00 which meters 1.7 grains of Bullseye. I use this in .32 ACP with 31-087T and as a start load with Accurate 31-114D in the .32 S&W Long rook rifle. Do not exceed 2.1 grains of Bullseye, with 31-114D, Little Dandy drum #0 in the older Colts S&W Eye frames.
The Little Dandy drum #1 meters 2.5 grains of Bullseye and is a full charge load with 31-114D in the modern S&W Models 30 and 31 and is very accurate in my Army and Navy Cooperative Society rook rifle which John relined for me, and later exterior restoration done by Lucas Geiger.

129712

[260 Striker]

I loaded up five 32 S&W Long for my Colt Police Positive and used a Little Dandy and rotor #4 with Trail Boss. Dropped 1.7 grains every time. John Taylor recommended I NOT use Bullseye (BE) but use Unique instead. I guess the pressure curve builds more gradual with Unique than BE. John would not chamber my number 4 to S&W Long due to the smaller frame and screws in the frame instead of pins like the larger Remy rolling blocks. His charge to convert was very reasonable. If interested you can contact him at Taylor Machine in Puyallup, WA. I haven't loaded any 32 S&W yet but will try either Unique or TB at very low charges. Don't want to exceed 700 fps to keep pressures low.