60 gr. LSWC for 32 acp aficionados

[tejano]

Earlier today I learned from browsing another forum that tbbullets.com sells a hard cast 60 gr. sized at .314, approximately BHN 14-15. Supposedly, the bullet was designed for the Pardini 32 acp target pistol (which I don't have). Anyway, I placed an order for 1000 @ 67.00 (shipping included) and am looking forward to trying it my various 32 autos and 32 revolvers.

[FergusonTO35]

Sounds good. Most .32 Autos are sighted to use the standard 71-73 grain jacketed pill. I wonder if the 60 grain slug would print low.

[9.3X62AL]

I've thought for a time that a 72-75 grain truncated cone design following the Lee autopistol TC parameters would be a great addition to my many 30-32 caliber moulds. Lyman #313249 (85 grain) and #311252 (77 grain) are both RN designs, but feature full-caliber front drive bands that do pretty good work on varmints I've hit with them. Maybe the TC design is gilding the lily a bit. In my Walther PP, #311252 runs right to its sights at 25 yards with any load that prompts 850-875 FPS.

Those of you with 32 ACP sideiron with the usual 3.5"-3.8" barrels featured on these pocket blowbacks need to fire various loads over a chronograph to find out just what your ammo is and isn't doing. In that Walther, Rem and W-W 71 grain FMJ barely manages 750 FPS. If you want factory ammo with full performance, go GECO or RWS.....those run 875-900 FPS. American ammo makers get beat up by their lawyers and adulterate ammo performance to "lowest common denominator" levels. The 60 grain JHP loads from W-W (Silvertip) and CCI (Gold Dot) get close to 900 FPS, but at a 15% loss of bullet weight. To sum up, American ammo makers not only can't supply ammunition to their customers worth a darn, they lie about its capabilities without batting an eye. They are becoming a most tiresome lot.

[rintinglen]

[QUOTE=9.3X62AL;3311852]I've thought for a time that a 72-75 grain truncated cone design following the Lee autopistol TC parameters would be a great addition to my many 30-32 caliber moulds. QUOTE]

Right you are, Al. I was lucky enough to get a Ranch Dog 314-75 TC before Michael gave up the business, and it is excellent for the 32 Auto, I haven't tried it in my 32 S&W Longs, but it works great in all 3 of my 32 Auto's.
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[tejano]

I too bought that Ranch Dog mold just in time but then I have yet to get around to learning to cast. I regret not learning when I was younger the tricks of casting from some old guys I knew before they passed. Now I am one of the old guys.

[bedbugbilly]

rintinglen - somebody sold you a defective target! It's got a big ol' hole in it! Pretty impressive and it looks like a fun gun to shoot!

[Blackwater]

A .32 ACP is really about like a single pellet of 00 or 000 buckshot, which of course CAN be pretty effective if placed right. An SWC profile would help lethality and the cutting of blood vessels and organ tissues significantly, and the small flat point would enhance what "shock" effect it has as well. It should penetrate much better than the HP's that are sold and so highly touted now, but it should be noted that many Europeans like the .32 as well or better than the .380 because it, in their somewhat hotter loads than we typically have here, penetrates more deeply and reliably. Expansion is good, IF there's enough total force to create a significant amount of "shock" effect, which IS real BTW, but in the little .32, it CAN be crucial to at LEAST "penetrate to the heart of the matter." I still like my little Kel Tec .32, but moved up to the .380 Taurus 738 TCP. It's only a teensy bit bigger and thicker, but bigger around, uses a heavier bullet, and at close to the same velocity. With all the druggies out there today, you just never know when that might be a significant factor as well. One of the reasons I went to the .380 was the lack of SWC's for the .32. Good to know they're available. When you get them, please give us some feedback as to how reliably they feed in autos, and what kind of penetration you're getting vs. HP's and FMJ's, if you get to do those tests. I always use newspapers bound with nylon cord tightly, and then soaked in garbage bags 'till they're good and soaked. Usually gives pretty good comparative results, and a single bundle can be used for all 3 bullet types, making for a neat and tidy and not too difficult test to get some really good info. Thanks for spreading the word about those bullets. I may have to get dies for my little Kel Tec now!

[tejano]

I shoot 32 acp and 32 Long pistols because I enjoy shooting them. I have never carried one, but if I were to do so I would probably use Buffalo Bore's hard cast load. I find 32's to be way more entertaining than the 22LR and more accurate than the .380.

[Outpost75]

I shoot 32 acp and 32 Long pistols because I enjoy shooting them. I have never carried one, but if I were to do so I would probably use Buffalo Bore's hard cast load. I find 32's to be way more entertaining than the 22LR and more accurate than the .380.

My uses resemble the above. Economical, pleasant, accurate and effective small game and varmint utility gun

[9.3X62AL]

Ditto Tejano and Outpost 75. 32 ACP/32 SWL = "recyclable rimfires".

[Outpost75]

In a strong, fixed barrel, steel frame gun, the .32 ACP gives up little to the .380. WW2 era German ammunition chronographed 907 fps from my 2.4" barrel Beretta Model 3032 INOX with a 77-grain bullet!
The same box of ammo chronographed 998 fps in my Walther PP and 977 fps from my CZ27!

The velocities of the German ammunition were closely approximated in new factory primed Winchester brass with WEIGHED 2.5 grain charges of fresh Alliant Bullseye using the 71-grain CBC .312" diameter FMJ bullets loaded to an overall cartridge length of 0.975"+/-0.005".

This charge exceeds the published data from Alliant, but appears safe and is accurate and functions well in my WW2 era military pistols which steadfastly refuse to cycle with American commercial ammo.

This particular loading very closely approximates the RWS, Geco, Sellier & Bellot and Fiocchi ammunition in terms of velocity, accuracy, point of impact and how far it throws the brass.

I thought that inquiring minds might want to know.

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For my cast bullet loads I use the Accurate 31-087T bullet, which is designed to fit the CIP chamber, cast of wheelweights, lubricated with Lee Liquid Alox and sized .311" with 2 grains of Bullseye, which gives 820 fps in my Beretta Tomcat, and 905 fps in the Walther PP. I have two cavities of the 31-087T hollowpointed by Erik Ohlen at www.hollowpointmold.com, and when cast soft of 1:30 tin/lead they weigh 82 grains and expand reliably to .40 cal. or larger in water jugs when fired from the Tomcat with the 2 grain Bullseye load. Penetration is MUCH better than 60-grain JHPs loaded hot enough to expand.

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[FergusonTO35]

I have a 76 grain LFP mold from Accurate, my Kel-Tec loves it. 2.1 grains of Hodgdon Titewad sends 'em out at a chonographed 886 fps average velocity. I put in a stronger Wolff recoil spring to help her out. The only thing I don't like is how far the brass goes. I've tried using 13 pound recoil springs, modified ejector, all to no avail. Unlike 9mm there is no endless buffet of free range brass, even used brass is not cheap. I wonder if the pistol would still eject if I removed the ejector entirely? Don't Seecamp and a few others use a no ejector design?

[Outpost75]

Beretta Tomcat has no EXTRACTOR, because residual chamber pressure drives the case out, but it DOES have an ejector!

[tejano]

Mini range report. Disclaimer. I am not a good shot and never have been, but at age 64 I still enjoy reloading and shooting. Earlier today I fired 40 rounds of the 60 gr. LSWC at 7 yards through an old Mauser. All 40 fed with no issues. First load was a modest 1.1-1.2 grains of Titewad. Recoil was soft and cases did not fly far. All 40 cases were recovered. Plan to try 1.5 gr. next time. I picked the Mauser because it has the sweetest trigger of all of my various 32 semi autos.144996