French 1935 Model A & S

[bouncer50]

I really like the feel of them in my hand. I have both models but i like the model a better because of the lock breech. The problem is no ammo. I reload so my question is do you make ammo from 32 long or 30 cal carbine. I also was told you can put a sleeve in the barrel to shoot 32 acp. They are really well made but the problem is ammo to shoot out of them. I found both of mine cheap because gun shop had them mark 32 acp. Went i told them their 32 french long they never hear of that caliber and were do you buy ammo like i told them you have to make your own ammo. I found some surplus ammo out of 50 only one fired.:cry:

[primersp]

Try fiocchi they made cartriges for thé pistol
Good luck
Cheer

Andre

[skeettx]

http://www.buffaloarms.com/Detail.aspx?PROD=158128&CAT=4451

LOADED ammo and you get to reload the brass, :)

[Ballistics in Scotland]

As long as you don't need to stop a determined attacker, like most people never see, or carry it like a .32 pocket pistol, the pistols and cartridge are both extremely good. It is the greater case length, and the fact that it doesn't space on a vestigial rim like the .3 ACP, which prevents the latter cartridge from being used. I can indeed imagine a metal ring inserted in the front of the chamber, but I don't think I like it. There isn't much ground between one that would come out, and one that would damage the chamber.

A supply seems to be available at the moment, but sometimes they don't continue forever. That has sometimes been the case with limited-production Fiocchi especially on the export market. If you have to do it on your own, .32 S&W Long with the rim turned down on a lathe and the groove deepened is probably the way to go. I believe you could make up a suitable arbor to do it by hand on an electric drill. The .32 dies should work, and are likely to be cheaper.

I've never examined the feed ramp and ejector slot of these pistols, and I know at least some original French rounds used a steel case. If the case constitutes a weakness there, .30 Carbine should be stronger. But I don't know the internal diameter of the brass at the level to which you would have to shorten it. It might be too small for the bullet. and the base is likely to be a shade too large to fit this chamber or the reloading dies. The simplest way of dealing with this would be to make up a lathe arbor to expand the case as much as you needed, to the level at which you will insert the bullet, and turn the whole length cylindrical.

You will probably find the sights regulated for about 1100 ft./sec. with a 77gr. bullet, which would make it a useful small game cartridge.

[9.3X62AL]

I have a 1935A pistol by SACM that probably found its way home via Viet Nam. Replacement magazines by Triple K work well. Bertram Brass is over-priced junk--don't bother. Years ago I found a seller offering brass converted from 32 S&W Long, and it has served well so far. Throat and grooves in mine spec @ .313", and I have run 32 ACP bullets like the 71 grain FMJ and 85 grain JHPs meant for the 32 H&R Magnum through it on occasion. I worked up cast bullet loads first using Lymans #313249 (85 grain RN) to about 1000 FPS, and started at 32 ACP data +10% and worked up using a chronograph. I will not share firm loading data here on the public side any longer.

[rintinglen]

Back in 1984 my best pal Rick bought a 1935 A. Knowing that I was a hard core (or hard-headed) reloader, he enlisted my help in making brass. After measuring his one cartridge, I went to my 4th edition of cartridges of the world, and discovered we needed a rimless 32 S&W Long case which we did not have. But since I had a bunch of old Korean war vintage 30 Carbine brass, we decided to make do. The 30 carbine cases measures (supposedly).3548 at the head which was too big. to reduce them to size, we drilled a hole in a piece of half inch steel using a 21/64th's drill and then polished the holes out by hand, using 220, 320, 400 and finally 600 grit sand paper wrapped around a piece of 5/32nd dowel rod. After lubing the cases with STP Oil treatment, we drove them through our sizer using a 5/32 flat punch and a hammer. Then we trimmed to length using my old Forster trimmer.

A wicked problem arose.
The inside wall thickness was so great we couldn't seat a boolit that would chamber, so we had to drive all the cases back into our "sizer" and ream them, one at a time with a custom reamer that he dug up. I believe it was a 5/32 reamer that he stoned down to size. We cleaned up the extractor grooves and the rims by chucking the cases in a drill and using a triangular file. However, once reamed to a depth of about a quarter inch, we were able to cobble together 50 cartridges using RCBS 32ACP dies, Lyman 84 grain boolits, (I think they were 313-249's, but I'm not sure). We used Unique, but I don't recall the load.
I do recall we spent the best part of two weekends nearly a month apart making those darned cases.

[9.3X62AL]

The M-1935A pistol is indeed a locked-breech design, using a Browning-esque toggle link system. It also features very SIG P-210-ish slide rail configuration, and externally looks a lot like a P-210. Same guy (Charles Petter) designed both, I believe. My example is no great shakes for accuracy, but loads close to mil-spec standards do cluster where the sights look at 25 and 50 yards......though none too closely. 3.5"-4.0" at 25 yards is about as good as it gets, which is easily minute-of-goblin if you are so minded. I like something with a bit more authority as felon repellent, thank you. It is a decent jackrabbit and ground squirrel whacker, though its batting average due to grouping ability wouldn't get it out of rookie league baseball. I've hit rats at 65-70 yards with an M-1 Carbine, too--so I'm willing to acknowledge the occasional triumph of best intentions over life experience.