32acp Alloy

[Bzcraig]

On occasion I pocket carry a 32acp. Is there any reason that pure shouldn't used as a SD alloy in this caliber? Please don't bring up the tired dead horse of using reloads for SD!

[Tatume]

Pure lead will probably leave leading in your bore if you practice with it, but for the few shots needed in an actual confrontation it should be fine. In my hunting guns I often practice with WW metal and cast a very few of soft lead to take into the field. I don't care if they leave lead, I'm only going to shoot one anyway.

That said, I doubt if any alloy, even 100% pure lead, will give much expansion in a 32 pocket gun. Why not just use a WW bullet?

Take care, Tom

[stubert]

In a .32, I would rather have penetration than expansion.

[Soundguy]

This^^

[OptimusPanda]

If I were going to carry a pocket 32 I'd just get some ball ammo and be done with it. (Or any normalish hardness cast bullet)

[Outpost75]

Soft alloy such as 1:40 or pure lead may deform upon striking the feed ramp which is likely to cause functioning problems.

You have to function-fire rounds to be sure. I use 1:30 for lead HP bullets if I want them to expand at low velocities in the .32 ACP and for those bullets use a heavy, round-nose shape which feeds well and does not deform.

As for lead FN bullets which are not going to expand at lower velocities, any alloy which casts well is adequate.
I use wheelweights with only enough tin added to get good fill-out.

My preferred bullets are Accurate's 31-077B, 31-087T and 31-090B.

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For training and practice loads I use:
.32 ACP Hand Loads OAL 0.945”

“Group 1” Loads▪ don’t exceed factory energy, suitable as a "steady diet" for use in Tomcat and Keltec pistols:

Ammunition ________________Beretta Tomcat 2.4”____Beretta M1935 3.4”

Acc. 31-077B LD#00 2.0 TiteGroup__790, 12 Sd_____________893, 19 Sd
Acc. 31-077B LD#0 2.2 Bullseye____757, 16 Sd_____________932, 24 Sd
Acc. 31-077B LD#1 2.5 Bullseye____835, 16 Sd_____________956, 18 Sd
Acc. 31-077B LD#0 3.0 AutoComp__837, 10 Sd_____________957, 16 Sd

Acc.31-090B LD#00 2.5 AutoComp__729, 11 Sd____________833, 6 Sd

For pest control and personal defense, if I want an expanding bullet I use these charges with 31-087T hollow-pointed, 1:30 alloy, at 82 grains:

“Group 2” Loads which exceed “average factory energy” for their barrel length shown.

Ammunition ________________Beretta Tomcat 2.4”____Beretta M1935 3.4”

Acc. 31-087T LD#0 3.0 AutoComp+P_843, 18 Sd___________962, 19 Sd
Acc. 31-087T LD#7, 5.6 #2400______825,15 Sd____________926, 14 Sd

181745

[Bzcraig]

Thanks guys, especially Outpost. The gun is a Keltec P32 with a very tight throat. I purchased the Accurate 31-077 but it would not feed unless the boolit was too deep to be comfortable with. I picked up a Lyman 313252 that drops at 80gr and functions well with 50/50. I will give the 30:1 a try.

Outpost - who hollow pointed your mold for you?

[Soundguy]

Dont go too soft in that p32

[Outpost75]

Erik Ohlen at www.hollowpointmold.com did my HP mold.

[Bigslug]

We did a group buy on the Ranch Dog 75 grainer over at NOE: http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.php?cPath=31_383&osCsid=3bthj9upf478llflrb46cc39c6

.32 and .380 are not rounds I'd want to trade penetration for expansion with - just not enough starting energy for a comfortable plunge to the Tootsie Roll center of the Tootsiepop when they open up. I went through the teething issues of soft bullets fouling by being sized down too small by short, stiff cases when helping my dad out with his 9mm project, and ultimately took the same tack of hard alloy, non-expanding, with moderate meplat for my pocket pistol rounds.

[Mytmousemalibu]

Me personally, I'd just use the standard COWW/Lyman #2 and feed it boolits with the widest meplat your gun will choke down reliably.

[Soundguy]

Lyman #2 really is a great alloy.