.311 Round ball for .32 ACP

[Combat Diver]

Anyone have a load for a 45-50gr .311 Round Ball in a .32 ACP/7.65mm Browning?

CD

[Outpost75]

Yes. 2.5 grains of Bullseye will cycle. Not all guns will feed, but my 1903 Colt will.

[mattw]

Interesting... I just got a .311 RB mould and have a couple of 32ACP's, may have to try this. I assume slight crimp mid ball?

[Outpost75]

Interesting... I just got a .311 RB mould and have a couple of 32ACP's, may have to try this. I assume slight crimp mid ball?

Correct. What also works well is to take a larger diameter ball, such as a 00 buckshot, and push it through a .311 size die, so that you have a short, cylindrical mid-section to seat into the case mouth, then roll-crimp with just a wee bit of the as-sized diameter showing.

[rintinglen]

Correct. What also works well is to take a larger diameter ball, such as a 00 buckshot, and push it through a .311 size die, so that you have a short, cylindrical mid-section to seat into the case mouth, then roll-crimp with just a wee bit of the as-sized diameter showing.

^This works pretty well, not a gnat-sniper but my Colt shot them without hiccup.

[mattw]

Outpost75... now you are gonna make me try this. May have to get a few 00 buck to test with, don't have a shell to take apart as I only shoot #4 or slugs. I put off trying a 32acp for decades, just was not interested... now that I have a couple... I really do like the little guys. The point and shoot ability of the CZ70, the weight and lack of recoil have earned it a spot in the night stand from time to time.

[Outpost75]

If you PM me with your mailing address I'll send you some Accurate 31-087Bs as I have these laid back and ready to load.

224584

[Combat Diver]

Thanks guys. Didn't have any Bullseye but found a old note in my reloading log using 3.2 grs of Unique which I always have on hand. My round balls come from my Lee two cav. mold. Also use 9 of them under Unique for a 1 oz load in 12 ga.

Using .311 round balls and Unique. Didn't feed out of my CZ50 but extracted and ejected. No signs of pressure.
https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/32677/IMG_5270-621033.JPG

Hornady 85gr XTPs under Titegroup. Very accurate in my limit use so far. Feeds and ejects fine.
https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/32677/IMG_5272-621037.JPG

A mold for the .32 is on my want list.

CD

[Texas by God]

If you PM me with your mailing address I'll send you some Accurate 31-087Bs as I have these laid back and ready to load.

224584Outpost 75 sent me some of those and they were great in the .32 ACP as well as working wonderfully for a plinker/small game 30-30 boolit! Take his offer.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Outpost75]

They also work great in the 7.62x25 Tokarev with 5.2 grains of Bullseye for 1380 fps from the TT33.

[GhostHawk]

I've done it in the .32sw long, and .32 H&R Mag.

00 buck sizes to .314 very nicely.
A little coating of BLL and its ready to go.

I also have 10 rounds waiting to be tested.

2 grains of Red Dot, a single #1 buckshot (.30 cal) which drops down to sit on top of the powder. Then load a sized 00 buck and crimp. Double whammy.

[Outpost75]

...If you use R-P brass for your 85gr XTP rounds, you can avoid those unsightly bulges in the middle of the case....If firing in a CZ70 or similar European pistols, resizing the XTP bullets to 0.309 can help reduce pressures....
Marshall

Or buy the .309" diameter 90-grain Hornady XTPs they make for the .30 Luger, .30 Mauser and 7.62x25. Starline brass does not bulge either.

[mattw]

@Combat Diver,

If you use R-P brass for your 85gr XTP rounds, you can avoid those unsightly bulges in the middle of the case. I have found that 2.7gr Unique or 3.0gr Autocomp will give you ~950 fps with this bullet. If firing in a CZ70 or similar European pistols, resizing the XTP bullets to 0.309 can help reduce pressures. Finally, in my CZ70, it was necessary to drop the OAL down to 0.920 to get this round to pass the plunk test.

Marshall

I am finding the cz70 chamber to be a pain! If you want to hand extract a loaded round, they have to be very short. I have a stock of Missouri Bullets Cowboy #18 that I am sizing down to .310-.311 and putting a very slight taper crimp so the OAL is .949 and they seat to far into the rifling and will not hand eject. They shoot fine and show no pressure signs, but they are a PITA. I am tempted to track down a 32apc reamer with a little longer throat and open it up a tiny bit. Most factory ammo will not pass the plunk test. I have tried PPU, Win and R-P so far. The only bullet that seems to do it is the shortened Lee 311-100-R2. I have the mould, but really do not feel up to taking a file to it and trying to keep it flat. I always stink at jobs like that! Someone sent me a few and they are really the perfect cast replacement for a factory FMJ bullet in 32acp. I wish custom moulds were not so expensive!

My Kel-tec will plunk chamber anything I have tried, longer throat.

[mattw]

I have found that with R-P and some W-W brass I need to use the Lee undersize size die to get good bullet retention when using .309 and .310 bullets. When using Euro brass I can use the standard Lee size die and not have any retention problems. So, the lesson learned??? Sort brass by manufacturer and size accordingly. I have grown very fond of Fiocci (G.F.L.) brass.

The variances in extractor grooves has not caused me any troubles with the CZ70, yet. I am going to pick up a spare ejector before winter and work on tuning it over winter as the darn thing throws brass a country mile. I am running a Wolfe Walther PP 380 recoil spring and it helps some. I just can't believe how reliable the CZ70 really is, I have yet to have a FTF or any other mechanical stoppage over 250 to 300 rounds.

[Outpost75]

...I am finding the cz70 chamber to be a pain!...

My Kel-tec will plunk chamber anything I have tried, longer throat.

The easiest fix for short-throated .32 ACP barrels is to rethroat them using the front end of a .30 M1 Carbine chambering reamer.

[mattw]

Had not thought of that! There is someone around that rents reamers... if I remember correctly. Have not touched a reamer in years and neither is a common caliber to cut chambers for.

[Outpost75]

A .30 cal neck and throater would work if neck diameter is not too large. You want .337".

[mattw]

Will likely chicken out, as I like the CZ70 and it is functional.

[RED BEAR]

I must agree with mattw. I have a cz50 and the chambers can be a pain. Mine will not accept any buldges of any kind if you can see it it ain't going to chamber. It also doesn't like long loads . Blazer ammo will pull the bullet out of you try to extract a loaded round. To short wouldn't work for me either . fucci and pvi feed flawlessly so it will work have went to rcbs mold and it is feeding better but not there yet . Had to replace the barrel so may still be a little off on the feed ramp.

[mattw]

I must agree with mattw. I have a cz50 and the chambers can be a pain. Mine will not accept any buldges of any kind if you can see it it ain't going to chamber. It also doesn't like long loads . Blazer ammo will pull the bullet out of you try to extract a loaded round. To short wouldn't work for me either . fucci and pvi feed flawlessly so it will work have went to rcbs mold and it is feeding better but not there yet . Had to replace the barrel so may still be a little off on the feed ramp.

I have to agree with you the CZ70 steps from chamber directly into fully rifled bore. Without the bullet seated to the ogive they do not extract. I would really like to throat the barrel, it would open up so many different bullets. But, like I said... I am going to chicken out as it is not worth gunsmith charges and I don't want to f it up!

[Outpost75]

I have to agree with you the CZ70 steps from chamber directly into fully rifled bore. Without the bullet seated to the ogive they do not extract. I would really like to throat the barrel, it would open up so many different bullets. But, like I said... I am going to chicken out as it is not worth gunsmith charges and I don't want to f it up!

Rent a .30 carbine reamer, buy a small can of Brownell's Do-Drill and to it yourself by hand, 10 minutes tops.

Grasp barrel in vise, use socket wrench handle. First turn will be stiff until reamer take edges of lands off. Then go to a light touch when reamer starts to cut smoothly. Back out reamer, brush chips out of flutes, wipe out chamber and visually inspect with bright penlight.

You should be able to see readily where the reamer cuts little "ramps" on the tops of the lands at origin of rifling. Re-oil and proceed reaming again. Wipe and check every couple turns as you go.

Stop when a bright ring from the mouth stop shoulder of the .30 carbine reamer begins to appear as it just starts to cut a little at the origin of the forcing cone ahead of the case mouth. A noticeable ring is fine, but you don't need or want to remove the entire forcing cone, changing to a square shoulder by going deeper.

[mattw]

I know, you keep saying that! :) If it can be broken, I can break it. May be a winter effort, during the summer just to much going on.

[Combat Diver]

My CZ50 chokes feeding 60 gr Winchester Silvertips so those are hand chambered followed by FMJs. Speer Gold Dots do feed in mine IIRC.

CD

[LAGS]

Many Years ago, I had a little .32 Singer that at the time could not afford to buy ammo for.
So I reloaded the cases with a vise a nail and buck shot balls.
I remember that BE worked the best, and I finally found a load that would cycle.
I would have never used it for self defense, but it was a fun plinker