32 S&W/ACP out of a .303 - UK

[SMLElikeyoumeanit]

Evening all!
I've recently acquired an original Winchester made (patent 1899) chamber insert for .303 to use .32 ACP & .32 S&W Short (not long sadly!) - I've got the appropriate licencing authorisation before anyone asks!

I'm based in the UK, but sadly there only seems to be factory 32 Long not short available. I've got a comprehensive reloading setup but have not ventured into casting despite considering it.

Does have anyone have any experience in shooting .32 with a sleeve in a .303? Are there any suppliers for .32 Short projectiles or is casting the only option?

I had hoped this adaptor would allow .32 S&W Long but alas no! If neither the .32 ACP or .32 Short would be any good then I plan to purchase a .32 Long adaptor so I can use it in my No.4.

I have found old data from Lyman manuals (old!) For using red dot which I use already for loading 38 SPL.

Any help/guidance/advice would be super appreciated.

Thanks!

[Larry Gibson]

Trim some of the 32 long cases to fit.

[SMLElikeyoumeanit]

Trim some of the 32 long cases to fit.


Thanks Larry,

I have some 32 S&W short cases, my query related to projectiles, thanks

[Outpost75]

I have both the Winchester and Marbles .32 adapters for the .303 British. It isn't difficult to cut off .32 S&W Long brass with a tubing cutter, or .32 ACP cases will work. US single-0 buckshot or whatever UK size is closest to .316-.318" works well, pushing it flush to the case mouth after charging the primed case with a .22 LR case full of any fast-burning 12-ga. Shotshell powder used for assembling light target loads commonly used for shooting clays. Smear a dab of water pump or wheel bearing grease over the ball and you are good to go. In my No.4 rifle raising the Mk2 battlesight to the 500 yard aperture is good for indoor gallery shooting at 50 feet to 25 yards.

[SMLElikeyoumeanit]

I have both the Winchester and Marbles .32 adapters for the .303 British. It isn't difficult to cut off .32 S&W Long brass with a tubing cutter, or .32 ACP cases will work. US single-0 buckshot or whatever UK size is closest to .316-.318" works well, pushing it flush to the case mouth after charging the primed case with a .22 LR case full of any fast-burning 12-ga. Shotshell powder used for assembling light target loads commonly used for shooting clays. Smear a dab of water pump or wheel bearing grease over the ball and you are good to go. In my No.4 rifle raising the Mk2 battlesight to the 500 yard aperture is good for indoor gallery shooting at 50 feet to 25 yards.

Thanks for the insight!
I have red dot powder, which is what is referenced in the Lyman 44th Edition as being used.

Whilst I absolutely admire your ingenuity with the insertion of .22 propellant, I was hoping to be a bit more calculated to ensure no issues arise!

Many thanks

[SMLElikeyoumeanit]

I have both the Winchester and Marbles .32 adapters for the .303 British. It isn't difficult to cut off .32 S&W Long brass with a tubing cutter, or .32 ACP cases will work. US single-0 buckshot or whatever UK size is closest to .316-.318" works well, pushing it flush to the case mouth after charging the primed case with a .22 LR case full of any fast-burning 12-ga. Shotshell powder used for assembling light target loads commonly used for shooting clays. Smear a dab of water pump or wheel bearing grease over the ball and you are good to go. In my No.4 rifle raising the Mk2 battlesight to the 500 yard aperture is good for indoor gallery shooting at 50 feet to 25 yards.

Out of curiousity, is there much value to the Winchester adaptors? I also have a 577/450 Martini Henry to 45ACP adaptor, but it doesn't have any markings remaining so I'm unsure who made it!

[ascast]

as to value, it is a true niche market. I have a small collection as they were for trappers and farmers to kill without meat or hide damage. I've had some break when used. Nowadays, the survivalist movement has prompted folks to make new about anything that will work.
Marbles made a wide assortment. Anything with the Winchester name brings more money than reason would sometimes dictate, but whatever the market bears....

[Outpost75]

Out of curiousity, is there much value to the Winchester adaptors? I also have a 577/450 Martini Henry to 45ACP adaptor, but it doesn't have any markings remaining so I'm unsure who made it!

My Winchester adapter is nickel plated and has a stylized Winchester logo. In popular calibers they run about $100 at gun shows. The Marbles are blued and more common, running $50 -75 depending upon the caliber. I have seen A.J. Parker adapters for .577-450 to use .455, but not .45 ACP.

[Outpost75]

I was not using the .22 rimfire powder charge, but soldering a wire handle to the empty .22LR case so that it could be used as a dip measure to throw about 2.5-3 grains of Winchester 452AA or WST shotshell powder. Red Dot, 700X or Hodgdon Clays are also suitable.

[cwtebay]

I had a total fascination with both the Winchester and Marble's sub caliber inserts (so I own a few......).
Great advice for trimming the 32 Long, 32 ACP can be made from (can't believe I am saying this) 30 Pederson and 32 French Longue with a bit of work. You'll probably find that the chamber insert is not super convenient and need only a couple of hands full of brass for it.
Question: is that considered an 'essential' firearm component so ruled by law in GB?

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[jgstrug]

I don't know about exactly what you are interested, but I load .32s&w long with two grains of red dot and a 100gr flat nose round point cast and available in .313 size. I don't know if pressure would be high in the short case,but I know it would fit easily. I am not recommending that you try it just to see,I would want to find where someone has reliably done it.

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[cwtebay]

My daughter just reminded me that I purchased an Iver Johnson revolver just so I didn't have to pull bullets to make S&W shorts from the brass. Dang her memory.

Ironic though, isn't it? Those sub caliber chambers were meant for cheap practice! Now some of them (thinking about the 405 WCF one to 41 Long Colt especially) are waaaay cheaper to fire the parent round!
(Nope I'm not even going down the road of 25, 32, 41 rimfire cartridges as the cheapies....)

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[SMLElikeyoumeanit]

Thanks All!

The closest projectile I can find is a 78gr cast in 0.313 or 0.312 for S&W short. Does this look okay? https://shellhousebulletcompany.com/new-products/78gr-32-acp

This cast bullet is 1 grn more than the load data covers (Lyman 44th edition).

What are people's thoughts? Lyman is quoting a starting load of 1.4grn of red dot with a 77 GRN bullet, going up to 1.9.

Mindful it's a small projectile out a long barrel! The bullet is similar dimensions to .303 calibre.

Thanks!

[Thumbcocker]

Any reason you can't just load pistol boolits in .303 brass? I loaded size "O" buckshot swirled in liquid alox in .30-40 Krag brass over 3-4 grain of red dot and shot them out of a Ruger #3. Also Marlin .30-30. Most fun you can have with your pants on and functioned through the action. Rimmed cases work best.

[SMLElikeyoumeanit]

Any reason you can't just load pistol boolits in .303 brass? I loaded size "O" buckshot swirled in liquid alox in .30-40 Krag brass over 3-4 grain of red dot and shot them out of a Ruger #3. Also Marlin .30-30. Most fun you can have with your pants on and functioned through the action. Rimmed cases work best.

.303 is sadly not allowed due to it being a rifle calibre, and it's a pistol calibre range below a certain fps/muzzle energy.

Thanks!

[Tracy]

I don't see any issue whatsoever with that. .32 ACP might be a bit inaccurate because a lot of them use an undersize bullet compared to .32 S&W short and long. But .32 S&W should be perfect. And, I would think any published load would be fine.

[SMLElikeyoumeanit]

I don't see any issue whatsoever with that. .32 ACP might be a bit inaccurate because a lot of them use an undersize bullet compared to .32 S&W short and long. But .32 S&W should be perfect. And, I would think any published load would be fine.

Thanks! Are you responding to my comment #13?

[Tracy]

Thanks! Are you responding to my comment #13?
I was responding to your first post, but the bullet and load in post 13 looks good. I would probably get the .313" sized bullets, if you haven't ordered them yet.

[Green Frog]

NOTE CORRECTION!!!Just a random observation here (my only experience with rifle cartridge adaptors is 32 S&W in a 32-40 high wall). The 32 S&W is factory loaded to very conservative levels due to the large number of marginal strength, cheap revolvers that chamber it. Other than concerns about exceeding legal velocities, you will have little to no worry about strength and pressure of your reloads… your Enfield bolt action rifle will easily digest loads such as the shot-based ones that friend Outpost suggested or if you want to use that cast bullet you have available, I would feel safe beginning with the suggested starting load for the 1 grain lighter projectile and maybe even trying a couple of steps up. EMPHASIS:I would not reduce the load below suggested starting load because as you said, there’s a long tube for that bullet to travel through and you don’t want to be left with a bore obstruction! :shock::-?Enjoy.

Froggie

[paul edward]

In the mid 1960s when a No 1 MkIII* could be bought for $10, I made some 303 light gallery loads using 75 grain bullets cast in a Lyman 311252 mold. Powder was 2 grains of Bullseye, held in place by a wad of tissue paper. That same load should work in your 32 S&W chamber insert (without the tissue).

If you need to make cases, you can trim 32 S&W Long back until they chamber in your insert. You may not need to trim them back to .610, as the .680 of the 32 Auto may fit.

You can make your own bullets too. As mentioned above, #0 (.320") buckshot might be used as-is if it will chamber in your insert. If it does not fit, make a sizer. Using a 5/16" (.3125) drill bit, drill a hole in a piece of mild steel, bevel the leading edge and use a slightly smaller diameter punch to drive the buckshot through the hole.

If you can get the Lee CLASSIC BULLET SIZING KIT .311 on your side of the pond, that would work too. And it would allow you to size cast bullets if you ever decide to get into casting.

I have used #00 (.330) buckshot pressed into a .311 sizer die to make bullets for 32 Auto, 32 S&W Long, 303, 7.65x54 and 7.7x58.