32 ACP Brass

[beemer]

I was looking around my favorite gunshop today and picked up 4 boxes of Herter's brass for a 32 ACP. All the other Herter's brass I have was made in Sweden and I was told it was probably Norma. This was made in Finland, does anybody know who the maker might be ?

I've been playing with a 32ACP and a 32 S&W Long, they can be a pain in the backside to load but a pound of Bullseye goes a long way.

beemer

[crazy mark]

Lapua probably.

[9.3X62AL]

32 ACP can be surprisingly accurate in good pistols. American-made ammo in this caliber is down-loaded about 15%-20% from European intensities. Still no mastodon-stopper, but full-value 32 ACP will hammer small game and varmints like nobody's business.

[beemer]

I had forgoten about Lapua, it looks like very good brass so I bet your right.

I ran some Win 32 ACP over the chrono a while back and found that there is a difference. I didn't keep notes but I remember the S & B was around 900 fps and 150 fps or so faster than the Win.

I only shoot the CZ-50 at about 15 yds, it does fairly well considering I have never been a great pistol shot. The S & B shoots about 4 in. high and Win a little lower. A Lee 311-100-2R with 1 gr. of Bullseye is dead on. It is the smallest load that I tried, its easy to shoot and doesn't sling brass to parts unknown. The vel. is only 550 fps but it will kill paper and snakes just fine. I have been carring the CZ a lot, it will do anything I need to do around the home place.

The CZ has been reliable except for one of the mags that has given problems. I finally figured out the problem while fooling with reloads. I had fixed the mag lips that were to close together but it still wouldn't feed the next to last the round. The follower had a burr that was catching in the slot that holds the clip in. When the thing jammed it would shake the follower free, it was just luck that I found it.

I found a Colt Police Positive in 32 Colt NP, had been refinished but is in perfect mechanical condition. I guess that hurt the collector value but not the shooter value, perfect for me. I have been shooting the Lee 311-100-2R and the 309-113F, both do well but I haven't fine tuned either one yet.

beemer

[StarMetal]

My 32 is Walther PP and it's 100 percent reliable...and very very accurate.

A note on what Al mentioned as being unloaded in the states and being an anemic round...both true...but it was said of the CIA liked it because it had better penetration then the 380 and once inside the torso it rattled around the ribcage causing lots of damage. I don't know about that, but the penetration is good for this round.

I've shot some groundhogs with it and it put them right down. Yeah my stalking was pretty good when I did that. I'm not comparing the groundhog shoot to the CIA shootings.

I did a very informal test shooting some old hard cover books. I used the aforementioned 32, 357, and 45 acp. Bullets were the 80 gr cast in the 32, RCBS SWC cast in the 357, and Lyman 195 SWC in the 45 acp. Not only did the 32 penetrate the deepest, it's slug expanded larger then the others. Was an eye opener for me. Now these were target loads except for the 32.

Joe

[9.3X62AL]

I've had several 32 ACP pistols over the years, and a like number of 380 ACPs. The 32 has been significantly more accurate for me, to include both jacketed and cast projectiles. The Walther PP gets most of the 32 ACP attention these days, but there is also a Roth-Steyr M-1908 lurking in the safe that gets a little range time too. From "The One That Got Away" Department was a Beretta Model 81, a double-column magazine model very similar to the more popular Model 84 in 380 ACP. It was pretty accurate, and fit my hand well with Pachmayr grips.

Beemer, that Police Positive is a JEWEL, if it's anything like my example in 38 S&W. The RCBS SWC (98 grains) has been my go-to boolit in 32 S&W Long and 32 Magnum for over 20 years. Factory-level loads are a bit anemic, running about 700 FPS--the Colt is strong enough to enable 850-900 FPS without strain or wear using 95-100 grain bullets. Faster powders like Bullseye, WW-231, and Red Dot have been best for me in 32 S&W Long to the 900 FPS level. Some older data by Frank Barnes used Unique for some loads reaching 1000 FPS, but I'm not sure I would go that heavy with your little Colt.

[StarMetal]

I've had several 32 ACP pistols over the years, and a like number of 380 ACPs. The 32 has been significantly more accurate for me, to include both jacketed and cast projectiles. The Walther PP gets most of the 32 ACP attention these days, but there is also a Roth-Steyr M-1908 lurking in the safe that gets a little range time too. From "The One That Got Away" Department was a Beretta Model 81, a double-column magazine model very similar to the more popular Model 84 in 380 ACP. It was pretty accurate, and fit my hand well with Pachmayr grips.

Beemer, that Police Positive is a JEWEL, if it's anything like my example in 38 S&W. The RCBS SWC (98 grains) has been my go-to boolit in 32 S&W Long and 32 Magnum for over 20 years. Factory-level loads are a bit anemic, running about 700 FPS--the Colt is strong enough to enable 850-900 FPS without strain or wear using 95-100 grain bullets. Faster powders like Bullseye, WW-231, and Red Dot have been best for me in 32 S&W Long to the 900 FPS level. Some older data by Frank Barnes used Unique for some loads reaching 1000 FPS, but I'm not sure I would go that heavy with your little Colt.

No need to go heavy Al...just move on up the ladder to the more powerful 32's. I guess you could lump the 30's in with the 32's because many of the bore dimensions are just about the same.

Joe

[9.3X62AL]

No need to go heavy Al...just move on up the ladder to the more powerful 32's. I guess you could lump the 30's in with the 32's because many of the bore dimensions are just about the same.

Joe

Full agreement, Joe--which explains the S&W Model 16-4 x 6", I suppose. I surely wish that Ruger or S&W would chamber the 327 Federal in something other than a belly gun. It might be a fine self-defense platform, but half its potential is wasted by not putting the round into a field revolver.

[S.R.Custom]

Not long ago I had the opportunity to test the Kel-Tec .32 and .380 side by side. As an underpowered mouse gun whose purpose is to hide out in the pants pocket 'til absolutely necessary, I found the .32 to much more practical.

And what they say about domestic mouse ammo is true. I make it a point to keep a few boxes of the warmer Sellier & Bellot on hand for when the occasional mouse gun finds its way over the transom.


... I surely wish that Ruger or S&W would chamber the 327 Federal in something other than a belly gun. It might be a fine self-defense platform, but half its potential is wasted by not putting the round into a field revolver.

They tried that some time ago (.30 Carbine). Never seemed to garner much more than a cult following.

[bob208]

i carry a liama in .32 when i can't carry anything bigger. it is loaded with with magtech 71 gr. hp at 909 fps. if it ever come to needing it i hope for something bigger but that .32 is still better then saying bang or please.

[beemer]

StarMetal, one of my friends has a Walther in 32. I thought I was shooting a target pistol by the time I was done, it was very accurate, controlable and the sights were dead on. Most people think it is underpowered, maybe it is but if you consider the size of the package it can be a reasonable trade off. The Europeans must have thought so also, it was a standard police issue for years. In the real world I find it hard to carry a big gun all the time.

AL, the Colt is a sweet heart, I've been using the powders you mentioned and all seem to work well. I don't intend to shoot the heavier loads, I'm more interested in mild loads that are accurate and pleasant to shoot.

beemer

[9.3X62AL]

They tried that some time ago (.30 Carbine). Never seemed to garner much more than a cult following.

You say "cult following" like it's a bad thing. :)

ALL mid-caliber handguns are cult icons. I'm OK with that, and with being a cult follower. We serve safer Kool-Aid, too.

[S.R.Custom]

You say "cult following" like it's a bad thing. :)

Given my proclivity for anything 'supermag,' you know I'd never do that...

A couple of years ago a buddy of mine came back from the Shot Show when the .327 was but a mere rumble over the horizon. Somehow, he'd gotten a dummy round to take home. He was all excited, thinking he'd finally discovered the end-all be-all of defense cartridges. As I looked at the sample, I acted like I couldn't read the headstamp without my glasses-- "What's that say, .30 Rimmed Carbine?" You never saw anyone get mad so fast. Apparently he and a cohort had gotten into an argument down in Vegas that lasted for hours concerning that very same cartridge comparison...

Actually, I like the .327. Given the previous existence of the .32 Long and Magnum, I consider the .327 as being a natural progression, sort of a .32 SuperMag as it were. Seems to me that it would be the perfect name for the ultimate belly gun cartridge... [smilie=1:

[Nose Dive]

.327 Mag, Nice. Am reeming out a 32 ACP Cyclinder purhased for my Russian Nagant to either the 327 Mag or .32 H&R Mag. Probably the 327 as it is, as you state, a 'progressed' (longer) 32 H&R Mag. It is a 7 shot cyclinder in a 1945 model revolver so will not 'load it up' to 327 Mag Loads but will increase loadings above the 7.62 Nagant offerings. Old pistol is nice and a hoot to shoot albeit, well, what do really expect for a pistol make in 1945 by the Ruskies? Hard pull on hammer and trigger, but fun all the same. May find a 'long' mould and seat out to tip of 327 case to attempt to get nose of boolit into barrel when cyclinder moves up to end of barrel. Might improve accuracty and fps. Also, want some "32 SHOT Shells also..... Will see what we will see.


"Whiskey is for drinking, Water is for fighting over" ***Mark Twain***