Need advice from those that load 32 ACP and 32 S & W (short) - die questions

I need some help from those that know . . .

I am looking at possibly getting set up to reload 32 ACP and am on the look-out for a small pocket gun – primarily for plinking and having fun and occasional pocket carry – so far, I have the brass and will slowly add what is needed when I run across it –

AND

I also picked up a conversion cylinder in 32 S & W (Short) for a Uberti 1849 pocket model – so I would like to be able to load some 32 S & W (Short) for that at some point.

My question is on dies . . . .

I’m looking at my 3rd edition of the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook and for the 32 ACP – which of course headspaces on the case mouth – it shows a case body dimension of .3375, a case mouth dimension of .3365 and a case length of .680 on the drawing of the cartridge.

For the 32 S & W (Short), which headspaces on rim, it shows a case diameter of .339 and a case length of .605.

So, I started to look to see what I needed in dies and I ran across a set of Lyman dies that the factory label indicates will load “32 S & W – Long/ACP/H & R”. So, looking at the dimensions of the 32 S & W Long, the manual shows a cartridge body diameter of .337 (.002 smaller than the 32 S & W “Short”) but only .0005 smaller than the 32 ACP casing. I am guessing that the expanding and seating stems of the Lyman dies are dimensioned so that they would work with the shorter 32 ACP casing as far as their length and adjustment. But, that set of dies is obviously labeled and will load both a 32 S & W Long and a 32 ACP (the label says nothing about 32 S & W (Short) however.)

So . . . I’m a bit confused as to what dies I would need to load the 32 ACP and the 32 S & W (short). Right now, I’m looking at Lee dies. If I purchase a set of Lee dies for loading the 32 ACP, would the same set of dies work for loading the 32 S &W (short)? Or, if I bought a set of Lee dies for loading the 32 S & W (short), would those also work for loading the 32 ACP – and if so, would I need to also get a 32 ACP taper crimp die?

OR

Am I going to need to buy both sets of Lee dies – one for the 32 ACP and one for the 32 S & W (short)?

As an example, I have often used Lee dies from one caliber or another to reload such cartridges as 38 Colt Short and Long – using a 9mm taper crimp to crimp with – a different seating die that works O.K. to seat the boolit – size them in a 38/357 FL die, etc. I’m just not familiar with the 32s to know what will work and what won’t.

I have the Lyman die set but have only used them for .32 ACP.They should work fine for the standard .32 S&W by adjusting the dies.

I have that set of dies, sadly the label came unglued so I will quote from memory. When I bought it the label read that it would load the .32 S&W/ S&W Long/ACP/H&R Mag. The .327 Fed wasn't around then or it would probably be on it too. It comes with a fourth die to taper crimp the ACP, at least mine did. There is no reason you couldn't use it for the S&W, if the roll crimp shoulder isn't low enough.

I have not tried to load either the .32 ACP or the .32 S&W, yet. One of these days I will.

I also have a sneaking suspicion that you could load the 7.65 French Long with this set of dies. May require a different shellholder though.

Robert

The 7.65x20mm French Longue uses a .30 M1 Carbine shell holder.

I have a older RCBS set and its says 32 S&W long. It works for 32 H&R but not 327. So I bought a nee RCBS for 327. They size all the 32's fine but I had to buy a seater for 32 auto works fine for 32 s&w.

A few years ago, I loaded some gallery type round ball loads into 32 Auto brass. Shot them in my little S&W Lemmon-Squeezer. They shot OK, but nuthin special.

Now I'm trying to figure out how I did it, because I can't find a 32 Auto shell holder in any of my nooks or crannies. I don't think I could have done it with the 32 S&W shell holder. :| A memory is a tough thing to lose. jd

jd - according to my 3rd edition Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook - the 32 S & W, 32 S & W Long and the 32 ACP all use the same shell holder - it was one thing I had not taken a look at so took a quick look - I had just assumed the 32 ACP would not take the same shell holder being a rimless casing.

EDIT: jd and others - I need to CORRECT the information that I presented in this post about the 32 S & W Short (and other 32 rimmed) taking the same shell holder as the 32 ACP. My 3rd edition Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook shows that both the 32 S & W Short and the 32 ACP both take a Lyman #9 shell holder. The information given in the Lyman 3rd Edition - at least my copy - is in error as the correct shell holder for the 32 ACP should be a Lyman #23 according to a shell holder comparison chart that I later referred to. My apologies.

Please see another post of mine further down. Thank you.

I have a 32 S&W Lee set and a 32 H&R mag Lee set. I use the mag dies to load 32 long when necessary.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bedbugbilly

jd - according to my 3rd edition Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook - the 32 S & W, 32 S & W Long and the 32 ACP all use the same shell holder - it was one thing I had not taken a look at so took a quick look - I had just assumed the 32 ACP would not take the same shell holder being a rimless casing.

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Well the 32 Auto does have a bit of a rim. Guess ya could call it semi-rimmed. I just don't think that I'd trust the wimpy little rim to extract the case from the sizing die. The star extractor on my little top break pistol grabs it good enough. jd

When I inherited my grandmother's H&R top break in 32 S&W I invested in a set of TruLine Jr (Lyman 310) dies and use those for the short and the long.

I use the Hornady dies for 32 S&W up to 32 H&R Mag , on all that also 32 ACP and 327 mag , I do not remember the shell holders are but I know for 32 S&W ,32 S&W Long , 32 H&R Mag and 327 Fed Mag use the same shell hold , the 32 ACP use a different one. It works for me .

Thanks to all for the help and information - cleared up a lot of my questions.

Wayne Smith - I hear you! I often use my Lyman 310 sets on the cartridges I load and a set of 310 dies for the 32 S & W would be nice. Oddly enough, I had a set probably fifteen years ago in a large lot of 310 dies that I purchased - I never thought I would be loading 32 S & W or 32 ACP so I sold them along with the other sets I though tI would never need. What do they say about "regrets"? :-) You used to be able to find sets of 310 dies at a reasonable and fair price - now that Lyman has discontinued making the 310 line, seems like folks think the little steel dies suddenly turned into "gold dies". Hah!

Thank you again everyone . . . greatly appreciate the help!

I bought a Lee .32S&W die set because it supposedly had a seating die that would roll crimp .32 Short & Wimpy. It wouldn't, Lee C. S. Rep couldn't understand the problem. So I was forced to have a RCBS die body for .32S&W Long turned down to use for a Roll Crimp die.

Shot 75gr #311252 in My Grandmother's S&W LemonSqueezer. Not much accuracy, but lots of fun.
And yes the revolver rounds based on the .32S&W all use the same shell holder.
The .32ACP uses a different shell holder.
But you can load .32ACP & .32S&W Long with the same die set.
I use a .32H&R die set for that cartridge.
No experience with .327Fed.

I have the Lee set and have used them to load 32 short, 32 long. and 32 acp with no issues.

With the dies I have stated I load all of these 32 cals .

I need to make an apology and a correction to an earlier post of mine in regards to the correct t shell holders for the 32 S & W "short" and the 32 ACP cartridges. In looking at the casing dimensions of both cartridges in my 3rd edition of the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook - I did question the shell holder number but, I figured that Lyman knew what they were talking about. It now appears, that at least in the copy I have, that the information that they show for the 32 ACP shell holder is incorrect (they show it as a Lyman #9). In fact, it is a Lyman #23 according to a shell holder comparison chart that I located. Several members posted in this thread that the 32 S & W and the 32 ACP took different shell holders and they are indeed correct. I will post the information from the comparison chart below in case anyone has an interest.

Shell holders for 32 S & W "Short" (and other 32 rimmed - 32 S & W "Long", H & R, etc.)

Hornady #36
Lee #4
Lyman #9
RCBS #23
Redding #10

Shell holder for 32 ACP

Hornady #32
Lee no shell holder number shown for the Lee in the chart I referred to
Lyman #23
RCBS #17
Redding #22

My apologies for any confusion my mis-statement in an earlier post may have caused.

Thanks.

Jim

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bedbugbilly

I need to make an apology and a correction to an earlier post of mine in regards to the correct t shell holders for the 32 S & W "short" and the 32 ACP cartridges. In looking at the casing dimensions of both cartridges in my 3rd edition of the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook - I did question the shell holder number but, I figured that Lyman knew what they were talking about. It now appears, that at least in the copy I have, that the information that they show for the 32 ACP shell holder is incorrect (they show it as a Lyman #9). In fact, it is a Lyman #23 according to a shell holder comparison chart that I located. Several members posted in this thread that the 32 S & W and the 32 ACP took different shell holders and they are indeed correct. I will post the information from the comparison chart below in case anyone has an interest.

Shell holders for 32 S & W "Short" (and other 32 rimmed - 32 S & W "Long", H & R, etc.)

Hornady #36
Lee #4
Lyman #9
RCBS #23
Redding #10

Shell holder for 32 ACP

Hornady #32
Lee no shell holder number shown for the Lee in the chart I referred to
Lyman #23
RCBS #17
Redding #22

My apologies for any confusion my mis-statement in an earlier post may have caused.

Thanks.

Jim

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My older set of Lee 32ACP dies came with shell holder 7B. The current version is probably R7.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hoodat

Well the 32 Auto does have a bit of a rim. Guess ya could call it semi-rimmed. I just don't think that I'd trust the wimpy little rim to extract the case from the sizing die. The star extractor on my little top break pistol grabs it good enough. jd

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The rim is plenty big.. remember.. some cases have rebated rims. I have no problems sizing 32acp.. and my 32HR and 327 federal star extractors seem to grab them fine.

The Lee 32 acp shell holder is #7 and my rcbs #10 looks like it would for 32acp but I have not tried it.