32acp .314 100gr reload data?

[SpaceCowby43]

Has anyone ever reloaded for 32acp using .314 diameter 100 grain bullets? I have some .314 diameter 100gr RN BB bullets that I wanted to load for 32acp. Is this possible? I have seen a few references to .314 bullets in the 32 acp but none as heavy as the 100 grain. I was thinking something like 2.0 gr of 231 powder. The pistol is a FEG AP7. Anyone ever used these bullets in a 32acp?

[Captain Wheelgun]

I haven't used anything that heavy, but I have had good luck with Hornady's 90 gr swaged SWC over 1.8 gr of 231 in several .32 ACP guns. You might start by looking at data for .32 S&W short, as this is a lower pressure round that uses bullets in this weight range.

[Outpost75]

Years ago I loaded .312" diameter 100-grain Winchester swaged lead flatpoint .32-20 bullets shaped similar to #3118 at 0.96" OAL with 2.5 grains of Unique, the 1.8 grains of W231 mentioned above or 1.6-1.7 grains of Bullseye will also work.

I would NOT use these heavy bullet loads if your FEG AP7 has an aluminum alloy frame, but I have used these loads in the M1903 Colt Pocket Model, CZ27, CZ50 and Walther PP with no issues.

What you must be careful of with the heavier bullets is that the base of the bullet may interfere with the internal case taper and cause a bulge which impairs chambering. The Lee Factory Crimp die is best to address that. Also pay attention to seating depth and overall length and do not permit cartridge OAL to be less than 0.96" or it will dangerously increase pressure. Longer OAL up to 0.98" is fine as long as the bullet profile does not drag against the front of the magazine body.

[gwpercle]

Typically 32 acp boolits are sized .309. .314 dia. at .005 larger might interfer with a round chambering. Load up a dummy round and see if it fits and feeds . I have loaded 100 gr. Speer 30 cal. .308 dia. plinkers in a Walther PPK, steel frame, and they fed ,fired and ejected just fine. My notes show that I used 2.4 grs. Unique (that was the only powder I had at the time). The plinker is 1/2 J-word with 1/2 round nosed lead protruding. I seated the bullet so the J-word half was in the case with the lead RN half protruding ( OAL hadn't been invented then) . It beat buying factory bullets as all they had then were full metal jacket. They worked pretty good, I would think a limited amount of shooting would not batter the FEG.
Gary

[rintinglen]

I shot some .312 98 grain RN boolits out of my Beretta Tomcat, I don't have the load data to hand, but it was not a success. Though the load functioned all right, the POI was over a foot high and about 5 inches left at 7 yards. My first 5 round were off the paper on the Bullseye target I was using. I couldn't tell where I was hitting until I put up a silhouette target.

[beemer]

I have used Lee round nose 100 gr boolits to load the 32 auto in a CZ-50. They will work but I ran into the same problems Outpost75 experienced. Another problem is that the heavy boolit uses up the powder space. One gr. of Bullseye made the pistol function most of the time and 1.4 seemed hot. With limited powder space things change fast.

I borrowed a Lyman 85 gr. mould and poured a coffee can full, it worked much better.

Dave

[FergusonTO35]

I have a 75 grain LFP mold from Accurate Molds and it works great. I load these slugs with 2.1 grains of Hodgdon Titewad and a Federal Gold Medal primer to an OAL of .945. They average 885 fps in my Kel-Tec and are my carry load.

[Outpost75]

In the Group Buy area JT and I have been brainstorming a light .30 cal plinker for gallery loads. Originally we were thinking only of rifle use, but to expand its potential, I modified my original post, suggesting a bevel- based bullet which would mitigate the case body bulge issue in. 32 ACP. Currently we are looking at a 100 grain bullet which could also be used in the 7.62x25 or. 30 Luger.

The design is not set in stone, but JT put up a drawing to stimulate discussion
We would need orders for 20 six-cavity molds at $125 each to make this fly. Please visit the thread and comment if so inclined.

[Outpost75]

Time to dust off this old thread!

Accurate Molds now has CATALOGUED A GREAT VARIETY of excellent designs for .32 ACP which are all now well proven. You can "tweak" dimensions for your pistol and alloy. Delivery time is about 3 weeks.
The 31-087T is the most reliable feeder in pistols which "don't feed anything but hardball".

The 31-077B is a near duplicate of the Buffalo Bore bullet, but has a longer nose and should be loaded to a minimum Ctg. OAL of 0.945" so as to positively prevent any "shuffling in the magazine stack" which could cause "rimlock."

31-090B mimicks the Buffalo Bore shape with longer nose for improved feeding, and a heavier bullet.

31-090V has a full .25" meplat but with same case head to feed ramp contact length as hardball for reliable feeding in most pistols.

31-095T is the heaviest, most blunt bullet which it is possible to load and get reliable function in most .32 ACP pistols.

Attachment 181746Attachment 181747Attachment 181748Attachment 181749Attachment 181750

A charge of 5.9 grains of Alliant #2400 with 31-077B is a near-duplicate of the Buffalo Bore +P

A charge of 5.6 grains of Alliant #2400 with 31-087T or 31-090V approximates Buffalo Bore energy with a heavier bullet.

A charge of 3 grains of AutoComp with 31-090B or 31-095T approximate .380 ACP payload, velocity and energy and therefore exceed even Buffalo Bore .32 ACP +P energy. These are +P+ suitable for use in STEEL FRAMES ONLY, in full-sized pistols such as the SIG P230, Walther PP, Colt M1903, CZ27, CZ50, and Beretta M1935 substituting heavier Wolffe .380 ACP recoil springs for the stock springs, because they are FRAME crackers if used in the aluminum alloy framed Beretta Tomcat or Keltec!!!

Attachment 181751

[Kosh75287]

Wow. Alliant #2400 in a pocket pistol round. Seems kinda counter-intuitive, but there's not much arguing with success. I wonder if AA#7 or Alliant Power Pistol might be worth trying in it. The current "darling" among the pistol powders at Alliant seems to be BE-86 (for which I have only praise). It MAY be formulated to give a more gradual pressure vs. charge weight than other powders. I don't know what Power Pistol looks like, but BE-86 reminds me of ball powder, so it may occupy less of the available powder space, giving better burning characteristics in very small-capacity rounds.

[Outpost75]

I have never used AA#7, but Olin AutoComp is close to it in burning rate, use 2.5 grains of that as start load with 31-090B, 3.0 grains MAX!