.32 S&W Long loads

[Jim22]

I have a S&W revolver in .32 H&R mag.. I have some hot loads for it with cast 100 gr. boolits courtesy of Brian Pierce. But I want some light loads for squirrels, bunnies, etc.. I have a Lee mould for an 85 gr RN boolit and would like to use it at subsonic velocities. My hearing is pretty shot and I don't want more damage so would like a low noise load. I don't have a lot of fast powders. I have some W231 and some Red Dot. Lee's manual lists loads for the .32 long that would work but I'm wondering if someone has done this before?

[richhodg66]

Just use .32 S&W Long or .32 S&W data. I'd get some Bullseye if I were you, it meters a lot easier in those real small charges. My old Lyman manual shows 1.6 grains of Red Dot in a .32 S&W Long gives 520 FPS and 2.5 grains gives 750 with that bullet weight.

[Martin Luber]

231 is perfect...1.4 is soft

[Larry Gibson]

You might find some useful information in these threads;

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ing-32-S-amp-W

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...nique-PSI-Test


Substitute Red Dot for the Bullseye loads as they are very similar in burn rate and psi produced. The velocities listed are mostly for the 10" Contender test barrel so any out of your revolver will be considerably less.

[James Wisner]

I have an Colt Officers Model Match Heavy Barrel, and am shooting a 95 gr SWC boolit over 2.5 grs of Unq. At 50 foot they will not go thru 3/4" plywood.
Any of the above mentioned powders will work well.
Enjoy and have fun with the 32.
J Wisner

[Outpost75]

I use 2.0-2.2 grains of Bullseye in my 1927 Colt Police Positive and 1920 Pocket Positive with Accurate 31-095T flatnose. Velocity approximates factory ammo, 700-750 fps, depending upon barrel length and cylinder gap. Mild report, shoots to the fixed sights, fun to shoot , lets the air out of bunny wabbits better than a .22 and is gentle on the older guns. In modern guns chambered for the .32 H&R Mag. you can use 2.5-3.0 grains of Bullseye, based upon Larry's data. I don't exceed 2.5 grains in the light alloy frame Colt Cobra and Courier.

Attached thumbnail of Courier with red background shows the gun as received off GunBroker with its original 1953 aluminum cylinder, whereas the photo with white background with gray evidence ruler for scale is after rework by Sandy Garrett of Northern VA Gun Works, who fitted a modern steel cylinder, machined the cylinder and ratchet to fit the old frame, fitted a new hand and gave the action a duty tweak.

Attachment 279581Attachment 279582Attachment 279583Attachment 279719Attachment 279718

[Jim22]

You might find some useful information in these threads;

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ing-32-S-amp-W

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...nique-PSI-Test


Substitute Red Dot for the Bullseye loads as they are very similar in burn rate and psi produced. The velocities listed are mostly for the 10" Contender test barrel so any out of your revolver will be considerably less.

Thank you, Larry. I have read the first one you linked to. Interesting. I read where some are using Trail Boss. I have some of that, too. Now I'll go back and read the second link.

[Jim22]

So after reading, and printing out, Larry's previous work and comparing it with the data in the Lee manual I have decided to start with 2.5 grains Red Dot with the 85 grain Lee RN boolit lubed with a single layer of Lee Liquid Alox and a CCI 500 primer. I'll get some loaded up and go shoot them. This will be a short range load so will limit targets to 15-20 yards. The little S&W 631 has a four inch barrel and iron sights. I am hoping for something to use in place of a .22 long rifle but easily reloadable. It should be as effective on small game as a .22 rifle, providing I can do my part. I am expecting in the neighborhood of 750 fps.

[Mk42gunner]

I've been shooting 2.5 grains of Red Dot under a 313445 sparked by a WW spp in my little I frames. It would be cottontail accurate if I could see the tiny sights in the field. I don't remember the velocity, but it seems mild and is in line with factory velocities.

I made a dipper for that charge, none of the plastic Lee's gave the right one.

The next time I am going to go with the RCBS 32-098-SWC because the 313445 is such a PITA to cast with, and either 231, Red Dot or Bullseye powder.

Robert

[MT Gianni]

My I frame 32 long gets 2.5 gr and a Lee 90 gr tl bullet. It shoots well in the 32 Mags too.

[Walks]

Bullseye in my Police Positive; 2.2gr under a Lee 93gr RN.
Got some RCBS 98gr SWC to try in the .32S&W Long and H&R Mag.

Courtesy of My Good Friend CWLongshot.
The Man lives to CAST !

[Jim22]

So, took the gun and load out and shot it. It's kinda interesting... A cylinder full at about seven yards produced two three shot groups an inch apart. Both groups consisted of ragged one hole groups but and inch or so apart. I have more testing to do, obviously. I've never experienced this before with either this revolver or any other. There can be a couple reasons for it. Maybe there are differences in cylinder chambers. If I put numbers on each chamber and keep track of just where each one shoots I may learn something. I sized the boolits to .312". Might be right for half the chambers buit wrong for the others. Unsized boolits might resolve it.

[Outpost75]

My experience has been that older pre-WW2 Colt and S&W revolvers have .314-.315 cylinder throats and I normally size .314"

[Jim22]

My experience has been that older pre-WW2 Colt and S&W revolvers have .314-.315 cylinder throats and I normally size .314"

Thanks for that. This gun is a fairly recent S&W 631 stainless with 4" bbl. I need to either slug the chambers or try unsized boolits. I lean toward unsized because it has become very difficult to get sizing dies along with everything else.

[Larry Gibson]

My experience has been that older pre-WW2 Colt and S&W revolvers have .314-.315 cylinder throats and I normally size .314"

+1

Even the newer K-32s I used about 15 - 20 years ago had .314 throats. My S&W M30 also has .314 throats. My Ruger Single Six [1st run] has .312 throats. I size the 313631 and 311316 GC'd bullet for use in the Ruger at .312 but for use in the 32 S&WL cartridge both of those and the Lee TL314-90-SWCs are sized .314. They also do fine in the Ruger that way.

[JoeJames]

I use 2.0-2.2 grains of Bullseye in my 1927 Colt Police Positive and 1920 Pocket Positive with Accurate 31-095T flatnose. Velocity approximates factory ammo, 700-750 fps, depending upon barrel length and cylinder gap. Mild report, shoots to the fixed sights, fun to shoot , lets the air out of bunny wabbits better than a .22 and is gentle on the older guns. In modern guns chambered for the .32 H&R Mag. you can use 2.5-3.0 grains of Bullseye, based upon Larry's data. I don't exceed 2.5 grains in the light alloy frame Colt Cobra and Courier.

Attachment 279581Attachment 279582Attachment 279583Attachment 279584

I've got two fixed sight S&W H.E.'s; so I went with Hatcher's Textbook of Pistols and Revolvers on 1930's factory loads = 98 grain lead boolit and 2.0-2.1 grains of Bullseye. Both shot to point of aim with those loads. @650 fps with 2 grains and @680 fps with 2.1 grains of Bullseye.

[Mk42gunner]

Like Larry, my first Ruger SSM has .312" cylinder throats. I sized to .313" with FWFL and never shot a gas checked projectile through it. When I could still see iron sights clearly, it would place all six within 1-1¼" groups from the bench at 25 yards.

Since I had .313" H&I dies, that is what I shot through the first I frame. It did acceptably well.

Now I have a .314" Lee, so I am going to try that with BLL at least in the two S&W's, maybe the Rugers' too.

Robert

[EMC45]

For the record.....I size all bullets for the .32s at .314

[Thumbcocker]

For the record.....I size all bullets for the .32s at .314

+1 on .314