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Thread: Lee Mold Modification for .32 ACP

  1. #1
    Boolit Master Rangefinder's Avatar
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    Question Lee Mold Modification for .32 ACP

    I also put this up over at TFL, but the casting community there is limited (and most there frequent here as well (hey GP100man)--not so much the other way around.

    Not sure if anyone is using the 93gr lee mold for 32 Auto, but I picked one up (hesitantly) for the purpose. I'll be honest in saying I'm a little nervous about the higher grain bullet than what is listed and such limited case volume. My first thought was to drill and pin it as a hollow-point mold to reduce weight a little. BUT, I found this really wasn't an option because the real problem is in bullet length. By the time I reach a seating depth that doesn't rest on the lands, I'm so deep into the case that it's very near if not for sure a compressed load--which means it's really tight in there if only 1.5gr Red Dot is enough to fill the remaining space behind a seated bullet, and that just screams for a ka-boom. Then I had an idea---what if I shear off the base of the bullet right at the start of the bottom lube groove? The dimensions match perfectly with a gas check, and shorten the bullet by a fare amount as well.

    So---the outcome was this: After taking off the base of the bullet, sure enough-a .30 cal gas check snapped firm onto the "new" base that was previously a lube groove. After running through a sizer and crimping the GC, I threw it onto a scale---dead-on at 80 grains. It shortened the bullet enough to NOT risk compressing a load the way I was worried about before due to bullet length, as well as getting back in the realm of existing load date and pressures.

    So... Anyone else done this or something similar? I haven't ground down the mold itself yet (that might happen over the weekend), and this was just a morning brainstorm over my first cup of coffee--meaning I didn't even take any photos yet, much less had the chance to test the load. Any thoughts on this?

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master JIMinPHX's Avatar
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    I believe that Geargnasher cut down a mold so that it would drop shorter boolits & had good results.
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  3. #3
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    I've heard of similar stuff, but post some pics of the Job! We always like to see what others have done...
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  4. #4
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    I have trimmed one or two Lee mold to shorten and reduce weight. I don't see any problems with your plan. Be sure to get some pics soon.
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  5. #5
    Boolit Master Rangefinder's Avatar
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    Working on---well, thinking about working on it anyway. Time hasn't been cooperative on the matter. What I settled on was planing down the mold to shorten the bullet--right up to the bottom lube groove, then milling it out to be a flat-base lead bullet again rather then a fitted gas check. .32 auto is by no means a high-pressure or high velocity round--no sense wasting my 30 cal gas checks on something that won't benefit from it--or I can finish my check maker project (need to do that anyway since checks are getting so D#&%ed expensive--then the checked .32 auto would be good in a sense of possibly less fouling. Dunno--could go either way. Actually, since it's a 2-cav mold, it may just go BOTH ways. First thing I gotta do is get the stinking sprue plate screw out---I think they put those things in with a high-pressure impact wrench!

  6. #6
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    Mk42gunner's Avatar
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    I think Lee uses a self tapping screw for the sprueplate pivot. If you can get it to start, it should come out easily. One thing that might help is to get the mold hot before trying.

    When you replace it after modifying your mold, you will probably have to use a set screw to lock the pivot screw in place.

    Good Luck,

    Robert

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mk42gunner View Post
    I think Lee uses a self tapping screw for the sprueplate pivot. If you can get it to start, it should come out easily. One thing that might help is to get the mold hot before trying.

    When you replace it after modifying your mold, you will probably have to use a set screw to lock the pivot screw in place.

    Good Luck,

    Robert
    +1 on this and that darn self tapping sprueplate screw. You will have better luck with it if you vise the mold up so you can apply alot of downward pressure with a battery or power drill while taking out that screw. Without pressure you may strip the phillips head of the screw............and there is the dreaded part that the threads might actually go too. I had both happen and have had to drill out and retap new threads for a bolt one or two sizes bigger. You will more than likely have to put in a set screw after it is all said and done though. I've found that cutting threads in aluminum especially the soft Lee mold block aluminum is a challenge in itself. Make sure to use some sort of lube appropriate for alluminum before tapping new threads. I've used wax, and lately had good luck with Bull Plate sprue lube............this was discovered by one of our forum members; geargnasher if memory serves me right.

    Good luck and keep us posted

  8. #8
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    Not what you asked for I know. But here's the data I have for the Hornady 90 grain swaged SWC:

    1.7 grains of Bullseye for ~800 fps
    2.0 grains of W231 for ~850 fps
    2.0 grains of Unique for ~800 fps
    2.4 grains of Herco for ~800 fps

    I particularly like the Herco loads and have shot thousands of them with complete satisfaction from a 1930 vintage Walther PP. The data should work just fine for the 93 grain Lee as is since it should have less boolit in the case than the Hornady SWC.

    I just couldn't see myself gas checking .32 ACP boolits...

  9. #9
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    ...........I've flycut several moulds for folks who wanted them lightened. I've done 3 Lee Tumble lube design 148gr wadcutter moulds so those have been the favorite. One reported back that it ended up being about 93 grs. Haven't done one for anyone wanting to try a GC yet.

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  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    I have loaded the Lee 311-100 2R in the 32 auto. The mould was for the 32 S&W Long I was playing with. The CZ-50 functioned and shot very well with the 100 gr. boolit with 1 gr. of Bullseye at a little over 550 fps. I went up to 1.4 grs of Bullseye and the vel. jumped to 730 fps and felt like the hot S&B loads I usually shoot. I do think the boolit is to heavy and limits powder space in the 32 auto. I would recommend a lighter boolit for the 32 auto.

    While playing with the 32 S&W Long I cut down a Lee C309-113-F (soup can). I scribed a line around the blocks and cut it down with a file, being a single cavity made it a lot easier. Now I have a nice 100 gr. flat point mould without a gas check for my little Colt 32.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master Rangefinder's Avatar
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    imashooter2>> Thanks much! Good info is always appreciated. Since nothing seems to want to help that stupid sprue plate screw back its way out short of drilling it out, I'm thinking I'm gonna hold off a week or so till I can get out to the range with some of what I already have cast, sized, and lubed using some of the data you show. Then I'll decide whether or not to bother with a trim job.

    For ref, they're feeding an old Ruby from about 1912-13 (near as I've been able to trace) with the French Army "stars"--for those who may be familiar. Being as old as it is, I'm just being really conservative about pushing it harder than it should be. Well maintained or not, it's still old production. I could be acting a little overly cautious, but that's also a good indicator why I still have all my fingers, both eyes, etc...
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  12. #12
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    Get a propane torch and heat the blocks up. The screw should come right out. Aluminum weakens considerably as temperatures rise.

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy zardoz's Avatar
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    I have experience with this...

    Rangefinder:

    Check this thread out. I went down the road I believe you are asking about, a while back.

    Specs, results, photos, and chrono results from the entire operation. Boolit was 74 grains, but see the photos for comparison to a factory round.

    On that sprue plate screw, I used a proper fitting Phillips head, and clamped a vice grips on the shaft very tightly. A square shaft screwdriver is the ticket there. Then I put a lot of my body weight on the end of the screwdriver with my left palm, and used the vice grips to turn the screwdriver shaft. It came right out after a "pop!" when the self-tapping screw dislodged. Mind you, this was on a brand new mould that had never seen alloy, but it has worked on others.

    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...=32acp+project

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy
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    After ruining many fasteners on 1970s Honda CB-750 engines, I read somewhere that they should be removed with an impact driver. I've been using one ever since with great success.

    Best of all, they are cheap and available at Harbor Freight.

    Here is the Impact Screwdriver

    jonblack

  15. #15
    Boolit Mold
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    Click image for larger version. 

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    A friend of mine helped me do my Lee 311-100-2R mold mod for .32 ACP today! I took .115" off with a fly cutter in .005" passes, just enough to fully remove the bottom driving band and lube groove. The pins attaching the mold blocks to the handles were no problem, it cut right through real nice. We cut new vent lines on top with a small boring bar attachment in the fly cutter set to 1.25" radius, .25" spacing, cut .003" deep. We also removed .050" off the end of the sprue plate pivot bolt so it didn't hit the mold handles. Finally, we installed a #6-32 set screw from the side to help lock the sprue plate pivot bolt. Now all I have to do is cast a few to see what the final weight will be, probably a tad over 80 grains if the results others have posted here play out.

    ****UPDATE: Cast a bunch of good bullets today, using COWW they came out at 79 grains.
    Last edited by NavyGuns45; 11-13-2021 at 04:22 PM. Reason: report final bullet weight

  16. #16
    Boolit Mold
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    I just went through that on a mild block. You will find the Lee sprue
    plate screw is reverse thread. It was the last thing I tried, but I just tried another mold and that is the case.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master kywoodwrkr's Avatar
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    Did a 6 cavity a couple years ago for member here.
    Think he said results were about 77 gr.
    Have two 2 cavity to try later this school year.
    Currently working on heavier steel sprue plates.(Horse before the cart!)

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check