Is a lead bullet swaged when seating in a cartridge - 32-20WCF

[StevenDJ]

I'd appreciate the input from some of the more experienced folk here.

I am casting and loading 32-20 or 32WCF (I'll add both names for the sake of the search function). I load with homemade blackpowder and a 20:1 (Lead : Pewter) alloy.

- Bullets are casting around 0.314 from an MP 640-314 mold
- Using the Lee resizing die brings the internal diameter to around 0.308 (a difficult measurement to make accurately with calipers) and the external neck diameter to 0.319
- I am using Starline brass which measures about 0.006 thickness (another difficult measurement to make) but this seems to coincide with the other measurements given the measurement error.
- After seating a bullet the external neck diameter is 0.326 so seating the 0.314 bullet is expanding the neck by 0.017.

This pressure required to seat the bullet makes it seam likely that the bullet would be swaged on seating.

I tried to confirm my own question by making the measurements, but although I am reporting measurements above, it is just as easy to report +/- 0.001" depending on where I make the measurement around the case neck and this means that the answer to my question ranges between 'everything being fine with some neck tension' through to 'the bullet must be swaged'.


Why take the time to slug the bore, obtain that data, find a bullet to match or potentially resize bullets only to swage the bullet further when seating it?

I'm unable to find any accuracy issues using the opensights on the rifle so this is more of an academic question.

Steve

[SiliconeSword]

Best move is to pull a bullet and measure it

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I think the leading edge of the boolit 'may' be swaged a tiny bit but 32/20 brass is very thin and easily expand to accomodate.