Does anyone load .32 S&W?

[Adam5]

I prepped some cases today for a caliber that I haven’t loaded yet. These are 100 .32 S&W cases for my dad’s prewar revolvers, a few of which are over 100 years old. I have 95gr lead flat nose bullets for them. Who has good low pressure loads for them? I tend to use a lot of W231 and soft loads for his older pistols.

 

[deerslayer357]

I loaded 32 S&W long several years back. I was loading Bullseye and it only took 1.5-1.8 grains of powder. You should check Alliant’s Reloader guide and confirm this.

 

[RFWobbly]

I load 32ACP, which I realize is only similar.

♦ I swear by the Polymer Coated bullets from T&B Bullet
https://tbbullets.com/bullets/polymer-coated-handgun/32-caliber/

• If I was worried about chamber pressure in older handguns, then I'd be investigating/ learning bout "Single-Base Powders". It's the nitroglycerin added to most common American powders that spikes the pressure and creates a lot of the heat. Look in your loading manual at the shotgun chamber pressures for W231, then compare that to loads for the same speed shown for IMR 7625. It's a real shocker !!

7625 is no longer made, but you can get similar results from The Noble Sports Vectan "Ba Series" (Graf & Sons) and VihtaVuori "N300 series", like N310 and N320. (Note that for 32 Cal, 1 lb of powder is a "lifetime buy".)

Hope this helps

 

[Adam5]

I loaded 32 S&W long several years back. I was loading Bullseye and it only took 1.5-1.8 grains of powder. You should check Alliant’s Reloader guide and confirm this.

I load him .32 S&W long with 100gr lswc over 1.9gr of W231.

These will be my first shorts.

 

[Dub]

I load him .32 S&W long with 100gr lswc over 1.9gr of W231.

These will be my first shorts.

Where did you find the load data ?

I looked around a bit but didn't see anything for 100gr or for W231.

Most of my manuals are still packed away in boxes, though.

 

[Adam5]

Where did you find the load data ?

I looked around a bit but didn't see anything for 100gr or for W231.

Most of my manuals are still packed away in boxes, though.

I found the .32 S&W long data digging though some old books that are almost as old as I am. If I remember correctly the days was actually for a 98gr.

 

[Adam5]

I found this for the .32 S&W short.

https://reloadammo.com/32-s-w-reloading-data/

 

[Dub]

I found the .32 S&W long data digging though some old books that are almost as old as I am. If I remember correctly the days was actually for a 98gr.

Was up in the mancave-junk room a few minutes ago…..found a useful ?

 

[Adam5]

I tend to keep his stuff to bare minimum loads due to the pistols being 100+ years old.

 

[deerslayer357]

Sorry I missed that it was 32 sw not long. Afraid I may have derailed the thread some accidentally

 

[Adam5]

Sorry I missed that it was 32 sw not long. Afraid I may have derailed the thread some accidentally

You’re good. I load him .32 S&W Long also. He has an addiction to old revolvers.

 

[GooseGestapo]

I’ve loaded for the .32 S&W Short. (.32acp, .32 Long, .32 H&R, .327mag, .30SC)
I used the Lyman .311252 78gr RN at .314” over 1.5gr of Bullseye. 1.8gr of #231 duplicates the Bullseye load. From a S&W Hand Ejector they hit POA/POI at 7yds. Chronograph at about 600fps. I loaded them for my younger brother for my mother’s Iver Johnson. They shoot as well or better than factory.

In early’70’s, my younger brother and I loaded for the same revolver (Iver Johnson top break) with a O-buck shot pressed into a lightly flared case over a Lee .020 powder measure of whatever was in the cut down shotgun shell. We shot them into a dirt embankment in an unfinished basement closet. We could hit soup cans at 15’. More fun than shooting our bows outside in the rain in February.