Powder for 32 Long cartridge

I use W231 for my loads and have had no problems to date. I am just not one to have a bunch of powders to work with, If it works for me, fine. Range fodder- W231, handgun hunting, IMR 800X/Red Dot -- H110 for my 30 carbine -- IMR 4831 for my .270-- thats pretty much it. I do have a stash of 2400 & Unique just as a back-up.

As the round is considered more of a novelty round AND is found in revolvers of questionable age and fitness, most loading manuals tend to stay quite sedate. Just around the plinking stage.

I've found Power Pistol works well for higher end loads in .32 ACP. Probably will also work in the .32 S&W Long. Unique will likely do fairly well as well. Or one can stick with the faster powders, they serve most purposes.

My general use load is a home-cast 100 gr. SWC and 2.6 gr. of W-231-



I've messed with some heavy (~120 gr.) HP's a little running a bit over 800 fps, but don't have the data in front of me-



Another interesting little project was making shot loads out of 327 Fed. brass-



35W

Besides shot shells, I also load a coated wadcutter for mine.

I found an article in which they reported the vroups they.got with about a dozen loads in the.32 Long.
Don't ask me for the reference.because the pages didn't tell where it came from. Thebest load by far was 2.0 grains of W231 and a Hornady lead SWC I think the weight was 98 grains, but I could be wrong. I tried this load in my 2 32 Long pistols (a Colt Pocket Posotive from 1913 witha 3 1/2" barrel and a Smith 3rd model hand ejector with 4 1/4" barrel). I got disappointing 5" groups from both guns at 25 yards, but I haven't found anything that shoots well from them.

BULLSEYE!


With the RCBS 32-098 SWC in my various .32s I run between 2.5-2.7 Bullseye underneath and they do just fine.

Whichever powder you thinks meters best. Since anything you use will be such a small charge, I think thats something to consider.

I like HP38/W231, Red Dot and Titegroup in this cartridge. In that order.

I only have used the cartridge in a European target gun. More-or-less standard loads are the Lapua 98 grain WC with 1.7 grains of VV N310. Apparently the same amount of Bullseye can be substituted and often works quite well, but I have not tried it myself.

I have a Single Six that I mostly shoot .32 H&R through, but I do have around 100 .32 SW-L cases that I also load up.

My favorite bullet for the shorter case is the 78 gr. Berry’s HBWC. I believe these are now discontinued, but I bought a bunch several years ago on closeout. They seem to shoot accurately with just about any load.

I prefer AA#2, because it flows through my powder measure well. I think I’ve loaded anywhere from 2.3 to 3.2 gr. Win 231 also works well, but such small amounts don’t measure as consistently through my RCBS measure.

35 Whelen,

Mind sharing your procedure for the shot loads, and load data?

clone said:

35 Whelen,

Mind sharing your procedure for the shot loads, and load data?

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I took a .327 Federal case and ran it up into one of my Lee push-thru bullet sizers (.308". if memory serves) until it would chamber in my revolver. Then cut some over powder wads out of empty cardboard primer cartons, charged 2.0 or so grs. of W231/HP-38, Unique, IMR Target, doesn't really matter, seated the over-powder wad, filled the case the rest of the way with #9 shot, then topped it off with hot glue. Done.

35W

I noticed Alliant’s recipe for the 32 Auto:

For the 32 S&W Long:

I've found T&B black polymer coated bullets in 32cal to be very, very good.

https://tbbullets.com/

I noticed today that the Hornady 10th edition gives different loads for hp38 and w231 for 32 Long using 85gr XTPs and 90 gr SWCs.

That's not consistent with what I've been told over the years regarding the two powders being the same.

Walkalong said:

Data from different times in the lab? Some old, some new? A lot of data is reprinted manual after manual, plus some new.

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I suspect you are correct. The screenshot attached above is from the Hornady 10th edition kindle version dated 2016. So I'd most likely use the most recent Hodgdon Annual data now that I've seen that discrepancy.

I noticed this while searching my books for a 32L or 32H&R load for something approximate to the MO Bullet Co 98gr DEWC with the fancy paint. Seems I finally used up my Berry's 83gr DEWCs

That's not consistent with what I've been told over the years regarding the two powders being the same.

Click to expand...

Different lots of powder maybe, different test barrels/conditions?

CoalTrain49 - I'm jealous!
That little 31-1 is a very nice gun.
I've been into 32s lately.
They're fun to shoot & use up a lot less powder & lead than a 45 Colt SAA or a 1911.

HP38 or Red Dot

For my Sig/Hammerlli P240 and my Benelli MP3S I am using 98 Grain Lapua Hollow Base Wadcutters and i using mostly Bullseye and if need be Unique. But, that being said, there are lots of powders that will work for this cartridge, especially if it is a revolver and does not have feeding issues.

Bob

I've only loaded a few hundred 32 S&WL cartridges, all with 98 grain solid wadcutters over HP38. They shot well in my Model 30.

Any powder with similar performance as HP38/W231 should work well. I'm flush with HP38 for the time being so I'm saving other powders for other uses.

Model 30 loaded with 98gr. HBWC over 1.8gr. Bullseye. All shot double action from 10 yards. Multiple cylinders.

With 78 gr lead I use 2.8 gr Bullseye. With 85 gr XTPs I use 2.0 gr Red Dot. Both are from published data. Very accurate at my 50 feet. I had the same gun as yours but now will shoot leftover ammo in my 3" 327 Federal Ruger SP101.