.32 acp Winchester Silvertip expansion test (modern load got talons!)

[Pyro]

The legendary .32 acp Silvertip shot from an NAA Guardian. Feeding issues with both magazines. Did not record penetration, this was just to see if they would open.

Kind of disappointed from this test, they just 'felt' like expanding when they wanted to. I talked to the ammunition rep at Winchester Arms, said the new style of .32 Silvertip is no longer an aluminum jacket..it's case brass with a nickel coating. Maybe if they soften up the jacket alloy it'll expand more reliably.



Look like these are going into the gun safe. Not worth carrying IMO.
Thinkin' about trying Glaser Pow'RBall since this gun will not feed anything but ball ammo reliably.

 

[788Ham]

This is why I shoot FMJ in my .32, the HP's look wicked, but not enough poop to make them expand better than they do. I stepped up to a SP 101 in .357 mag!

 

[Pyro]

This is why I shoot FMJ in my .32, the HP's look wicked, but not enough poop to make them expand better than they do. I stepped up to a SP 101 in .357 mag!

I'll probably go back to the Magtech LRN my Guardian loves.
Buffalo Bore won't feed in the gun either (keep one in the chamber though), it needs a round tip.

 

[saltydog452]

If the .32 suits your needs, you might want to consider Buffalo Bore .32ACP +P. Its a hard cast 75 grain Flat Nose. Its supposedly stepping out at 1150 feet per second. It feeds in my Guardian and is the 'Bee's Knees' on 'phone books. It penetrates a few pages less than Ball, but both Ball and Buffalo Bore penetrate way more than Silvertip. Its pricey, so I don't shoot much of it.

salty

 

[Shadow 7D]

it the barrel was longer
if the...
little gun placement and penetration.

 

[Pyro]

If the .32 suits your needs, you might want to consider Buffalo Bore .32ACP +P. Its a hard cast 75 grain Flat Nose. Its supposedly stepping out at 1150 feet per second. It feeds in my Guardian and is the 'Bee's Knees' on 'phone books. It penetrates a few pages less than Ball, but both Ball and Buffalo Bore penetrate way more than Silvertip. Its pricey, so I don't shoot much of it.

salty

They don't feed worth a darn. Keep one in the chamber, the rest of the mag is ball. Been playing around with JHP's in this caliber..just to see if they will expand. Talking to a guy at the store said back in the day Silvertips were the .32 round to carry. After this I'll definitely be sticking to ball...it's a lot cheaper too.

 

[saltydog452]

It probabaly doesn't matter.

I load the Buffalo Bore because it functions, the flat tip seems less likely to go off on a tangent, and there seems to be more gas from the spiffier round.

salty

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

So, they aren't reliably feeding for you and are not consistently expanding for you either. I guess you'll be moving on to some of the good suggestions you've received then.

I've always been suspicious of my Hydra-shok's performance in our .32 as well and now it's loaded up with ball JIC but I'm also noting the suggestions.

 

[Pyro]

So, they aren't reliably feeding for you and are not consistently expanding for you either. I guess you'll be moving on to some of the good suggestions you've received then.

I've always been suspicious of my Hydra-shok's performance in our .32 as well and now it's loaded up with ball JIC but I'm also noting the suggestions.

The 'good suggestions' I have been using since I've gotten this weapon.
With this short of a barrel you want ball ammo. I'd love to test some of the Hydra-shoks to see if it would expand more reliably. I'd keep one in the chamber and rest ball still though.

 

[TT]

What was your test medium?

 

[Pyro]

What was your test medium?

A re-wetted used wetpack from last week. Honestly, probably the reason why I got such lousy expansion, the paper wasn't in great shape for being tested again. It was already full of holes. Every bullet I recovered had clogged with paper though.
What I failed to mention earlier was that the bullets I tested I dubbed 'defects'. Lead/jacket exposure around the hollow cavity was flawed and unequal, so I limited that small batch to function testing and this test. Eventually I'll test the good quality rounds (majority of the box) in water jugs.

 

[45crittergitter]

My .32 Kel-Tec with Silvertips sorta literally exploded a rat. Expansion seemed to be very much more than enough.

 

[heeler]

I have only ran fmj in my P32 as I have read about rim lock so much I am understandably very leery of using hollowpoints in it.
Although I would not have an issue with placing a quality hollowpoint as the chambered lead round in the P32 as I do with my LCP,using a 102 grain Rem Golden Saber.
But after that it's going to be a proven fmj as the follow up rounds in either pistol.

Nice that you took out a rat with your P32 45crittergetter.
What was the distance of the shot??

 

[baylorattorney]

My .32 likes European ammo, and doesn't know what expansion means.


Judge a man not by the answers he gives, but by the questions he asks. - Voltaire

 

[mavracer]

I use 60gr Fiocchi SJHPs in my seecamp they're 200fps hotter than american ammo. they don't expand per-se just kinda smush the exposed lead. IMHO they're the best performing 32 ammo avaliable.

 

[CZguy]

I use 60gr Fiocchi SJHPs in my seecamp they're 200fps hotter than american ammo. they don't expand per-se just kinda smush the exposed lead. IMHO they're the best performing 32 ammo avaliable.

Whether you use the SJHP or FMJ, Fiocchi is the best .32 ACP ammo in my opinion.

 

[chicharrones]

Thanks for the pics, Pyro!

I haven't tried any hollow point out of my Guardian. I have heard decent things about the Magtech LRN, but haven't tried that yet.

So far, Fiocchi FMJ and S&B FMJ is what I use. I am picking up another .32 ACP pistol soon with a barely longer barrel than the Guardian. I am looking forward to trying the Magtech in it soon.

 

[45crittergitter]

heeler it was pretty close, maybe 10 yds, probly less - Kel Tec is dinky with dinky sights.

 

[MICHAEL T]

Corbon DPX in 32 Copper bullet is a winner.

 

[Snowdog]

Pyro, thanks for taking the time to post this thread. I guess I'm one of the few that actually liked the old style Silvertip, but that might have more to do with nostalgia than anything else. I suspected expansion might suffer after seeing the thicker-jacketed newer generation Silvertip. It looks like my suspicions weren't far from the mark.

My P32, when I do carry it (yard work), is loaded with Fiocchi 73gr ball simply because it sells for $11/50 and works wonderfully from my early model (013XX) Keltec.