.32 ACP

[Walkalong]

I recently bought a Taurus PT-132 Pro and was extremely pleased to find out it shot very well for me and was on par with how well I shoot the Beretta M-81 I have.

I have been shooting the .32 ACPs at a 10" steel plate at 30 yards and coke cans/water bottles at the 45 yard berm and have proved to myself that the 60 Gr XTP shot a good deal better than the 71 Gr RN bullets I had tried. Namely the Berrys, Magtech, Hornady. If I had shot any on target I did not save pics and could only go by memory and my log book. N310 and the 60 gr XTP was my top one by my notes, but the W231 load shot very well and I needed to use some of the old 3 pound metal can W-231 up, despite the very large ES & SD numbers of the W-231 load it shot very well at that close range.

AA #2 and N310 had both given good to very good ES & SD numbers, with N310 getting a three star rating on one load, with accuracy as good or better than the W-231 load. ( I give 1 to 4 stars, with precious few 4s. I gave a .32 Long load a 3 1/2 recently)

I had not done any load testing with the .32 ACP since 2012. The new to me Taurus has changed that.

Anyway, I took the Hornady 71 Gr FMJ and Hornady 60 Gr XTP loads with W-231 to the range again today for fun, but when I got done chronoing the two .32 Long loads it dawned on me I had it all set up to test the two .32 ACP loads on paper and get numbers on them again as well.

Load # 25 is the Hornady 60 Gr XTP (Blems: See note at end) and 2.7 Grs W-231.

Load # 26 is the Hornady 71 Gr FMJ and 2.3 Grs W-231. (Slower than factory, but shoots OK)

*Start low and work up, use these loads at your own risk*

(Blems: I bought 600 "Blem" 60 Gr JHPs back around 2012, which I assume are XTPs (Look identical), from Midway, but out of them only 212 measured .3125, while the rest measured .3085 and had terrible/near zero neck tension if you used an expander. I guess i could use them sans the expander, but will they shoot well? *Sigh* It sure turned me off of blems, even though I have had good luck with them prior to this.)

It was some of these 212 blems I had loaded up with my proven good factory new 60 Gr XTP/W-231 load and tested today. I bought 500 more factory new 60 Gr XTPs last week.

First target is the 60 Gr "XTP" Blem and the second is the Hornady 71 Gr FMJ. The hash marks on the target are 1" apart.

 

[Patocazador]

I have four .32 acp pistols and reload mostly 60 gr. XTPs for them. I never chronographed any load though. Your accuracy is outstanding, however, I am confused by the last 2 numbers for each cartridge. Surely, they are not velocity readings?

Thanks for posting this. I will have to try some W231 loads and see if they are as good out of my Model 1903 and Rem. Model 51.

 

[edwardware]

. . . however, I am confused by the last 2 numbers for each cartridge. Surely, they are not velocity readings?

ES & SD, Extreme Spread, and Standard Deviation.

 

[Walkalong]

ES & SD, Extreme Spread, and Standard Deviation.

Yep, but this time I used the back of a Chrono Sheet that was full so it wasn't labeled.

Old pic.


When I do autos I use this one. (When I do revolvers I do either PB & PF, or PB, PF, & PL numbers.)

 

[Walkalong]

(When I do revolvers I do either PB & PF, or PB, PF, & PL numbers.)

First 6 shots Powder Back.


First 12 shots, 6 PB & 6 Powder Forward.


All 18 shots, 6 PB, 6 PF, & 6 Powder Level. Target at 7 yards with the chrono at 5 yards.


.32-20


Must have been July or August.

 

[GW Staar]

Your pictures remind me to never make you mad. Nice shootin. Doesn't look to me that there's enough difference (PB, PF, PL) to worry about......just load & practice as you obviously do. Good thread, thanks!

 

[berettaprofessor]

Walkalong, I admit in my advance my stupidity, but I'm assuming the "powder back" etc designations are for powder position. Do you always check that on loads? Revolver loads only or auto loads too?

 

[Walkalong]

Yes, powder position, and normally just revolver loads as they tend to have a lot of empty space in the case when loaded. Sometimes it makes a big difference, obviously not up close, but at a distance it can mean very erratic drop if one isn't careful.

 

[Dudedog]

Walkalong is that the outside temp or yours? 98.6 (healthy human)

while the rest measured .308

hhmmm Maybe .30 carbine something or .308 close range rat/varmit load?

Eagerly awaiting your test of the 60s in some .30 cal rifle, don't think I would trust them setback wise in a semi auto pistol but of course I'm chicken.

 

[Walkalong]

Walkalong is that the outside temp or yours? 98.6 (healthy human)

lol, didn't notice that.

 

[Nature Boy]

If I could shoot that good with a pistol I’d probably shoot them more often

 

[Blue68f100]

First 6 shots Powder Back.
View attachment 798167

First 12 shots, 6 PB & 6 Powder Forward.
View attachment 798168

All 18 shots, 6 PB, 6 PF, & 6 Powder Level. Target at 7 yards with the chrono at 5 yards.
View attachment 798169

.32-20
View attachment 798170

Must have been July or August.
View attachment 798171

At least your humidity is low there. Here, it very seldom gets below 60%, average during the summer is 65-70% with temp in the mid 90's. But lately we have been 100+ with the high humidity.

 

[Walkalong]

At least your humidity is low there. Here, it very seldom gets below 60%, average during the summer is 65-70% with temp in the mid 90's. But lately we have been 100+ with the high humidity.

Whew, that's rough. 37% was a bit lower than it has been, but with the rains coming back it will move up again, not like yours though. We peak over 60% often, but the average is nowhere near.

 

[Walkalong]

https://www.currentresults.com/Weather/Alabama/humidity-annual.php

I don't know where they get their numbers, but it isn't that bad.

 

[Blue68f100]

Whew, that's rough. 37% was a bit lower than it has been, but with the rains coming back it will move up again, not like yours though. We peak over 60% often, but the average is nowhere near.

Yesterday during the test the change was so bad that my glasses started to fog over. I can say that's a first this has ever happened. It was not like I just waked outside, I was out side for nearly an hour.

 

[Walkalong]

my glasses started to fog over.

I have taken guns out of the pistol rug/range bag where they are still cold from being in a safe in an air conditioned room before and have them just flash over with water. I have to let them sit a minute or two for it to evaporate. Doesn't take long if it is hot and reasonably dry.

It was not like I just waked outside, I was out side for nearly an hour.

Yea, that is something for sure.

 

[Walkalong]

Ok, back to .32 ACP. I had tried AA # back when I found the W-231 load I tested earlier in the thread, marked as showing potential but the W-231 load shot great and I needed to use some up. I still have a few of those left. I had tested 2.3 Grs AA #2. Last week I tested 2.4 but was quite satisfied, so I loaded up some at 2.5 Grs with Fed 100 primers and the 60 Gr XTP @ .920 OAL.

The Western Powders 6.0 PDF shows a max of 2.2 Grs AA #2 with a 71 Gr FMJ @ .955 OAL for 650 FPS, so you are on your own if you try this load. Work up at your own risk.

I screwed the rest down a good bit from where it is in the pic from shooting the Benelli in .32 Long and rested my hands on the bag to shoot the .32 ACPs.


Speer #14 shows a DNR (Do Not Reduce) charge of 2.6 Grs of AA #2 under a 60 Gr Gold Dot @ .940 OAL for 963 FPS from a 3.8" barrel. This is more applicable to the 60 Gr XTP.

Fed 100 primer. 2.5 Grs AA #2, 60 Gr XTP @ .920 OAL. 98 Degrees 34% RH.

Taurus 3" PT-132 Pro:
Hi=864
Lo=794
Avg=841
ES=70
SD=21

Beretta 3 3/4" Model 81:
Hi=941
Lo=895
Avg=918
ES=46
SD=18

So, we seem to be in the ballpark.

Still, start low, work up carefully, use at your own risk.

Taurus PT132 Pro 10 shots: The two low/left are almost surely me pulling them there and not the fault of the load or gun. *Sigh*



Beretta Model 81 10 shots: The one up and away was me wiggling the gun when it went off. *Sigh*



Overall I was pleased with how the load shot.

Backer after 24 shots of .32 Long and 20 shots of .32 ACP.