.32 S&W Long data

[Mr_Flintstone]

I have an olld (1937) Sharpe loading manual that I downloaded from archive.org. Much of the load data is obsolete, but some is useful. Anyway, I found some .32 S&W Long/New Police data that seems unusually fast.


The 98 gr lead velocities for Unique and Bullseye seem to rival or exceed that of .32 H&R Magnum from my newer manuals, yet the pressure is only 15,000 CUP. Does this seem right to you guys?

 

[reddog81]

Those are some hot loads. My Lyman #49 PDF shows a max charge of Unique for an 85 grain bullet to be 4.5 grains for a 32 H&R Magnum load. Your sheet shows a max charge of 4.7 grains for an 89 grain bullet in 32 S&W Long. The S&W long formula uses a smaller case, heavier bullet, and more powder. I'm guessing the pressures listed are more than slightly off.

 

[Mr_Flintstone]

That's what my Lyman 48 shows too. The Bullseye charge is a little closer, but still hot. The Sharpe data uses a 1 inch shorter barrel. Could that account for part of the pressure difference?

 

[thomas15]

Mattern (1926) states the max safe pressure for 32 S&W Long is 12,000 psi.

For comparison he lists 98g solid using 2.4g Bullseye but doesn't give a velocity or pressure, vs. 1.5g Bullseye (Sharpe). He doesn't list loads using unique.

Personally I view 80-90 year old load data as recreational reading. Interesting and fun but I wouldn't use it unless I simply couldn't find any modern data and was looking for a starting point. Even today pressure is measured based on the test gun and other unique factors this accounts for differences in various data manuals. I wouldn't take chances with a 100 year old firearm anyway.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Pressure testing methods back them were not as accurate as they are today. Add the fact even though commercial powders are supposed to be the same over time it's impossible for them to be exactly the same over 80 years especially when those powders changed owners several times, changed manufacturing plants more than once and have been reformulated at least twice.

I know of several examples that are half that old with extremely hot data, namely Speer #8 from the 1970s. It has data for the .38 Special which would be considered data for the 38-44 or a light .357 Magnum round today. Current data may be lighter but it's probably safer too. Be safe...

 

[Slamfire]

I had a hard time finding decent cast lead bullet information on the 32S&W Long.
I looked through my reloading manuals and did not find any significant information on the 98 grain bullet and the 32 S&W Long. If there was data, it was with Bullseye.The bullets I used were commercial cast, and were two grain heavier than 98 grains, the difference is inconsequential for me. The bullet is a round nose with a flattened tip.

I chronographed factory ammunition as a guide.

I found factory equivalent ammunition (2.25 grs Bullseye) to be so mild that after shooting 1000 rounds of it, I shot 1000 rounds of 2.5 grains Bullseye. Nothing evil happened to my pistol, that is still a very mild load, and my next 1000 rounds that I loaded are 2.7 grains Bullseye. I have not chronographed that load, I expect it will come out around 800 fps.Three grains of Bullseye produced a sharp recoil in my revolver. While cases fell out, I just did not want to deal with the recoil.

Unique had potential, but I found that Bullseye worked good enough.

S&W No. 3 Hand Ejector  3.25" barrel

98 LRN  Aguila Factory     
19-Mar-06 T = 51 °F
     
Ave Vel = 665.9      
Std Dev = 17.52      
ES = 69.38      
High = 697      
Low = 627.6      
N = 32

Horrible leading.      

100 gr LBBFP .313"   2.25 grs Bullseye SS Brass WSP 
19-Mar-06 T = 51 °F
      
Ave Vel = 693.3    
Std Dev = 20.71     
ES = 103.9      
High = 721.8      
Low = 617.9      
N = 32      

Elevation good, Windage left,  Mild recoil       
    
100 gr LBBFP .313"   2.5 grs Bullseye SS Brass WSP 
19-Mar-06 T = 51 °F
    
Ave Vel = 768.2    
Std Dev = 16.97     
ES = 62.06      
High = 807.3     
Low = 745.3      
N = 17      

Elevation good, Windage good, Mild recoil, prefer this to 2.25 grain load     
 

100gr   LBBFP.313" 3.0 grs Bullseye WSP R-P brass
4-Feb-06 T = 44 °F

Ave Vel = 861    
Std Dev = 14.83      
ES = 57.83     
High = 889.6     
Low = 832.1      
N = 31      

no leading, easy extraction, rounded primers,  sharp recoil       

100 gr LBBFP .313"   2.9 grs Unique SS Brass WSP 
19-Mar-06 T = 51 °F
     
Ave Vel = 717.4    
Std Dev = 42.33     
ES = 144      
High = 789.3      
Low = 645.3      
N = 18

Elevation good, Windage good,  Mild recoil accurate

 

[Walkalong]

I have been shooting 1.8 Grs N-310 under a Berrys 83 Gr WC seated flush for about 775 to 800 FPS form a Benelli MP3-S. It runs a little slower from a 3 to 5 inch revolver. Much over that is too hot.

I have no idea of the pressures other than brass fall free easily from the cylinders and it seems fine. YMMV. Start low and work up.

Berrys hasn't made any of those 83 Gr WCs for almost a decade now, so I had to order some 98 gr coated WCs to try. I'm nearly out of the Berrys 83 Gr WCs. If anyone knows of a source, I am all ears.

 

[Mr_Flintstone]

I have been shooting 1.8 Grs N-310 under a Berrys 83 Gr WC seated flush for about 775 to 800 FPS form a Benelli MP3-S. It runs a little slower from a 3 to 5 inch revolver. Much over that is too hot.

I have no idea of the pressures other than brass fall free easily from the cylinders and it seems fine. YMMV. Start low and work up.

Berrys hasn't made any of those 83 Gr WCs for almost a decade now, so I had to order some 98 gr coated WCs to try. I'm nearly out of the Berrys 83 Gr WCs. If anyone knows of a source, I am all ears.

Not Berrys, but here's some Lapua 83 gr wadcutters.

 

[Walkalong]

I have seen those, and might have tried some if I could get less than 1K.