32 S&W long question

[FROGO207]

Got an old H&R top break revolver in 32 S&W long recently. Almost for free. Felt so bad for getting a deal I also bought a box of Magtech JHP 93 GR ammo. It is minute of barn door at best! Thought the barrel might be worn a lot so got some lead bullets and Lee dies coming .Anyone load for this combo for a 3" barrel? Am I trying to do the impossible? Hitting a 10" pizza box at 20 feet would make me happy. I have not slugged the barrel yet either--will do that with one of the bullets when they come in. Thanks in advance.

 

[loadedround]

I haven't any suggestions for a cast bullet load, but would suggest you give the barrel especially and the cylinders a good cleaning with Hoppes and a bronze brush. I also think that Magtech ammo may be to hot for that old timer. Stick will the lead bullet loads in any good manual.

 

[PFribley]

32

Try 1.3gr. of VV N310. I ues this in a 32 waddcutter in bulls eye competition.

 

[EMC45]

I load a cast SWC 93gr. bullet over 2.5gr. Bullseye in a solid frame Smith Mod 30. They shoot good. They may be too hot for your gun though.

 

[oneounceload]

I have 85 gr lead swc over 2.5 Unique or Universal working decently from a 2" H&R 930

Don't go 327 in the old girl and it will do OK

 

[W.E.G.]

Absolutely should NOT be shooting jacketed bullets in the old guns.

BAD!

 

[NCsmitty]

I don't know what would be good loads for the old top break, just recommend keeping pressures to start loads.
My main reason for posting, is to offer the little insight that I found with my recently acquired H&R Model 732 with the 2.5" barrel. I ordered some Long Magtech brass and some 90gr swaged Hornady WC .314 bullets. I loaded some 700x and was disappointed with the groups. For the heck of it, I shot some of my 32ACP through it (yes, it can be done) and my groups shrank noticeably. I shoot as cast 77gr RN (Alox coated .312) in those, so I loaded some of them in the 32 Long cases with 3.0gr of Unique, and with those, I can usually shoot 4-5" groups at the around 50 ft range that I have, using a handrest grip. Much better than the maybe 12"+ of the swaged slugs. The loads do hit about 5" high and 2" left of POA, but that's not unusual with some of the cheaper, fix sight pistols, and the little round grip that it has.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with it.

I chronographed the 3.0gr Unique with 77gr .312 bullet and got around 730fps average, IIRC.



NCsmitty

 

[y5e06]

i use 100gr RNFP from missouri bullet over 2.0gr of bullseye in my early 1900s hand ejector.
pretty easy shooting and accurate enough. 1.8gr was a pretty light load. Top break revolvers are usually noted to run lighter loads due to the lack of frame strength.
these slugs are .313 and my heavily pitted bore measured about the same. shoots fine.

 

[Starter52]

Sometimes the old way is the best way. You could buy a pound of FFFg black powder or a substitute (such as Pyrodex P) and reload by filling the case 3/4 full with powder and seating the lead bullet on top.

 

[noylj]

If you have an Outer's Foul-Out, you can use it to get the lead and copper out easily. Amazing when comes out of some barrels. Had one used 1911 I bought, hooked up the Foul-Out and within 15 minutes, the lead had built up enough to short out the unit (unit turns on a light and stops). That rod was just full of lead. Cleaned it up and pulled out some more lead. Cleaned up the barrel and it looked like new.

 

[trickshot]

I have found the Magtech 32 S&W Long wadcutters to be very accurate.

 

[Slamfire]

I was able to buy a M31 S&W with a 3.25" barrel. This is a solid frame revolver, yours is a top break.

I looked through my reloading manuals and did not find much 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, however I believe the difference is inconsequential. These were a round nose with a flattened tip.

I chronographed factory ammunition as a guide. Aquila was a mild load.

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 but I believe this is too hot for a top break revolver.

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


78 LRN .312" 2.0 grs Bullseye CCI 500 Aguila brass
19 Mar 06 T = 51 °F

Ave Vel = 611.7
Std Dev = 42.69
ES = 146.9
High = 699.3
Low = 552.4
N = 20

 

[evan price]

I've been using the Lee 311-93-1R bullet from my 6-cavity mold, as cast, in 1895 Nagant and for my H&R 732. They run around .313-.314 as cast. I tumble lube with ALOX.

I also load a single Hornady #0 buckshot pellet (weighs about 45 gr) seated into the case mouth. Looks like a wadcutter. That with 3.5 grains Titegroup is a nice load, but it isn't real accurate because it is a round ball. Fun for backyard pests and plinking at old appliances.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

The old H&R and Iver Johnson .32 revolvers appear to be rifled for better accuracy with lead bullets rather than jacketed bullets.

 

[FROGO207]

Thanks for all the info.
I have been doing some research and the ones w/o a caliber marking were supposed to use the 32 S&W in black powder and were not rated for the 32 S&W long. I will try some light loads with the brass and lead bullets I have on hand now. I may have to get a set of 32 S&W dies if the 32 S&W long brass I have now does not work. This is a pre 1909 black powder 32 S&W top break made by H&R if all the info I found is correct. Slugged the barrel and it's just over .314. Looks like lead will work best. Note to self*** research before spending $$$$$$:banghead: