New Defense Load for the P-32

[Master Blaster]

New Defense Load for the Keltec P-32

I looked up a load in my speer #13 manual for the p-32 which I know many of you have.

I ordered new remmington cases, and speer gold dot 60 gr .32 ACP bullets from Midway supply.

last night I assembled the following load per speer 13

2.6 gr titegroup powder (hodgdon)
remington new brass
winchester small primer
60gr gold dot
OAL .950 the manual says .940 but I wanted them longer so they fill the magazine and do not allow for the cartridge to shift and cause the dreaded Rim lock.
Tight roll crimp.

Today I fired 20 of them through my p-32

I compared them to the Fiocci FMJ I was carrying to the gold dot load by firing one of each into a telephone book held in the target carrier at 20 feet distance.
the FMJ went almost through, the gold dot load went clear through and into my news paper backer box 1/4".

I then tested four more of each with similar results, so I know that the velocity / penetration is as good or better than the fiocci FMJ.

I got some tight groups with the gold dots at 20 feet offhand.
they all fed and functioned fine in my p-32.

this is the max load in the speer manual.

Warning Use caution and at least two data sources.

 

[Master Blaster]

Testing part 2, I have completed firing 50 of the goldots, with no failures to feed or extract, flawless performance. Today I also shot 8 rounds of corbon hollow points. they seemed harsh by comparison, I think I will dissassemble one and weigh the powder charge, supposedly thay are standard pressure, but judging form the bulged cases and the stiff recoil I doubt it very much. The corbons went through my phone book test media as did the gold dots. Corbons seem much more harsh than the fiocci fmj as well.

I'm surprised that no one is interested or done any load development for their Keltec P-32 since the P-32 seemed to be a popular pocket gun on TFL.

Oh Well.

 

[benewton]

Masterblaster, I would have thought that anyone who shoots would also reload.

I've modified that stand a bit, since some rounds are simply too cheap to be bothered, 7.62 x 39 in my MAC 90, for instance. Just nothing to be gained.

Since I'm thinking on the P32, I did some reading, and, evidently, loading the .32 auto is a major pain. For certain, picking up ALL of the brass for a 50 round box would be.

Still, I wounder how many fire a significant number of rounds yearly, but still don't reload.

 

[Master Blaster]

around here .32 acp is fairly expensive, $9-$14 per box depending on source and brand. defense ammo is $11-14 for 20 rounds

I already have a 550b but I decided to reload .32acp on a single stage lee o press with lee carbide dies, so the combo of the two was $60 and works fine. I like to shoot at least 50-100 rounds per month of anything I carry. So if I didnt reload it could get expensive.

I just ordered 200 more gold dots 60 gr from midway at 8.50 a box including shipping. I can load them longer to avoid the dreaded rimlock problem so this ammo will be better than factory ammo. QC will be better as well.

 

[benewton]

Point taken: I load my pistol rounds on the 650, and have no idea, for the most part, what a box of .38, .40, or .45 goes for.

Too, I use my own cast bullets, so I'm not all that sure how much my reloads actually cost. Of course, the overhead for the .32 ACP would have to include the molds...

Given that I like to shoot a couple hundred a month out of the carry gun, and that I normally reload in 1K lots, I never really considered the single stage Rockchucker for a pistol.

But now that you've pointed out, I think the single would work a good deal better than the progressive for this application.

Carbide dies are always a given for "straight" cases.

 

[WhoKnowsWho]

My P32 is dinging/denting the cases pretty bad, not as bad as my wife's Tomcat, but I didn't bother picking up the brass to reload it when I finally get setup... do you think I should have?

 

[Master Blaster]

Whoknowswho, have you ever reloaded before?, if so what is your current set up?

For practice I ordered 1000 oregon trail lasercast bullets 77 gr RNL. I kept about 200 pieces of brasss from the factory ammo I bought at first.

I thought about setting up my 550B to relaod .32 acp, but the conversion and dies was about $100 so instead I found a deal on a lee oframe press and a set of .32 acp dies for $65, so since I didnt have a single stage I bought it.

I'm usuing a Lyman powder measure I got at a raffle at my club for $2 (its a $100 measure).

My cast load is 2.2 gr titegroup with the 77gr RNL.

 

[Clark]

I cannot get any book load or factory ammo to penetrate more than 1" of kiln dried Douglas Fir lumber with my P32.

With hot handloads and 110 gr .308 bullets, I have got up to 5" of penetration in the same boards.

My carry loads are with lighter bullets and have a penetration somewhere in between my experimental loads and the book loads.

 

[WhoKnowsWho]

Master Blaster: I don't have anything yet. Thinking about a Lee 4 hole Turret Press, just haven't gotten around to everything.