reloading .32 acp

[Sailr]

I need some help. I've been reloading for quite a few years, but have been stumped by trying to reload some 100 gr hp .312. Is it safe to reload that weight bullet. I see in all my reloading manuals that 71 grain is the only bullet listed. Has any of you reloaded this bullet? If you have what powder do you use and what was the charge weight?

I picked these bullets up at a store that was getting rid of reloading supplies. They were fairly cheap and so am I so I want to use these if possible. The pistol I am shooting them in is a 1930's Mauser made before WWII, but is same pistol issued to german officers during the war. The only difference is that the German pistol from WWII has a black paint like finish and of course with the Nazi marks and mine is a blued steel and of course no Nazi markings. At this point I can't remember what the model of the pistol is.

I have been shooting the .32 acp in this pistol with fmj 71 grain ammo and it shoots fine.

I guess I can load them into ammo for my Romanian SKS and my Romanian Model 4 for plinking if nothing else

Thanks for any help or info you may have.

 

[rcmodel]

Wouldn't be prudent.

The powder charge necessary for such a heavy bullet would be somewhere between a Scooch, and a Pinch.

85 grain is about the upper limit in that caliber.

rc

 

[WestKentucky]

Cartridges and guns are built to operate at a given pressure...especially autoloaders. So by adding weight and friction to the bullet you increase moving resistance meaning you have more of a plug to hold pressure, so you have to adjust your "push" (powder charge) to make everything hunky - dory. The powder charge is already quite small in 32acp and would have to be close to half of that for the bigger bullet. At this point with that light of a charge any variance would be huge in comparison to a larger charge and could mean several thousand psi up or down which could make for a squib or a overpressure situation which could be a catastrophic failure. It's a neat idea, but it's not a good one. It is doable, but not advisable.

 

[joem1945]

Or you could load them in a broomhandle mauser.

 

[reddog81]

30 grains doesn't seem that much bigger, but 100 grn is almost 50% bigger than 71 grn. Those bullets are probably meant for a S&W Long cartridge.

Looks like you found an excuse to go buy a new revolver

 

[scaevola]

Years ago I acquired a .32 ppk and didn't have money to buy a box of ammo. I scrounged up some empty cases and used 110 grain RN meant for .30 carbine.

I didn't have a set of dies for .32 acp but managed to load them using a combination of the dies I did have. I don't recall the powder or load but they functioned well for me.

I sold/traded the pistol pretty quick, a case of profit-taking.

IOW -- I don't have any really useful information beyond the fact that you can probaby make the 100 grain bullets work.

 

[rondog]

Not something I would do, personally. Much too heavy a bullet for .32acp.

 

[cheesebigot]

Sounds like you've got an HSC.

I'd stick to the 71grn standard...100grn sounds rough and might be difficult to measure the charge consistently accurately.

 

[Curt Blunt]

You might slug your bore. Years ago I had a Walther PP in .32 that slugged .309. I'd be reluctant to load a bullet that is 41 percent heavier and 3 thousandths larger (if that is the case with your particular pistol).

 

[Hypnogator]

FWIW, back in the day, I reloaded .32 ACP with 100-gr Speer .30 "Plinker" bullets over a minute charge of Red Dot shotgun powder, using a .30 Carbine Lee Loader kit. Worked fine in my old Mauser HSc.

 

[Sailr]

Thanks for info

Guys
Thanks for your info. I felt that the 100 gr was too much, but I figured I'd try and see if anyone had tried to reload that weight before. Better safe than sorry. I don't want to lose my pistol or a hand or something else valuable. I'll just use it as a plinker for my Romanian model 44. seems as those the diameter to that is .312. The Romanian SKS is supposed to be .310 and I don't know if that would jack up the pressure too much
Thanks again