71Commander
Member
Just picked up some 85gr JHP's and can't find a good warm self defense load for it. Anybody got one? Thanks.
32 S&W Long load needed
- Thread starter 71Commander
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You are probably not going to find a "good warm self defense load" for the .32 S&W Long with a 85gr Jacketed bullet. The bullet is too heavy for the pressure limitations currently used to push it fast enough for reliable expansion.
Speer does have data on their website using the 60gr gold dot HP in the .32 S&W long that will push a hair over 1,000 fps.
Current Speer #13 has loads for their 100gr JHP bullet that move it out the end of a 6" barrel at 769 fps using slow powders like 2400, H110, W296, and AA#9. Not really impressive and probably not fast enough to get reliable expansion.
I use data from my Speer #9 manual that will push a 98gr lead bullet at better than 900 fps from my 4" Colt Police Positive. This data is warm for the .32 and has a warning to use only in solid frame pistols manufactured after WWII. They used to believe people could read, understand and follow directions.
Be carefull if trying to push you loads beyond published data as pressures rise fast with small increases of powder charge in the small case volume of the .32 S&W Long.
Speer does have data on their website using the 60gr gold dot HP in the .32 S&W long that will push a hair over 1,000 fps.
Current Speer #13 has loads for their 100gr JHP bullet that move it out the end of a 6" barrel at 769 fps using slow powders like 2400, H110, W296, and AA#9. Not really impressive and probably not fast enough to get reliable expansion.
I use data from my Speer #9 manual that will push a 98gr lead bullet at better than 900 fps from my 4" Colt Police Positive. This data is warm for the .32 and has a warning to use only in solid frame pistols manufactured after WWII. They used to believe people could read, understand and follow directions.
Be carefull if trying to push you loads beyond published data as pressures rise fast with small increases of powder charge in the small case volume of the .32 S&W Long.
71Commander
Member
I have Speer #13 and #6. Gun will be shot in a Ruger, all steel 32 Spl. revolver. I have the data on the heavier bullets, but nothing on the 85.
TennTucker, you can always use the data for a heavier bullet of the same type. Use the 100gr jacketed data for your 85gr and work up slowly to no more than the old 98gr lead data. You will need a chrono as a velocity of 850 fps or greater would be more likely to give expansion in a standard type JHP. Much of the old data for solid frame pistols is pretty much the same as start loads (+ a bit more) used now for the .32 H&R mag.
71Commander
Member
What you're saying is as an example, use 1.8gr of Bullseye(98gr HBWC) using the 86 JHP. Somewhere around 1.0 OAL.
terry264
Member
Hi TennTucker, go to the hodgdon.com site and click on their data center link.
They list some loads there for the 85 gr. bullets.
They list some loads there for the 85 gr. bullets.
71Commander
Member
Thanks.
TennTucker: I wrote the following and posted it on another forum. I absolutely have no 85 grain data on the 32 S&W Long. But the 100 grain bullet data may be of help. Also, I absolutely do not recommend using a 32 S&W Long as a self defense pistol. I shoot against 12" metal gong targets. The 32 S&W long won't even make those targets move. And it is hard to hear the hit. This round is barely more powerful than a .22 LR. It is a target round only, in my opinion. Get a 38 Spl Airweight. Just as light, just a little bigger, lot more powerful.
I was able to acquire a S&W M31 with a 3.25” barrel. The published data on reloading for this pistol is very old and most of the powders mentioned are gone. However, a common powder in those documents was Bullseye. In my opinion, after testing Bullseye, I think it is a very good choice for the 32 S&W long.
I tested Aquila ammunition to get the brass to reload and to chronograph to get a reference point. I am of the belief that my lot of Aquila is very mild. And it totally leaded up the barrel of my pistol when I used it. I had to shoot Jacketed bullets to be able to see the rifling again! Others experiences are different, so I cannot say why my 1000 round lot was so awful
I was later able to purchase 1000 Shooting Star brass in this caliber, and that brass is just wonderful.
The chamber mouths in my pistol are rather large and I was able to get a local bullet maker to size them to .313. It is possible that I could have had them sized to .314 without any problems.
The old data typically had a 98 or 100 grain bullet with 2.0 or 2.1 grains Bullseye. With my pistol a 2.0 grain load with a 100 grain Lead bullet was close to the Aquila. However I bumbed it up to 2.25 and 2.5 grains. I prefer the 2.5 grain load. I did load some 3.0 gr loads, got excellent accuracy, no leading, surprising amount of recoil, and the cases dropped out. But I do not feel comfortable using those loads, which averaged 861 fps in this old revolver. I think it may beat the revolver up, so I am back to 2.5 grains Bullseye. I was also able to find some 78 grain bullets, they shoot low and I do not recommend them, even though they were accurate.
I tried one load with Unique, the data is as below, Unique looks to have potential, but I am happy and staying with Bullseye.
I purchased some 100 gr FMJ bullets from Midway. The next batch of ammo I load I will bump the powder charge up as the stuff is very slow with 2.0 grs Bullseye. All I wanted to do was remove lead fouling so my expectations were not very high, and I was not disappointed. These bullets did shoot well, but the 32 S&W Long is a cast bullet cartridge, I see no advantage of using it with expanding bullets.
And to expand that thought further, I really do not see much of any use for the 32 S&W Long. It is accurate with very low recoil. A far cheaper cartridge to shoot that has these qualifications is the .22 LR. This cartridge has to be almost useless as a self defense load. It is almost useless in any other mode. I remember reading shill gunwriter drivel about how this cartridge would be good as a small game and pest load. This is to be expected from a shill gunwriter, they cannot say anything bad about any product they review, so they have to come up with something “nice” to say. Well let me tell you, when I get up at 3 am, drive one hour to a squirrel hunting spot in a game reserve, wait till the birds wake up, and maybe I get one or two shots at shell shocked jumpy squirrels, I sure as heck am not going using a revolver. I want to hit something.
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
78 LRN .312" 2.5 grs Bullseye CCI 500 Aguila brass
22-Jul-05 T = 96 °F no leading shoots 1-2" low centered accurate
Ave Vel = 823.6
Std Dev = 32.43
ES 155.5
High 926.2
Low 770.6
N = 25
98 LRN Aguila Factory
19-Mar-06 T = 51 °F incredible barrel leading.
Ave Vel = 665.9
Std Dev = 17.52
ES 69.38
High 697
Low 627.6
N = 32
100 gr FMJ 2.0 grs Bullseye Aguila Brass WSP OAL 1.18"
19-Mar-06 T = 51 °F Unimpressive
Ave Vel = 553
Std Dev = 34.78
ES 102.4
High 604.1
Low 501.6
N = 11
100 gr LBBFP .313" 2.25 grs Bullseye SS Brass WSP
19-Mar-06 T = 51 °F Elevation good Windage left Mild recoil
Ave Vel = 693.3
Std Dev = 20.71
ES 103.9
High 721.8
Low 617.9
N = 32
100 gr LBBFP .313" 2.5 grs Bullseye SS Brass WSP
19-Mar-06 T = 51 °F Elevation good Windage good Mild recoil prefer this to 2.25 grain load
Ave Vel = 768.2
Std Dev = 16.97
ES 62.06
High 807.3
Low 745.3
N = 17
100 gr LBBFP .313" 2.9 grs Unique SS Brass WSP
19-Mar-06 T = 51 °F Elevation good Windage good Mild recoil accurate
Ave Vel = 717.4
Std Dev = 42.33
ES 144
High 789.3
Low 645.3
N = 18
I was able to acquire a S&W M31 with a 3.25” barrel. The published data on reloading for this pistol is very old and most of the powders mentioned are gone. However, a common powder in those documents was Bullseye. In my opinion, after testing Bullseye, I think it is a very good choice for the 32 S&W long.
I tested Aquila ammunition to get the brass to reload and to chronograph to get a reference point. I am of the belief that my lot of Aquila is very mild. And it totally leaded up the barrel of my pistol when I used it. I had to shoot Jacketed bullets to be able to see the rifling again! Others experiences are different, so I cannot say why my 1000 round lot was so awful
I was later able to purchase 1000 Shooting Star brass in this caliber, and that brass is just wonderful.
The chamber mouths in my pistol are rather large and I was able to get a local bullet maker to size them to .313. It is possible that I could have had them sized to .314 without any problems.
The old data typically had a 98 or 100 grain bullet with 2.0 or 2.1 grains Bullseye. With my pistol a 2.0 grain load with a 100 grain Lead bullet was close to the Aquila. However I bumbed it up to 2.25 and 2.5 grains. I prefer the 2.5 grain load. I did load some 3.0 gr loads, got excellent accuracy, no leading, surprising amount of recoil, and the cases dropped out. But I do not feel comfortable using those loads, which averaged 861 fps in this old revolver. I think it may beat the revolver up, so I am back to 2.5 grains Bullseye. I was also able to find some 78 grain bullets, they shoot low and I do not recommend them, even though they were accurate.
I tried one load with Unique, the data is as below, Unique looks to have potential, but I am happy and staying with Bullseye.
I purchased some 100 gr FMJ bullets from Midway. The next batch of ammo I load I will bump the powder charge up as the stuff is very slow with 2.0 grs Bullseye. All I wanted to do was remove lead fouling so my expectations were not very high, and I was not disappointed. These bullets did shoot well, but the 32 S&W Long is a cast bullet cartridge, I see no advantage of using it with expanding bullets.
And to expand that thought further, I really do not see much of any use for the 32 S&W Long. It is accurate with very low recoil. A far cheaper cartridge to shoot that has these qualifications is the .22 LR. This cartridge has to be almost useless as a self defense load. It is almost useless in any other mode. I remember reading shill gunwriter drivel about how this cartridge would be good as a small game and pest load. This is to be expected from a shill gunwriter, they cannot say anything bad about any product they review, so they have to come up with something “nice” to say. Well let me tell you, when I get up at 3 am, drive one hour to a squirrel hunting spot in a game reserve, wait till the birds wake up, and maybe I get one or two shots at shell shocked jumpy squirrels, I sure as heck am not going using a revolver. I want to hit something.
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
78 LRN .312" 2.5 grs Bullseye CCI 500 Aguila brass
22-Jul-05 T = 96 °F no leading shoots 1-2" low centered accurate
Ave Vel = 823.6
Std Dev = 32.43
ES 155.5
High 926.2
Low 770.6
N = 25
98 LRN Aguila Factory
19-Mar-06 T = 51 °F incredible barrel leading.
Ave Vel = 665.9
Std Dev = 17.52
ES 69.38
High 697
Low 627.6
N = 32
100 gr FMJ 2.0 grs Bullseye Aguila Brass WSP OAL 1.18"
19-Mar-06 T = 51 °F Unimpressive
Ave Vel = 553
Std Dev = 34.78
ES 102.4
High 604.1
Low 501.6
N = 11
100 gr LBBFP .313" 2.25 grs Bullseye SS Brass WSP
19-Mar-06 T = 51 °F Elevation good Windage left Mild recoil
Ave Vel = 693.3
Std Dev = 20.71
ES 103.9
High 721.8
Low 617.9
N = 32
100 gr LBBFP .313" 2.5 grs Bullseye SS Brass WSP
19-Mar-06 T = 51 °F Elevation good Windage good Mild recoil prefer this to 2.25 grain load
Ave Vel = 768.2
Std Dev = 16.97
ES 62.06
High 807.3
Low 745.3
N = 17
100 gr LBBFP .313" 2.9 grs Unique SS Brass WSP
19-Mar-06 T = 51 °F Elevation good Windage good Mild recoil accurate
Ave Vel = 717.4
Std Dev = 42.33
ES 144
High 789.3
Low 645.3
N = 18
71Commander
Member
Thanks SlamFire1. Just what I was looking for. Do you have the OAL on this set-up?
This batch of ammo is not for me. I'm loading 100 rounds for a friends wife. It will probably never be shot. He just wanted some ammo for a gun he has. I. myself prefer a .45 for social work.
Although my wife does have a 431PD. (J frame 32 H&R Mag.). He had some black Hills 32 mag ammo that he couldn't use, so he gave it to me. His gun is a 32 long. I'm putting some ammo together to replace the gift.
This batch of ammo is not for me. I'm loading 100 rounds for a friends wife. It will probably never be shot. He just wanted some ammo for a gun he has. I. myself prefer a .45 for social work.
Although my wife does have a 431PD. (J frame 32 H&R Mag.). He had some black Hills 32 mag ammo that he couldn't use, so he gave it to me. His gun is a 32 long. I'm putting some ammo together to replace the gift.- Status
