OAL changing

[crooked stripe]

I am having some trouble with my p32 ejecting. When I seat at the recommended depth not everyone ejects when trying to clear the gun of unshot rounds. I would like to shorten the length of the rounds to stop the problem. Is there a rule of thumb as to how much powder to decrease as the oal shortens? Just to add, when setting the oal per some manuals specs the only way I can get the bullet out is to fire it off. I am sure someone here has already solved this problem.

 

[Ol` Joe]

Concider before altering the cartridge lenght that the gun is designed to reliably eject empty brass not loaded rounds. As long as the loaded round is within spec on OAL I don`t think you`ll see much improvement in manual ejection of loaded rds.
Could be mistaken though.

 

[crooked stripe]

Very good point. The pistol does eject the spent cartridges very reliably but when I need to empty the fire arm I don't always have the luxury of firing the last round chambered. There has been a few times when my hands where cold I had trouble retracting the slide with out letting it slip closed. Any ideas on how to resolve the issue would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Josh45]

Sounds like you need to add a little bit more crimp. I just had this issue. Loaded round would not chamber. Then, I tried the FCD and I got it to chamber. Try using your seating/crimp die to get the crimp where it should be. If you have the FCD, Try that one out and see what happens.

This has happened to me a few times and it was always related to crimp as long as my OAL was good.

 

[avan47]

Is there a rule of thumb as to how much powder to decrease as the oal shortens?

The only rule of thumb I know of is to go back to the starting load with your new OAL and work back up.

I had trouble retracting the slide with out letting it slip closed. Any ideas on how to resolve the issue would be greatly appreciated.

Get a set of snap caps, and practice.

 

[gamestalker]

It sounds like the bullet is contacting the lands in my opinion. Take the barrel out and seat only deep enough to clear the lands, and start back at the beginning published powder charge. Each chamber has it own functional OAL, and once you've found that OAL for each bullet brand and type write it down so you can quickly set your seating die up for each session.

Be careful about crimping cartridges that head space on the mouth. Over crimping those type of cartridges can result in more serious problems associated with the mouth getting pinched in the the throat.

 

[1SOW]

Gamestalker makes a good point. If it will extract shorter oals, it should extract your oal unless it's contacting the cone/leade or is not sized and/or taper crimped properly.

When I seat at the recommended depth

Who's recommended depth?
Do a bullet push test with the bbl out to determine the oal "your pistol" will accept with "that particular bullet".
Use a spent UNSIZED case and just barely hand seat a bullet in far enough to just hold it. Push this into the chamber (with the bbl out) slowly until it seats on the case mouth. Carefully pull it back out and measure the oal. Do this a few times with more cases and and bullets to get a consistent MAX oal.
When you do get the MAX oal average, subtract about .015" and that is maximum "usable" oal for that particular chamber with that bullet. It should feed AND extract easily.

 

[crooked stripe]

The oal's are coming from the loading manuals. (.984) I have always been one to use the Lee fcd when they make one. .32 is just coming out in mid June. Found that on the Lee home page. If I read it right it will only be in steel. I will check the oal with the barrel and see what I come up with.

 

[dickttx]

I don't have any pistols that will eject loaded rounds. Drop the magazine and the round in the chamber will usually fall out through that space when it is extracted slowly.

 

[crooked stripe]

That is how I get mine out but sometimes if I pull the slide back a little to fast the ejector grabs the shell and lodges it between the breach face and the barrel. Of all the pistols I own this is the only one that does it. Thanks for the replies, John

 

[steve4102]

OAL is not manual specific, it is firearm specific. You need to find the correct OAL that fits, feeds, and fires in Your firearm. Then start low and work up.
Your loaded rounds should pass the "plunk" test. Take the barrel out of the firearm, drop the loaded round into the chamber, it should chamber with ease tip it upside down and it should fall out on it's own.

 

[gamestalker]

+1 Steve4102 OAL is firearm specific. The published OAL is only a refrence point by which to work from.

 

[1SOW]

Who's recommended depth?

OAL is not manual specific, it is firearm specific. You need to find the correct OAL that fits, feeds, and fires in Your firearm.

The published OAL is only a refrence point by which to work from.

I will check the oal with the barrel and see what I come up with.

Good idea..

A loaded centerfire cartridge should not only extract every time, it should "fall out" of the chamber when the bbl is held with the chamber down.

 

[bbuddtec]

Sounds like you need to make some dummys or get snap caps like the guy up there said, and practice clearing a chambered round.

I've heard that holding the slide firmly and pushing the frame forward is a little easier than trying to retract the slide with the gripping hand for some folks.

 

[1SOW]

I've heard that holding the slide firmly and pushing the frame forward is a little easier than trying to retract the slide with the gripping hand for some folks.

Try it. It works.

When you take your pistol out at home, try this method to confirm an empty chamber. Visually confirm no mag is inserted, and Rack it two or three quick times using the weak hand thumb and forfinger to hold the sides of the slide with the thumb web just in front the rear sight. Strong hand with the normal grip, quickly pushing forward.. Minor adjusts for different types of pistols to clear the ejection port. Works well on CZs, Sig and H.S. 22 cal..

 

[crooked stripe]

Recommend depth

I tested the guns oal by cutting a small v in a case and placing a bullet just barely in the case then putting it in the barrel till it seated on the rim. Measured, pushed the bullet in another .030 and the total is longer than the stated oal of the manual. Doing what I first read would put the bullet into the case .055 and we all know that is not near enough. I then measured a factory round of the same bullet type and it measured .060 shorter than the oal stated in the same manual. I am in the process of reading more on seating and oal. There must be something major I am missing. Sorry it has taken me so long to get back just a real busy weekend. John

 

[1SOW]

What specific bullet and oal are you using?

 

[crooked stripe]

32 acp and .984 is what the manual states. Just playing with this 32. I have no problem with my other pistols. 380, 38, 9mm, 357 and 45 colt.