32 ACP powders

[NapalmCheese]

For those reloading 32 ACP, what are some of your favorites. I tend to use Red Dot in just bout anything that'll shoot it.

How about bullets, what are your favorites? It's been a little difficult finding bullets other than Berry's. I don't have a problem with Berry's, but who knows if they'll shoot well.

 

[Warpspeed]

Load has to be like 2 gr ? Is the Red Dot consistent ?

Something like Bullseye or another fast ball powder would be my choice.

And I like the Berry's bullets so if they make one, I'd shoot it. XTPs are a lot more and for plinking loads a bit much.

 

[NapalmCheese]

It would be pretty tiny amount of Red Dot, like 1.5 - 1.7 with a 71 grain bullet. I've never tried to meter anything that small. I load 3 grains in .38 for cowboy loads.

I haven't tried loading any yet, components are on their way.

 

[Warpspeed]

I'm trying to think which measure would be best for something like that and I can't really say any one would be better than another. Maybe a Lee Pro Auto disk. I think a measure like a Redding or Uniflow would be inconsistent with the flake powder at that volume.

What do you have?

 

[NapalmCheese]

For cowboy loads I'm using Lee Deluxe Auto Drum. For lower volume I'll use my Lyman Gen6 or for one offs I'll pour into my Frankford Arsenal mini scale.

Chances are I'd be using my auto drum for this. I've had good results with relatively small volumes of Red Dot with it. Otherwise the only other powder thrower I have is a lee perfect powder measure; which is any thing but perfect.

 

[AR15barrels]

I have gathered up brass, dies and bullets for 32acp but I have not loaded any yet.
I am planning to load on the 550 and I am going to make a smaller capacity charge bar that can more accurately drop charges between 1grain and 4 grains by using a narrower powder cavity than the factory small bar.
I am also going thinner on the bar thickness with a thicker spacer above the bar.

 

[Warpspeed]

I am planning to load on the 550 and I am going to make a smaller capacity charge bar that can more accurately drop charges between 1grain and 4 grains by using a narrower powder cavity than the factory small bar.

For those of us that don't possess mad machining skills, Dillon sells an Extra Small Powder Bar Assembly that might yield better results.

 

[AR15barrels]

For those of us that don't possess mad machining skills, Dillon sells an Extra Small Powder Bar Assembly that might yield better results.

I know about that, but I don't like the shape of the powder charge cavity when you get under 3 grains with the 5/16" thick bar.
Going to a 3/16" thick powder bar and a 5/32" wide slot for the powder charge allows you to run a longer powder slot that will fill more consistently than the deep cavity of the Dillon X small bar when you are throwing 1-2gr of powder.

Also, a standard small bar can be converted to an X small just by filing out the angled corners of the powder cavity so that the metering block can make the charge cavity smaller.

 

[sugarfoot57]

I use a Lil' Dandy rotary powder measure that I've had for over 30 years. #00 rotary cylinder gives me 1.6 grains of bullseye powder under a Bear Creek bullets 80 grain moly coated LRN. Bullet diameter is .311. It gives good accuracy without too much recoil for what it is. Works in both my PPK and my Sauer 38H.

 

[NapalmCheese]

I just loaded up 20 rounds this evening with 2.2 grains of Green Dot from my Lyman gen 6 under 71 grain Berry's plated. We'll see how they go. At 2.2 grains/round, a pound of Green Dot will last a long time...

I shoot a lot of Bear Creek bullets in other things, but I wasn't sure how the little tomcat would deal with something 'so heavy'.

 

[NapalmCheese]

Just for funsies I put together another 20 rounds using 2.3 grains of Universal and the same 71 grain bullet.

Next up will be putting together some 50 grain Lehigh Extreme Cavitators with 3.1 grains of Universal. Interesting note on the Lehigh data, they don't give starting data. They list the minimum load as "DNR" (Do Not Reduce) and the maximum load as 3.1 grains of Universal.

I ought to be able to get out and shoot them this weekend. No chrono though, either my brother in law or myself shot my chrono. I'll blame it on him, he was the last to shoot over it.

 

[NapalmCheese]

I got to shoot everything today. It all went bang. The Berry's bullets shot alright with the Universal load 'feeling' softer. I don't have a new chrono yet so no velocity data. The Lehigh loads with Universal shot great and cycled flawlessly for 14 rounds. I'll load some more up and see if 50 cycle with no problems.

 

[hambam105]

I'd venture to guess, and I do mean guess, that Bullseye powder has been the go-to powder for these .32acp & .380 acp class cartridges for about the past 100 years.

Recently I spent nearly 300 bones updating my powder thrower to dispense with these small powder charges.

If my intentions were for just loading for one cartridge, I'd have made my own dipper or used the Lee yellow plastic set of dippers and found the particular dipper from the set that worked.

I like Lee products just fine. However, I sincerely doubt anyone makes a mechanical dispenser capable of throwing these miniscule charges accurately and consistently on the cheap. Speaking of cheap...

The margin for assembly error has to be less for .25s & 32s & 380s compared to 9mm and 38 Special. Therefore, using a plated bullet with generous industry tolerance standards isn't for me.

 

[NapalmCheese]

I haven't yet made a dipper for this, but I will definitely make one.

 

[bergmen]

I have only one .32 ACP handgun (NAA Guardian). It has brutal recoil with microscopic sights that are almost impossible to see. It has been decommisioned and is in the back of the safe (been there for about 20 years). I did reload for it since ammo was almost impossible to find and very expensive when I did find it.

Dan

 

[NapalmCheese]

I'm shooting a Beretta Tomcat. It's pretty chunky for a "pocket pistol" but that added chunkiness makes it really comfortable to shoot.

 

[sugarfoot57]

This is true. I had both a Tomcat and Seecamp at one time and the latter was pounding on my finger bone every shot I made. After about 12 shots I had enough. The Tomcat was much easier to shoot in my opinion because it filled my hand better. Good build quality on both guns though.