Is it likely that a .32 S&W long wadcutter can be reloaded on a progressive?

[trboat]

All,

I am pondering the purchase of a Hornady AP progressive press.
What is the likelihood that this press will produce consistent reloads on the .32?

I suppose I wonder most about the powder throw metering down to this size cartridge.
Has anyone any experience with this press or other progressives on the 32?

Thank you

Edit- looking at the load data the round needs between 1.4 and 1.7 gr so getting a usable resolution from a powder throw seems to be a big ask at that range.

[David M]

Good press.
Get the pistol rotor for the powder thrower with a micrometer pistol insert. good down to 0.5 grain.
Bullet feeder will not work with soft lead bullets, but case feeder works very well.

[trboat]

David,
Thank you for that.
I need to hold throws to .1gr?

I intend to use the Lapua 98’s and N310
The tables are calling out 1.4 starting and 1.7 max

I have an old Belding & Mull and my fallback is to make and a use a micrometer case that to drop and funnel each round individually.

Edit-

Understand now- that powder throw can drop .5gr charges.

[David M]

Next problem for .32 long is dies.
Slug your barrel to find the bullet size as .32 is a bugger.
From 0.308" up to 0.315", most dies are for 0.312" and european
pistols are normally 0.314" (oversize dies needed).

[trboat]

Next problem for .32 long is dies.
Slug your barrel to find the bullet size as .32 is a bugger.
From 0.308" up to 0.315", most dies are for 0.312" and european
pistols are normally 0.314" (oversize dies needed).

David now you are upsetting me….

So the perfect set of old Pacific ‘Durachrome’ 32 dies I found are all for naught!

Ah the humanity…
Crap

[TonyT]

No problem with a Dillon 550 with the extra small powder bar.

[trboat]

I contacted Hornady-

“ Thank you for your email. If you want that kind of accuracy then you need to use an electronic scale and powder trickler.”

I don’t want to go this route.
You guys are getting acceptable throws for the 32 from powder measures.

I am thinking to setup and try.

[fc60]

Greetings,

I load the 32 Long and 32ACP with a Star.

It has an excellent powder drop system.

To check your machine, throw ten charges and weigh all ten. Repeat several times. If you can throw ten charges that average +/- 0.2 grains you are good to go.

Example. You want 1.60 grains per charge. Ten charges should weigh 15.8-16.2 grains REPEATEDLY.

Chronograph tests show that with the 32 Long 0.1 grains will move the velocity 30 FPS.

The average reloading scale has an accuracy guarantee of +/- 0.1 grain.

Trickling is futile. Most electronic scales will try to re-zero while you are trickling.

Cheers,

Dave

[rmca]

trboat

It depends on what kind of ammo are you looking to reload.
Plinking ammo, yes.
Match grande ammo, whit velocity SD´s in the 10s fps, no.

There are two problems with progressive reload for .32 S&W Long:
1- Can´t use a bullet feeder. Projectiles are too soft.
2- I haven't found a way to automatically dispense powder accurately enough to guarantee the SD numbers I want.

You can do all the steps on the progressive press, just feed it bullets and use a beam scale (my RCBS 505 holds +/-0.03gr measured on a lab scale) for the powder.

Sucks I know...

If someone has find a way to dispense powder (extruded, not spherical...) down to 1.4gr with a tolerable variance (+/-0.03gr), I'm all hears!!

Use roll crimp if you have a pistol, to help it feed, and slug your barrel before buying projectiles!

Hope this helps
rmca

[Rover]

Buy a .38.

[JamesH]

Match grande ammo, whit velocity SD´s in the 10s fps, no.

Not really required, most .22lr won't hold that kind of SD from a pistol - is that a problem?

Accuracy and velocity spread aren't all that well correlated - unless 1/4" variance at 100 yards is a problem for you.

10-20-30 fps SD gives me one-hole groups at 25m so I don't worry about it.

I made a set of bars with drilled holes for my RL550, I don't think they give better accuracy than the adjustable bar but I can go directly to the load I used before.

[trboat]

Ok- Thank you.

I am pondering the Star metering now.
I have from Bruce at Star Machine that the bars he provides are set up with interchangeable bushings bored to customer specification for specific powder/charge.
That information on bushings from StarMachine answers a question I had had of dialing down the bore size in the slides- I seems far simpler to make up a set of bushings than whole bars.
I see the Dillon solution of a sliding aperture to define chamber volume while the B&M using linear capture chambers on the same sliding arrangement as the Star/Dillon.

I own a full fabrication shop so can mill components at will and create custom bushings for the Star type measure etc.

In any case.
I have so far-

Dies- Pacific Durachrome (need honed to size- where can they be sent out to hone?)
A Belding & Mull powder measure
A Ohaus M5 scale
Some few cases
CCI #500 small pistol primers

Will get-

Vihtavuori N310
Bullets- Lapua or Bear Creek

So a press to put it all together..

Now that I know about the Star (thank you fc60) I am interested but those damn proprietary dies and the shell plate problem.
Again- I can bastardize a press to take standard dies but would be reluctant to do so.
I can do the basic milling to create shell plates but lack the capacity to finish grind and harden.
Purchase of a specific caliber press and additional parts to change caliber from StarMachine comes into real money.

rmca-

If someone has find a way to dispense powder (extruded, not spherical...) down to 1.4gr with a tolerable variance (+/-0.03gr), I'm all hears!!

Why not the N310 powder?
From Vihtavouri:

"Thanks to its small size and almost symmetrical grain size, the powder flows smoothly and meters well in reloading measures."


In any case this whole process is already years in the making as other demands keep pulling me from target shooting and all its nuances.
I'd like to sort this out this time.


Edit-
Rover
Practical as always but I want to sort out this 32 I currently own.

[David M]

To get the best powder throw from a progressive press thrower.
1/ Use the pistol small drum fitted with the micrometer adjuster.
2/ Lube the drum and body with dry graphite powder for free movement (no binding).
3/ The top of the inner spindle of the measure, lathe turn it to a concave hemisphere.
With a flat surface (square) it leaves a corner for powder to sit unevenly. Turned
to a hemisphere there is no corner for the powder to sit.
4/ Fit a powder baffle into the powder funnel, this evens out the load in the lower section
of the funnel for a even powder feed.
5/ Set the case activation for full travel so that the rotor taps at the end of each stroke.
6/ You can even attach a small vibrator to the press.
7/ Use fine grained powder for the light loads. Best is VV N310.

[robjob]

Geez guys... the 32 ain't that hard... if you cast, get the 88 gr single end wad cutter from accurate molds, size to .315, 1.7 gr bullseye, heavy crimp, load on a dillion 550 650 750 with dillion dies and APs powder funnel and the arrendondo powder charge bar and go shoot the thing... this load has shot 1.7" or smaller 50 yd ransom rest groups from two different people with two different guns and rests.

0.03 gr powder spread for a pistol... please...

[David M]

Well he asked for it.........

[trboat]

Thanks

[robjob]

1.7” at the long line?

Well if one is willing to settle for that …..

1.6" xring. .3" bullet... all Xs.... yeah, ill "settle"

[trboat]

….. ……….

[Pitt Willett]

b dillion 550 650 750 with dillion dies and APs powder funnel and the arrendondo powder charge bar and go shoot the thing... this load has shot 1.7" or smaller 50 yd ransom rest groups from two different people with two different guns and rests.

0.03 gr powder spread for a pistol... please...

I just started to reload this caliber on Dillon 550. I've had issues with the primer seating on the machine and had to switch to primer arm on single stage press. Seems like the shell plate I got is cut out is too large and flexes causing the brass to get cocked from perpendicular. Has anyone else had this problem and if so can it be fixed? N

[robjob]

[quote="Pitt Willett" post_id=321852 Seems like the shell plate I got is cut out is too large and flexes causing the brass to get cocked from perpendicular. Has anyone else had this problem and if so can it be fixed? N
[/quote]

Tighten down the shell plate screw a bit more