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Reloading 32 long colt

Obsolete cartridge and I have two rifles that will fire them (well, one and a half). I do have a brick of ammo coming that I will shoot some from but want to reload. I can dedicate a 50 rounds to each gun and not need to resize, I just need a down and dirty way to crimp. Lee wants outrageous setup charges and I am not real crazy about their products.

Any ideas?

Comments

  • PearywPearyw Member Posts: 3,699
    edited November -1
    If you don't have another die such as a 32 ACP, I will often take a round that I have seated and press it into the end of the sizing die with the decaping rod removed. That makes an effecive roll crimp. I am forever combining pieces from other dies to load odd stuff that I can't justify buying a set of dies for. I use a set of 32 acp dies for 32 S&W, 32 S&W long, and 32 H&R magnum. I load 38 S&W with a 38 spl sizer and expand and seat with 9 mm Makarov dies.
  • BlckhrnBlckhrn Member Posts: 5,136
    edited November -1
    Thanks, Pearyw. Do you know the case dia of .32 ACP? Long Colt mikes up at .315.
  • PearywPearyw Member Posts: 3,699
    edited November -1
    Hornady manual shows.336". I looked in Cartridges of the World and see that the 38 colt was origonaly a heeled bullet .313" diameter. They say it was later changed to a inside lubed .299". What are you using for bullets? I have run into this with my Martini cadet that uses a .316" heeled bullet. I use a 32-20 case with a .314" cast bullet. I don't see anything that looks like it will work unless you want to buy some custom dies.
  • BlckhrnBlckhrn Member Posts: 5,136
    edited November -1
    Midway has some lead .32 bullets around 90 gr. I haven't slugged the barrel since I was a kid and don't recall the outside dia.

    Could something be made up on a friend's lathe that would crimp? I'm thinking a 5/16 ball end mill into some steel, threaded 7/8x whatever and relieved, then case hardened.
  • PearywPearyw Member Posts: 3,699
    edited November -1
    I am sure one could be made. What are you going to size and expand with? Most of the 90 grain bullets that I have gotten from Midway are .312" made for 32 S&W.
  • PearywPearyw Member Posts: 3,699
    edited November -1
    You can order a set of 32 long Colt dies made by RCBS from Huntington and probably direct from RCBS. It is die set #56333.
  • BlckhrnBlckhrn Member Posts: 5,136
    edited November -1
    Very nice, exactly what I was looking for.
  • BlckhrnBlckhrn Member Posts: 5,136
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Pearyw
    You can order a set of 32 long Colt dies made by RCBS from Huntington and probably direct from RCBS. It is die set #56333.


    A little snag with the all knowing internet. Went to Huntington's and typed the #56333 into their search and came up with a lot of ginnerish. Can you post a link or category? Thanks.
  • dclocodcloco Member Posts: 2,967
    edited November -1
  • RossRoss Member Posts: 156 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Crimping a heeled bullet is going to be a problem.
    You can have a collet made to give the crimp like the Lee "Factory Crimp". You can also make a stab crimp with a modified plier tool like Ideal used to make.
    Finding a mould will be a challenge, but several custom makers will be able to accommodate you. No doubt you'll be able to find a custom bullet caster to get you started.
    Hollow base bullets will not have near the accuracy heeled bullets have, but may be plinking acceptable.
    Lee is passing up a gap in useful dies for the .32, .38, .310 heeled cartridge crimp dies and heeled bullet molds. We need to nag them a little, I guess.
  • BlckhrnBlckhrn Member Posts: 5,136
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Ross
    Crimping a heeled bullet is going to be a problem.
    You can have a collet made to give the crimp like the Lee "Factory Crimp". You can also make a stab crimp with a modified plier tool like Ideal used to make.
    Finding a mould will be a challenge, but several custom makers will be able to accommodate you. No doubt you'll be able to find a custom bullet caster to get you started.
    Hollow base bullets will not have near the accuracy heeled bullets have, but may be plinking acceptable.
    Lee is passing up a gap in useful dies for the .32, .38, .310 heeled cartridge crimp dies and heeled bullet molds. We need to nag them a little, I guess.

    I'm not familiar w/ heeled bullest as you describe them but it sounds llike they are larger base than at the nose. I slugged the rifle today and it miked .310 so a .312 would work. I only have the one rifle so I shouldn't need to size.

    All else fails I can bore seat them and shoot BP.
  • BlckhrnBlckhrn Member Posts: 5,136
    edited November -1
    TNX, Peary but S+W is some .015 larger (case).

    I had wondered if you could drill a soft lathe collet to Long Colt dia and resize S+W brass down.
  • RossRoss Member Posts: 156 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    "sounds like they are larger base than at the nose"
    No, the other way around. The bullet, as in the .22 rf, is the same size as the case, but with a smaller diameter heel to fit into the case.
    A base swage die or a collet die could be fashioned to reduce the base of the case, as with the Nambu from .40 S&W brass.
    The old Colt cylinders were without the Russian throat, and the rifles had the same chamber design. If your rifle is a single-shot there is no real need to crimp at all. (Any repeater can function as a single-shot.) Tube magazines tend to push the bullet into the case, so, unlike a revolver, crimp on a heeled bullet may not be necessary if the bullet won't fall out by gravity as you carry them about in your pocket.
    Regards from Darkest California,
    Ross
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