Another Hooligan Project ---> Reloading 32 S&W BP Cartridges

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

  • No ad networks!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • j8064

    Garrett Co Hooligan #1
    Feb 23, 2008
    11,635
    Deep Creek
    As usual, another unusual project has found its way to my reloading bench ---> Building old 32 S&W black powder ammo. Who's surprised? :lol2:

    Here's the project:
    • This old H&R Top Break revolver came to me years ago (first pic below). Based on my research it's from pre-1900. In good shape, but built to fire black powder vs. smokeless ammo. So it had never been fired by the Hooligans - until... jimv8eatr (enabler that he is) donated some old 32 S&W ammo of unknown age to the pistol.
    • At last week's Hooligan shoot Buff7mm was our guinea pig (second pic below). He took one shot. Nothing blew up. :thumbsup: But none of us could figure out how to lock the cylinder on the spindle. :banghead:
    • Back on my bench I figured out our problem and the pistol became an active project.

    Research and Progress:
    • Years ago JAGGUY donated an original Ideal reloading tool to go with the pistol. :thumbsup:
    • The tool incorporates a boolit mold. I once cast a few boolits with it, but they weren't usable. I can cast 93 gr .311 boolits and have them on hand so we have projectiles! ;)
    • At the time I did not know how to use the tool. Here's a YouTube video that adds insight on how the too works. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2A0Ez9TMZA
    • The first thing I learned was the tool needed the missing decapping part. I had a 32 ACP Lee case gauge that worked , but decapping did not resize the cases. Dayum!
    • I have a 32 ACP die set and figured it was worth a try. The case dimensions for 32 ACP are a couple thousandths larger diameter than 32 S&W. And it worked great! I needed to find a shell holder that worked, but with some tweaking I have cases that chamber and a way to seat and crimp boolits. :D The dummy round I built yesterday is compared to a factory round in the pic below...

    Next Steps?


    • I have 20 cleaned cases I can prime and use for test ammo.
    • I have boolits and BP on hand plus a set of dies that will build test rounds.
    • My research tells me original 32 S&W BP ammo was loaded with 9 grains of what today would be FFFg.

    It's time to actually build some black powder ammo to test fire at our next Hooligan shoot! That's my reloading project for tomorrow...

    Any of the MDS member's brain trust knowledge and input is surely welcome!

    Your thoughts?

    :shrug:
     

    Attachments

    • 01 - H&R R-Side DSC07395.jpg
      01 - H&R R-Side DSC07395.jpg
      54.3 KB · Views: 312
    • 02 - Buff7mm Firing H&R DSC00554 SNIP.jpg
      02 - Buff7mm Firing H&R DSC00554 SNIP.jpg
      43 KB · Views: 295
    • 03 - Tool DSC07450 Snip.jpg
      03 - Tool DSC07450 Snip.jpg
      48.7 KB · Views: 306
    • 04 - Boolits DSC08046.jpg
      04 - Boolits DSC08046.jpg
      52.7 KB · Views: 310
    • 06 - DSC00618 Lee Decapping Pin with Die.jpg
      06 - DSC00618 Lee Decapping Pin with Die.jpg
      35.9 KB · Views: 293
    • 07 - DSC00624 Decapped cases in cylinder.jpg
      07 - DSC00624 Decapped cases in cylinder.jpg
      34.7 KB · Views: 311
    • 08 - 32 S&W Factory vs Hand LoadCapture.jpg
      08 - 32 S&W Factory vs Hand LoadCapture.jpg
      40.1 KB · Views: 306
    • 09 - Cleaned Cases with boolit Capture.jpg
      09 - Cleaned Cases with boolit Capture.jpg
      39.8 KB · Views: 307

    j8064

    Garrett Co Hooligan #1
    Feb 23, 2008
    11,635
    Deep Creek
    Evidently most MDS folks have no opinion or input... Oh well...

    I have 20 rounds loaded with BP to test fire at our Hooligan shoot tomorrow morning.

    The rounds are loaded with ~ 6 grains of Goex FFFg (that's about all the powder I could get in the cases and still be able to seat a boollt). The powder is very compressed... They're topped with the 93 gr .311 cast boolits I had on hand.

    We'll try them in the H&R tomorrow.

    Wish us luck... ;)

    :fingerscrossed:
     

    Attachments

    • 09 Loaded BP  Rounds SNIP IMG_0196.jpg
      09 Loaded BP Rounds SNIP IMG_0196.jpg
      64.6 KB · Views: 252

    Uncle Duke

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 2, 2013
    11,667
    Not Far Enough from the City
    J, good luck with your project!

    From what I can gather on the web, (and not sure if factual), H&R started marking 32 S&W CTG. on the left side of the barrel in 1905. Revolvers so marked were considered to be good to go with what at the time was relatively "new" smokeless powder. Prior to being so marked, they were considered to be black powder firearms.

    My example is not marked with the cartridge, and carries a latest patent date of 1896. While I don't advocate the practice, I have shot the example below with smokeless cartridges. I was younger and dumber at the time. I just had to shoot it. The revolver and a box of Winchester cartridges (from Western Auto if my memory serves---1960's vintage if I had to guess) came my way from my grandfather. It spent most of its life under my grandfather's pillow.

    It is possible that smokeless 32SW was factory loaded with deference to the many black powder top breaks known to be in circulation at the time. Perhaps that's why mine (and my hand) didn't come unglued when I fired it. Or perhaps The Man took mercy on a dumb kid for wanting to shoot his grandfather's revolver, because I didn't make the safety distinction at the time. But either way and nowadays, I like your BP reloading idea better!

    Again, best of luck with your project!
     

    Attachments

    • IMG_0161.jpg
      IMG_0161.jpg
      78.9 KB · Views: 243

    BradMacc82

    Ultimate Member
    Industry Partner
    Aug 17, 2011
    26,177
    Think I actually have a few of the 'reduced power' Remington 32 S&W rounds laying around somewhere.

    This thread actually spurred me into fixing the old Forehand & Wadsworth .38 topbreak I've had sitting for the past 5 years. Snag a box or two from Buffalo Arms, see if it goes bang or kablooey.
     

    j8064

    Garrett Co Hooligan #1
    Feb 23, 2008
    11,635
    Deep Creek
    Range Report Follow Up

    Several Hooligans shot the old H&R Top Break today. Using the old Remington ammo jimv8eatr supplied the pistol fired fine. It's actually kinda fun to shoot.

    Then the time came to test BP rounds. That didn't work out as planned. I loaded the chamber with only one round. It fired as expected with lots of sparks and white smoke. It was impressive! :) ... But... the cylinder and hammer locked... :sad20:

    At first I thought it was perhaps a pressure issue. Had I used too much BP? Was there still a slug in the barrel? Have I blown up the old pistol? A lot of thoughts go through your head at moments like that. :o

    Turned out the firing pin had dug into the primer far enough to stick. A couple of lite mallet taps got it loose. After thoroughly inspecting the gun I found no damage. It still functioned properly to shoot the old factory ammo. The fired BP case dropped out of the cylinder easily so all the pressure went out the barrel. In the pic below you can clearly see how far the hammer/firing pin had pulled the primer out of the case.

    Unfortunately it was back to the bench with this project. I unloaded the test rounds (what a PITA to dig out compressed BP...)!

    I had loaded the rounds using Winchester SP primers. So I fired a couple of primed cases - same issue! The pistol locked up! WTF? Next I tried a couple of cases using CCI SP primers. The issue went away! :party29:

    Clearly there is a difference in hardness between Winchester and CCI primers. I have a few CCI #41 SR primers on hand to try. They'll be hotter than SP, but - hey - we're lighting off BP so they should be fine.

    More to come so stay tuned!

    ;)

    Also, Biggfoot44 asked about the lube I used: Crisco and beeswax like i use in my 45-70 Sharps BP ammo and Minnie balls for the 1861 Springfield.

    :thumbsup:
     

    Attachments

    • DSC00652 H&R SNIP.jpg
      DSC00652 H&R SNIP.jpg
      47.2 KB · Views: 187
    • DSC00654 H&R CombatAK SNIP.jpg
      DSC00654 H&R CombatAK SNIP.jpg
      56.2 KB · Views: 205
    • DSC00657 H&R 4570 SNIP.jpg
      DSC00657 H&R 4570 SNIP.jpg
      50.4 KB · Views: 190
    • DSC00664 H&R Applehd SNIP.jpg
      DSC00664 H&R Applehd SNIP.jpg
      51.2 KB · Views: 198
    • j8064 H&R BP round 01Capture.jpg
      j8064 H&R BP round 01Capture.jpg
      41.5 KB · Views: 195
    • DSC00663 SNIP 32S&W Case.jpg
      DSC00663 SNIP 32S&W Case.jpg
      97.5 KB · Views: 205

    Bolts Rock

    Living in Free America!
    Apr 8, 2012
    6,123
    Northern Alabama
    That may not be the firing pin pulling the primer out of the case, that may be primer blowback. If there is not enough pressure to push the case back against the recoil shield or bolt face the force of the primer going off can cause it to back out of the pocket. For this reason cases made for blank rounds have larger flash holes (see Starline cases made for blanks).
     
    Last edited:

    Blacksmith101

    Grumpy Old Man
    Jun 22, 2012
    22,163
    I am following this thread because I just learned a friend has a similar revolver. While doing some looking I found this in Cartridges of the World 13th Edition. On page 331 under.32 Smith & Wesson it gives the following BP load:
    Bullet (grains/type) 85 Lead; Powder Blackpowder (Fg); Grains 9.0; Velocity 680; Energy 90; Source/Comments Factory load.
     

    DutchV

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 8, 2012
    4,703
    I had never heard of the difference between black powder and smokeless loads in .32 S&W. Good to know.
     

    Users who are viewing this thread

    Latest posts

    Forum statistics

    Threads
    274,931
    Messages
    7,259,516
    Members
    33,350
    Latest member
    Rotorboater

    Latest threads

    Top Bottom