32 acp defense loads

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  • Last Post 22 October 2016
DBW posted this 24 April 2016

I have a Walther PP 32 acp that I would like to use as a dress carry and would like to know if anyone has worked up a good defense load that is reliable and effective for what it is. I would like to use a readily available bullet mold and powder. Would like alloy and any other info.....DBW

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Ed Harris posted this 22 October 2016

I'm sure that somebody will grab it. These were a fairly well executed Walther PP knock-off. Don't know how hard it is to get spare mags or replacement parts for it, which is pretty much why I have concentrates on the Walther PP, 1903 Colt and 1934/35 Berettas.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 22 October 2016

i see there is an astra 32 acp auto on gunbroker....this is one of the better spanish pop guns... it just went over my bid limit, but still quite reasonable...

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/592063045

ken

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Ed Harris posted this 18 October 2016

With larger meplat nose may iminge againt curvature of mag body if OAL exceeds about 0.96, depending upon bullet profile. FMJRN can be up to 0.98", but factory FMJFN is usually 0.96” or so...

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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DBW posted this 18 October 2016

Ed, thanks for the reply!! It  caused me to go back and check my whole reloading setup as well as the mags and pistol. I have two dial calipers, normally keep one at my lathe and one at my reloading bench. Brought the lathe caliper in to use as a snap gauge and the other to measure with. The zero's of the two gauges are at different angles which caused me to miss that I had accidentally moved the bezel of one. rechecked all my recent reloads and thankfully the 32 acp loads were the only ones too long. Feel kind of dumb but glad it was discovered before something bad happened. Thank you Lord and you too Ed........DBW 

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Ed Harris posted this 03 October 2016

Both of my Walthers were German police turn-ins, made in the mid-1960s, with originalmags that came with them and recent production stainless spares with Walther logo which say Made in Germany.  I use the same 0.945-0.955” OAL in Colt M1903 Type III made in 1914, and two Beretta M1935s, 1944 and 1952 production, all with no issues, as does Dennis Carlini in his PPk and Steve Balthrop in his Colt Type III made in 1920.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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DBW posted this 03 October 2016

Ed, I tried both a Walther  PP marked mag that came in the military holster with the pistol  and two made in italy stamped mags that I got new from the internet.....DBW

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Ed Harris posted this 02 October 2016

0.87 is too short! Both of my PPs feed 100% with OAL 0.945-0.955” using either 31-087T, 31-090B, 31-090V or 31-095T. Are you using original Walther magazines or some aftermarket clone?

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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DBW posted this 02 October 2016

Ed, have been working with the 31-87t in my Walther PP and have found that for it to work in both my original Walther mag. and two new Italian mags an O.A.L. of 0.870 was necessary to keep the cartridges from hanging up on the cutout for the mag. catch. So far no problems with rim jumping. Need to do more testing as I am still at the starting load stage as I got side tracked with the .380 acp and the ruger LCP . Much prefer shooting the PP but the LCP is so easy to carry. If conditions allow I will probably wind up carrying the PP but when conceal ability with light clothing is primary the LCP. The threads on both are most helpful.    Appreciate your research......DBW 

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RicinYakima posted this 11 August 2016

I absolutely agree! In the handgun, I have never had that with less than the 358156 HP in soft alloy at a real 1250 f/s. Everything less blows the nose off and the solid shank just stops. But then, I haven't worked with much new stuff in the last 20 years, just getting old and have too many other projects! Best wishes, Ric

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45 2.1 posted this 11 August 2016

RicinYakima wrote: Without penetration; you have nothing. Kind of like procreation. Over expansion is more of a problem than over penetration. A cast handgun or rifle bullet that performs like a Nosler partition is the best of both worlds. I've been hunting with such since the mid 80's and they work quite well.

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RicinYakima posted this 11 August 2016

Without penetration; you have nothing. Kind of like procreation. Over expansion is more of a problem than over penetration.

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M3 Mitch posted this 11 August 2016

Well, too soon oldt, too late schmart I guess, but finally doping this out. I guess the light bullet, high velocity crowd has their argument as well, but for serious social use, IMHO, better to have positive function and adequate penetration than “bragging” kinetic energy numbers.

Of course if one takes this line of reasoning as far as it will go, you trade the gun for a knife...

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Ed Harris posted this 10 August 2016

Ah, so Grasshopper, you are learning!

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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M3 Mitch posted this 10 August 2016

Something that is now obvious to me, but I only realized after reading this thread, is that a relatively heavy bullet will result in a higher recoil velocity of the slide in an autoloader, and other things being equal, probably result in more reliable functioning. Particularly in small cartridges, it also gives more sectional density and generally better penetration, perhaps at the expense of expansion. All basic physics, should have realized all this from the get-go, but I didn't.

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Ed Harris posted this 10 August 2016

Need to do more function tests with 090B before I can bless it. Berettas run it fine, got somes failures to feed in the Colt. Need to run 100 rds. through Walther PP and also try reducing charge with AutoComp to 2.5 grains using Little Dandy rotor #00 to see how it plays.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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DBW posted this 10 August 2016

Ed, this is looking better and better. Any results with the 31- 90 B yet? I have some 31- 87 T loaded up with some BE practice loads and also starting with 5 gr. 2400 which I will try to work up to 5.6 in my PP. Hope to get to the range in the next few days....DBW

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M3 Mitch posted this 10 August 2016

Ed, you have made the .32 ACP into a “respectable citizen” I think!

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Ed Harris posted this 10 August 2016

As a head's up and FYI,

I have been working with several of the Mousegun Enthusists here and we have decoded the Buffalo Bore recipe and improved upon it. 3 grains of Winchester AutoComp in Starline brass with CCI500 and the Accurate 31-077B or the NOE 78-grain Ranch Dog profile at 0.92” OAL gives 900+ fps from the BerettaTomcat with 2.4” barrel and 1000 fps from 3.4” Beretta Puma or Walther PPK.   Perforates 36” of water jugs and bounces off the trees downrange... With hollow-pointed 31-087T, 82-83 grains in 1:30 alloy, with same powder charge, OAL 0.95,” expands to .50 cal. and does 24” of water jugs, approximating 12-14” of gelatin penetration, which is ENOUGH.  Velocity approaches 900 fps from 2.4” Beretta Tomcat, same as Buffalo Bore load, but with HEAVIER expanding bullet.  Stay tuned... a Fouling Shot article with load data using current suitable powders will appear in a future issue...

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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Brodie posted this 28 July 2016

Yes Rocky, the carry laws are getting better here in Arizona.   And I know that using handloads for defense may be Gun Shop BS, but the only thing I want to give to an Attorney is enough rope to hang him or her by.

Arizona has changed the self defense laws because of public pressure on its State Representatives.  I am sure that Washington State could do the same if for example gun owners quit griping among themselves, and preaching to the choir, and put some effort in changing things like we did here in Arizona.

B.E.Brickey

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harleyrock posted this 28 July 2016

Old Coot:"Here in Arizona they seemed to have dropped that BS”     In the most recent issue of “Guns and Ammo” magazine Arizona ranked #1 in the USA as a gun owner friendly state.    They also said essentially the same as Ric that Seattle unlike any other area of the state of Washington is very unfriendly to gun owners. Rocky

Lifetime NRA since 1956, NRA Benefactor, USN Member, CBA Member

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