32 S&WL; 311008 115 gr SWC; Bullseye & Unique PSI Test

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Last Post 28 August 2021

CBA Member

Larry Gibson posted this 25 May 2019

Thought I'd post these results here also;

A fellow CBF member, JoeJames, who is an aficionado of the 32 S&WL offered up a sufficient quantity of 311008 bullets for a comprehensive test of Alliant’s Bullseye and Unique powders. The nominal weight is 115 gr but Joes’, cast of COWW + 2% tin, weighed in at 116 gr fully dressed…..close enough for government work…… His bullets were sized at .312 and lubed with 50/50 lube.

I used my 10” barreled TC Contender barrel for the pressure and velocity testing. I lose about 200 fps when the same loads are fired in my 3” M30 S&WL and a bit over 100 fps when they are fired in my 6 ½” Ruger SS 32 H&R. The Oehler M43 PBL was set up at the local range. Bench position used with sandbag rests. The Contender barrel has an old TC 2.5X scope on it, not the best but sufficient for testing purposes.

The temperature during the test ran from 77 to 82 degrees. Humidity was26% and the barometric pressure was 29.82. Target is at 50 yards.

There is little current data available using 115 gr cast bullets in the 32 S&WL. The last really relevant data was found in the Lyman #3 CBH. As you can see from the pressure measurement data of this test it appears the Lyman data for their listed max load of Bullseye is somewhat mild while their max load listed for Unique is a bit heavy, especially for use in older weaker break top revolvers and those having “pot metal” solid frames.

Thus, JoeJames and I had settled incremental testing of both Bullseye (2.3, 2.5, 2.8 and 3.0 gr) and Unique (2.5, 2.8, 3.0, 3.3, 3.5 and 3.8 gr). Both powders are of Alliant manufacture. I used a Lee powder thrower as it throws both powders evenly. Thrown powder charges were set using an Ohaus 10-0-5 scale. Ten rounds of each increment was loaded for testing.

Cases were R-P 32 S&WLs loaded on Hornady dies. Primers were Winchester WSPs for all charges. A mid range charge was selected for each powder and was also tested using CCI 500 primers. The 311008s were seated to an OAL of 1.257 and a slight roll crimp was applied just under the front drive band.

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CBA Member

Larry Gibson posted this 25 May 2019

Accuracy of all the loads except the 3.8 gr load of Unique was 2” or less at 50 yards. That’s about the best I can do these days off sand bags. The 3.8 gr Unique load with its high psi obviously obturated the bullet more in the longer 32 H&R chamber giving some leading in the throat and first couple inches of barrel. May have been some gas cutting going on also. The 50 yard group opened up to about 5”.

Here is the test data for each powder:

Bullseye Powder

Increment…..Vel……SD….......ES……psi(M43)….SD………ES

2.3 gr……….863 fps…7 fps…..20 fps….14,900……600…......1,800

2.5 gr……….908 fps…14 fps....36 fps….15,900…...1,500……4,400

2.5 gr……….902 fps…10 fps…35 fps….15,300……500……..1,800…..CCI 500 primers

2.8 gr……….977 fps…..7 fps….22 fps….17,800……400…….1,200

3.0 gr……….1028 fps...12 fps…43 fps….20,300……700…….1,900

Unique Powder

Increment…..Vel……SD….......ES……psi(M43)….SD………ES

2.5 gr………849 fps…21 fps…..69 fps….13,600…...600……..1,900

2.8 gr………886 fps…19 fps…..54 fps….14,100……500…….1,400

2.8 gr………886 fps…22 fps…..61 fps….14,500……900…….2,500….CCI 500 primers

3.0 gr………951 fps…18 fps…..55 fps….16,300……800…….2,400

3.3 gr……...1010 fps…15 fps….41 fps….18,000…...1,100…...3,400

3.5 gr……...1062 fps…15 fps….47 fps….21,400…...1,500…...4,200….max Lyman CBH #3

3.8 gr……...1134 fps…10 fps….30 fps….24,700……1,100…..3,900

Now, please, before complaining about “hot rodding” or “over loading” the 32 S&WL cartridge understand that I am not recommending anyone load any of these charges. The above test was done in a firearm entirely capable of those psi's. However, given the wide discrepancy in quality and strength available in 32 S&WL revolvers each must make up their own mind what they deem “safe” in the revolver they have. The choice is theirs if they have 115 +/- cast bullets and wish to load Bullseye or Unique. For my own M30 S&W (pictured) I have loaded 12 rounds each using the remaining 311008s of Bullseye (2.8 gr) and Unique (3.3 gr) to chronograph and test for accuracy and POI at 25 yards. I deem those loads as entirely safe in my M30 as previously test 32 S&W (which is proclaimed to be safe in all 32 S&WLs) because they do not exceed the highest 32 S&W psi measured [18,900 psi] in the same test gun. I will edit this post and post the chronographed velocities when I get them.

LMG

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Standard Member

JeffinNZ posted this 25 May 2019

Great report. Even out of the 3 inch barrel operating within safe limits that little bullet can still be doing over 800fps. That's non trivial on small game. I used to shoot the 311008 a lot in my suppressed .32-20 Martini (now replaced with the NOE 314008) and limited my loads to 1040fps so as to be sure to be subsonic. Deadly on rabbits and our rather large hares at any range I could connect so even 800fps is more than sufficient.

Cheers from New Zealand

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CBA Member

Ed Harris posted this 25 May 2019

Outstanding!

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

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David Reiss posted this 26 May 2019

Being one of my favorite all time cartridges, I really enjoyed this report. Having always wanted a Contender barrel to complement by revolvers, I now have a greater longing for purchasing one. Thanks again for the report!

David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
- Also deal in: Land, Banjos, Nails, Firearms, Manure, Fly Swatters, Used Cars, Whisky, Racing Forms, Rare Antiquities, Lead, Used Keyboard Keys, Good Dogs, Pith Helmets & Zulu Headdresses. .

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CBA Member

BigMan54 posted this 27 May 2019

GEEZ!

Another Mold to buy and more loads to try in the little Police Positive & Single-Six.

Long time Caster/Reloader, Getting back into it after almost 10yrs. Life Member NRA 40+yrs, Life S.A.S.S. #375. Does this mean a description of me as a fumble-fingered knuckle-draggin' baboon. I also drool in my sleep. I firmly believe that true happiness is a warm gun. Did I mention how much I HATE auto-correct on this blasted tablet.

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CBA Member

Dale53 posted this 31 May 2019

Larry;

I appreciate your sharing this information. It adds to all of our tech "stash". Many years ago, I had several long conversations with Bruce Hodgdon regarding "working up a load" in a revolver. "Back in the day", those .32 S&W Long revolvers would have been reduced to scrap had we taken the "advice" of many to "work up a load" (using language that would work in a Mauser style bolt action chambered for the 30'06 with a working pressure of 50,000 psi as apposed to 13,000-16,000 psi). By the time anything was noticeable we would have been WAY past the limits.

Fortunately, I had both done my homework and then later met people like Bruce. Fred Huntington, Elmer Keith, Skeeter Skelton, and E.H. Harrison who kept me on the straight and narrow path.

Your pressure tests, shared selflessly with us, continues that fellowship exhibited by those fellows and others here, like Ed Harris, to help keep us out of trouble and thoroughly enjoying our sport.

Thank you, my friend!

Dale53

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WINCHESTER 71 posted this 21 August 2021

this is really confusing!!!!!!!!!!!!! your TC has a .310 barrel, the pistol you claim is a S&W J frame is not a J frame model 30 as it's a flat latch I frame and has most importantly a .3125 barrel as I have the same exact pistol and your Ruger should have .3135 cylinders so you have 3 shooters, 3 different twists, 3 diameters of bores and one set of results...you need data on each pistol and not a guestimation of numbers. .you know this as you have been shooting a while.......read your posting and you will find no specific information about 3 totally different pistols resulting in nothing to apply to anything as a 3 inch barrel compared to a 10 inch barrel is like comparing golf balls to bowling balls..........I have a Ruger single seven in 327 with over 6000 rounds through it and I shoot 32 S&W out of it and it's a totally different then my 32 I frame Smith with a 3 inch barrel so guestimations really shouldnt be published as data applicable firearms........................Ron Oates/Montana Outfitters

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CBA Member

Larry Gibson posted this 21 August 2021

The Contender barrel [32 H&R} has a .308 groove diameter barrel on it, not a .310. The thread title it is about pressure (PSI) measurements taken in the Contender barrel. The data presented is the actual measured data, not any "guestimation" data was presented at all.

I did not make any comparison of velocity or pressure data between the Contender barrel, the Ruger SS or the S&W M30. The fact is I only presented the measured data taken with the Contender barrel. The loads test had not yet been fired in either the Ruger or the S&W revolvers as stated in the original post.

The S&W is an I frame. The frame length is that of a J frame length, not the shorter I frame. Thus, regardless of the flat latch it is a M-30 J frame. The serial number puts it in the transition between I and J frame which is why S&W put the flat latch on it as they were using up parts on hand. The "piece de resistance" in identifying what model it is confirmed as it is stamped under the yoke as a M-30. The groove diameter of my S&W M30's barrel is indeed .3125 with the cylinder throats running .314.

My Single Six revolver (original run) has .312 cylinder throats (pin gauged) not .3135. The barrel groove diameter is .312.

To hopefully help in clearing up the "confusion", bottom line is what was posted was a pressure velocity test using the Contender barrel. There was no data of pressure or velocity for either the M30 or the Ruger SS given. No real "guestimations of velocity for the Ruger or the S&W either other than a simple statement of what the usual velocity difference is between them and the Contender barrel with the same loads.

LMG

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CBA President

John Alexander posted this 21 August 2021

Ron,

This would be a good time to show that you can man up, be responsible, and apologize for not reading more carefully before posting a pretty aggressive statement.

John