Super heavy full wadcutter for .32 S&W long

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Last Post 14 September 2021
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MarSch posted this 19 August 2021

I would like to take the first sentence to wish everyone here a shiny and wonderful day!

I have a question that preys on my mind so much, that I would like to ask you to help me.

To start with the important things first: My question is entirely hypothetical and it is purely ballistic in nature. And I am fully aware of that.

I heard and read about really heavy but also fully capable bullets for the .32 S&W long. In this venerable forum it was an example of 154 grain. I am really impressed about it.

So my question is: What would be the maximum bullet weight for a .32 S&W long if it should be a double-ended wadcutter? I mean the reasonable maximum, not the technically possible maximum. Which weight in this design is still properly shootable?

Thank you very much in advance to those who will be posting through the day.

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MarSch posted this 14 September 2021

Most courteous thanks for overestimating me. And it's really only up to me to say thank you.

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delmarskid posted this 14 September 2021

You speak English better than I spell it. I meant to type “same knot” . Thank you for the kind words.

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MarSch posted this 14 September 2021

PS: It blew said not out like I popped it with a hammer ...

Could it be that a typo has crept in and I can delete the words "said not"?

I apologize for any inconvenience. English is not my mother tongue.

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MarSch posted this 14 September 2021

I got curious and loaded a Seaco 175 grain 315 backwards in a 327 Federal case ....

Dear delmarskid, I would love to lift your priceless lines out of the thread with a cake fork!

Really, I couldn't be more impressed!

With that you give me really valuable insights. You have all my thanks for that!

God bless you all!!

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CBA Member

delmarskid posted this 13 September 2021

I got curious and loaded a Seaco 175 grain 315 backwards in a 327 Federal case using a starting load for a 190 grain cast bullet in the 38 special in a new Starline case. I fired this from a Ruger Single Seven. I measured the case rim after firing and could not note any case head expansion. The case extracted easily and was sooty. The CCI small pistol primer was not flattened that I could see but did have soot in the indentation. The 38 data or this charge indicated 600 f.p.s. The report was low and recoil was also. It felt and sounded like a 32 S&W long. I just did the one testing at a piece of 1x6 at about 6 feet and hit the knot I was aiming at. It blew said not out like I popped it with a hammer so I don't know if it key holed or not. This was fun. If I try it again I may try a small rifle primer and put up a target at a reasonable distance.

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MarSch posted this 13 September 2021

Dear TRKakaCatWhisperer,

for me there is only the strictly hypothetical side, because I never shot any other handgun calibers than the 9mm ( incl. 375 Mag.). I used a relatively wide spectrum of 9mm handguns, but the caliber never changed that much. That all was while I was in the austrian army and a few years later. My personal interest lies in the "sience" and at best in something like left-field ballistics.

I am that fascinated by the niche topic of heavy and slow bullets and by that saying I mean borderline heavy and borderline slow. Just for interest. It's more an thought experiment.

For that I ask myself how far can one go if the (pragmatically) maximum is the goal. And what exactly it can be used for.

Thank you very much to make it more interesting.

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TRKakaCatWhisperer posted this 13 September 2021

On the flip-side of the coin, a practical use COULD be for very short ranges - where the potential of tumbling would not matter. Then the max weight/length would be the limitation of what you could chamber, leaving enough room for powder and of course if a revolver the length of the cylinder.

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MarSch posted this 13 September 2021

Very esteemed Mr. Harris,

You have my most heartfelt thanks for your so useful guidance. It's really great to learning here.

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Online CBA Member

Ed Harris posted this 13 September 2021

For the majority of .32 S&W Long revolvers with slow twist the Accurate 31-109H is about max. In a 10-inch twist barrel the heavier bullets shine.

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

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MarSch posted this 12 September 2021

Oh, I have a lot of experience with it, Mr. Campbell. It was common during my years in the military also practice with the "single-use anti tank grenade launcher". And that worked back then with 9mm Para with a tracer composition at about 120 meters per second. The parabola at 15 meters was enormous. It was more about badminton than shooting.

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 12 September 2021

... one of the benefits of very slow bullets is that it is easy to see the bullet flying down to your target ... at least with a white target paper and a scope of 8 to 20 power ... at least in a rifle that doesn't recoil all that much ...

looks like ... a Rem bolt pistol in 32 long would be pretty easy ... start with the 222 bolt face bolt ... then you could get a longer barrel for a little more velocity ...

ken

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MarSch posted this 12 September 2021

For all those interested in absurdly heavy and absurdly slow projectiles (in this case concerning the .32 S&W long):

In this incredibly interesting forum I found the new record holder within the .32 S&W long, the Saeco #315 with a whopping 175 grains.

The remarkable Mr. Harris mentions it in this thread* for the .32 H&R, but I think it is technically possible to have such an "airship" launched from a .32 S&W long.

*That's the thread: https://forum.castbulletassoc.org/thread/5418-32-acp-rifle

I guess the speed that can be achieved with such an construct is still around 600 fps. Therefore, such a cartridge would actually still have a real practical use (whatever this could be).

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MarSch posted this 22 August 2021

And again I learn. For such a weight and necessary length, this is surely an unfavorable twist rate and still shootable.

Dear Mr. Harris, I can't thank you enough for your kindness to share your extraordinary wealth of experience.

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Online CBA Member

Ed Harris posted this 22 August 2021

A 14-" twist Colt Police Positive will stabilize Accurate 31-155D at 700 fps from a 4-inch barrel, seating the bullet out long to 1.40" overall cartridge length with 7 grains of 4227 powder. Post-WW2 era guns only.

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

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MarSch posted this 21 August 2021

Ah, now I understand. I myself have never had the opportunity to shoot anything that is even remotely as slow. I am absolutely delighted.

Thank you very much for your appreciated input, dear RicinYakima!

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CBA Member

RicinYakima posted this 21 August 2021

It is so slow that it tumbles when it hits the ground, unless sand. I live in the high steppes, so am very careful about what is behind my target.

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MarSch posted this 21 August 2021

How fascinating! But please, dear RicinYakima, what do you mean when you write "bouncing SOB"? I don't want to cause you any trouble and I apologize.

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MarSch posted this 21 August 2021

Dear JeffinNZ, that's exactly what I was thinking! I hardly dare to type it, but that would actually heave a .32 S&W Long in the class of manstoppers. It's incredibly interesting.

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CBA Member

RicinYakima posted this 21 August 2021

I have shot the Lyman 311440, 150 grain bullet in my bunny gun with the Long case, and 4 grains of 2400. In the 1/10 twist it will make about 500 f/s and you can shoot without ear plugs. However it is a bouncing SOB. Two inches from a rifle at 50 feet. FWIW.