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 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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JeffinNZ posted this 21 August 2021

A 150gr bullet in a .32 Long would be similar to a 200gr bullet in .38 S&W would it not?

Cheers from New Zealand

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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.

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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RicinYakima posted this 19 August 2021

The first decision will be do you want it all in the case or can it extend forward of the case?

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John F. posted this 19 August 2021

The second question would be "what is the rifling twist rate in your pistol?" It will be important to balance

this with the bullet's length and velocity for stability. A longer barrel should be better for stabilizing a long

WC than a short one. Once you have an idea of the weight bullet you can use, and the reasonable muzzle

velocity to expect, given the low pressures .32 S&W Longs operate at, you can check to see if the bullet should

be reasonably stable given your rifling twist rate.

John

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 20 August 2021

hi ... the 32 Long is a cute and useful little thing that hits over it's weight .. it would help if you could give us a bit more information.

are these loads to be used in an existing gun ... rifle ? ... autopistol ? .. revolver ? ... twist rate in barrel ... ... or are you planning to build a custom shooter with ultimate twist and wadcutter chamber ...

here is a group that has several serious 32 Long shooters ... btw, they mention that if you have a 10 twist you can do well with 98 gr wadcutters, in pistols.

bullseye forum

hope the above helps ...

ken

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MarSch posted this 20 August 2021

Oh, because of it's entirely hypothetical, it doesn't matter. It could be something like a contender. So if it sits out really far, it would be totally okay.

Thank you very much!

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MarSch posted this 20 August 2021

Thank you for your appreciated input!

In this entirely hypothetical model it could be a barrel length of 2 inch or 8 inch. And because I want to achieve a relatively high weight, I would trade high velocities in return. If I'm not completely wrong, with such a projectile geometry and even with a really short barrel, a velocity of 650 fps or even 700 fps should still be achievable - assuming an appropriate twist rate. I guess a suitable twist rate would be 1:8 or so.

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MarSch posted this 20 August 2021

I thought I had cleared up it from the start. I am sincerely sorry if I am easy to be misread or incomplete, it was never my intention.

My question is entirely hypothetical and for educational purposes only. A 98 grain double-ended wadcutter might not represent the maximum in weight. In this forum I even read about 154 grains. This gives the .32 S&W long a sectional density that is just extraordinary.

Thank you very much for your kindness to refer to the forum. I will read eagerly.

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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.