I'm curious if anyone has chrono'd the old "armor piercing" Sellier steel core 32 ACP? I've seen sellers of this stuff claiming 1200 FPS, but that seems a bit high.

I have not, but you have to remember that the industry standard is to test out of a ten inch barrel with a sealed breech. Average loss in velocity is about 50 FPS per inch of barrel.

From my experience, the only company's stated velocity I'd ever believe is Buffalo Bore's. They are the only ones I have witnessed time and time again that do at least what they state on their website and packaging. They even name specific guns and specific bbl. lengths their ammo did such velocity out of.

The rest of the ammo manufacturers leave it up to us to extrapolate what the velocity might be out of a specific gun with a specific bbl. length. Since no one I know carries a 10" barreled gun on any daily basis, they SHOULD change how they test their velocities. Ammo meant for short barrels should be tested out of short barrels. Ammo tested out of revolvers should be tested from specific length barrel revolvers.

Testing ammo out of 10" test bbls. makes it easier and cheaper for ammo company's to do, but is basically useless unless one is familiar with extrapolating real life results out of specific barrels and guns. While I can usually come somewhat close (some can not) it shouldn't have to be that way!

The SAAMI standard test barrel length for .32 ACP (7.65 Browning) is 4.0 inches, not 10 inches. The only load for this cartridge currently listed by S&B is a 73 grain bullet at 1043 ft/sec from a 4.0 inch barrel.

If the old steel core bullet weighed considerably less than the 73 grain bullet, 1200 ft/sec might be believable. It also may have been designed for SMG's and tested out of a longer barrel.

Probably made for the Vz 61 Skorpion machine pistol.

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Can’t help you out with the ammo though.

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That is true of many subjects for you.

Unless actually witnessing the ammo in question piercing armor, I am a bit skeptical! If you ask around where you shoot you might find someone with a chronograph. Since I am a Reloader, I invested in one many years ago. They are very reasonably priced, last a long time and give you a sense of how to tweak your hand loads, or in your case what a specific bullet is traveling at.

Never heard of any steel core .32 acp but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I have S&B ammo in several calibers, .25, .32, .380 acp and 9mm. I do know that all may have copper or steel jackets and you don't know without checking them with a magnet.

That load is currently in my S&W stainless PPK as I eat lunch. It's snappy, but I have not chronographed it yet. I stumbled upon a bunch of it at a gunshow for very reasonable price.

Ha - I went to the Range today (indoor) and brought my M1 Carbine. I called the Range Master before heading out to make sure it was OK to shoot the Carbine indoors and was given the green light as it is not a true rifle round.

I get to the Range, shoot off 15 rounds and one of the RO's asked to see one of my rounds. He put a magnet on it and told me I could not shoot steel core rounds inside and that the rounds were sparking when they hit the back plate. Silly me, I never thought about it and I did not realize they were steel core - I've always shot it outdoors. This was the very first time I've shot the Carbine on an indoor Range and I guess it will be the last. I was a bit embarrassed.

Sticking a magnet to the bullet proves nothing though many indoor range people seem think it does. The issue is more than likely due to the bullets in question having plated steel jackets which is far more common than actual steel cores! Many foreign and US makers have used steel jackets for years, even on some soft point hunting loads. They are cheaper to produce, plated for bore wear and appearance and work just fine. However, they can spark when hitting steel plates and most indoor ranges seem to assume that if a magnet sticks it must be steel core.

PS; I have been collecting and shooting the M1 carbine for years and have yet to find an actual factory production steel core bullet from any maker. Plated steel jackets however are pretty common in both surplus and commercial ammo.

People get confused about steel core or steel plated bullet jacketed ammo. As said a magnet sticking can happen with either. A lot of US made military ammo has been made with steel plated jackets. Much Viet Nam era 5.56 mm and 7.62 Nato ammo had plated steel jackets. I'm sure most users never realized this. Check some with a magnet and you will see.

Indeed, range "ROs" are generally idiots who have nothing else in life to do. Trying to explain something to such a cretin of is of no value.

I haven't run across any "armor piercing" Sellier steel core 32 ACP. But I do have these .380's that may be. These are very hot to say the least. Too hot for any PP or PPK I have shot them in and my original OMC Backup was painful with them. They worked well in my Husky M1907 that was converted to .380ACP though.
Checked and they are NOT magnetic.

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I have 3 boxes of the stuff but haven't shot any. I am hoping to try it out on a car door and chronograph it at the same time. I am betting the 1200FPS is out of a submachine gun.