.32 SWL Load with Cotton filling

[Ray]

Hi folks a bit weird question: I´m working some loads for a gentle lady, a S&W 1903 HE from 1913.The load is 98 gn lead over 2.5 gn of CBC 219, one of the powders we have around here,burning rate 40 miliseconds per the manufacturer, I guess similar to Unique.My doubt follows: Since the gun will be mostly shot horizontaly, the powder charge likewise will not be, with all its volume, seated directly over the primer.Would be a good practice to insert a little piece of cotton over the powder charge? Inefective, dangerous pressure wise?
Thanks,regards, Ray

 

[6string]

Hi,
There's no need for a filler in a case as small as the .32 S&W-Long. The blast of the primer will easily fill the capacity of that little case and, in so doing, will burn the powder quite well.
Conversely, there are risks involved with fillers, especially if packed tightly.
The best place for fillers are in reduced cast bullet loads for high capacity rifle cartridges.

 

[Ray]

OK thanks. One more thing:Is Unique burning rate avaiable somewhere?
Thanks, regards, Ray

 

[DWalt]

There are many charts and tables on the internet ranking burning rates (actually it correctly should be called relative quickness) of propellants from fast to slow. Just google "smokeless powder burn rates." These charts are imprecise, mainly just general guides and not all of them provide the same rankings position information. This is because that relative quickness of a given powder depends to some extent upon the specific cartridge and load used. Whatever propellants are available where you live may not even appear on the lists. This is one of the tables. https://hodgdon.com/wp-content/uploads/2023-burn-rate-chart.pdf. You should not assume that just because two different powders are close together on some table that the same reloading data should be used by both. But it will be close. It will always be better if data from a reliable manual is used. I have never heard of using "burning rate 40 milliseconds" as a measure of anything associated with smokeless powder. Maybe you could explain?


Using fillers above smokeless powder is generally unnecessary, if not undesirable. That is more of a Black Powder thing.

 

[AJ]

Have not read or heard of anyone putting a filler in a case in 30-40 years. I read an article in a gun mag. about doing so back then and never heard of it again. Am I missing something?

 

[Rpg]

Fillers are most often used loading huge old British black powder cartridges (think 500 BPE) with smokeless powder.

The old black powder cartridges used for very big game have a huge capacity. Black powder was loaded by filling the case with black powder. Doing that with smokeless powder wouldn’t be wise.

People more knowledgeable than I (eg Ross Siefried) have worked up smokeless loads for these huge cases using a bit of filler. The Double Gun Journal has published information on this practice.

 

[Ray]

OK folks I won´t do it. As for the 40 miliseconds burning rate I don´t know. It came from CBC itself.
Thanks, regards, Ray

 

[TXBryan]

Powder volume and location in the case WILL make a difference in velocity down the tube. I've documented it and so have plenty of others on this forum over the years.

Smokeless powder volume in .32 WCF cases is generally meager, depending of course of which powder one uses. If shooting over a chronograph it is not unusual to see fairly large differences in velocity depending on the powder location in the case. Shake the pistol with muzzle down, raise it to level and measure the velocity. Then raise the muzzle straight up, give it a little shake, then lower it to level and measure the velocity. Not uncommon for there to be a far larger difference than logic would dictate. I have noted it in .32 S&W and .32 S&W Long as well though a little less dramatic.

I toyed with using fillers but even after noting the above phenomenon personally I have not bothered. Seems like carrying the revolver muzzle down, as in a holster, would eventually disperse the powder into whatever you're using as a "wad" and that's unlikely to be helpful. It's been far easier to remember to hold the firearm muzzle up for a moment and then to firing position - if it matters.

Bryan

 

[mtgianni]

I have used poly pillow stuffing with cast bullets in larger cases, 30-06 size or so with slower surplus powders. Cotton can collect moisture and I would not want that in a filler.

 

[dave1918a2]

The only time I have used fillers is when I was fire - forming rifle cases. Never have I used a filler in a handgun cartridge. TXBryan spelled it out rather nicely in His above text.

 

[DWalt]

The earlier lighter .45-55-405 Carbine BP loads for the .45 Trapdoors used cork and cardboard discs as over-powder filler.