Loads for 16-4

[pete3240]

Guess I didn't end my WTB post properly and it was deleted from the forum. Someone mentioned that someone was kind enuf to post a few loads they had found to be good before it was deleted. Hopefully they will see this post and resend them.

What I had been looking for was a S&W 16 or 16-2. Well I picked up my16-4 this afternoon.

I'm going to be doing a lot of competition shooting in a revolver league this coming Fall/Winter. So if anyone has some good loads that would work well with an NEI 32 100 (miniature H&G #50) using mag. cases I'd like to hear about them. This will be my main bullet for the league, but I also have the RCBS 32 100 SWC.

Pete

 

[Green Frog]

Unless it's been altered, you can't use 32 Mag brass in your 16-2... it's chambered in 32 S&W Long. If you are going to be shooting longs, 2.2-2.4 of Bullseye is a good starting point. I have to confess that I haven't loaded any wadcutters in the few 32 H&R cases I load... I use 100 gr SWCs for those and for 32-20s. Now if you want to know about some 327 Fed Mag loads...

Froggie

 

[pete3240]

Froggie,

Feels kind of funny seeing you and Dale 53 on here instead of the ASSRA Forum.

See I have to do some modification to my post (s). The gun was advertised as a 16-2 but behind the crane it says it's a 16-4. So assume this is just a later version of the 16 no dash

Anyway.... The S&W Model 16 is the .32 S&W Long. The 16-2 , 4(?) is the .32 Mag., and my 4 is so marked on the right side of the barrel.

Pete

 

[Green Frog]

Yep, the 16-4 came out much later than the earlier versions, after H&R and Federal had gotten together and released the "32 H&R Magnum." It can be instantly spotted because of the full under lug barrel. You should have lots of fun with that one and be able to shoot it with any sane round you would want to load into a 32. BTW, which barrel length did you get?

Froggie

 

[pete3240]

Froggie,

Not knowing an awful lot about S&W I bought it because of the pictures and description. It was listed as a 16-2 but actually it's a 16-4. It doesn't make any difference as I don't collect them and I plan on shooting it till it falls apart or I pass on.

The gun is what the box calls a full target. 6" barrel, full underlug, and the three "t's". Put an ultradot scope on it last nite. Got the Dillon all set up and will load some rounds and go down to the range today and make sure it's on paper. Then do some load development.

The accuracy load I used in a .32 SWL Pardini was 1.8 grs. of Bullseye with the wadcutter mentioned above. Probably need a tenth or two more for the mag. case. Then try a few different powders.

Pete

 

[H Richard]

You have a great gun. You can tell when you buy a 16-4 instead of a -2 or-3, you pay about 1/4th as much! The 16-4 it an outstanding shooter, and the 32 H&R mag takes full advantage of it.
Here are a few loads I worked up.










If you haven't figured it out yet, it is difficult to not get good groups with hardly any bullets in the 16-4.

 

[Dale53]

Pete;
It's great to see "Great Minds Travel in Like Circles"http://smith-wessonforum.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

I bought my 6" model 16-4 when they first hit the market. I had wanted a Model 16 for years but I was always behind the economic curve. They really never made many 16's and they were always WAY high in price. When the 16-4 hit the market I reached in my jeans, post haste!

I have NOT been disappointed. It's a fine piece and a dandy for range use and for edible small game. Most of my shooting has been with a group buy 100 gr Keith from a six cavity mould.

My "standard" load is .32 S&W Long cases loaded with 2.8 grs of 231 behind the mentioned 100 gr Keith sized at .313"-.314".



FWIW
Dale53

 

[pete3240]

H Richard,

Wow! You've given me a lot of powders to try out. I have most of those you listed plus a couple of the bullets. Basically all I've worked with are with Bullseye and the two cast bullets listed inthe previous messages, so I'll have a lot of different things to try.

Just one question... At what distance did you shoot those groups?

And yes. I did notice it seems hard to shoot a bad group. Not gonna complain about that.

Dale53,

Thanks to you also for your load. As mentioned I'm basically a target shooter, but you never know when I'll have to cull the Elephant herd that keeps trampling my flowers on their annual migration North.

Pete

 

[H Richard]

Pete, I shot all groups at 10 yards as I was chronographing them at the same time. And all are with Iron sights. I am getting tempted to put a red dot on it, but I am resisting drilling and tapping the frame.

 

[pete3240]

H Richard,

Can't say about the various models of the 16 out there but my 4 needs no additional holes to mount a rail and scope. My dealer had a Weaver base that only needed the rear sight taken off and used the existing "slot" and screw hole. There's a tension screw at the front of the base that needs to be screwed down to touch the top of the rib. Put a little lock tite on so once set it wouldn't loosen. Did the same thing on another Smith revolver with no problems. Took about 10 minutes to do. Would be very easy to switch it back.

Had a mount like Dale53's picture above shows and it works very well altho I thought it a bit heavy considering what you can come up with now. If memory serves it was all you could get at the time.

Dale53,

Forgot to mention in my last post that the gun mentioned in this thread will be strictly a target gun. My "woods loathing" gun is a .32 Mag. Ruger SS

Pete