Question on reloading .32 short

[CM_from_PA]

Looking for some reloading help. I have two older guns that are a second model year and a third model year. Both S&W .32 short. The second model is black powder and the third model is smokeless. I reload on a Dillon Square Deal press. I presently reload .38 special and .357 magnum, both black powder and regular.

So the question is, Can anyone suggest what dies I need for my press? Dylan makes a Conversion kit for S&W Long and H&R Mag. I also found these sets 32 smith and wesson Reloading Dies for sale at Midsouth Prices. Find the right die set right here.. Will one of these work? Can I do the S&W Long and H&R Mag dies? Or is there something better?

I actually also have a 3rd model S&W Hand Ejector that is .32 S&W Long. I would kill three birds with one stone. What do you think?

Oh, yeah. FFF OK in this caliber?

 

[Alk8944]

If you intend to crimp you will need a set of .32 S&W dies. There technically is no such thing as .32 S&W Short! The two cartridges are .32 S&W and .32 S&W Long.

You can also use .32 ACP dies to load .32 S&W as long as the seating die is for taper or roll crimp. .32 ACP dies may not be depending on manufacturer.

There is no reason to use black powder in this cartridge as long as you do not try to hot-rod it. The data in loading manuals is completely safe to use in even top-break revolvers made prior to smokeless powder. All factory .32 S&W is also loaded to appropriate pressures for the black powder revolvers. Because black powder fouling is highly hygroscopic and promotes rust I strongly advise against it's use in revolvers because of the difficulty of cleaning them. If for some deluded reason you choose to use black powder in this cartridge either 3Fg or 4Fg. are appropriate.

With an 85 gr. cast bullet 1.4 gr./Bullseye or 1.7 gr./Red Dot are maximum loads. With black powder the appropriate charge is whatever it takes to fully fill the case to the base of the bullet with slight compression, regardless of granulation.

 

[Shibadog]

Triple F “should” work, but I’ve no idea what charge you’d need. I suspect very light. You might check with Dixie Gunworks in TN-they’ve had a lot of experience with BP.

 

[DWalt]

When I first started loading for the .32 S&W and Long, I used .32 ACP dies. Later I found a set of used .32 S&W and Long dies at a gun show for $10 and bought it. While BP will certainly work, it is very messy job to clean your revolver. Light smokeless loads are far cleaner. Fast propellants like Bullseye, Clays, Red Dot, 700-X, or AA#2 work best. But be very conservative if you are using an old top-break revolver. They are not to be fired with any but very light loads, and preferably using lighter lead bullets. 00 Buck pellets will work if you have any.

 

[glowe]

Triple F “should” work, but I’ve no idea what charge you’d need. I suspect very light. You might check with Dixie Gunworks in TN-they’ve had a lot of experience with BP.

Black powder is meant to fill the case and eliminate all air space. Actually the length of all black powder cases were originally determined by how much powder was needed to propel the bullet at optimal velocities. Smokeless powder will work but the amounts needed are sometimes under 2 grains which is not possible with many dispensers. Accuracy in loading the proper amount of smokeless powder is critical for these little guns. Scaled loads are fine, but need very precise measures. For instance, if you load 2 grains of powder, an error of 0.4 g too much powder results in a 20% overload!

Proper BP loading procedure is to determine how far the bullet will seat, then fill the case to 1/16" above that seating depth, then load the bullet - perfect load every time. Lee or Lyman dies are available in 32 S&W and do a great job. This caliber used in revolvers require the bullet to be crimped so it will not work its way out when shooting. 32 Long dies will not crimp this much shorter cartridge. The right dies for the caliber is the only way to go. Besides if you load 32 Long, you will need to reset the dies every time you change calibers.

BTW, I forgot to add that if you can find anything different between your two revolvers, let me know? In reality they are exactly the same design, same steel, same operation, only difference is the age. Bottom line is that S&W did not make a BP revolver and then a smokeless revolver, but rather just the plain old 32 S&W Double Action revolver for about 40 years.

 

[walnutred]

Load wise I think the easiest approach would to be use Trail Boss. Similar to loading BP except you fill the case to the base of the bullet and DO NOT compress the charge.

 

[CM_from_PA]

Gary, These are 2nd and 3rd model Iver Johnsons. Visually, no discernable difference, but the springs are very different under the grips. I like the feedback about using a lighter load of smokeless. I took a 10 year break from loading and never marked the boxes as to which of my .38s are black or not. First world problem, huh?

 

[gwpercle]

The shortest ... 32 S&W die set will allow you to load the longer 32 S&W Long and 32 H&R Magnum ... and even the 327 Federal Magnum...
You can kill 4 birds with that one stone ... but you will have to adjust the dies for each ...
I'm do not know anything about Dillion , Dillion dies or Dillion presses.
I reload all my handgun ammo with a Lee Hand Press and own Pacific , Eagle , Lyman and Herter's single stage preesses .
Standard dies work in all my units .
Gary

 

[glowe]

Mechanics aside, same barrel, cylinder and frame which is where the pressures affect the revolvers, still no difference as far as chamber and barrel pressures. Smokeless powder company guides use the same design pressure as originally designed for BP. Reality is that factory loadings of 32 S&W have a perceivably lower recoil than original BP.

I used to do quite a bit of testing of BP revolvers and long-guns in various calibers, testing velocity and recoil. Found that, without exception, original BP loadings gave higher felt recoil and higher velocities using new factory ammo or powder company reload recipes.

85g LRN . . . Winchester . . .540fps - Factory
88g LRN . . . Remington . . .580fps - Factory
76g LRN . . . Trail Boss. . . . 654fps - Reload
85g LRN . . . Bullseye . . . . .705fps - Reload
88g LRN . . . BP . . . . . . . . .740fps - Original UMC

Added: After reading about Trail Boss below, I did some looking only to find that Trail Boss is likely gone forever. Apparently, this powder was made in Australia and we all know what is happening down under. Unlikely that powder manufacturers will survive the onslaught of government attacks.

 

[TIMETRIPPER]

Proper loading procedure is to determine how far the bullet will seat, then fill the case to 1/16" above that seating depth, then load the bullet - perfect load every time. Lee or Lyman dies are available in 32 S&W and do a great job.

Gary is referring to black powder loads only on that! It'd be a nasty surprise if used with smokeless.
I loaded up some BP loads for one of my little S&W 32 top breaks at one time, a 32 DA. After ten shots, two cylinders full, the action became so dirty that the cylinder would not rotate easily. never had this issue with larger caliber revolvers as there is more space around the working so be gummed up bu fouling. Since the little top breaks were sold as personal defense/deterrents to shop keeps, ladies of the night and etc, fouling up fast wasn't an issue. Real target shooters used other handguns.
Trailboss worked great, just don't compress the powder in the case. Bullseye is another good choice but needs to be carefully metered as previously stated.
I used Lee's three die set for the 32 S&W, and some of the dies were marked 32 ACP. Sometimes I used an old Ideal #1 reloading tool on occasion.

John

 

[glenwolde]

Load issues aside, I believe the Square Deal uses proprietary dies. Unless they changed that. If that's correct then you may be out of luck. If Dillon don't make it you're stuck.

The conversion kits are expensive. The Lee Reloader press or Lee Hand Press is inexpensive and would work for this. Then you could use standard dies.

 

[glenwolde]

Load wise I think the easiest approach would to be use Trail Boss. Similar to loading BP except you fill the case to the base of the bullet and DO NOT compress the charge.

Not that easy, they haven't made Trail Boss in quite a while and the word is it may never come back. So unless you have some, it's difficult. Look on gunbroker for what they are trying to sell it for.

 

[steelslaver]

Word of caution firing 32 S&W. I have a couple of little top breaks and they are fun, but the bullets will bounce back off stuff that even a 22 will go into. Shot an old post and the bullet hit the wall behind me

 

[max503]

Load issues aside, I believe the Square Deal uses proprietary dies. Unless they changed that. If that's correct then you may be out of luck. If Dillon don't make it you're stuck.

The conversion kits are expensive. The Lee Reloader press or Lee Hand Press is inexpensive and would work for this. Then you could use standard dies.

Yea. My first thought was, who shoots enough 32 short to need a progressive? Heck. I load 9mm and 380 on a single stage.

 

[gwpercle]

I have gone to reloading all my handgun ammo with a Lee Hand Press .
It is a portable single stage press you use with your hands , it isn't bench mounted . My reloading bench has 5 bench mounted presses but is not heated or cooled !
Sitting in the warm / air conditioned house / office to do reloading has got the summer -hot / winter - cold reloading area beat seven ways to Sunday .
Big rifle resizing and reforming still require a bench mounted press but not handgun... I do 32 acp all the way to 41 magnum and 45 Colt with the hand press .
Midway USA has the Lee Hand Press Kit ( comes with extra's like primer seater) for $75.00 and a set of Lee dies w/ shell holder $40.00 .
Not a bad way to get into handgun reloading .
I keep my hand press in a range bag with everything I need to reload 3 or 4 different calibers in the bag ... Have Reloader Will Travel !
It's a neat & useful set-up that far too few people realize how well it works .
Gary

 

[glenwolde]

I have gone to reloading all my handgun ammo with a Lee Hand Press .
It is a portable single stage press you use with your hands , it isn't bench mounted . My reloading bench has 5 bench mounted presses but is not heated or cooled !
Sitting in the warm / air conditioned house / office to do reloading has got the summer -hot / winter - cold reloading area beat seven ways to Sunday .
Big rifle resizing and reforming still require a bench mounted press but not handgun... I do 32 acp all the way to 41 magnum and 45 Colt with the hand press .
Midway USA has the Lee Hand Press Kit ( comes with extra's like primer seater) for $75.00 and a set of Lee dies w/ shell holder $40.00 .
Not a bad way to get into handgun reloading .
I keep my hand press in a range bag with everything I need to reload 3 or 4 different calibers in the bag ... Have Reloader Will Travel !
It's a neat & useful set-up that far too few people realize how well it works .
Gary

I have a portable reloading kit with a Lee hand press, RCBS little dandy and a few rotors, a Lee ergo-prime, die set, and a few other small accessories. It all fits in a plastic Plano ammo can with a pound of powder and a carton of primers. I take it with me in the RV.

 

[glenwolde]

Yea. My first thought was, who shoots enough 32 short to need a progressive? Heck. I load 9mm and 380 on a single stage.

I think this is a case of working with what he already has. I have loaded .380 (and 9mm) on my Diilon but now that I have a single stage I usually use that for the .380. There was a time I shot a lot more .380 than I do now.

 

[DWalt]

I have a (sort of) progressive press that I use only for .38/357 and .45 ACP, as they are the only calibers I load in any volume. Every other caliber gets loaded on an RCBS single stage press.

 

[walnutred]

I have a Lyman Turret I use for load development and an old Rockchucker for low volume rifle rounds. But everything else is on my old Dillon 450. What press I loaded 32 S&W on would depend more on how many brass I had available. If I have more than 100 brass it's going on the 450. When I decided I had a pistol in 32 ACP that I liked well enough to actually spend range time with I waited until I hand 400 once fired brass accumulated before I start load development then loaded everything on the 450.

I may not load 32 ACP for a year or two but I could say the same for other odd calibers I like. Probably not many people who reload 38 S&W in 500 rd batches but I don't like caliber changes. So I cast a good sixed batch and load a good size batch.

 

[Model19man]

I have been looking for Trail Boss powder for years. I ran into a guy who had a 5 pounder at Tulsa Wannemacher's 2 years ago. He was asking $450 - I said no way!

I think that powder is long gone.