Author Topic: 32 Mag questions (Read 647 times)

Special Ed · « **on:** December 09, 2004, 12:19:54 PM »

I am considering a 32 mag for my next barrel. :grin: Looking at the Fox Ridge site I see the 32 Mag comes with the smaller .308 groove diameter. I assume this is for the 32/20 bullets. That would tell me factory ammo is out of the question, not really a big deal because I do reload. Has Thompson ever offered a 32 mag that has the std .312 groove dia? Or do I have to go aftermarket to get it?
Thanks for the help
Ed

Steve P · « **Reply #1 on:** December 09, 2004, 04:07:46 PM »

All the Thompson barrels are the .308 groove. The factory ammo shoots fine and the bullet selection for reloading ranges from .308 - .312. I have some cast bullets that shoot nice in mine. Only concern is in dies. If not sizing down enough, some of the .308 bullets just drop in.

Steve

Special Ed · « **Reply #2 on:** December 10, 2004, 12:10:09 AM »

So the Hornady xtp should shoot ok in it even though they are .312 dia?

Reed1911 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 10, 2004, 07:02:52 AM »

While I cannot comment directly on the .32 Mag; As bullet size (.308 vs. .312") relates, the same condition presents itself for the 7.62x25. Using .312 bullets in a .308 bore is normally fine, you just need to start from the low end of the pressure scale and work up. You'll most likely find that you hit high pressure before reaching the published max load. You may also find that accuracy will suffer, but that is really a 50/50 chance, not an absolute.

Graybeard · « **Reply #4 on:** December 10, 2004, 07:58:06 AM »

I used the .32 Mag in a 10" TC barrel for years in NRA HP Silhouette competition. Always used .312" bullets in it. Mostly the ones I cast in a Lyman mould but also some jacketed bullets. Never used any .308" bullets in it at all that I can recall. Worked fine for me. With my cast bullets I consistently got 2" or less groups at 100 yards.

ks9wi · « **Reply #5 on:** December 10, 2004, 10:41:36 AM »

I use 85 gr JHP Hornady which are .312 over 5.o gr of 800X. I haven't seen any pressure signs. but have had some cases split.... they were all nickel plated....not sure if this necessarily means anything as far as brass vs nickel plated. i'm not even sure where i got that load originally. 800X is not even listed for use with the 32 mag.

Keith

Graybeard · « **Reply #6 on:** December 10, 2004, 11:10:53 AM »

Hmm. Haven't seen ANY SIGNS OF PRESSURE.

But in all cases I assume the bullet exited barrel right? That's an EXCELLENT sign of pressure.

And you're getting split cases. That "might" be a sign of not just pressure but excessive pressure depending on how many times they've been loaded and how many of them have split. But as a minimum it is a definite sign you've got pressure.

Steve P · « **Reply #7 on:** December 10, 2004, 06:14:39 PM »

I have never seen a nickle 32 mag case. I am unable to comment on them. The first batch of 32 mags that Federal ever put out came in red boxes. If you had half a box that didn't split on initial firing you were lucky. They were a bad batch of brass and Federal compensated folks for them. These are the initial batch only. I got a .32 mag when they very first came out lotsa years ago. Now have two contender barrels and two Rugers.

Steve

Graybeard · « **Reply #8 on:** December 10, 2004, 09:48:20 PM »

I've heard similar stories of the bad brass but never found it to be the case with the lots I had. I did buy about 10 boxes or so of the early stuff. Ran it thru initially and then reloaded it a great many times as I was using this gun in competition and a lot in practice. I'm sure all of my cases were loaded a great many times. I do not recall a single one of them ever splitting. Don't know if I just got lucky and got good lots of it or if the story of splitting is over sold. But I've never had it happen with any FC brass I bought.

michbob · « **Reply #9 on:** December 12, 2004, 11:51:08 AM »

Huh! I bought a .32 Mag 5 years ago, and the first box of ammo i bought was one of the old red ones. And yes, about a quarter of the brass split, first shot.

Let's see, that was in '99, the first .32 Mag ammo was produced in what? 1984, 1985? So that ammo was sitting on the dealers shelves for better than a decade!

Oh, well. All Federal ammo since then has bee first rate.

Michbob

PS: Anyone tried the Black Hills .32 Mag stuff yet?

Blackhawk44 · « **Reply #10 on:** December 14, 2004, 03:06:54 PM »

When first introduced, it was stated that the Contender barrel used a long tapered leade that allowed the use of either size bullet. Yes, from experience, the early Federal brass had a high percentage of splits. Buy new Starline brass and never worry.