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Does anyone know anything about reloading .32ACP?
I have a Kel Tec P32 and would like to reload.

deadeyearcher wrote:Does anyone know anything about reloading .32ACP?
I have a Kel Tec P32 and would like to reload.

Yes,

I reload for two .32ACP pistols: CZ-70 and HK P7K3.
What do you want to know?

Kind Regards,

Tom

Any information would be great. One think I wanted to know is, since my P32 is a locked breach what could I do to get more speed and penetration?

32 ACP is compressed load in a tiny case. A few thousandths deeper on the bullet seat wll make a lot of difference in pressure. A tiny variation in the powder charge will make a huge difference because it is compressed. Get advice from those that load that one & be careful.

If I start shooting hotter loads do I need to get heavier springs?

You might want not to start with hotter loads. Working your way up to them is a great exercise in the preservation of your hands and face. LT is correct about the seating depth being crucial ... especially in .32 ACP. Be careful; be very careful. Your launching platform (the P32) is a good weapon, but I've worked on them before and am aware that they're not quite a solid as maybe a Beretta is. There are things inside your P32 that hot loads may tend to shake loose and jam-up your system.

Thank you nuparadiem, I really don't know of a more dangerous pistol caliber to load. The margin for reeor is so tiny. The gun is so small.

longtooth wrote:Thank you nuparadiem, I really don't know of a more dangerous pistol caliber to load. The margin for reeor is so tiny. The gun is so small.

Good point, LT.

Since I have been loading .32 ACP for nearly full sized pistols my loads are probably not what deadeyearcher
is looking for. I load them plenty hot and have only used Rem. 71gr FMJ, and only for target shooting.

However, I have found a commercial load that might fit the bill for him.

deadeyearcher,
look for a box of Fiocchi, SJHP 60gr and try them in your P32. My only field experience was with
a squirrel a couple of years ago and the effect was dramatic.

The other side of .32ACP in short barrels is low velocity. If that is a concern with your P32 then stick with FMJ.

I'll pass along a couple of loads if you are interested but I do not know, nor would I guess, their useability in
your pistol. Let me know if you want them.

Kind Regards,

Tom

A little info: http://www.goldenloki.com/ammo/gel/32acp/gel32acp.htm

Tom wrote:

longtooth wrote:Thank you nuparadiem, I really don't know of a more dangerous pistol caliber to load. The margin for reeor is so tiny. The gun is so small.

Good point, LT.

Since I have been loading .32 ACP for nearly full sized pistols my loads are probably not what deadeyearcher
is looking for. I load them plenty hot and have only used Rem. 71gr FMJ, and only for target shooting.

However, I have found a commercial load that might fit the bill for him.

deadeyearcher,
look for a box of Fiocchi, SJHP 60gr and try them in your P32. My only field experience was with
a squirrel a couple of years ago and the effect was dramatic.

The other side of .32ACP in short barrels is low velocity. If that is a concern with your P32 then stick with FMJ.

I'll pass along a couple of loads if you are interested but I do not know, nor would I guess, their useability in
your pistol. Let me know if you want them.

Kind Regards,

Tom

That would be great if you don't mind, contact me through PM for details.

I've shot a KelTec, and though it's a neat little gun, I don't think it's an ideal platform for load development.

A former colleague of mine loaded some ammo that was "only a little" hotter than Cor-Bon and explosively disassembled his Kel Tec.

I've reloaded .32 ACP for a Mauser HSc, and one of the hottest published loads I've found (2.2 grains of Bullseye) yields over 1000 ft/sec with a 71 grain FMC. A friend uses this same load in his PPK. I've also cast a 90 grain Lyman round nose bullet and loaded that in .32 ACP with good results. (With a reduced powder charge, of course - IIRC, about 1.7 or 1.8 grains.)

I think the HSc and PPK are both more robust than a KelTec.

Note that .32 ACP is a relatively low pressure round (20,500 PSI) and looking for the "traditional" pressure signs like flattened or cratered primers is not a viable strategy for working up maximums, as these signs don't show up until you're 'way above what the round was designed for.

If reloading for a KelTec, I'd just look in a current reloading manual, pick a load which duplicates factory fodder, and use it. Bullseye, 231, 700-X, and many other powders in this general range are suitable.

I suppose hot loads -- i.e., European ammo such as Fiocchi and S&B -- are okay for a locked-breech gun like the KelTec, but it's not for blowback guns like the Beretta 3032 Tomcat.

For the Tomcat I stay with the lower-powered stuff -- as Beretta recommends -- but which surprisingly STILL gives plenty of penetration (I use FMJs only), almost the same as the "hot" stuff.

-- John D.

P.S. When I begin reloading for my Tomcat, I'll use the powder-dipper that comes with the Lee dies. They're usually on the conservative side anyway. If the slide doesn't function properly, I'll up the powder charge, but sill will keep the loads in the recommended 130 fpe power-range, nothing more.

JD