.32 rimfire question

timandkimandshea

timandkimandshea

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I recently picked up a defender 5 shot .32 rf revolver. I was hoping to actually fire it. It seems to function well and is in good shape. HC collection offers an option, with offset brass cases to be filled with black powder and using an acorn blank as primer. My question is, how do I determine if its 32 short, or 32 long, both kits are offered. I cannot see any information on OAL for these. The length of the cylinder is 1 13/16"
Also, which blackpowder to use n the case? I believe I have some FFF.
Thanks for forthcoming advice.
T
 
That length would accommoodate a 32 Long or short. I presume it is bored through? (It should be). The shorts are easier to find, Longs you pretty well have to have to make

3Fg if you're fortunate enough to have Goex...

Many ways to skin this cat, there are some really good posts here I used to have em all bookmarked but lost em :( I've tried about every method and I'm just making my own, but offsetting for a brown .22 ramset with a .32 Roundball, no powder. I found the centered .22's won't catch on my firing pin. I found the .27s were a ton more work, especially since there don't seem to be many brown or white level .27's around. So they were a priming only device, and kind of unreliable vs. the .22's that seem to never fail.

Cast boolits however has "THE" thread on this subject, in the Rimfire subforum.

My Favorite I converted to CF.
 
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NorthCoastBigBore said:
That length would accommoodate a 32 Long or short. I presume it is bored through? (It should be). The shorts are easier to find, Longs you pretty well have to have to make

3Fg if you're fortunate enough to have Goex...

Many ways to skin this cat, there are some really good posts here I used to have em all bookmarked but lost em :( I've tried about every method and I'm just making my own, but offsetting for a brown .22 ramset with a .32 Roundball, no powder. I found the centered .22's won't catch on my firing pin. I found the .27s were a ton more work, especially since there don't seem to be many brown or white level .27's around. So they were a priming only device, and kind of unreliable vs. the .22's that seem to never fail.

Cast boolits however has "THE" thread on this subject, in the Rimfire subforum.

My Favorite I converted to CF.
Click to expand...

Would converting to centre fire make it a prohib.
 
timandkimandshea said:
I recently picked up a defender 5 shot .32 rf revolver. I was hoping to actually fire it. It seems to function well and is in good shape. HC collection offers an option, with offset brass cases to be filled with black powder and using an acorn blank as primer. My question is, how do I determine if its 32 short, or 32 long, both kits are offered. I cannot see any information on OAL for these. The length of the cylinder is 1 13/16"
Also, which blackpowder to use n the case? I believe I have some FFF.
Thanks for forthcoming advice.
T
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If your lucky enough 32 rf shows up om EE occaso but be prepared to pay from up to $250 a box including shipping to your door. Make sure if you order from HC you get the bullets as well as they are a healed bullet. I went with their standard reloading kit and added more brass and bullets. You can buy the 22 acorns in several places in canada.
 
rjf1963 said:
Ok lol didn’t know that
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The rules are crazy ain't they!

For rifles though, converting to centerfire allows for a lot more trigger time, in my experience anyway. Reloading 32 rimfires is entertaining and the only way to enjoy those revolvers but... .32 Colt dimensions are identical to .32 S/L rimfire, so no reaming is needed. But, you still end up making brass unless you're real lucky. New .32 Short brass very occasionally gets made and imported but new batches of 32 Long Colts seem non-existent.
 
Thenoobgunsmith said:
You could in theory convert .32 rf revolver to another caliber like .22 magnum, .25 acp, or even .320 revolver. Only becomes prohib if converted to a no go caliber. I have seen a few .32 rimfire revolvers legally converted to fire .17 hmr.
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Yes you are correct. I've seen those .17's around although some of that 17 ammo is almost getting to have the same problem! Around here anyway...
 
I shoot my antique .32 RF's at cans in the yard with the HC kit, a .32 cal lead roundball pressed into the end of the casing and just a .22 blank with no powder to propel the lead ball. No need to resize the casings they last forever and it makes for a cheap to shoot little plinker... Although dont expect any kind of really decent accuracy
 
I have the same issue with some of my earlier custom brass, the darn ball likes to pop out. Getting the walls thin and flexible enough without cracking is tricky.

I am considering drilling the primer pocket out of some .32 Long, threading it and inserting a threaded plug on the inside, (maybe red loctite or something) face it and re-drill and chamber with an offset. That would give me brass with a great deal more flexibility than some of the other options. All the options are a bit of work, I actually don't think this would be any more difficult.
 
NorthCoastBigBore said:
I have the same issue with some of my earlier custom brass, the darn ball likes to pop out. Getting the walls thin and flexible enough without cracking is tricky.

I am considering drilling the primer pocket out of some .32 Long, threading it and inserting a threaded plug on the inside, (maybe red loctite or something) face it and re-drill and chamber with an offset. That would give me brass with a great deal more flexibility than some of the other options. All the options are a bit of work, I actually don't think this would be any more difficult.
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Sounds more complicated than I thought. Wouldn't the offset hole for the blank entirely overlap the existing primer pocket? A 32 case isn't very big.

Or maybe an acorn blank is small enough to be an issue. Perhaps a .27 ramset or nailgun cartridge would save the trouble of having to plug the primer?
 
vagrantviking said:
Sounds more complicated than I thought. Wouldn't the offset hole for the blank entirely overlap the existing primer pocket? A 32 case isn't very big.

Or maybe an acorn blank is small enough to be an issue. Perhaps a .27 ramset or nailgun cartridge would save the trouble of having to plug the primer?
Click to expand...

Many people report that a centered .22 blank WILL work in their guns; unfortunately not in any of mine. The offset is not much, but it is noticeable and (in my guns) makes the difference between working, or not.

I've played around with the .27's and found them unreliable. In my case the rims seem hard so they often take a couple of hits, but the .22 Ramsets go off every time, first try. The Greens are likely too hot so I've always opened them and used them for a primer only, which usually also means having to cut the base to make them work. Lotta work. And I've not yet found (even online) brown or white .27 Ramsets, but .22 Browns are readily available and they blow .32 Roundballs into wood like nothing.

I have thought of widening the firing pin on my revolver to make a centered .22 blank practical, would be less work overall. Now that I think about it, maybe that is the better route...
 
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I've had good success putting 2 small drops of crazy glue on the joint between the ball and case mouth when using pressed in round balls.......seems to do the trick.
 
NorthCoastBigBore said:
I have the same issue with some of my earlier custom brass, the darn ball likes to pop out. Getting the walls thin and flexible enough without cracking is tricky.

I am considering drilling the primer pocket out of some .32 Long, threading it and inserting a threaded plug on the inside, (maybe red loctite or something) face it and re-drill and chamber with an offset. That would give me brass with a great deal more flexibility than some of the other options. All the options are a bit of work, I actually don't think this would be any more difficult.
Click to expand...

I have a video up on youtube; drilling 32 colt brass (i believe) and using 22lr cut down for primers.
 
dakotamar said:
I have a video up on youtube; drilling 32 colt brass (i believe) and using 22lr cut down for primers.
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gutinater said:
I tried that but could never get any of my rimfire hammers to set of the centered .22
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Same here. As I say above, I had to offset and was looking at better options for brass. But an offset is mandatory, UNLESS I modify the hammer/firing pin to drop it a bit. I have been making the offset base (see Manual of Cartridge Conversions - using brass tubing) and it works great as far as the .22 goes, but I'm not thrilled at the ability of the tubing (even thinned/reamed) at holding the roundball.

So again, like I say above, I'm considering just modifying the hammer then I could actually use the centered .22 blank and it would speed life up a bit. Then I could use my .32 Long or Short Colt brass with the primer pocket drilled out (I have a chamber reamer but they are almost too loose).
 
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