32 rimfire

gregs5190

gregs5190

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I'm looking for a little advice fellas, I picked up a 32 cal Bacon Guardian .Anyone had much experience with making shells for a 32 rimfire? I'm sure there is something I need to watch for before I do it nothing comes easy for me. I was also wondering if parts off a 32 Manhattan Arms rimfire would be the same? :confused:Or did they completely change the design when they took over Bacon & co.
 
If you work your way back through a bunch of threads or search for all threads I have posted on, you will find at least one thread on making rimfire shells. I turn them on a metal lathe (for myself only) and I think I was using hilti shells as the primer. If you are lucky, the firing blade on the hammer will be large enough that you can center the hilti shells. You also need to have the hilti shell sit about .010" proud of the base of the cartridge so that energy is not being used up on the rim of the .32 cartridge

cheers mooncoon
 
I think it was Dixie Gun Works that had brass for these. Kind of what moncoon described, but uses a 22 blank set off center. Couple bucks each if I remember correctly.
 
A frenchman at hc-collection.com makes a .32 rf reloading kit, and many others, like pinfire reloading kits. Not all of the pages are translated (the .32 rf is), but the illustrations are good.

The kits aren't cheap, but look well made.

His system for 32 RF cases involves brass modified to take .22 rf blanks pressed into the bottom as primers.

I have a couple .32 RF revolvers and intend to pick up a kit myself when money is less tight.

When I inquired he wanted about 145 euros for the whole kit, including shipping to Canada.
 
I wonder if you can reload rimfire cartridges using toy gun paper caps possibly trimmed down and glued to the bottom of the brass tucked under the rim?????
 
rgbai said:
I wonder if you can reload rimfire cartridges using toy gun paper caps possibly trimmed down and glued to the bottom of the brass tucked under the rim?????
Click to expand...

I'm skeptical.

.32 rimfire is a black powder cartridge only, and I'm doubtful that you would get reliable ignition, or maybe even any ignition at all, much less even burning.

I remember when I first got a blackpowder rifle, I played with the powder a little and was suprised that it was often quite hard to ignite. Sometimes a wooden match would go out on after holding the flame on the tiny pile of powder for several seconds.

If the cap did go, it might create a hangfire situation; and on a revolver, where you had indexed to the next chamber....well.....you can imagine.

Also, the rim would be crushed where the bar hits it and that portion of the brass rendered unusable.

Overall, I think it's probably best to splurge and spend the 225 bucks to get a proper reloading kit.


I'm not saying it couldn't be done, or that the cap idea wouldn't work, I'm just skeptical; that's all.
 
What do you guy's think about using small loads of trail boss in these 32's? I aquired some 32 rimfire brass from Dixie Gunworks that require 22 cal starter pistol blanks for primer's but I'm toying with the idea of trying some trail boss. I have seen it used in an old Webley to no ill affects (after we got the loads correct) and I have used it in my 44 Russian.
 
You know, I'm always the guy hating those nervous nellies who want to "poo-pooh", everything....I mean, grow a pair will you guys!!!

So, YOU GO DUDE!!

That said.

I think it's important to look at an important difference between the 44 russian amd the .32 rimfire.

It's the rimfire part I'd be concerned about. Rimfire cartridges, even back then were rather anemic. The thinness of the brass case head, required to let the little revolvers crush the rim precludes any stiff loadings.

The .44 russian was still a blackpowder cartridge, and had the balloon head design, so was not exactly a powerhouse, but still it was a centerfire loading.

The two .32 rimfire pistols I have are vest pocket or "muff" pistols. The barrel is thinner and more delicate than the ones on most airguns I own.

Long rambling post put short, I think I'd be damned nervous using any kind of smokeless powder in my pistol.

The solution to that would be using very small and weak loads of smokeless right?

Unfortunately not so easy.... I found something called the "SEE" phenomenon, when I was researching subsonic loads. Using insufficient (less than minimum) loads of smokeless with small primers can result in incomplete burning of the powder...the residue builds up over several shots, and finally detonates destroying even the strongest, most well built guns.
 
Thank's Bobby I was wondering about that myself a bit , but to be completely honest is I haven't been to the city to pick up some 22 blank's and I'm not to sure how snug they fit , so I was also concerned about damage to the gun or myself should one of these blanks come back to bite my *ss.
 
Are the Dixie cases intended to be used with .22 blanks, or with .22 short cases with the bullets pulled, and powder dumped? There is a difference. Don't they recommend black powder and a round ball?
 
They are meant for 22 pistol blanks and are supposed to be used only with black powder and a ball............but it's so hard for me not to screw with things!!!!!! I know I should leave well enough alone but I can't help myself.:slap:
 
gregs5190 said:
They are meant for 22 pistol blanks and are supposed to be used only with black powder and a ball............but it's so hard for me not to screw with things!!!!!! I know I should leave well enough alone but I can't help myself.:slap:
Click to expand...

Just wondering, because Dixie doesn't recommend the use of blanks. A .22rf blank plus a powder charge of either black or smokeless would be pretty snappy, but if it works for you, that's fine.
 
You got me thinking so I looked it up , in their 2008 catalog they have 32 rimfire cases listed to be used with 22 starter pistol blanks. They do have a chart in the back listed under "Generel Information" with suggested black powder loads for use in these cases.
 
Should be OK then, I was looking at their website. My concern was that blanks tend to be quite sharp all by themselves, add powder and a projectile, might be on the hot side. .22 blanks used to be black powder, don't know what you get nowadays.
 
Bobby Ironsights said:
Unfortunately not so easy.... I found something called the "SEE" phenomenon, when I was researching subsonic loads. Using insufficient (less than minimum) loads of smokeless with small primers can result in incomplete burning of the powder...the residue builds up over several shots, and finally detonates destroying even the strongest, most well built guns.
Click to expand...

You could be onto something there, but then, maybe not.

There's no place for "residue" to build up.

Cartridge. Cylinder. Barrel. No room for powder to get back into the fresh round. Bullet pushes out anything in the barrel. Can't happen as explained.

The cause and effect of detonation are not well agreed upon, but I'd put up a buck that says that none of the guys doing research on this have come up with anything resembling that.

I'd put another buck on there having been more guns blown up on double and triple charges of fast powder, than there have been guns blown up on actual detonations.

Feel free to believe otherwise.

Light loads in the .32 rimfire guns, is a given, though. Most of them were barely able to handle the loads of the day. They make a swell collectors piece, but are not really practical to shoot. Most of the ones that are around today, are, because they didn't get used for very long before they broke, and they ended up in a desk drawer, with the rest of the junk that was too good to throw away.

I'd suggest that the easiest way to shoot one, would be to make a cartridge case that seats a bullet out front, and simply use a 22 powerdriver load to push it. IIRC the "kits" use a stripped down .22 short case as the primer to ignite the powder.
Seems like the long way round, to me, esp. for the price asked.

Cheers
Trev
 
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