More Swiss 1882 cartridge ideas...

[jhnvan]

What are you using for load with the titegroup? And any idea on using hard cast vs soft cast for powder charges?

 

[vagrantviking]

My 1882 will chamber full length .32-20 after it has been resized to 7.5 Swiss dimensions
No issues with star line brass rims being too thick
I only messed around with uncut cases when I had some unsuitable .312 bullets.
I’m tempted to retry it now that I have some hollow based .314 wadcutters.
I think it’s an idea with merit.
I use titegroup and HP38 in the short cases but I’m not sure if the tiny powder charges are voluminous enough to work well with full length .32-20 cases

When you seat the wadcutters deep into the case the internal volume will be fairly similar to the trimmed case. Working up a load it might take a very little bit of extra powder to make up for more volume if it is a bigger space.

To the question about the difference between harder or softer lead, use cast bullet data for either. The pressures and velocities will never get high enough to need harder alloys. Either should be fine as long as the bullet is at least a thousandth over groove diameter. Which is best would probably require testing and I doubt there will be a clear winner.

Referring to my notes I've been loading 2.8gr of trailboss with a 90gr bullet.

 

[diananike]

What are you using for load with the titegroup? And any idea on using hard cast vs soft cast for powder charges?

I would use the softest lead I could for these revolvers.
The cylinder mouths are smaller than the forcing cone on mine. And then the bore squeezes down to closer to .308 at the muzzle.
With my 1892 manufactured specimen of the Swiss model 1882 the .312 bullets don’t work. The .314 Jethunter bullets work OK cast soft.
But hollowbase .314 H&N or Lapua wadcutters are shockingly accurate. I think it’s because they squeeze down out of the .312 cylinder mouths then still have enough pressure to obturate the base again while in the forcing cone and achieve consistent pressures without gas escape throughout the squeeze, swell, squeeze cycle.
That’s my theory anyway.

My loads are easy to remember
1.9gr of titegroup (which is my Lee measure dialed all the way down to the smallest setting) with the 100gr H&N wadcutters sitting out of the case and crimped into the top grease groove.
The Lapua 98gr wadcutters are seated flush with a load of 1.9gr of HP38/W231.
Velocities are right around the 750fps mark with both loads.
Both those loads are remarkably accurate in my revolver.
And also about as powerful as I’d care to shoot in a 1892 manufactured thin top strap model 1882 Swiss revolver.

 

[The Kurgan]

I was pushing 1000 fps with deeply seated 100 grain soft lead wadcutters over Trail Boss on my medium strap Swiss 1882. Unbeatable accuracy. I think I captured my recipes in the easier posts:

"7.5x33R handload (3.1 grains IMR Trail Boss, deep seated .314" H&N 100 grain LWC, full length 32-20 WCF Starline brass resized in a 30 Carbine die, bullet seated with a 30 Luger die) -- approx. 841-866 fps (3.3 grains of TB is pushing over 900 fps, and 3.5 grains of TB is pushing 1000 fps)"

 

[jhnvan]

Alright well i have quite a few bullets selection and I've loaded a few to go and try. These are all being loaded into 32-20 starline nickel plated brass cut down to 23mm. Eventually I'll try the Missouri bullets in full length brass. I've loaded them with titegroup powder 1.8gr to 2.0gr with ginex primers.

Left to right:

Bullet barn 96gr .313 RNFP
Jet bullet 110gr .314 SWC
Missouri Bullet 98gr .313 DEWC