Ran a live .32 Rimfire pistol test, velocity, penetration & broke down a few rounds

I figured it would not hurt bumping this thread back to the top rather than starting another topic.

Ardent, I was playing around and cast up some heeled, .314" bullets weighing around 78 grains. I don't know how they would work and I don't have a .32 rimfire.

Would you be interested in trying them out?
 
A good read and some nice photo's. I just might have to run a few across the chronograph now and see how my velocities compare with what you got. I do have the guns and ammo for it! ;)
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depending on powder type yes its about the same a .32 short colt data

i did the .32 short colt brass drilled out to use .27 nail gun blanks i use the lowest ones you can get brown with a round ball (the powder is about the same as bulleye in burn rate brown has about 1.7gr of powder)

ive uncrimped them also and cut the crimps off then used them with BP
 
I tried the .32 short colt trick with the .27 green hilti caps and a .311 round ball. I had less than stellar success. I didnt have lathe and tried to use a drill press to make the .32 rimfire rounds. Id say I wrecked 10 brass to every good one and most of the good ones the hilty cap sat just a few thou too far out to allow the revolver cylinder to rotate correctly or the derringer to lock up properly. I gave up and bought an HC collections kit. By the time you buy a whole bunch of extra brass casing its quite expensive but in my mind superior in every way to the .32 short colt other than having to index the rounds to one side due to the offset .22 blank used as a primer. Now with the HC collections kit it comes with a resizer to resize the brass after firing (this is if you use a full casing of black powder and a proper bullet). I like to use just a .22 blank and a .312 round ball pressed through a resizer (you can also use lead buckshot)that I have bought at a gun show that reduces the round ball to .315 and allows the ball to sit tighter in the .32 casing by making the sides of the ball slightly flat like a bullet. This step is not necessary but it does help the balls stay in place during the guns recoil from firing another round. I dont have a chrony so I cant tell you anything about velocity but with just a .22 blank and a .315 sized round ball all of my guns can penetrate both sides of a pop can at 10 feet (if you can hit it lol). Accuracy is not high but this is more of a fun trip into the past. And the best part is if you dont use a full load (just primer and ball) you dont have to resize the brass and can keep shooting them over and over. If you do it this way you dont need to buy the full kit just buy some 5 round bags of the reloadable .32 brass from HC collections or dixie gun works (if they will ship to Canada) for minimal cost, some primers and some .311/.312 roundballs and blast away! Bring these classic treasures back to life but be gentle they dont exactly make them anymore and parts arent easy to come by.

HC Collections 32 RF reloading kit
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Content of kit
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Make your own low powered multiple use rounds with just this! Beats $150 a box for .32 at gun shows!
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This is all the ingredients you need
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Round ball and .22 blank primer on left, full size .32 bullet filled with FFG BP and a .22 blank primer
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Make sure you turn the casing so the guns firing pin can contact the offset .22 blank!
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Derringers are the most fun!
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Followed by the old SandW single actions!
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The old double actions are a blast too
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I tried to place an order with HC Collection but I couldn't get their system to accept my phone number. It rejected every variation I tried. I sent them an email but they haven't responded. How did you manage to place an order? Also, I was wondering where you found the acorn caps to use as primers. I haven't had much luck finding those either.

Thank you very much for your post! I am looking forward to giving this a try myself.
 
I had no problems with HC collections what so ever other than the prices are very high with shipping and duty. I cant recall setting up my account info sorry it was a long time ago maybe you just have to put in a fake number or skip the 1 in front Ill try and log in and see what I did. The company I ordered the blanks from http://ww w.canadiangundogsupply.com/.22-cal.-6mm-crimp-Blanks.html Order a lot at a time because shipping is expensive as they ship it as dangerous goods.
 
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gutinater said:
I tried the .32 short colt trick with the .27 green hilti caps and a .311 round ball. I had less than stellar success. I didnt have lathe and tried to use a drill press to make the .32 rimfire rounds. Id say I wrecked 10 brass to every good one and most of the good ones the hilty cap sat just a few thou too far out to allow the revolver cylinder to rotate correctly or the derringer to lock up properly. I gave up and bought an HC collections kit. By the time you buy a whole bunch of extra brass casing its quite expensive but in my mind superior in every way to the .32 short colt other than having to index the rounds to one side due to the offset......
Click to expand...

I have a set of five HC and a bag of 32 Colt Short brass, and have tried both methods.

The "HC Collections" is a good alternate to the "32 Colt Method" for those who are are not equipped to properly prepare the brass, and for those guns where the 27 Cal Hilti (which is centred) does not sit quite close enough to the rim. The 32 Colt Method is in my opinion superior to the HC in every other way. In my gun (a rifle) I don't have to be concerned with indexing, the brass is much more malleable (easily sized), and I am not hostage to a French firm when I run low, and it's much less expensive. The 27 Cal Hiltis can be bought at Home Depot and are more expensive than 22 Cal Acorns, but are more powerful and come in various strengths. In my gun, I don't use any powder - it's as simple as a round ball I cast myself, sized to 0.312" seated flattened sides in the case.

There's a good thread here that describes the process, as well as the pros and cons of the HC (and Dixie Gun Works) vs. the 32 Short Colt Methods:

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?545754-Dixie-Arms-32-RF-adapters-opinions
 
THanks Didn't see the thread comparing the two side by side. Lets just say this, the .32 short colts that I had made right only worked in a small percentage of my guns, the HC collections brass has worked in every gun I own.
 
you can make your own .22 primer by uncrimping .22 nail gun blanks dumping the powder and cutting them down a bit with a hack saw and a homemade die(a small piece of steel tubing drilled out to seat the .22 blank flush with the extra sticking out) i also do this with the .27 blanks for .32 short colt
 
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