Ammunition question
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Des anyone know if a modern .32 S&W short is loaded to the same pressures that a .32 S&W short was with black powder. I ask because looking at the charts for the round, it appears both fire the same size bullet at the same velocity???
Is it safe to shoot the modern in a weapon designed for the old (and in very sound condition?
DANGER WILL ROBINSON - DANGER WILL ROBINSON! (Yeah, I'm dating myself with that one.
Black Powder has VERY different properties than Smokeless Powder and in many circumstances they can not be safely interchanged. Please do yourself a favor and get some solid information about what you want to do, and not free, Internet info. Someone's opinion can kill you if you are not careful. If your gun was designed for BP loads, using Smokeless may prove very bad. I wouldn't do it without some SERIOUS research, and maybe still not.
Just my .02
I have been told that smokeless explodes all at once with an instant pressure while black powder explodes as the round leaves the chamber, achieving the same velocity over a slower period and at lower pressure, which makes sense, so...I will have to pay someone who has the reloading gear to reload a few boxes in blackpowder.
I wouldn't risk it without proper reloading data JIMV. They act VERY different. Have you ever lit a small line of BP and a small line of smokeless and seen the difference? BP is cklassified as an explosive and Smokeless is not. One burns very fast making huge pressure and the other blows up all at once. Either way the guns are very different that require the specific round. Please don't mix and match this stuff. The data for loading is also different and you can't substitute one for the other. Since I am a self-proclaimed "Unloader" and not a "Reloader" I don't have the data but I am sure any old-timer reloader worth his salt would have the correct recipie for ya.
I read the old recipe was 9 grains of FFF...
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It probably is about the same pressure as the BP round. You could call the manufacturer and ask.
Check the timing on the revolver first, make sure the cylinder is indexing so the chamber lines up with the bore. Also, you may want to tie the revolver to a tire or gun vise, and shoot it with a string on the trigger. Examine the gun for any stress around the latch or other areas, and examine the fired case for stress marks, blown primers, etc. Those old non-military top-latch guns aren't the safest design. Many were also made with low-carbon steel that may not have been heat-tempered.