Barrel Length and the .45 ACP!

Powder Test:

Blackhorn209

Historic Cartridges:• 7.5mm Schmidt-Rubin• .30-40 Krag• .32-40

THE ENDURING

9MM LUGER$5.99 U.S./Canada

December 2010 No. 269Rifle Magazine Presents - HANDLOADER

Printed in USA7 25274 01240 4

1 2

$5.99

4 Handloader 269

AMMUNAMMUNITITIONON REL RELOADING NG JOJOURURNAL AL

December 2010Volume 45, Number 6

ISSN 0017-7393 Issue No. 269

Background Photo: © 2010 Vic Schendel

40 The Effects of BarrelLength in the .45 ACPLong Versus ShortCharles E. Petty

46 .30-40 Kragaka .30 Army/.30 U.S.Mike Venturino

54 Dancing with a GhostThe .32-40:A Graveside InterviewTerry Wieland

62 Blackhorn 209PowderHigh-Performance,Black-Powder SubstituteSteve Gash

22 7.5mmSchmidt-RubinCartridge Board -Gil Sengel

24 A 250-GrainBulletExperimentFrom the Hip -Brian Pearce

28 SIG 522Pistol Pointers -Charles E. Petty

30 9mm LugerSmith & WessonModel 952Stan Trzoniec

8 A Loading ManualIs EssentialReloader’s Press -Dave Scovill

12 Cast Bulletsand the.357 MagnumBullets & Brass -Brian Pearce

16 Hodgdon’s H-380Propellant Profiles -R.H. VanDenburg, Jr.

20 Shrapnel Lives!Mike’s Shootin’ Shack -Mike Venturino

Page 62 . . .

Page 54 . . .

Page 46 . . .

Publisher of Handloader™ is not responsible for mishaps of any nature that might occur from use of publishedloading data or from recommendations by any member of The Staff. No part of this publication may be reproducedwithout written permission from the publisher. Publisher assumes all North American Rights upon acceptance andpayment for all manuscripts. Although all possible care is exercised, the publisher cannot accept responsibility forlost or mutilated manuscripts.

Issue No. 269 December 2010

AMMUNAMMUNITITIONON REL RELOADING NG JOJOURURNAL AL Publisher/President – Don Polacek

Associate Publisher – Mark Harris

Editor in Chief – Dave Scovill

Managing Editor – Roberta Scovill

Art Director – Gerald Hudson

Production Director – Becky Pinkley

Contributing EditorsAssociate Editor – Al Miller

John Haviland Ron SpomerBrian Pearce Stan TrzoniecCharles E. Petty R.H. VanDenburg, Jr.Clair Rees Mike VenturinoGil Sengel Ken Waters

AdvertisingAdvertising Director - Stefanie Ramsey

stefanie@riflemag.com

Advertising Representative - Tom Bowmanbowmant@sbcglobal.net

Advertising Information: 1-800-899-7810

CirculationCirculation Manager – Melinda Clements

circ@riflemag.com

Subscription Information: 1-800-899-7810www.riflemagazine.com

Handloader® (ISSN 0017-7393) is published bi-monthly by Polacek Publishing Corporation, dbaWolfe Publishing Company (Don Polacek, Pres -ident), 2180 Gulfstream, Ste. A, Prescott, Arizona86301 (also publisher of Rifle® magazine). Tele -phone: (928) 445-7810. Periodical Postage paid atPrescott, Arizona, and additional mailing offices.Subscription prices: U.S. possessions – single issue,$5.99; 6 issues, $22.97; 12 issues, $39.00. Foreignand Canada – single issue, $5.99; 6 issues $29.00; 12issues, $51.00. Please allow 8-10 weeks for firstissue. Advertising rates furnished on request. Allrights reserved.Change of address: Please give six weeks notice.

Send both the old and new address, plus mailinglabel if possible, to Circulation Dept., Handloader®

Magazine, 2180 Gulfstream, Ste. A, Prescott, Ari-zona 86301. POSTMASTER: Send address changesto Handloader®, 2180 Gulfstream, Ste. A, Prescott,Arizona 86301.

Canadian returns: PM #40612608. Pitney Bowes,P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2.

Wolfe Publishing Co.2180 Gulfstream, Ste. APrescott, AZ 86301Tel: (928) 445-7810 Fax: (928) 778-5124© Polacek Publishing Corporation

Page 40Page 22Page 62

Background Photo: © 2010 Vic Schendel6 Handloader 269

On the cover . . .The 9mm Luger has remained themost popular semiautomatic handguncartridge for over 100 years. Photo by Stan Trzoniec.

68 Handloading.410 ShotshellsTips for ImprovedPatternsJohn Haviland

76 A Pair ofKimber Rifles.257 Roberts &.308 WinchesterMike Thomas

84 Plated BulletsAffordablePerformanceRocky Raab

92 What’s New inthe MarketplaceInside Product NewsClair Rees

98 Penny-Wise andParachute-FoolishIn Range -Terry Wieland

Page 68 . . .

12 Handloader 269www.handloadermagazine.com

Q: What powder and charge

would you suggest forloading the .357 Magnum with180-grain LBT cast bullets,specif ically for hunting largemammals?

– M.C., Sequim WA

fps with barrels of 6 to 71⁄2

inches. Starline cases are sug-

gested as they help keep pres-

sures within SAAMI pressure

guidelines of 35,000 psi. Addi-

tionally they give significantly

greater velocities and their stiff

construction results in a crimp

that offers a firm bullet hold.

If you cannot find the neces-

sary components to assemble

the above load, try 13.5 grains

of Hodgdon H-110 (also capped

with a magnum primer) for

around 1,250 fps in 4-inch re-

volvers and around 1,325 fps in

71⁄2-inch versions.

.327 FEDERAL

Q: I clipped your article on hand-loading the .327 Federal Magnumand, now more than a year later,purchased a Ruger New ModelBlackhawk so chambered, whichis a more sensible field revolverthan the Ruger SP101. Now myonly problem is that I have mis-placed your article with all thatgreat data. I would like twoloads: the first with a 115-graincast bullet at around 950 to 1,000fps and a full-house load for

A: Try using 16.0 grains of

Hodgdon Lil’Gun in conjunction

with the 180-grain Cast Per-

formance bullet. It is important,

however, to use a small pistol

magnum primer, such as Fed-

eral 200 or Remington 51⁄2. This

load will reach around 1,350

fps from most revolvers with a

4-inch barrel or around 1,450

either the Speer 100-grain JHP or Hornady 100-grain HP-XTP.Thanks for all the great articlesand keep them coming.

– J.L., Lincoln NE

A: You don’t specify which cast

bullet you would like to use, so

I will give you a couple of loads.

Using the Oregon Trail 115-

grain FP, 3.5 grains of Alliant

Red Dot powder reached 974 fps

from the SP101 with a 31⁄16-

inch barrel, and I suspect it will

reach just over 1,000 fps from

your Ruger Blackhawk. Switch-

ing to 116-grain cast bullets

from Lyman mould 311008, 3.5

grains of Winchester 231 gave

872 fps and should give around

925 to 950 fps from your gun.

Each load was capped with a

CCI 500 primer.

Federal and Speer are each

using non-canister powders in

the .327 Federal Magnum, which

are not generally available to

us. The point is I was unable to

reach factory load velocities

with currently available revolver

powders (which might be chang-

ing soon) while keeping within

BULLETS & BRASS by Brian Pearce • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

CAST BULLETS AND

THE .357 MAGNUM

Hodgdon H-110 and Lil’Gun areexcellent choices for 180-graincast bullets in the .357 Magnum.

Alliant Red Dot is a good choicefor cast bullets at 1,000 fps in the .327 Federal Magnum, while Accurate AA-9 will give good results with 100- and 115-grainjacketed bullets at 1,400 fps.

December-January 2011 13www.handloadermagazine.com

pressure guidelines. At any rate

when loading the Speer 100-

grain JHP or Hornady HP-XTP,

try either 13.2 grains of Hodg-

don H-110 or 11.5 grains of

Accurate AA-9 (each with a

CCI 550 primer), which will

reach 1,400 fps from 61⁄2- to 71⁄2-

inch barrels.

.223 REMINGTON T/C G2

CONTENDER

Q: I am going to begin workingup a handload for the .223 Rem-ington in my new Thompson/Center G2 Contender. I am pri-marily going to use the Sierra 50-grain BlitzKing and would liketo use Hodgdon H-322 powder. Ido have other potential .223 pow-ders on hand, but for several rea-sons would rather stick withH-322 if possible. Can you sug-gest a charge that will give thebest accuracy? And do I use astandard or magnum primer withthis powder?

– J.J., Grants Pass OR

A: A standard primer will give

proper ignition with Hodgdon

H-322. I am hesitant to offer a

single powder charge that “will

give the best accuracy.” Each

rifle is different, and to obtain

the most accurate load, some ex-

perimenting will be required

that should include primer

manufacturer, powder charge

and bullet seating depth. There

are no absolutes as to what is

the best combination. Using a

commercial case, I would sug-

gest starting at 24.0 grains of

H-322, working up to a maxi-

mum charge of around 26.0

grains.

BROWNING MODEL 1885 IN

.460 S&W?

Q: I recently purchased a Brown-ing Model 1885 (falling block).454 Casull. I have worked upvarious cast bullet loads and amvery satisfied with the results foraccuracy and expected energyfor feral hogs here in NorthTexas. However, I am very im-pressed with the ballistics, etc.for the .460 Smith & Wesson Mag-num, and in my humble opinion,it seems that it would be a greatcarbine (preferably Marlin lever-gun) caliber. Since the .460 is justa magnumized .454 Casull (same

When using the 50-grain SierraBlitzKing bullet in the .223 Remington, 24.0 to 26.0 grains of Hodgdon H-322 is suggested.Use the charge that is most accurate.

Handloader 269

bullet diameter) and similar op-erating pressures, but the .460 isabout .5 inch longer, I was won-dering if my Model 1885 could bereamed to chamber the .460Smith & Wesson? Is this a goodidea? Would it be safe from apressure point of view and wouldI still be able to shoot the .454Casull in the lengthened cham-ber? Your thoughts would be ap-preciated. I really enjoy yourarticles. Thanks!

A: This conversion is feasible

and has been done before, but I

have no personal knowledge of

how well that rifle worked. From

a pressure standpoint the .460

Smith & Wesson shares the

same industry working pressure

limits as the .454 Casull at

65,000 psi, and the Browning

action is plenty strong to handle

that. The .460 has a slightly

larger rim at .5175 inch, while

the .454 is standardized at .512

inch. Looking at a Browning

1885 extractor, it would have to

be opened or modified slightly to

work with the .460. I suspect it

probably would still work suit-

ably with the .454.

Assuming that .454s would ex-

tract properly, there is a good

chance they will not shoot as

well as they currently do, which

is a result of the long bullet

jump or freebore. Since you are

“very satisfied” with the field

performance of the .454, I would

suggest leaving it chambered for

that cartridge. Furthermore,

what velocity advantages the

.460 might offer will not be sig-

nificant in how it performs on

game, with bullet choice being a

much more important factor.

BROWNING BLR .308

WINCHESTER

Q: I recently purchased a Brown-ing BLR-81 .308 Winchester. Ihave been experiencing a prob-lem with my handloads and hopeyou can help. First, I have beenfull-length sizing cases (Winches-ter and Remington) that werefired in my rifle. They have beeneither checked for excessivelength or trimmed back to 2.005inches. I have used both theSpeer 150-grain spitzer and theSierra 165-grain spitzer andseated them to less than maxi-mum overall cartridge lengths.

The problem is that loaded car-tridges are difficult to chamber. Ihave to squeeze the lever withfirmness to get the action toclose and fire. I have followedRCBS instructions carefully andam adjusting dies as outlined. Mycharges of IMR-4350 powder areclose to maximum but are notcompressed, and primers looknormal. Incidentally, the samecartridges feed smoothly and thebolt closes normally on my RugerModel 77R .308 Winchester. Doyou have any ideas what mightbe causing my chambering prob-lems?

– P.R., Redding CA

A: The Browning BLR-81 has a

rather unique action (at least

for leverguns), as it has a rotat-

ing bolt with nine locking lugs

that twist or lock upon closing.

In short, the lever is a compara-

tively weak camming system to

close the rotating bolt. The point

is that if cartridges need slight

help to chamber, it will be mag-

nified as you close the lever, and

it will certainly be felt as you

describe. I have seen this same

problem occur on other BLRs in

.308 Winchester as well as other

calibers. There are a couple of

solutions, but the easiest is to

obtain a small base sizer die,

which will bring the case back to

factory specifications and allow

for easier chambering. Inciden-

tally, most die manufacturers

specify that a small base sizer

die should be used in conjunc-

tion with the Browning BLR.

Another area that you might

scrutinize is primer seating

depth. Depending on the type of

case and primer you are using,

they will usually seat .002 to

.005 inch below flush. If they are

above flush or are a high primer,

they can cause chambering is-

sues as well.

It is always difficult to iden-

tify exact handloading problems

through correspondence, rather

than seeing the problem first-

hand, but I suspect the above

suggestions will solve your diffi-

culties.

14 www.handloadermagazine.com

Trimming .308 Winchester cases to SAAMI guidelines, using a smallbase sizer die and making certainthat primers are seated .002 to.005 inch below flush should allowhandloaded ammunition to cham-ber easily in a Browning BLR.

•

54 Handloader 269www.handloadermagazine.com

Modern .32-40 fans are blessed withtop-notch reloading equipment, likecompetition dies from Redding andcowboy-action dies from RCBS.

ITerry Wieland

It’s sad that a cartridge can bethe toast of the shooting worldfor awhile – and sometimes for quite a long while – yet be

almost completely forgotten withina few years. A cartridge comes along,does a particular job very well andis greeted with adulation on allsides. Then another appears thatdoes the job a little better, or a littleeasier, and yesterday’s hero is sud-denly today’s has-been.

This is the nature of technology, of course, andwithout it we would still be throwing rocks, notshooting 1,000-yard matches. Still, it would be niceif we gave the former champions their due. In thecourse of paying a little respect, we might learnsome useful things at the same time.

A century ago, the .32-40 was the reigningmonarch of the target-shooting world. In thosedays, target shooting with rifles was a mainstreampursuit covered in the sports and society pages ofthe newspapers. At a time when it’s getting difficulteven to find shooting publications on drugstoremagazine racks, it’s hard to imagine an age whenthe results from matches at Creedmoor were car-ried in the New York Times. Yet such was the case,and that great, old magazine writer Lucian Carywas even able to write a series of short storiesabout a fictional barrelmaker named J.M. Pyne

(closely modeled on Harry Pope) and have thempublished in the Saturday Evening Post.

Pope himself was closely associated with the .32-40 and his own variation, the .33-40, but that ismerely the tip of the iceberg. The .32-40 has one of the most interesting, and complex, histories ofany cartridge and can present you with a range ofpuzzles that would do credit to a wizard.

First, the name. Anyone encountering a box ofammunition today will probably see “.32-40 Win-chester.” Although Winchester appropriated thename and chambered rifles for it, the .32-40 was actually the development of the Ballard-Marlin riflecompany, introduced in 1884 for single-shot targetrifles.

The.32-40:

A GravesideInterview

December-January 2011 55www.handloadermagazine.com

In the late 1800s, after the ad-vent of the centerfire breechloader,

cartridge development was rapid and bulletdiameters shrank quickly as target shooters re-

alized they could make better scores withsmaller cartridges and lower recoil. Where, in

1880, .40 calibers like the .40-70 Sharps Straightwere popular, a decade later the .38-55 was domi-nant and shortly after that the .32s in various con-figurations. Of the .32 target cartridges, however,Ballard’s .32-40 was recognized as the best (due inpart to the reputation of the Ballard rifles them-selves), and other manufacturers adopted it.

Also, it should be remembered that in this era ofintense target competition, the most ambitiousshooters had rifles made to order, with famous

barrel makers like Pope, Schoyen and Zischang providing tubes for various actions. Obviously, thechambering was also custom, and many shooterschose the .32-40.

As a result of this, one can find a bewildering vari-ety of rifles that are ostensibly .32-40s. I use theword “ostensibly” because what it says on the bar-rel may not be what you find in the bore.

Today, we think we know a lot about wildcats,blown-out cartridges and rechambering and rebor-ing rifles. Compared to the target shooters and rifle-makers of the black-powder era, we are pikers, myfriends, pikers! In those days, a shooter had anamazing number of possibilities if he was not happywith his rifle-cartridge-bore-bullet combination.

Handloader 269

With black powder, cleaning iscritical. Neglect your rifle even afew times, and you come back toa bore that is no longer pristine.Corrosive priming was anotherdanger. Then there was the wearand tear of using paper-patchedbullets, which can wear awayshallow, sharp-edged rifling morequickly than lubricated lead.

re-rifle it, and you were back inbusiness.”

This was actually simpler thanit sounds. Today, we would haveto create a new cartridge andrechamber the rifle as well. Notso with the .32-40.

“Look at all the ways they hadof shooting target rifles in those

“Some people have a great aver-sion to cleaning anything,” Bobsaid. “Rather than buy a wholenew rifle, or even a new barrel,you could get the barrel boredout to a slightly larger diameter,

Supposedly, it was intended as asuperior target cartridge, but re-ally it was a means of saving anexisting rifle when the bore wasshot out, corroded or renderedotherwise inaccurate.”

56 www.handloadermagazine.com

For a handloader with an interestin the unusual, the .32-40 offers a range of possibilities, from castbullets with gas checks for hunt-ing, like this 180-grain design fromBob Hayley, to the .308-inch castbullets with paper patches.

From left, the.25-35, .30-30and .303 Savage,and the longer.32-40 and .38-55are similar butdifferent. In apinch, usable .32-40 cases can be fashionedfrom the .30-30family, but theywill be short.

A century ago, the .32-40 was the reigning monarchof the target-shooting world.

First, he could design his owncast bullet and have a custommould made. As well, he did nothave to make do with whateverbullets were available in his cal-iber. He could also use paperpatches to make smaller diame-ter bullets workable in his bore.

Bob Hayley (Hayley’s CustomAmmunition) in Seymour, Texas,is my authority when it comes tothe most arcane of the arcane –subjects not covered in any ob-tainable text. Over the past 40years or so, Bob has assembled aremarkable library of old cata-logs, factory cartridge specs andengineering drawings, and cananswer almost any question onalmost any subject involving leadand gunpowder. Bob’s view ofthe .32-40 is that it is one of themost fascinating, as well as mostfrustrating, of all cartridges.

“Because the .32-40 was so pop-ular, people did a lot with it, par-ticularly necking it up,” he toldme. “Take Pope’s .33-40. It’s a .32-40 with a slightly larger bore.

Set up with theRolls-Royce ofreceiver sightsfor the 1899, a

Lyman Model56S with a

Merit GunsightCompany “Iris

Shutter” diskthe rifle is

great for offhand target

shooting.

December-January 2011 57www.handloadermagazine.com

days,” Bob said. “You could re-bore it and leave the chamber ex-actly the way it was and stillshoot it.”

Here’s how it might work. Blackpowder target shooters had vari-ous ways of loading their single-shot rifles, and with lots of timebetween shots, there was no ur-gency. So, they might use thesame cartridge case over andover, reloading it while waitingtheir turn to shoot.

“Harry Pope was said to haveused the same case for manyyears,” Bob says, “And it makessense in that era, competing theway they did. We couldn’t do ittoday, although many benchrestshooters do confine themselvesto a few cases and load them be-tween rounds.”

Other approaches includedbreech-seating the bullet with aspecial tool and then sliding thecharged cartridge case in behindit. The bullet was fully engagedwith the rifling and aligned to thebore, and the cartridge case itselfprovided the gas seal.

Another way was to load thebullet from the muzzle, using afalse muzzle exactly like a muz-zleloader, and then place thecharged cartridge in the cham-ber. This not only ensured thebullet was correctly aligned, butit also kept the base pristine,with no fins pushed up by the rifling to unbalance it and throwit off course.

Since both muzzle- and breech-loading of bullets was popularwith target shooters, a man couldhave his bore enlarged and re-rifled but otherwise continue touse exactly the same methods healways did.

One could have a bore enlargedto .33 or .34 but leave the cham-ber as it was, seat the bullet intothe rifling ahead of the chamberto leave room for the case, andthen slip an unaltered .32-40charged case into the chamber. Itworked perfectly well.

“Some claim that breech seating

Order Online: www.isonicinc.comTel: 847-687-3505 • E-Mail: info@isonicinc.com

Distributors Wanted!

Ultrasonic CleanerforBrassCombo price$93.95 orbuy separately.Ultrasonic Cleanerwith Heater #P4820, (0.7 gallon, tanksize 10.4”x6.5”x3”). Stainless Steel Basket#SB4820A. Brass Cleaning Solution #CSBC001.

QCQCuineticsORPORATIONuineticsORPORATION

Phone/Fax: 830-693-0237www.quineticscorp.com

Quinetics’NEW ULTIMATEMODEL with “NEW TWIST”

Chuck Assembly!

Madein theU.S.A.

Handloader 26958 www.handloadermagazine.com

you can use. In a single shot (orloading a repeater one cartridgeat a time), you can partially seatthe bullet in a neck that is snugbut not tight, and then let the rifling seat the bullet the rest of

a bullet with a charged .32-40 car-tridge behind it is more accurate,but I’m not sure I buy that,” Bobsays. “The accuracy depends on the individual rifle. What iscertain, though, is that you canuse the technique to overcome a number of other problems,such as reboring the rifle withoutrechambering.”

save barrels, rather than go up to .38-55, which had too much recoil. Pope is best known for it,but Zischang also did it. Nearlyany of the barrelmakers woulddo it.”

Assuming you are shooting a.32-40 with a .32-caliber bore,there are still other approaches

the way as you close the breech.This ensures that you have thebullet solidly engaged with the rifling.

With black powder, doing it thisway requires caution because it’s important to eliminate any airspaces between powder and bul-let, but it can be done. It is a very useful method with smallcharges of smokeless powders,like Unique or 5744. I find thebest way is to carefully start thecartridge with the muzzle pointedat the sky, then gently lower themuzzle downrange while closingthe rifle. This ensures the powderis uniformly clustered around theprimer for maximum consistencyfrom shot to shot.

I have done this with lubed .32target bullets but also with .308inch diameter bullets patchedwith paper. So far, I have not setany accuracy records with thismethod, but I still have hopes.

Left, a factory .32-40 hunting cartridge with jacketed bullet isshown with two handloads for target shooting with the bullets only partially seated. When the bullets touch the rifling, they will be seated to a uniform depth as the breechblock is closed. This approach works very well withsmokeless powders and lubricatedcast bullets. Right, the .32-40 (left)and .32 Special are shown in hunt-ing guise as loaded by Winchester.The .32 Special case is shorter,while the .32-40 bullet is seateddeeper. As a result, overall cartridge length is very similar, but it makes brass and bulletstricky to interchange.

Imagine, however, if you wereto come across such a rifle today,find the barrel marked “.32-40”and try shooting it. You wouldn’tdo any damage to the rifle, butbeyond 10 yards you would beunlikely to hit a target. Bob be-lieves this is the real origin ofHarry Pope’s .33-40.

“Some people will say it was de-veloped as a target cartridge,” hesaid. “In reality, it was created to

December-January 2011

Modern shooters often lump the.32-40 in with the .32 WinchesterSpecial and that whole class of.30-30 cartridges, but in reality itis distinctly different. For onething, the .32-40 case islonger, so even thoughthe base diameter is thesame, you can make us-able .32-40 cases fromthese parent cases. They will not,however, be ideal. Fortunately, as.32-40 brass was becoming reallyscarce some years ago, Winches-ter did a special run and now it isreadily available.

The difference in case lengthcan be critical, especially if youhave a Marlin, Winchester or Sav-age lever action chambered in.32-40. Jacketed bullets intendedfor the .32 Special have the can-nelure closer to the base, therebyseating the bullet farther out,while bullets for the .32-40 seatdeeper. Since cartridges for tubu-lar magazines and traditional

lever rifles must be the rightlength to feed and have blunt bul-lets to prevent ignition in themagazine, this is no small consid-eration.

You can use this to your advan-tage in one way: If you have aWinchester 1894 .32-40, you canmake cases from .32 Special(which are shorter) and use bul-lets made for the .32 Special(which seat longer.) This willproduce ammunition that willfeed acceptably well, loaded witha good jacketed hunting bullet.

Even within the .32-40 itself,there are differences in ammuni-tion. Bob Hayley: “The Ballardcartridge was intended to use along-nosed bullet of about 180grains. The Winchester cartridgetakes a 160-grain, short-nosed

bullet. By the early 1900s, the sit-uation with the .32s was so con-fused that Ideal offered a mouldthat was adjustable to accommo-date a variety of bullet weights

and lengths.”

The .32-40 is one casewhere one should dosome careful investiga-tion before loading am-

munition and assuming it will work. For example, single-shotrifles intended for breech-loadingbullets have a different throatconfiguration than one intendedfor fully loaded cartridges, andfailing to allow for that in load-ing ammunition can result inabysmal accuracy. A chambercast is a good idea.

Slugging the bore is also a goodidea, even if the rifle appears tobe an unaltered .32. Bullets forthe .32-40 are traditionally cast at.319 inch, while those for .32 Spe-cial are .321 to .323 inch. Suchminor differences can be dealt

59www.handloadermagazine.com

The .32-40 was given new life by thepopularity of cowboy action shooting.

Reloading Equipment,Components, and Shooting

Accessories forDiscriminating Shooters

www.gunstop.com Check Our Web Site for Monthly Specials

Brass:Hornady, Lapua, Norma, Nosler, Remington, Starline,Weatherby, and Winchester

Bullets:Barnes, Berger, Hornady, Lapua, Nosler, Sierra, Speer,and Swift

Chronographs and Timers:Competitive Edge Dynamics, Competition Electronics,PACT, and Shooting Chrony

Maintenance Products:Ballistol, Barnes, Birchwood-Casey, Bore Tech., BreakFree, Dewey, Forster, Hoppe’s, Kano Labs, Kleenbore,Lyman, MTM, Possum Hollow, Pro Shot, Remington,Rig, Sharp SharpShoot-R™ Precision Products,Shooters Choice, Slip 2000, Sweets, Tipton, andWheeler Engineering.

Multimedia:Reloading DVD’s, Reloading Manuals, ReloadingSoftware, and Historical and Reference Books.

Reloading Accessories:CH Tool and Die, Dillon, Forster, Frankford Arsenal,Gracey, Hornady, K&M Precision Shooting Products,Lee, Lyman, MTM, PACT, Possum Hollow, RCBS,Redding, Satern Custom Machining, Sinclair, SmartReloader, and L.E. Wilson.

Reloading Dies and Presses:Dillon, Forster, Harrell’s Precision, Hornady, K&MPrecision Shooting Products, Lyman, Possum Hollow,RCBS, Redding, Sinclair, and L.E. Wilson.

Shooting Accessories:Caldwell, Dillon, Jewell, Leupold, MTM, Peltor,Possum Hollow, Pro Ears, Protektor Model, RifleBasix, and Smart Reloader.

Gunstop Reloading Supplies, Inc.14704 Excelsior Blvd. • Minnetonka, MN 55345

1-800-645-7644Mon.- Fri. 8am to 6pm, Sat. 8am to 4pm Central Time

For Our Current Catalog:Call: 1-800-645-7644 or Fax: 952-474-0211

Download a copy at www.gunstop.comE-mail: gunstop@mr.net

Handloader 269

of different bullets. The “par-tially-seated” approach workswith both lubed cast and paper-patched bullets, but I confess Ihave yet to achieve comparableaccuracy with paper patched. Atsome point, I would like to tryseating bullets from the muzzle,but some sort of false muzzle is required in order to do thatproperly, and that is easier saidthan done – especially if youwish to avoid permanently alter-ing the rifle.

Like many other cartridges ofits era, the .32-40 was given newlife by the popularity of cowboyaction shooting, especially in theproduction loading dies nowavailable. If there is one areawhere .32-40 lovers of the 1890swould envy us, it’s in the qualityof dies we can get.

Loading bullets the way I do,the crimp (or actually the lack ofcrimp) is the most critical aspect.The cases must be slightly belledin order to avoid scraping the bul-let or snagging the paper patch,but then the case mouth needs to be straightened slightly (notcrimped) in order to seat in thechamber properly. This operationis largely a matter of feel ratherthan measurement.

Because it is so finicky, produc-ing ammunition of this type can-not be done on a large scale. Iusually load no more than 20 to40 rounds at a time, taking greatcare with each one, just as if Iwere preparing for a match atWalnut Hill. When I get to therange, I shoot them in groups offive, offhand at 100 or 200 yards.It makes a nice break while I waitfor the barrels to cool on moremodern rifles.

Then, when I get home, I lookagain at the kind of groups thatshooters like Dr. Hudson orHarry Pope achieved shootingoffhand rifles of this type, andfeel properly inadequate. If noth-ing else from consorting with the .32-40, you can certainly learnhumility.

60 www.handloadermagazine.com

•

During its 90-plus years of life,it was well taken care of andshoots beautifully. It was cham-bered and set up for factory Win-chester .32-40 ammunition, so Iam not faced with any critical alterations or special require-ments. However, since I do nothunt with it and don’t intend to,my ammunition is all loaded withcast target bullets. As mentionedabove, my favorite way of shoot-ing the rifle is with bullets partlyseated, allowing the rifling toseat them to perfect depth as thebreechblock is closed.

The rifle is so forgiving that al-most any quick “nitro-for-black”powder can be used, includingUnique, Herco, SR-4759 and 5744.Off the bench, I have recorded 4-inch, 10-shot groups at 200 yardswith all the above, using a variety

with in sizing and lubricating, ob-viously, but unless you knowwhat you are facing, you are un-likely to get good accuracy.

I have owned several .32-40sover the years, most recently aWinchester 1894 and a Savage1899. The Savage was made in1916 as an out-of-sequence cus-tom rifle, apparently assembledfrom remaining parts at the Sav-age factory for a client who hadsome pull and wanted an 1899set up as an offhand target rifle.The result is a rifle with a 26-inchoctagonal barrel and the older,more perch-bellied buttstock.

Issue # 38July/Aug 1972

• Reducing Pressure Variations • Pet Loads: .308 Norma Magnum • .221 Fireball • Rifle Load Testing • .280 Remington • Loading for Skeet- Part II

Issue # 53Jan/Feb 1975

• Super Goose Loads • .375 H&H Magnum • Loading the .357 Auto Mag • Pet Loads: .38 WCF Rifle • Handloading Course • Powder Storage Problems

Issue # 60March/April 1976

• .308 Cast Bullet Loads • .223 Remington • Pet Loads: .303 British • .410 Primers in the Larger Gauges • Mag-na-port’s 5-inch Super Blackhawk

Issue # 108March/April 1984

• Bullet Pull Weight on Handgun Loads • Fast Reloads for Fast Game • 6.5x54mm Mannlicher- Schoenauer • Cast Bullets in the .375 H&H • Reloading Russian Style • .45-100 Sharps

Issue #133May/June 1988

• Classic Loads for Modern .45-70 Rifles • Accuracy and Power from the .45 Colt • The .256 Win Mag in the Model 62 Marlin-• Big Game Loads for the 6.5-06

Issue # 148Nov/Dec 1990

• Pet Loads: .35 Winchester • Port Pressure • Segregating Components • Beyond Magnum! The Big 50 BMG • Sharp Shoulders, Case Life and the 6.5 Gibbs • .348 Win. Heavy Cast Bullets

Issue #153Sept/Oct 1991

• Terminal Ballistics of Handgun Bullets • Pet Loads: .38-40 WCF Ruger • .358 JDJ • New Life for the .35s • .17 Ackley Hornet • 9mm Browning Long

Issue # 183Oct/Nov 1996

• Loading the Old Ones • .375 H&H Magnum • The Classic .44 Special • Pellet Lubricity • Casting Lead Bullets • Handloading-Case Inspection and Preparation

Issue #205June/July 2000

• Sturm, Ruger Blackhawk • .218 Bee • Hodgdon’s Benchmark • Turbocharging the .45 Colt • .220 Swift • Shots with the .308 • .41 Magnum • Bullets Do More Than Expand

HANDLOADER BACK ISSUESAvailable from our archives.

CALL TOLL FREE NOW TO ORDER! 1-800-899-7810 Wolfe Publishing Co. • 2180 Gulfstream • Suite A • Prescott AZ 86301 TEL: (928) 445-7810 • FAX: (928) 778-5124 www.riflemagazine.com

Postpaid Pricing (Payment must accompany order)

1-5 issues $8.00 each / 6-10 issues $7.50 each11-15 issues $7.00 each /16-20 issues $6.75 eachCDs & DVDs call for charges. U.S. sales only.

Issue # 217June/July 2002

• .405 Winchester • Hornady Cast Bullets • Ramshot Magnum • The .43 Mauser • Hevi-Shot Handloads • Understanding the .45 Colt • Handloading Myths • Handloading the .38 Special

Issue # 236Aug/Sept 2005

• .58 U.S. Musket • Priming • Handloading the .44 S&W Special • Overlooked Reloading Step- Are You Trimming Cases? • Webley Mk VI • Velocity and Pressure

Issue #248Aug/Sept 2007

• Bullet Runout • Bullet Shape • Alliant’s Power Pistol • Berger Bullets on Big Game • Perfect Plinkers • Handloads for the .375 Ruger • Primers and .223 Accuracy

AMMUNITION RELOADING JOURNAL

Issue # 36March/April 1972

• Portable Chronographs- How They Work • Pet Loads: .380 Auto • Loading the Hot Ones • Seating Depth and Accuracy • Developments in Cast Bullet Accuracy

Issue # 11Jan/Feb 1968

• Pet Loads: .222 Remington • Cast Bullets & High Velocity • Bullet Friction Study • The Case for Round Nose Bullets • Reading Shotgun Patterns • 7mm’s – Past & Present

NEW!Handloader

Single Issueson CD ROM

$5.95Handloader

One-Full Yearon DVD ROM

$19.95Call for shipping charges.

Buy 5 or more back issuesand receive a FREE copy ofthe Legacy of Lever Guns2009 Edition!

Offer expires Jan. 31, 2011

C

w

(TEL:lishing Ce PubolffeW

ALL TOL

W

gazina.riflemwwww.

(9AX:(928) 445-7810 • FFAeam • Suit • 2180 Gulfstr.Co

LL FREE NO

.comen

28) 778-5124AZ 86301escott A • Pret

W TO ORDER

.gesharor cVDs call ffoCDs & Dh /16-11-15 issues $7.00 eac

h / 6-101-5 issues $8.00 eacyment ma(Pgostpaid PricinP

R! 1-800-89

..S. sales onlyy.U

h-20 issues $6.75 each0 issues $7.50 eac

der)y ormust accompan

99-7810

10HBI