self defence with .32 caliber

[james]

In India .32 caliber is widely used pistol / revolver for self defence and .32 is considered anemic however this caliber has potential to the job if reloaded . IOF 32 S&W long cartridge has irregular poweder charge ranging from 2 to 4 grains and 5 to 5.5 grain of this powder can ramp potency closer to 327 federal magnum range.
I am not aware of reloading laws and availability of right tools is also questionable ,getting primer is impossible but still in case law permits this could be better preposition.
Any feedback .
cheers, James..

[goodboy_mentor]

Reloading is legal, you may read this http://indiansforguns.com/viewtopic.php ... 36#p152417

Is it safe to load higher powder charge in existing .32 revolvers?

[james]

Top break revolvers are generally not strong but Webley Mk IV were designed to handel .38/200 cartridges and on same platform .32 was designed . check this link.James...
http://smith-wessonforum.com/reloading/ ... -load.html

[xl_target]

Top break revolvers are generally not strong but Webley Mk IV were designed to handel .38/200 cartridges and on same platform .32 was designed . check this link.James...
http://smith-wessonforum.com/reloading/ ... -load.html

A Webley maybe but an IOF? Does anyone know what type of steel is used in the IOF revolvers?

if reloaded . IOF 32 S&W long cartridge has irregular poweder charge ranging from 2 to 4 grains and 5 to 5.5 grain of this powder can ramp potency closer to 327 federal magnum range.

Be Very careful about making statements like this, especially where the IOF revolver is concerned. If you look at the SAAMI specifications, you will see that chamber pressures are high for the .327 Federal Magnum cartridge compared too most of the other .32 Cal cartridges. Do we know for sure, that the IOF revolver will handle it?

[timmy]

XL is right. Just because a weapon on the same frame or design platform will handle a 38/200 round does not mean a similar model of the same frame will handle the .327 Magnum. The issue here is chamber pressure, and the .327 works at higher pressures than the 38/200.

Since design "liberties" were taken when the IOF .32 was made (as compared to it's Webley & Scott parent), who knows what steel is used in its manufacture? Certainly, IOF has the capability to change the metallurgy in the weapon: When the old SMLE No. 1 Mk III was adapted to the 7.62x51 NATO round to create the RFI 2A, it is said that the steel was changed to an alloy of a higher strength to handle the more powerful cartridge, although I have heard some dispute this. None the less, there would be no reason to do so for the IOF .32 revolver, as it is still shooting the same cartridge as the old Webley & Scott design. The only reason to change the alloy would be for cost reasons in this case.

For sure, one would need to carefully verify all of this before sticking such a powerful round as the 327 Magnum in a modified IOF revolver. My thought would be that it would not be safe at all. This is the sort of thing that factories, with their specialized tools for proofing and testing would need to do before it could be considered safe, IMO.

[james]

I fully agree with XL and Timmy , For-sure no to IOF revolver, close friend oversea on request has tested 90 grs bullet , reloaded with vihta vouri N310 , 4 grs and tested on .32 webley revolver mark iv ,4 inche barrel safely achived approx 1200 fps velocity which is decent. VN310 is any day real fast burning powder. No sign of case bulging or any other adverse effect to Revolver.This is just out of his personal experience not to be standardized by any means.
James..

[MoA]

I doubt if IOF is using N310.
A variation of 2-4 grains is a lot. Upping it to 5.5 based on what calculations? What Internal Ballistics Simulation have you used, based on whatever Powder IOF is making.
Sure you can pull the bullets apart, resize the cases and put in 5.5 grains of IOF. There are no restrictions on the import of a press or a set of dies as far as I know, and theoretically with enough of an ammo quota what you propose is possible.

It is also your gun, hand, eyes et al. It takes very little variance in powder charges to convert a revolver into a hand grenade.

I do reload my own ammo, and often well above what any manual or published data advises. Then again I know what I am doing, have run the simulations, and worked up the loads and know they are safe in my weapon. I have also on occaison used duplex loads( which is a mix of two different kinds of powder, but I know what I am doing and have the experience enough to do so.) Moreover I know exactly what components I am using, their charachteristics and have invested a lot of time and effort in working up loads. I don't let anyone shoot my loads in their weapons either.

[james]

MoA , I agree with you and i am aware of the facts , i am not advocating any recipes . Reloading in India is impossible and not in dreams i am playing with IOF products. Some of my close friends are into it oversea and i often visit them .
Regards, James..

[shooterz]

I have quite a lot of experience with reloading. I have loaded rifle, shotgun and handgun ammo. You cannot pull the bullet from a loaded round, weigh the charge, and then deduce from that a double charge of powder and expect it to be safe. More than likely, the charge that is there from the factory is the safest weight for that particular cartridge. Most times the added percentage of increase of a full power charge is 10%, you are talking about a 100% increase in powder. If you do that , I would suggest firing that increased round with your weak hand. That way WHEN it blows off, you can still write your name with the other one. Those last two lines were meant as a joke, don't try that. If you want to increase velocity, decrease bullet weight. You wont see much of an increase in energy from the round, but you will get more speed. In the case of hollow point bullets, that may make it expand for you. Remember that 32 revolver rounds are generally low pressure rounds. Try to keep them that way. Especially if your IOF guns are as bad as you all say they are.

[dev]

I don't know about self defense with a 32 or about ballistics but the highway men are killing their victims with the humble .32 acp by the ton. Looks like we(Indians) are programmed to die when hit by a .32 at about seven or ten feet .
Would it be better instead to practice put the shots at the right place then worry about getting more oomph out of the hapless choice that we have.

[shooterz]

Dev, you are right.

Hit in the head by a 32 or 45 ACP to the ankle. Shot placement wins the fight. Forget the tales of inadequate stopping power with 38s on the Moros, so we will switch to larger caliber. Slaughter houses have used 22 lr on pigs for decades. I have seen what some of you folks can do with your 32 pistols on youtube. You are some good shooters. Remember, if the bad guys can kill good guys with the 32...the reverse works just as well.