I've had my Poli Anson Extra 3 barrel set (28, 32 and 410) for 6 years now. I have amassed hundreds Fiocchi 32 gauge hulls.

I tried reloading years ago but was unhappy with the "mushroom" top the Ballistic Products 28 gauge crimper produced.

It snowed here in Charlotte this weekend. (It is always best in Charlotte to stay off the roads. The transplants from up north know how to drive in snow. The locals don't. I stay off the roads and let Darwin introduce them.)

So, with lot's of time in the garage I turned the 28 ga crimper into a true 32 ga roll crimper.

I sawed the low-base ring off the head of a used 32 hull. The head is brass coated steel. On the 28 crimper, I drilled out the single turndown pin. I soldered in the 32 steel ring, flaring and shaping the mouth for ease of use. I then cross drilled a new turn down pin hole. I threaded it, got a long screw, and patiently filed the exposed threads inside the roll crimper until smooth and sloped, by backing the screw out to expose the target area. After many hours, I have a crimper that really makes a clean tight 32 gauge roll crimp.

It is time to revisit 32 loading data. Does anyone have any ideas? I am going to start light, crono, and work my way up. I have the Ballastic 32 Euro wads and 32 overshot cards.

The wad is tall for 1/2 ounce loads. I have made a few up using Universal and PB.

The gun is modern with 70 mm 32 gauge proofs (2 3/4" 32). I'll get around to 2 3/4" "Magnum" loads after I get some longer brass hulls made.

Joe

All the 28 gauge crimp tool did for me was ruin hulls. I load for the 32 gauge with a folded star crimp. It is easy to convert a MEC 600 and perform all operations on the press. It's easy and much faster than roll crimping either by hand or on a drill press.

It is interesting that your chambers are 70mm. My gun is also modern (made in the 70's) and it has 65mm chambers. I have never seen a 32 gauge shell that was longer than 65mm.

I am interested in more load data but I want loads that have a known velocity and pressure. I currently only have a handful.

Skip

I think Ballistic Products has load data for the 32 ga wads and hulls that they sell. I have the data at home but give Ballistics a call and see if they can fax or email you some. They are usually pretty good about those things. I had the same bad experience with the 28 ga roll crimper on the 32 ga hulls.

Skip,

A friend and I ordered 32 gauge guns from the Poli's when they attended the Southern SxS in 2003. We wanted something to shoot in the 32 gauge event at the Vintage Cup.
I wanted a 28" IC/Mod 32. Poli said they would have to use a 28 frame, hence the 28 ga barrels. I figured the old "in for a penny in for a pound" and asked about .410 barrels. I ended up with my 3 gauge set.
My buddy wanted a 24 ga/32 ga. His gun is also an Anson Extra but built on a 20 gauge frame. It weighs a good pound more than my gun. My 32 is 5 3/4 lb, his is 6 3/4. They are a totally different experience to shoot.
I use the 32 on pen raised quail. It is a blast.
When we were spec'ing the guns, I asked if we could have 2 3/4" 32 gauge chambers, wouldn't the Italian Proof House balk at an odd proof? The answer was no, they'd proof anything.
So to my knowledge there are only two, 70 mm proofed 32 gauge guns. I have the proof house letters for my gun. Both 32/70mm guns are here in Charlotte.
We haven't gotten around to getting brass made or fiddling with loads. The 32 is basically a 50 cal shotgun. A 2 3/4 32 hull with a 50 cal lead ball ought to be a blast at pumpkins or deer, but that's a future project. I just finished moving and things are in disarray.

Joe

Joe, the 32 I have is a very plain gun from an obscure Spanish maker. It also has 28" (or just under) barrels and weighs 5 lb, 12 oz. I believe it is choked mod/full but I would have to look to know for sure. I used it more than any other gun this year for snipe and found it to be very effective when working within realistic ranges. I'm shooting the same half ounce that I shoot in the four-ten but because of the larger diameter and shallower shot column of the 32 combined with a wad with plenty of cushion I believe from an efficiency standpoint its performance is closer to the 28 than the .410. At least in my case that is what I have found to be true. That might change if larger shot was required because the pattern from the tiny half ounce payload would get thin in a hurry. Fortunately, small shot and thin patterns are fine on a bird as fragile as a snipe. If there is another bird that is easier to kill I've never hunted it.

I have the BP data sheet and the data from their smallbore manual. If I can help you out with any of that or if you are interested in converting a MEC press let me know and I will be happy to help.

Skip

I had modern 32g sxs hammer gun and used brass shells for reloading and lead shot weight was 19 grammes. Perfect!
At the same time Spanish RIO 32g was 14 grammes only and far from perfect.

Geno,

Wow 19 gms in a 32. It sounds like a 3" .410 type of load.

I cannot remember where I read it, but it seems the standard load for the 32 was 9/16 oz (16 gm). The only thing we can get is Ficcohi's 1/2 oz (14 gm). It uses a brush wad.
I think with some tweaking with the wads, nitro card+felt, brush wads or Gullardi's Euro 32 with pedals from Ballistic, the 32 can be loaded for:
1/2 - 14 gm
9/16 - 16 gm
5/8 - 18 gm
11/16 - 19 gm
Since I have my roll crimper, I can adjust case height to load to avoid fillers.
I am going to order a variety of components and the small gauge book from Ballistic get cracking.

Joe

Yeap, Joe, it was magnum double, but chamber 2 3/4". It was made on 28g receiver, but weight was about 2500 gm, too much for the 32g rat gun. That's why I used it at full speed and according maker recomendations.
Once I shot down wood grouse (capercaillie) from it, shot #1.
Actually there is one story "Tchijoff's Cartriges" by Liverovsky, where young man shot brown bear from 32g single barreled gun, one clean slug shot at bear den. His father could not do it from 12g double barreled gun, cause he bought cartriges more 60 years ago in Tchijoff shop...

Note a 32 ga has a bore dia of .526". This has a capacity of about 65% more than a .410 bore for same length of shot column. Not considering shot cups a 19 gm load in a 32ga bore would have about the same column length as 11½ gm in a .410. As noted ½oz is about 14gm so even this 19gm load in a 32 has a better bore/load ratio than even the ½oz in a .410.
Burard in his load chart gave only the 2½" shell for 32ga. ½oz was listed as the standard load, For his "Low Velocity" loads, which he highly recommended in the smaller bores, he gave 5/8oz (18gm) for then available bulk smokeless powders but with Black Powder he recommended 3/4oz (21gm). This still has a slightly better bore ratio than a ½oz .410 load.
To be comparable with the 3" .410 one would need to load the 32 with 1 1/8oz of shot. (a 28ga would go to an 1¼oz here)
Ever wonder why the 3" .410 is such a "LOUSY" gun, herein lies the answer. A little 5lb 32 should be sweet indeed. If its going to weigh as much as 6 you may as well carry a 20 & load'er lite.