Making .32 Long Colt from .32 S&W Long
Previously in this thread you may recall some comments about dies that Dusty Texian (DT) was making for me. I didn’t really say what we were doing, so now it’s time to explain. After lamenting the fact that I didn’t have a way to size my fired .32 LC brass, DT offered to make me a sizing die. His generous offer was quickly accepted. After careful measuring it was determined that a case mouth diameter of .316” was best for my chamber. While this was going on, we discussed the swaged down .32 S&W to .32 LC brass offered by Jack Harrison. The next thing I know, DT says he’s also making a die to swage down the .32 S&W Long brass – very cool! So yesterday I get a package from DT containing two of the most beautiful dies I’ve ever seen. One marked .322” and the other .316”. They are used in a two step process to size the .32 S&W brass down to .32LC.
![](http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y493/ndnchf/BPCR/32swformedDustydies_zps4fbc5609.jpg)
On the right is a new Starline case that has been run through the .322” die next to a standard .32 S&W. There is a distinct point at the bottom were the shell holder prevented the case from entering any further.
![](http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y493/ndnchf/BPCR/32swformed-1_zps9eafce18.jpg)
So I took the die and case, and set it in an arbor press and pressed the case in all the way up to the rim.
![](http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y493/ndnchf/BPCR/32swformedarborpress_zps220946d8.jpg)
Now it is sized all the way to the rim. I repeated the sizing process using the .316” die. But there is a small roll of displaced brass in front of the rim. Also, the solid case head area in front of the rim has sprung back a little. The case will almost chamber in my rifle, but not quite.
![](http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y493/ndnchf/BPCR/32swformed-2_zpsca833be0.jpg)
So I put the case in a chuck and spin it, and use a needle file to remove the displaced brass and reduce the head diameter to about .319”. Then polish the head area with some 400 grit. Now the case fits the chamber perfectly! DT’s dies worked great, just as he designed them to do.
But then I ran into a problem with the seated Lyman 299153 bullet. The original .32LC case wall thickness at the mouth is .008”. The new Starline .32S&W wall thickness is .012”. So when I seated the .299” bullet heel into the case, the mouth expanded to the point where the round will not chamber. It is .008” larger in diameter at the mouth than the same bullet loaded in an original .32LC case. Hmmm, now what to do? I have a set of small adjustable reamers, so I selected one and adjusted it to ream to .299”. I didn’t have a good way to hold the case and reamer in alignment, I just did it by hand, so the reaming is a little sloppy. But after this, I resized the case and the bullet seated easily and the round chambered in my rifle. Hand reaming is not the solution, but it worked to make a sample. The way to proceed is to order a custom ground inside neck reamer from Forster and use my Forster trimmer to ream. This holds everything firmly in alignment and works very well.
![](http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y493/ndnchf/BPCR/32swformed-4_zps0add3da7.jpg)
A big thank you to Dusty Texian for making these beautiful dies. Once I get the neck reamer, I’ll be able to make plenty of new brass and resize it after firing.