32 acp ammo?

[COG]

Recently, I decided to do a little range training with my 32 Seecamp and Beretta Tomcat. When I checked my 32 acp ammo supply I realized that I was down to a couple hundred rounds of 60 and 65 grain good stuff that my Seecamp likes.

Well, I went on a search for 32 acp and no quality "Seecamp" verified ammo to be found. I called a friend that manages a fairly large LGS and asked him to find me some ammo. A couple hours later and he calls back with bad news. Except for some 71 grain ball ammo, nothing available anywhere. He called a contact at Federal and the 65 grain Federal 32 acp is not currently scheduled to be produced and didn't know when or if ever.

Anyways, for all of us 32 Seecamp owners be on the lookout and hopefully you'll have better luck. I finally did find some Aguila 71 grain locally, but that stuff will only work in my Tomcat. My Seecamp seems to choke on anything other than the 60 or 65 grain stuff, but the Tomcat actually prefers the heavier rounds.

Prior to all of this ammo shortage crap, I stocked up on all of my other calibers, but somehow forgot about ammo for my small backup 32's. Maybe the rest of you folks were more attentive and smarter than me.

[Papa]

Read somewhere that the PMC Bronze 60 gr JHPs work in Seecamps. Sometimes available when the US stuff is not.

[COG]

Actually, that's what I have in largest quantity on hand; lesser amount of Fed 65 grain hp. Both work well in the Seecamp, but the PMC tends to jam in my Tomcat. I have been scouring the web and no PMC anywhere. I'm on an email list with a number of ammo suppliers and hopefully some will start dribbling in.

I don't carry the Seecamp a lot, but there are situations where nothing else will do. It's a hell'ava little weapon and with the correct ammo goes bang every time. Can't say that for my Tomcat...

[MesserMan]

Buffalo Bore still has their 75 grain hardcast load in stock. I picked some up a while ago, and it functions flawlessly in my Seecamp. Its hot stuff, and will maximize penetration, which is what you want in the .32 ACP. In that caliber, I’m willing to sacrifice expansion to ensure the bullet will reliably reach the vitals. It’s a flat-nose bullet with the same OAL and profile of most JHP rounds, so it will fit in the Seecamp mag just fine.

[COG]

Thanks for the heads up on Buffalo Bore! Hadn't considered them, but knowing now that their 32acp will work in the Seecamp I'll jump on their site and place an order.

Again, I really appreciate the input.

[barnetmill]

Very early on in this current Rona-Democrat ammo mess I purchased reloading components for .25, 32, and 380 ACP if for some reason I would not find any loaded ammo.
With the political scene that is descending on the country not sure when .32 ACP HP is back on the market. I prefer FMJ myself, but plenty like the hollow point.

You do still seem to have sufficient combat ammo for the gun and I would save those rounds.
32 FMJ is too long to work in your gun in most cases. It needs shorter (OAL) ammo.

I was down to a couple hundred rounds of 60 and 65 grain good stuff that my Seecamp likes

I suspect regular fmj ammo if it is shortened to the same over all length as what you normally shoot in that gun that the gun will function with it.

Regular fmj with shortening the longer OAL might be made to work for paper punching allowing you to save you street ammo. Essentially shorten the length of FMJ to to about 0.919 inches.
Probably can push the bullet back to the shorter length with a straight walled pistol seating die in .32 caliber that is properly adjusted. Shoving the bullet back will raise the pressure and velocity of the .32 and one can via experiences find out if this will work. It depends on the ogive of the FMJ bullet

FMJ vs HP OAL
This data suggests that FMJ rounds with an OAL of 0.919 inches will fit your magazine.

FMJ does not work
S&B FMJ .974/.978
PPU .975/.977
Fiocchi FMJ .965
PMC Bronze FMJ .956
Remington FMJ .955

Rounds of this length should work
PMC Bronze JHP .919
Win Silver Tip JHP .910
Speer Gold Dot JHP .901

[jmoore]

Buffalo Bore still has their 75 grain hardcast load in stock. I picked some up a while ago, and it functions flawlessly in my Seecamp. Its hot stuff, and will maximize penetration, which is what you want in the .32 ACP. In that caliber, I’m willing to sacrifice expansion to ensure the bullet will reliably reach the vitals. It’s a flat-nose bullet with the same OAL and profile of most JHP rounds, so it will fit in the Seecamp mag just fine.

Yes - Thanks for the update on BB, I just ordered several boxes. Really looking forward to trying the hardcast 75s!!!!
They also had lead-free 60gr jhp, so got a few boxes of that as well:)

geezerjohn

[Jon Payne]

Larry Seecamp himself stated shooting solid FMJ in a LWS32 wasn’t a good idea. That solid rounds, even if they fit in the magazine, would raise pressures in the pistol. I’m no gunsmith nor engineer, but if the designer leaves me a note not to do it...


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[Yondering]

Larry Seecamp himself stated shooting solid FMJ in a LWS32 wasn’t a good idea. That solid rounds, even if they fit in the magazine, would raise pressures in the pistol. I’m no gunsmith nor engineer, but if the designer leaves me a note not to do it...


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I don't know what ammo Larry Seecamp might be talking about and don't know the man himself, but this sounds like another example to me of how just because someone owns/runs a gun manufacturing company, does not mean they know what they're talking about with ammo or other subjects.
Maybe he found some particular type of FMJ that runs at higher pressure, or maybe he's talking about someone's handloads being seated shorter without adjusting the powder charge. Generally though, FMJ is not solid, and has the same or very similar jacket thickness and material and resulting starting resistance in the barrel as common hollow points. Short explanation for that is FMJ commercial ammo is loaded to the same pressure specs as hollow points, and if it fits in the magazine without modifying the ammo, there's no reason to expect pressure to be higher.

Gabe has mentioned how business in the gun industry is full of snakes and frauds; I'm not a businessman but I am an engineer and a gunsmith, and see evidence of the same phenomenon on the technical side in the amount of garbage information put out by a lot of supposedly knowledgeable and trustworthy gun people. I don't know if that's the case here, maybe something has gotten lost in translation, but it makes me wonder.

[Delta-3]

I would agree with Yondering's post above.
Jumping back to the +p's for a minute. I would be very cautious to use Buffalo Bore or any hot round in the Beretta Tomcat as well. I believe Beretta warns against +p in it.
The Tomcat is a sound reliable design BUT it is delicate. Delicate in the sense that too much hot ammo & it will crack the slide or worse. Beretta did beef up the slides but they are not all day shooters. Run a box through it once in awhile for function & familiarity & put it back to it's BUG purpose.