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Unburned powder, .32 S&W Short

Working up a load for my old lemon squeezer using new Starline brass, ACME 78gn LRN & Unique. I started @ (1.0 grains) to avoid stressing the old gun. These performed weaker than I desired and I noticed unburned powder on the bench top below where the gun was held when firing. I moved up to 1.25 grains of Unique and got performance I am happy with. I did not notice any significant unburned powder with the 1.25 grain charge. With this combination, and a short 3" barrel, should I be concerned about unburned powder in any amount or is it not uncommon to have some unburned powder?
 
Working up a load for my old lemon squeezer using new Starline brass, ACME 78gn LRN & Unique. I started @ (1.0 grains) to avoid stressing the old gun. These performed weaker than I desired and I noticed unburned powder on the bench top below where the gun was held when firing. I moved up to 1.25 grains of Unique and got performance I am happy with. I did not notice any significant unburned powder with the 1.25 grain charge. With this combination, and a short 3" barrel, should I be concerned about unburned powder in any amount or is it not uncommon to have some unburned powder?
The lower charge weight load may not have developed enough pressure to do a complete burn.
 
+2 pressure.

Also, firm crimp alone can often fix pressure and help burn all the powder without upping charge.
 
I appreciate the advice. In this specific instance, I'm confident in the crimp. I suspect the condition was due to insufficient pressure as suggested. My thinking bolstered by not observing unburned powder when adding additional 0.25 grains & making no changes in the die settings.
 
I wouldn't be concerned with the unburned powder. Kind of to be expected with your light bullet and Unique.

I'm running my little "squeezer" with 1.2 gr of Bullseye or HP-38. (85 gr. Cast) And yeah, I get some unburned powder.

These little pea-shooters are a lot of fun. Keep an eye on your hinge screw, and general tightness, and if it's in good shape now, it will be fine. jd

Lemon Squeezer E-Mail copy.jpg
 
jds, The 78 grain ACME was all I could find at the time I set out on this endeavor. Seems everyone has been buying up inventory to shoot viruses. Would I be better off with a heavier grain bullet after like the 85 grain you're using? I could switch after I exhaust my 78 grain inventory. Wouldn't a heaver grain bullet increase the pressure over my 78 grain? I thought about TB but, seating the ACME to the cannelure seemed uncomfortably close to compressing 1.2 - 1.25 grains of TB in this short little case. I had Unique on hand and read that others had used it with success for these light lemon squeezer loads. All that said, I'm new to reloading so, welcome any advice that helps me keep this load, for this gun, safe & fun.
 
I have some reservation about using a jacketed bullet in my old gun. Based on the age, the barrel would be designed for a lead cast bullet. I'm not concerned with leading the barrel based on the length of the barrel, light load and light bullet. If you are having good luck with the jacketed bullet stay with it.
 
Odyssey, I also suggest sticking with cast bullet only with these little pistols. I don't think there is anything wrong with your lighter 78 grainers. And my old Ideal Handbook, #38, indeed shows Unique at 2.0 grains. Bullseye at 1.4. And those charges are listed with a 87 gr. cast bullet.

My goal with my top-break peashooters is light loads, low pressure, and 25 yard gong ringers. My guns are in perfect mechanical condition, and I'd like to keep them that way. Those wimpy little loads are surprisingly accurate, and "feel" safe and mild. Truth be told, we're sposed to be using black powder in these guns, but I'm just not gonna.

Most of these pistols were shot well into the smokeless era, and my theory is that a lot of the loose and rickety ones were simply shot with loose hinge and top latch screws. Also the Smiths are much better quality than almost any of the other brands to be found. jd
 
Would these be useful?

View attachment 1195330
GotRDid.
Those might work pretty good. They look more like a conical that might be designed for maybe 32 ACP.

Here's data from my old 1951 Ideal book.
IMG_4324.jpeg

I love having one of these little pistols along on a shooting trip with folks who have never seen them. They are always surprised at how well they shoot.

I've got this old girl with it's five inch barrel, and in 38 S&W. Nickel finish is kind of rough, but mechanically it is great, and shoots very well. jd

38 peashooter web copy.jpg
 
This bullet was designed for the .32 S&W Long, but should work in the Short.
They are a scaled down version of the 158 gr .357 SWC bullet used in the .38 Spl. They are damned accurate as well.
Do you have any TiteGroup or AA#2 perhaps?
GotRDid.
 

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