Load development and shooting the 32 French Long cartridge Part 2 

That's some fairly significant gain there. Time well spent. Thanks for making practical contributions to the knowledge base of the shooting community.

My 1935S M1 pistol has an outstanding trigger, steinel custom ammo seems to cycle outstandingly in this handgun even with a heavier than standard bullet weight, 110 gr 1039 FPS for 250 FP

When I was stationed in Africa 09-11. Some Djibouti police still carried these

Hello Mike. I bought this pistol at a gun show some years before. The great news is that I also got the original French factory load ammo with it. I still have some and use this for C.C. and my wife's personal self defence. If you are interested in getting an original round to examine, it might help in your reloading work. I am looking for someone who can make me some new loads for my shooting pleasure. Looking forward to hearing from you, Cameron

Nice job Mike

Bravo Mike et merci pour cet essai de pistolet français qui a été utilisé depuis la 2° guerre jusque vers les années 1970 !

Nice work.

Thanks for this! I've been developing a 7.8 x 19 wildcat that is very similar to 7.65 MAS in performance. I've been testing with Unique and was about to try Power Pistol, so you've given me a great place to start!

Hooray! My answer has been prayered! But really, thank you mike for this data it's really helpful.

FYI: The .30 cal Pedersen will interchange. Old gun magazines from '50's & '60s showed quantities of this round regularly available. With nothing realized at time to shoot the Pedersen round and lots of 7.65 French available (called .32 Long "magnum" by one surplus vendor) the dealers with the Pedersen round likely couldn't easily sell it and some of stuff still likely lying around. (Remember only about 20, of the original 40,000 Pedersen Devices still exist.) I've seen some boxes of .30 Pedersen at recent large gun shows, I think they were 40 round boxes, and they didn't seem ridiculously high. Remember, though corrosive, they are boxer primed. Not suggesting using these round, just an observation. Anyway, would love to take Doc Brown's DeLorean for a ride to say, a 1965 surplus store.(Wouldn't we all?)

Nice job !

i believe based on my reloading experience the blue dot fills the cases that removes most of the airspace making the cartridge less case position sensitive and i believe 5.0gns will even make it more efficient. excellent job mike.

Great video. Now I have to duplicate that test with my current powder. I have no idea what kind of groups I could shoot from a rest. Of course I don't seem to be able to find a good variety of powder. I mostly take what I can get. Thanks for sharing.

I Remember seeing ad in the ShotGun News in the late 70's a Dealer was Selling that French 1935 Model Along with the other 1935 Model Converted to 32 ACP.

Thanks for the video.

For a truly heavy trigger pull try an Astra 600. It has a short take up, little to no over travel but requires an incredible level of force to make it go bang. I don't have a trigger scale to accurately measure the weight of pull but in over forty years experience and god only knows how many pistols it is the heaviest I have ever encountered. Nice to see a you taking that classic French pistol off the wall and make it into a shooter. I would not choose for defense but for an odd ball range gun it looks like fun. Actually that is why I have the Astra, just appeals to me.

I developed a nice extremely light recoil plinking load for my wife's 32 magnum using 32 S&W short and a 71 gr. bullet designed for the 32 ACP. It's accurate and hits less than 2" above her 100 gr. XTP 32 mag loads she carries. She's pretty recoil sensitive so these loads she can shoot all day. The only problem was getting a small enough charge with my Dillon 550 lol. I had to order the extra small powder bar.

Nice video. I would like to see more "odd ball" load development vids. Maybe some with you forming your own brass from a different parent case.

Interesting! Thanks for sharing.

i have a hint of regret for passing up on one of those for $150 i reload and cast for 32long so i could use the same bullets but is is better not having to chase far flung brass

Can you please do a video of you reloading the ammunition, I just picked one up and I'm scared that I'll mess up reloading the casings

Hi Mike, interesting result. Unique is notoriously position sensitive in the case. Any powder that fills the case more than Unique should produce more accurate results. It would have been interesting if you had posted your standard deviation so we could confirm my conjecture. I love your videos, always very informative! Regards, Richard

Lately I have had to get a bit creative with powders and have done a fair amount of loads based on the same method of ratios. It works, but I always flinch a bit on the first shot ;)

Mike, with Starline making brass for this now in 2019, is there any chance you'll make more videos of reloading and shooting .32 French Long in the future?

There is a book gunsmithing tricks of the trade that expains how to make a chamber insert to fire 32acp in this pistol. I believe the author used a steel 30 carbine casing.

Nice video Mike and the procedure I use as well. However, I usually get good results from Unique in revolvers, though more modern powders like Power Pistol ad W231 burn cleaner and give better accuracy in semi-autos (IMHO). Thanks for sharing.

Thanks

Another great video Mike. Did your new range allow you some personal range time or was it just deserted when you shot the video? I hope they are taking care of you and realize what an asset they have with you shooting there.

Neat. 90 grains at 1000-1100 fps certainly leaves the .32 ACP and most older .32 revolver loads in the dust as far as energy levels are concerned, and is nipping on the heels of the .380 ACP (with probable advantages in penetration with similar-weight bullets). How does it compare with the .32 H&R? (The .327 Federal would be an unfair comparison and the .32-20 seems to me to be in a different class.) The pistol actually looks like it's capable of some pretty good intrinsic accuracy - almost worth getting a trigger job done. Whether or not a .32 calibre round in a full sized combat pistol makes sense is of course a whole different argument. (The same could be said of the .30 Mauser, but at least that's moving 300fps or so faster - still, what you have here isn't at all bad from a straight-walled case.)

larger charge but lower fps strange that mike but the lower fps would make for better accuracy over a shorter distance it seem to cycle ok with all the charges

So higher load density, with lower velocity seemed to shoot best in your French pistol.

Where do you find decent ammo for these handguns?

My French 1935A has a trigger pull of 7.15 lbs.

Not that I wish to spend your money, but CH4D makes dies for this caliber. I haven't used them yet but online reviews seem to be positive and from what I know, they've been around for a while. I plan to pick up a set along with a set for 7.62x45. A 3-die set runs around $100.

the groove on your 1935a measured .309 as stated in your last video. mine measures .3115 and im curious which one is the true bullet diameter.

That is a nice pistol I can have one on the mainland UK not to shoot but it would look good on the wall Do u have have a pinfire pistol and can u do the same if u have time I'm interested in the old pinfire gun and not a lot of people doing vids on them cheeeers

Wish I could find unique or power pistol...

Trigger pull that's that heavy good god, no wonder the French relies on other countries to save their bacon. Great video

also did you ever try any loads higher then 4.8 with bluedot?

i'm pretty sure battleship guns have lighter triggers than that.

Whoooooaa, u spek spanis