$4000 hand made Broomhandle

sheepherder · 07-30-2009, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alvin

The description of the 9x19 mentioned the upper is clean and excellent. But the connection area between receiver and barrel is abnormal (red), and there is a thin circular line around the barrel (blue).

I had noticed the line; it is not at a point that I use to rebarrel. That line bisects the chamber; I was always taught not to make my join in the chamber, but ahead of it. I also don't agree with the way the barrel/extension transition is done; OEM Mauser is concave, that transitional section is convex...It looks funny...

Phil -

I pulled out a brand-new box of 32ACP made by Magtech, 71 gr FMJ, the exposed section of the bullet next to the case (biggest dia I can measure) is .307". Headstamp is "CBC 32 AUTO", and the box says "Made In Brazil". Bullet looks more like a copper-washed lead bullet rather than a real jacketed lead bullet. Haven't fired any yet, so I can't say if it falls out or not...

BTW: 50 rds of Magtech was $16.95...

PhilOhio · 07-30-2009, 07:28 PM

Postino,

Wow! These .32 ACP commercial bullet diameters may be all over the board. I never paid any attention to actually measuring one until today, shooting nothing but my own cast bullets and having accepted the .308" to .309" lead bullet sizing recommendations from Lyman.

A .307" jacketed bullet should work O.K. in most bores, I imagine, but it would not be a tight fit and would not be especially accurate. Of course, most of these pistols are not known for accuracy anyway, and few users would ever be aware of the diameter or wonder why the gun was not a tack driver.

But these .305" Remington bullets just have me shaking my head...wondering...

And you got an amazing price on that Magtech ammo. It's good stuff. Colt uses it to accuracy test their SAAs after tuning; did so with one of mine.

Anybody else have some commercial .32ACP bullets to measure? If you use a vernier caliper, right in front of the case mouth on a loaded round, you should have true bullet diameter to measure.

I would be curious to see if any of them come close to the high numbers Midway mentions.

alvin · 07-30-2009, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by postino

I was always taught not to make my join in the chamber, but ahead of it.

Did the mentor explain why? Astra 900 series had barrel installed at this location.

sheepherder · 07-31-2009, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alvin

Did the mentor explain why? Astra 900 series had barrel installed at this location.

The Astra chamber was split???

It was quite a while back...IIRC, it had to do with different expansion rates of dissimilar alloys...I suppose, if your headspace is only .004", it wouldn't take much to throw it off...

Thinking about this particular barrel, we don't know which end was threaded internally and which was threaded externally...or if it was even threaded (might have been just a brazed/silver soldered joint)...

Or the chamber may not be bisected...it may have a long threaded/brazed stub...

...If it is indeed a new barrel...

I've seen auctions that stated the C96 barrel had been relined...I have a section of 9mm liner material downstairs, and although it is pretty thin itself, there wouldn't be much "meat" left in the barrel after boring it to take the liner...I'm leery of brazing/silver soldering a liner in...

Do you have a pic of that Astra barrel, how it has the split chamber??? I'm looking at the cutaway of the Astra 600 in the NRA Firearms Assembly book, and it looks similar to a Colt 1911 barrel...I don't see what you mean...

PhilOhio · 07-31-2009, 11:06 AM

Postino,

When I belatedly looked again at the clip (above) which you posted from the Midway ad, I see what happened. It says "32 caliber", not .32 ACP. Whoever drafted it picked up the correct numbers for lead bullets in .32-20, aka .32 WCF, and assumed all .32s are the same, which they are not. Their numbers would also be about correct for .32 S&W or .32 S&W Long. Then the obsolete .32-40 would be much larger, a true .32. There have been a bunch of .32s over the years, and the defunct Short and Long rimfires were true .32s, with heeled bullets, like .22 Long Rifle. But .32 ACP is most assuredly a .30 caliber, as is .30 Luger/7.65mm Parabellum.

I load and make bullets for all of these except .32-40.

alvin · 07-31-2009, 07:44 PM

Phil -- Could you help to id an ammo box, is this pre WWII, or post WWII? Thanks.

http://www.gunbroker.com/auction/Vie...Item=134589605

====

Postie -- I don't collect Astra (at this moment). So.... no idea. Sorry.

PhilOhio · 08-01-2009, 11:40 AM

Alvin,

That's a bit out of my area of knowledge. At maximum zoom, I still could not clearly read the head markings on a single round. And I know nothing about how F.N. marked their boxes during different eras. I could not honestly offer even a good guess, other than it looks old.

It's unusual that the seller gives absolutely no description of what he is selling, but says that the "winner" of this auction can buy up to three boxes. So I doubt that they are particularly rare, imagine he has a good supply, and regard this as one of those deals which is probably not a bona fide auction at all; good way to move some older surplus ammo. An open box of it might look good in a photo of an old pistol.

If it were rare, I think the seller would describe it and provide in-focus pictures which would allow the buyer to clearly understand what he is "bidding" on. Some people will go for anything on the net.

I'm sure somebody here can give you a better answer.

Watch out for dark and/or out-of-focus pictures of anything offered on the Internet.

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07-30-2009, 07:28 PM	#2
PhilOhio User Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 145 Thanks: 5 Thanked 17 Times in 14 Posts	Postino, Wow! These .32 ACP commercial bullet diameters may be all over the board. I never paid any attention to actually measuring one until today, shooting nothing but my own cast bullets and having accepted the .308" to .309" lead bullet sizing recommendations from Lyman. A .307" jacketed bullet should work O.K. in most bores, I imagine, but it would not be a tight fit and would not be especially accurate. Of course, most of these pistols are not known for accuracy anyway, and few users would ever be aware of the diameter or wonder why the gun was not a tack driver. But these .305" Remington bullets just have me shaking my head...wondering... And you got an amazing price on that Magtech ammo. It's good stuff. Colt uses it to accuracy test their SAAs after tuning; did so with one of mine. Anybody else have some commercial .32ACP bullets to measure? If you use a vernier caliper, right in front of the case mouth on a loaded round, you should have true bullet diameter to measure. I would be curious to see if any of them come close to the high numbers Midway mentions.

07-31-2009, 11:06 AM	#5
PhilOhio User Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 145 Thanks: 5 Thanked 17 Times in 14 Posts	Postino, When I belatedly looked again at the clip (above) which you posted from the Midway ad, I see what happened. It says "32 caliber", not .32 ACP. Whoever drafted it picked up the correct numbers for lead bullets in .32-20, aka .32 WCF, and assumed all .32s are the same, which they are not. Their numbers would also be about correct for .32 S&W or .32 S&W Long. Then the obsolete .32-40 would be much larger, a true .32. There have been a bunch of .32s over the years, and the defunct Short and Long rimfires were true .32s, with heeled bullets, like .22 Long Rifle. But .32 ACP is most assuredly a .30 caliber, as is .30 Luger/7.65mm Parabellum. I load and make bullets for all of these except .32-40.

07-31-2009, 07:44 PM	#6
alvin User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: US Posts: 3,843 Thanks: 132 Thanked 729 Times in 438 Posts	Phil -- Could you help to id an ammo box, is this pre WWII, or post WWII? Thanks. http://www.gunbroker.com/auction/Vie...Item=134589605 ==== Postie -- I don't collect Astra (at this moment). So.... no idea. Sorry.

08-01-2009, 11:40 AM	#7
PhilOhio User Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 145 Thanks: 5 Thanked 17 Times in 14 Posts	Alvin, That's a bit out of my area of knowledge. At maximum zoom, I still could not clearly read the head markings on a single round. And I know nothing about how F.N. marked their boxes during different eras. I could not honestly offer even a good guess, other than it looks old. It's unusual that the seller gives absolutely no description of what he is selling, but says that the "winner" of this auction can buy up to three boxes. So I doubt that they are particularly rare, imagine he has a good supply, and regard this as one of those deals which is probably not a bona fide auction at all; good way to move some older surplus ammo. An open box of it might look good in a photo of an old pistol. If it were rare, I think the seller would describe it and provide in-focus pictures which would allow the buyer to clearly understand what he is "bidding" on. Some people will go for anything on the net. I'm sure somebody here can give you a better answer. Watch out for dark and/or out-of-focus pictures of anything offered on the Internet.