I have a Kel-Tek P32 that wieghs 6 ounces.
I worked up carry loads to 50,000 psi instead of the SAAMI 20,000 psi. I have experiemented with much higher loads, but that seems safe and managable recoil to me.

The 91/30 Moisin Nagant in 7.62x54R cartridge with a Alex inc adapter puts a 32acp cartridge in the neck of the rifle chamber.
I have found a 1/2 gr Bullseye load pushing a .36" lead ball with 2 layrers of poly shotguns over wad material sheered to .31" diameter, will give a reasoneable grouse killing load at 25 yards that makes about as much noise as a pellet gun.

I shoot a 71 gr. bullet over 2.5 gr. of 231. Very accurate and about as powerful as this little round is capable of.

32acp:
My P32 trigger string tests:
2.0 gr AA#5 71 gr FN FMJ Stock P32 2.5" .. Fails to extract
2.8 gr AA#5 71 gr FN FMJ Stock P32 2.5" .. cycles nicely
3.2 gr AA#5 71 gr FMJ "AA load book #2", 4",.955", 19.7kpsi, 703fps
6.8 gr AA#5 71 gr FMJ stock P32, .984" .. case bulge ~ 1400 fps
7.7 gr AA#5 71 gr FMJ P32 with welded up feed ramp, 5"..OK, ~1700 fps

Here is a picture of the two barrels, the one with the welded up feed ramp also has a length of extra barrel welded on the muzzle:
http://glocktalk.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=662131

I have altered the throat on the long barrel so that it can take a 1.175" cartridge on the first shot. With a 110 gr .308 bullet, I have got 5 1/2" of penetration in kiln dried Douglas Fir wood.
That was with 5.2 gr of Power Pistol.

Clark, if you're loading a 32 ACP up to 50,000psi, all I can say is I wish I were the beneficiary on your insurance policy. Have you given any thought to what all your "welding" has done to the strength and heat treating of your barrels?

I predict your 32's are not long for this world and you may not be either.

I think I will stick to my box stock Walther and 2.5 grains of 231. I plan on handing it down to my boy one day.

[ 06-21-2002, 07:59: Message edited by: Shark Bait ]

There are two kinds of handloaders:
1) Those that respect the restrictions given them in load books
2) Those that see the potential of actions and cartridges

Some of us were meant for regular performance and lower risk
Some of us were meant for higher performance had higher risk.

My handloads are higher risk than book loads, if you don't count stopping attackers.

Clark, I have to believe you are a fine fellow and mean well. But you kind of remind me of a kid climbing over the fence at an electrical sub-station. Warning signs everywhere: Danger High Voltage.

You're standing there telling yourself, "I bet they are kidding us. The voltage isn't THAT high."

All the rest of us are standing outside the fence screaming, "Don't touch the wires, Clark!"

Sure, there is a little fudge factor in every cartridge. The loading data is probably backed off a good 5% from absolute max. And in a FEW cartridges, it is backed off maybe 10% for some reasons I won't go into.

You, my friend, are suggesting some potentially disastrous proceedures. I have never blown up a gun. (Thank the Lord!) But I have seen some guns that were blown up and talked to the people who survived it. Most went to the hospital for the experience. ALL of them assure me it is something they don't want to go thru a second time. That's good enough explanation for me. I don't have to experience this to believe them. You, sir, are apparently harder to convince.

Well, we can't stop you from doing any of this, but when you are lying there on the ground wondering where all your fingers went and why the slide of your pistol is sticking out of your right shoulder, I hope you remember we tried to warn you.

The metalurgist and engineers who designed all this stuff knew what they were doing and what stresses these materials would take. You don't. But you seemed determined to find out. (The hard way.)

Finally, I seriously doubt your pressure assumptions. I don't think you are getting anywhere near the pressure you think you are. And this is why you are still around to tell us of your foolish adventures. At the very least, all you have accomplished us ruin a fairly good .32 auto pistol. I hope you'll stop while you are ahead.

[ 06-30-2002, 22:44: Message edited by: Pecos45 ]

I happen to know a few things about working with High Voltage and there IS a VALID analogy with my handloads.
I have designed allot of switching power supplies for the military over the past 25 years.
Everyone else wears a safety strap.
It is standard procedure in any electronics factory.
I do not wear one because I am working with high Voltages.
When I get shocked, I do not want allot of current going through my body.
So I just violate their procedure [I happen to know that most of the propaganda about electronic devices being destroyed by the static from the human body is BS]

I work the power up in these converters until they explode. I have produced major explosions at many client's factories. I then figure out the weak spot that failed and change the design to fix it, and then take the design to even higher power levels.

Likewise I have overloaded as far as it would go, to see what would happen, and in many cases changed something so it could go higher with; 25 acp, 32sw, 32 acp, 7.62x25, 380. 9x19mm, 9x23mm, 38 special, 357 Sig, 38s&w, 40sw, 10mm, 45acp, 45 Colt, 243, 7.62x54R, and 8x57mm.

I have never been hurt, but I HAVE destroyed allot of guns. Allot of guns also survived. I can afford to buy trunkfuls of old beater guns at gun shows and do whatever I want with them.

My handloads are more dangerous than book loads if you don't count stopping attackers.

Having tested allot of guns to the limit gives me the perspective to know what loads are safe for me to shoot. It gives me the knowledge that load books don't give.

If I can put two and a half times the max book load of powder in a 32 acp and shoot it many times, then when some yahoo tells me my Kel-Tec P32 can't take 50,000 psi, I know how to treat his fear and ignorance.