Upgrading .32 S&W Benelli for the long line!

For those who shoot .32 S&W on the long line you know much depends on the lot of bullets purchased, and even more on the barrel.  I just got my new barrel from Dave Wilson and it is shooting lights out.  Shooting factory Fiocchi bullets through the same hole at 50 ft. I cannot wait to try it out on the 50 yard line.  Plus he's one heck of a nice guy, very tolerant of .32 related questions, and the barrels are 100% perfect replacements.  Ultra precise, exact and perfect.

Shooting factory Fiocchi bullets through the same hole at 50 ft.

How big was the hole?

I found that the Benelli with Wilson Barrel and Fiochhi ammunition performed well at 50 yards. I have not Ransom Rested the gun with Fiochhi. But in the couple of matches I used it, I found my 32 scores exceeding my 22 and 45 scores. But my notes show that my 32 scores at 50 in the 2017 NC State Championship averaged 89. That was on a day when my 22 scores averaged 86 and my 45 longline average 84. At the short line it performed better than my 22 or my 45. I was a Marksman at the time. 

Dave offered some excellent advice on both reloading the 32 and the Speer Plinkers. They do perform very well in my tests. Others provided me with cast bullets which work well at 25 too.  The cast bullets are a little labor intensive because before loading I wash them in gasoline, dry them, and then relube with  White Lightning Xlox. I still plan to try them at the long line at some point using this process. But with the Xlox there is no appreciable leading in the gun. 

It is tricky to load for and currently all of my loading for the 32 (with Fiochhi and Lapua Brass is single stage). I have the conversion kit for the 550, but I have not experimented with it yet. I am using lyman dies and a lyman 55 powder measure. Current load is 1.7 of BE.

Dave’s barrels are excellent, his advice better. 

In my GSP, with his .308 barrel, I have had very good long line results with the standard Speer Plinker bullets as well ( plus they cost the same as cast bullets). I don’t foresee ever using another commercially cast 32long bullet again.

Is the barrel on a Benelli MP90/95 in .32 wadcutter a "drop in" or does it require pistolsmith fitting or machining?

I got it back in myself by heating the shroud in the oven to 175 and freezing the barrel overnight in the freezer with a thin coat of compressor oil on it. Was able to push in with my hands and align by inserting the grub screws. It went right into place. Without the heat and cold the barrel would not insert.

gregbenner wrote:Dave (Wilson)'s barrels are excellent, his advice better. 

+1

I don't think that there is anyone on the planet who knows more about making a .32 shoot well at 50 yards, and who is more willing to share his knowledge widely and freely, than Dave Wilson.

It's a true "open source" model - Dave will willingly share all of his "secrets" with anyone who is willing to listen, for the benefit of all shooters.

Thanks, Dave!

I can attest to this. I recently decided to plunge into .32 S&W shooting after long consideration and Dave has nicely answered the many emails mostly regarding reloading. The funny part is I have yet to shoot a shot of 32 S&W, Jon Eulette is adding rails to my GSP uppers and I'm trying to piece together the last of the reloading puzzle.