Pardini in .32 ACP info

Anyone here shoot a Pardini HP in .32 ACP? Looking for first-hand experiences as to reliability/finnicky-ness, accuracy, reloads, etc. please. 

Or I guess I could read up if anyone has a link to such a discussion on a different site or board ...

TIA,

M.

There should be lots of threads in the past on this site related to what you are looking for.

I feel like I see lots of frustration using this for CF. This is just my observations.   The .32 can be picky to get it to feed 100% of the time and with good 50 yd performance.  The upside is you might see some better CF scores BUT this might be costing your improvements in .45.

Bottom line if you do not care about how good your .45 scores are and you just want to have fun I would say go for it.

As my pal toz35 has said, using a 32 for CF can be challenging. I have both 32ACP and 32SWL versions of Pardini's.

The undisputed guru of loading and barrels is "fc60". No doubt a search for his tag on this forum will lead you to lots of threads.

I have struggled to make 32ACP really reliable and accurate at 50 yards and the only really accurate factory ammo I found was Fiocchi xtp60, but that is not currently available. To make 32ACP work well the loads have to be relatively hot, with a consequent quite snappy recoil impulse. The "standard" recipes adopted by many uses N310 powder. 1.8 under Hornady xtp60 and 1.6 or 1.7 under xtp85 bullets (Whoops! Bad memory, just checked notes and corrected). Lead bullets are challenging at 50 yards.

Keeping a red dot in place on the Pardini micro-groove is also challenging with a 32, especially ACP. The snappy recoil impulse makes the mounts creep forward. Annoying.

YMMV!

I shoot the Pardini HP in 32 ACP.   I use the T&B 62 grain bullet, or a 60 grain bullet I cast myself with an Accurate mold.   It has been 99% reliable with those bullets, but a couple magazine adjustments are necessary to achieve that reliability.   I don't shoot at 50 yards anymore but accurate loads with the 85 grain XTP are available.   The above bullets will hold X-Ring in sustained fire at 25 yards.

Maybe I'm lucky, but my red dot hasn't slipped a millimeter in a couple years of shooting.

Bruce Williams

I'd like to echo RoyDean about checking for FC60 posts.  I too recommend thoroughly researching those posts.  There are a lot of factors to consider and take into account.   I decided to go with the 32 SWL since my primary use is league shooting at 25 yds.  Some of the advantages of the 32 SWL are better availability of commercial ammo and lighter recoil.  So much so it is referred to as the fat 22.  I have heard / read that the 32 ACP can be better at the long line and have been tempted to get a conversion kit to explore that cartridge as well.

Dave (FC60) was very helpful to me in developing reloads for the 32 SWL.  I had been reloading 45 and 38 for nearly 10 years but found the 32 to be a horse of a different color in terms of reloading challenges.  So, reloading for the cartridge (as well as the 32 ACP probably) should be considered a project that can be fun and rewarding if you have the time and patience for it.  Custom dies, attention to small powder charge variation, and bullet OD seem to be the main issues and those can vary depending on the individual gun and brass type.  Without the advice of Dave i would not have even known to look out for these important details and would probably still be trying to figure it out.

Overall I am glad I went with a 32 since I found the whole experience to be very interesting and the pistol is truly a pleasure to shoot.  i don't regret it but it's important to understand that shooting the 32 isn't a plug and play process like it is for 45 or 38 which are more forgiving. 

As far as the rings sliding on the Pardini I ordered mine as the set containing the optic and i asked them to mount it for me.  So far after a year of use they haven't moved yet.  Perhaps the rings they use are selected to consider that small slot.  I'll also say the 32 SWL has been very reliable lately but I've had to load it down (1.3 gr BE) since hotter loads seem to cause cycling problems - something to do with the bolt speed at recoil.

Regarding red dot "creep". Yes, it varies from gun to gun. I have progressed through various Ultradots on rings, to Aimpoint H1 on Kodiak mount, currently using Aimpoint 9000sc on rings. Initially I swore by Warne Maxima steel low profile rings, you can really crank on those screws, but they still crept a little. I figured out a way to restrain the Kodiak and it stayed put. Currently I am using Monstrum wide 30mm low profile Aluminum rings, I've added a pointed grub screw in the lower half of the rear ring which locates a "divot" drilled into the top of the Pardini frame - it works OK.

The Pardini OEM rings have been been modified so that the bottom of the lower ring has a sharp "bite" for the micro groove. It is easy to replicate. Assemble the rings, piece of abrasive paper on a flat surface, rub away till you see a uniform sharp edge along the "bite".

Thanks, all. 

I am very aware of the 32 SWL's issues at 50y. I am not interested in tackling the issues of that.

I have several .32 ACPs and reload for them, with many different bullets. Hence my interest in shooting it in BE, ever since Pardini announced their gun.

I handle scope creep with a single roll pin in a vertical hole in the rail. 

I searched for "32 ACP" and ".32 ACP" and didn't find many posts. i will search for fc60's posts.

Thanks again, all.