.32 ACP Pardini reliability

I'm using 1.6gr of N310 and the T&B 64gr coated SWC. The gun is well maintained, good orings. I get alibis every match with the case getting caught horizontally in the ejection port by the bolt. I've shortened the spring a few turns and it's better but still unreliable. Pardini USA said to use new brass. I'm looking for any other suggestions or confirmation that brass condition is a contributing factor. Thanks!

What brass are you currently using? Approx how many rounds do you have through it? Did they say what they think is wrong with your current brass? I use Starline. Some of my cases have been used over 10 times each.

What is your loading process? Did you check the target talk forum?they have a 50 page conversation about loading for the 32. 

I'm no high master, but I shot an 847 with my HP and my reloads this weekend without a single alibi. The only time I alibi with the HP is when I forget to snug the screw that holds the trigger in place. Sometimes the trigger will slide back and not allow it to reset. But as long as I snug it every few hundred rounds, it's great. Love that gun.

I never got Travis’s Bullets to work or shoot well! 

Do your self a favor and shoot what is proven over and over again 

Hornady XTP 85 grain 
1.6 grains of N310
Starline brass not new 


There will be people who say I get great groups with this or that 
Bring them on down to SWF and find out that might not be the truth

I have near 100% reliability with the T&B coated bullets.   The only time I have a problem is if I load the magazine wrong and get rim lock.   1.25 grains of TiteWad, Starline Brass which has not been oversized.  I have made some adjustments to the magazines based on recommendations from another shooter.   Still using the original springs.

rbwillnj wrote:I have near 100% reliability with the T&B coated bullets.   The only time I have a problem is if I load the magazine wrong and get rim lock.   1.25 grains of TiteWad, Starline Brass which has not been oversized.  I have made some adjustments to the magazines based on recommendations from another shooter.   Still using the original springs.

What magazine adjustments? I'm thinking maybe thats the issue

Have you checked the bolt buffer o-rings? I had a similar issue with my SP and that was the fix. I use the same T&B bullets and have only experience a few failures over more than 3000 rounds, Maybe 3. Other shooters in our league use the bullets and are happy with the reliability
Hope this helps

orpheoet wrote:

rbwillnj wrote:I have near 100% reliability with the T&B coated bullets.   The only time I have a problem is if I load the magazine wrong and get rim lock.   1.25 grains of TiteWad, Starline Brass which has not been oversized.  I have made some adjustments to the magazines based on recommendations from another shooter.   Still using the original springs.

What magazine adjustments? I'm thinking maybe thats the issue

Curious too. I have six mags. Never changed anything on them and don't have any issues with the T&b load?

I have to take a few pictures then I'll show what I did.

I use T&B bullets on the short line only, where they perform ok. The long line is, as James said, 85gr XTP over 1.6gr of N310. Last week I shot 97-4x slow fire, and my three 9's were perfectly on call, I knew it was me and not the ammo.
Alex from Pardini recommended that I replace the original springs in the magazines with the ones from .22 magazines, which I did, and it did improve feeding a lot, although every once in a while I do get FTFs, but this is because I use a custom barrel and my long line load is just a tad too long. No big deal though, I can just remove the magazine, eject the round, reload it and start over. Don't have this problem with my short line load so it's all good.
If only I could find 85gr bullets anywhere. Wondering if Hornady will agree to produce a batch if we get a group and order a lot, say, 10000 bullets total. Is there anyone at Hornady to speak with about it?

I can confirm that using .22 mag springs is the Pardini-approved approach to the T&B-over-N310 load, and that several of us have found that it works.

First off, I need to give credit where credit is due.   The magazine modifications came to me from Tim Goszka who studied to problem extensively.   His conclusion was that the misfeed problems were caused by the back of the ejecting case hitting the front of the top round in the magazine.   The solution is to lower how the top round sits in the magazine.  
 
This is accomplished by bending the front of the rear lips of the magazine so they will just clear a 9/32" drill.   I did this by alternately tapping on the two sides with a small brass hammer until I got there.   (I don't have one of the nifty magazine lip benders).    The second step is to bend the follower as shown in the picture.
 
Before making these changes, I had misfeeds all the time with the TnB bullets.  Now I have none.   However, these changes make it more likely that you will have rim lock.   You must be very careful when you load magazines to make sure you don't get the rim of the round you are loading behind the rim of the round below.   Also, when inserting a new magazine, make sure you first lock the bolt back.   If you insert the magazine, then cock the bolt, you may knock the top round into a rim lock situation.   If you have rim lock, the top round will nose dive into the front of the magazine rather than go into the chamber.

Well I'm thrilled to say that tuning the magazines as intructed appears to have been the answer. I'm still using the .32 springs. I used the 9/32 bit method. I did not adjust the follower. So far so good. I've certainly gotten my moneys worth out of the High Standard magazine adjustment tool I bought a few years ago. I've used it on Hammerli 215 and now Pardini magazines with great results.