What's a 32-20?

[TonyB]

Is there such a caliber??Just listening to an old Robert Johnson song that mentions 38 spl. and 32-20...he says 38 is too "light" as compared to the 32-20(of course this may have been after he went to the crossroads and made his deal with the Devil) :uhoh:

[cghammo]

http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/p3220.html

[artech]

.32-20 is one of the old black powder cartridges that was chambered in both pistols and rifles. It used a .32 bullet over 20 grains of black powder, and then a lesser charge of smokeless powder in later years. In pistols it was about equal to the .38 special, energy-wise. In rifles it was more powerful than the .357 magnum. For a while there was a rifle-only load being produced that was pretty hot, but it was too hot for pistols and was soon dropped. The .32-20 pretty much faded away after WW2 and was no longer being produced in any quantity.

With the rapid growth in Cowboy Action shooting, it has regained some popularity and is now being loaded again. There are a few gun companies now making Colt and Winchester replicas in .32-20 and Black Hills is making ammo.

Hope this helps.
artech

[mec]

It was one of the Winchester Center Fire Cartriges and most guns are marked .32 wcf. Same faimily as the 38/40 and 44/40 or 38 and 44 wcf. They were associated with the Winchester 73 and other long guns and colt began chambering the 32-20 in the Single action army in 1884
http://www.gunblast.com/Cumpston_Colt-SAA-3220.htm

[Onmilo]

Wonderful old cartridge that is a pain in the bootocks to reload.
.32 H&R Magnum is a far better, yet underrated, option.

[BluesBear]

It had a good revolver following early in the 20th century. It was a magnum before anyone used the name. There were a bunch of 1873 and 1892 Winchesters, 1894 Marlins as well as Colt Lightning rifles and carbines chambered for it.

I bought a 1930s vintage 6" Double Action Colt 32-20 back in 1971 and for the ammo available at the time it was wicked. I would put it up against any of the 357 loads available then. The rifle only loads really were screamers. The Colt handled them just fine but you could certainly tell the difference!

Newer ammo developments have overshadowed it.

It has a bit more bite than a .30 Carbine.
Thompson Center made .32-20 barrels for quite a while and I have seen some suprising results with good handloads in a Contender.

More than a few old timers used them on Eastern white-tail.

Winchester just recently did a limited run of 20" barrel 1892 Carbines for Davidsons.
(yes 1892 NOT 1894)

[TonyB]

Well,I guess Mr.Johnson was right then..thanks all..anytime I can combine blues trivia and shooting trivia is a good day... :cool: