.32-20 Revolvers

[jaztym]

Wild about the cartridge; thoughts on an old inquiry

By accident, while surfing the net looking for info on the 32-20, I chanced across this link to your interest in the caliber.
I'm happy to say that I likewise enjoy shooting this round.
By way of background, I presently own a Smith Model 1905 V.4 manufactured sometime in 1930s' and load unique 3.2 grns pushing 115 grns lead bullet. This gives me 600 FPS velocity by my chronograph and is pleasant to shoot without stressing the firearm or barrel leading. Brass life seems to be good also!
You could call it an all day plinker!
One of your respondents spoke of scarcity of ammo and might have mentioned cost. Not every dealer stocks this stuff and it can be pricey when found. Reloading is an excellent way to mitigate this if you do or would consider reloading. It's an easy cartridge to reload with reasonable care to avoid damaging the thin cases.
I may have some additional reloading data derived from Phil Sharpes' reloading manual for revolvers if you're interested. Or you could look for the manual itself. Would have to wait until I complete my relocation to N. Carolina to search for any info.
Someone also responded that you'd be better off shooting something like the .32 H&R round. Inspite of arguments supporting this tact, it still remains that it's still not the 32-20.
Likewise, I've owned a MINT condition Colt Pol. Pos Spec in 32-20 And foolishly passed up a Browning M53 NIB and presently looking for one used or a Marlin 1894. I realize rifle loadings would be different and not interchangeable with revolvers.
Anyway, love to talk about the cartridge and shooting in general. Hope this is still info of use to you.
Regards.....

 

[Bullet Bob]

Have the lever action - great fun to shoot, and with cowboy shooting so popular, not as hard to find ammo as it used to be.

Would looooooove to find an old S&W target sighted revolver. At home I have many old Gun Digests, and one them has an article by (I think) Dave Anderson about his two S&W 32-20's. I 'll have to see iffen I can locate it.



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From the Web:

HANDGUN DATA
NEVER Exceed the Loads Listed Here

32-20 Winchester
BBL: 5.5" PR: Winchester SP
TWIST: 1:20" TRIM: 1.305"
CASE: Remington BULLET DIAM. .314"
Bullet Powder COL Starting
Charge Wt.
(grs) Velocity
(fps) Pressure
Max
Charge Wt.
(grs) Velocity
(fps) Pressure

77 gr. LFP 231 1.555" 3.4 957 11,000 CUP 3.8 1031 12,700 CUP
90 gr. CAST LRNFP 231 1.490" 3.2 833 11,900 CUP 3.5 969 16,000 CUP
115 gr. CAST LRNFP 231 1.580" 3.2 839 11,100 CUP 3.5 915 15,600 CUP

---------------------------------


SWC= Semi-WadCutter, FMC= Full Metal Case, FMJ= Full Metal Jacket, JHP= Jacketed Hollow Point and if GC indicated, means Gas Check at bottom of lead bullet.
Loads for .32-20 Winchester:
This necked cartridge has been around since the 1880's and was originally black powder only. If you have an old gun, use very mild loads, something that produces speeds around 550 fps for starters in pistols. The newer Ruger is stronger for the normal loads and T/C guns can handle much higher pressures and speeds in the vicinity of 1500 fps.
The OLDER guns were chambered for bullets of .312" for jacketed and .313" for lead. The newer guns have been chambered to work with .308" jacketed bullets. You must determine what the bore of your guns is and choose the correct bullet. If you used the older guns, you could use the smaller diameter bullets with some loss of accuracy. Do NOT use .312" or .313" bullets in the newer and smaller bore guns. However, one of the Ruger Blackhawk guns I came accross, had a .312" grove diameter.
Do not use anything but light loads and lead bullets in these older revolvers.
The Thompson Contender (T/C) has the smaller .308" grove. Don't use larger bullets for the T/C.

(Note: Most ARE MAXIMUM loads (except where noted), you may want to use 10% less to start.)
(See note on Powders below or read all about various Powders.)
Due to different barrel lengths, type of bullet, seating depth, primer type and other factors, you may not get near the FPS charted. It is just a guide and the reason you should start under these charges and work up.

Most are MAXIMUM LOADS: Start at 10% less and work up! Some very old 32-20 guns as well as some imported copies are very weak and may blow up with even the mildest of loads. If you load for originals, use lead, slug bore first, and be VERY careful to work up the loads.


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85 Grain JHP (Jacketed Hollow Point) .312" dia
HP38 3.3 gr. 780 (starting load)
HP38 4.5 gr. 1,050 (MAX)
HS6 6.5 gr. 1,071
HS6 7.0 gr. 1,182 MAX
H110 15.5 gr. 1,617 MAX (Strong Guns Only)
231 3.2 gr. 745 (mild load)
231 4.7 gr. 1,022 MAX
Unique 4.1 gr. 742 (mild load)
Unique 4.8 gr. 967 MAX
AA No. 5 4.2 gr. 554 (mild load)
AA No. 5 5.7 gr. 948 MAX
----------------------------------------
90 Grain JHP (Jacketed Hollow Point) .312" dia
HP38 3.3 gr. 811 (starting load)
HP38 4.3 gr. 1,023 (MAX)
HS6 6.2 gr. 1,011
HS6 6.8 gr. 1,081 MAX
H110 15.1 gr. 1,482 MAX, Strong guns only
2400 11.0 gr. 1,270 MAX, Strong guns only
231 3.4 gr. 679 (mild load)
231 4.5 gr. 937 MAX
Unique 3.6 gr. 639 (mild load)
Unique 4.8 gr. 864 MAX
AA No. 5 4.7 gr. 697 (mild load)
AA No. 5 5.4 gr. 875 MAX
----------------------------------------
100 Grain Lead SWC Lyman #313631 .313" + Gas Check
231 3.2 gr. 793
231 4.1 gr. 990 MAX
Unique 3.5 gr. 689
Unique 4.3 gr. 888 MAX
AA No. 5 4.2 gr. 650
AA No. 5 5.0 gr. 891 MAX
AA No. 7 5.8 gr. 869
AA No. 7 6.1 gr. 924 MAX
AA No. 9 6.7 gr. 869
AA No. 9 7.0 gr. 924 MAX
AA 5744 8.4 gr. start load
AA 5744 9.3 gr. 900 MAX
----------------------------------------
100 Grain Speer Jacketed "Plinker" .308" dia.
HS6 5.6 gr. 849
HS6 6.6 gr. 992 MAX
HP38 3.7 gr. 838
HP38 4.1 gr. 922 MAX
------CONTENDER ONLY BELOW----------
HS6 10.1 gr. 1713 MAXIMUM and T/C ONLY
2400 13.0 gr. 1793 MAXIMUM and T/C ONLY
AA No. 9 14.0 gr. 1833 MAXIMUM and T/C ONLY
-----------------------------------------
110 Grain JSP or JHP .308" dia
HS6 5.4 gr. 803
HS6 6.5 gr. 900 MAX
HP38 3.6 gr. 770
HP38 4.0 gr. 869 MAX
------CONTENDER ONLY BELOW----------
HS6 9.1 gr. 1539 MAXIMUM and T/C ONLY
2400 12.0 gr. 1594 MAXIMUM and T/C ONLY
AA No. 9 13.5 gr. 1739 MAXIMUM and T/C ONLY
-----------------------------------------
115 grain LEAD RN/FP (Lyman #311008 .313" dia)
(Bull-X makes a 115gr. RN/FP bullet )
231 3.1 gr. 782
231 3.8 gr. 905 MAX
Unique 3.2 gr. 684
Unique 4.0 gr. 835
AA No. 5 3.8 gr. 649
AA No. 5 4.5 gr. 825
-----------------------------------------

These are ALL MAXIMUM LOADS unless noted or a lower amount
is shown. Start at 10% less than max. and work up!

Discussion: Again, there are TWO different bore sizes in use: The .308" used in the Thompson Contender and perhaps some other modern guns. But the original bore size was .312" so you need to make sure which size you are loading for. The RIFLE loads are closer to the T/C loads, than are these milder pistol loads.
A bullet with a copper gas check or copper plating is best for INDOOR ranges to keep lead vapors out of the air.

*
Power Pistol, Bullseye, Unique and 2400 are products of Alliant (formerly Hercules) Powders.
Clays, Universal, HP38, HS6 and H4895 are products of Hodgdon Powders.
IMR 3031 and IMR 4895 are products of IMR (formerly DuPont) Powder Company.
N100, No. 2, No. 5, No. 7, No. 9, #2230, and #2460 are products of Accurate Arms Company
WAP (Winchester Action Pistol), WMR, WSF, WSL, 760, 748, 231 and 540 are products of Winchester, Components Div.


References: Accurate Arms Co. 1996 Reloading booklet - - Alliant Powder Co. Reloaders' Guide (1995) - - Hodgdon's Basic Reloaders Manual (1996) - - Speer Reloading Manual, #12 - - Winchester Reloading Components Manual, 14th edition - - Lyman Piston & Revolver Reloading Handbook, 2nd edition
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This information is worth exactly what you paid for it, and I'm assuming, in the words of my dear departed grandmother, that you "have the good sense God gave a billy goat".