antique 32wcf mold

[T-Bird]

I bought a nice looking 32wcf mold off Ebay yesterday for 75$. The mold apparently was made by Winchester? In the pics of it, there are no other manufacturers marks on it. It has wooden handles and is a single cavity, flat nosed design. I have a Browning Mod. 53 I would like to use the bullet in. Anyone else using an old mold like this for their 32/20? I have the LY 311316gc so I don't know why I even bought it-it just happened.Shoot straight, T-Bird

[Guesser]

I have used that mold, it was duplicated by Ideal with the 3118 and renumbered by Lyman as the 311008. Good boolit, I use my old Ideal SC for all my 32-20 guns.

[T-Bird]

So is it kind of a non gc 311316? How hard do you push 'em? What powder? T-Bird

[Guesser]

That depends on way too many factors for me to try to answer that question as pertains to you and your loading, casting, shooting techniques.

[T-Bird]

I wasn't asking what you thought I should do, I was asking what you do. That has nothing at all to do with any of my practices. T-Bird

[Guesser]

I don't push them hard at all, my guns all date 1922 or older so I go to maybe 800fps, maybe, I don't really care about speed. They are accurate and fun.

[T-Bird]

Sounds good, you shoot rifles, pistols or both? Which is the 800fps from?

[Mk42gunner]

I have seen a few of those SC Winchester molds. The ones I saw looked well made, and a lot more comfortable to use than the molds on the end of a nutcracker type loasing tool, due to having wooden handles.

For load data, I would look to any load that lists the 3118/311008 Lyman (that's what I do for a Group buy 314-120 tht we did several years ago). One thing about it, if you use it inplace of the 311316, you will be saving the price of a gascheck.

Robert

[Guesser]

My 32-20s are all Colt revolvers.

[T-Bird]

Well, the mold should be here in a few days- kind of a "to me from me"Christmas present. Thanks for the info. Yea, those all iron molds get WARM after a while.Shoot straight, T-Bird

[T-Bird]

Got it fri., had to send it back, had a peening defect on the left half of the mold that left a deep (probably .02in) groove in the boolet at the seam. ---oh well maybe another one. Shoot Straight, T-Bird

[9.3X62AL]

Sorry to see this, sir. There is always Lyman #311008.......

As Guesser indicated, I run my 115-120 grain boolits in my 32-20 revolvers at 800-900 FPS, tops. There is a strength range in these wheelguns, the Colt Police Positive Special being the lightest--the S&W M&P being sort of a middleweight--and the Colt SAA or Army Special being more stout. NONE of these are safe as +P or High Velocity (rifle only) platforms with the possible exception of the Ruger Blackhawk/Buckeye Special variants in 32-20 and 32 Magnum.

Rifles.....I've run plain-based designs like #311008, RCBS 32-98-SWC, and others past 1000 FPS with accuracy, and in my present rifle (Marlin 94CCL, 2004 production) accuracy held with "008" until about 1250 FPS. No leading, it just got squirrelly when run faster. #311316 stays VERY accurate to 1800 FPS, which is about as fast as I care to run it.

One other little "secret" to group-tightening with these small rifle rounds--use Remington 6-1/2 primers in place of other small rifle primers. I started this regimen a couple years ago, and extreme spreads--SD--and accuracy all improved.

[Mk42gunner]

T-Bird, Sorry to hear that.

Al, I would have thought the Colt Army Special would be down around the S&W M&P strength range, or where you meaning the Colt New Service?

I could very easily be wrong, but I thought the Army Special was built on Colts 1892 or 1896 double Action frame.

Robert

[T-Bird]

I have a Browning mod. 53 mid'80s circa I think. It's strong. I bought it in the early '90s new. I shoot the 311316 and accuracy with AA#9, IMR 4227, 2400, at 1500-1700fps is modiocre. I have a tang sight so I don't shoot for groups much past 40-50yds, but can get 11/2-2" groups with some load of all 3 pwdrs. I have a friend that has the same rifle, he says he gets best accuracy with speer jhp 100gr at 1800fps. He also has mediocre accuracy with cast he says- don't know which boolets. I just figured this gun may not like cast as well as j-word I have tried the speer 100gr jhp in my gun over 14gr(I think) IMR4227, it shoots that load like a laser at 50. I will try the Rem primers. Aren't they milder? Shoot Straight, T-Bird

[9.3X62AL]

I don't think any New Service revolvers were put up in 32-20 WCF. With Colt, never say "never" and never say "always", but there weren't many--if any. My old mentor and source of much Colt knowledge (Leo Reyes) ranked the Army Special's strength rating right with the SAA, and above that of the S&W M&P. Goodness knows I tried getting his A/S in 32-20 from him for just that reason.

I'm away from home and don't have access to Serven's 1836-1954 Colt guidebook. THAT would help answer the question concerning the N/S in 32-20. Come to think of it......a New Service or S&W L- or N-frame in 32-20 would be right nice! Bring those thunderclap rifle loads right along, too. And some ear protection, if my Blackhawk x 30 Carbine is any measure of muzzle blast possible in such a beast.

[Mk42gunner]

Al,

I completely forgot that Colt made these on the "41" or Python sized frame. You said Army Special, and I heard Police Positive Special, like was used for a Diamondback.

A fairly easy way to go would be to find one of the Ruger GP-100's in .327 and fit a new cylinder to it. L-Frame size, and Ruger strength.

Robert

[9.3X62AL]

Having the Blackhawk in 30 Carbine fills the niche nicely for mid-caliber high-velocity ear driller. The S&W Model 16-4 x 6" is another sonic log-splitter when loaded to its potential.

Back to the rifles.....both the 25-20 and 32-20 have done fine, accurate work for me using plain-base boolits of conventional weights at 1100 FPS. The RCBS 25-85-CM and #311008 have both showed themselves to be fine field rounds to 50 yards plus, and there's some meat left after the shot--unlike a lot of the super-fast varmint calibers in wide use these days. Far more effective than 22 LR at any range, and about as cheep to load too.