.32 WCF First

[Gibbs44]

A good twenty years ago or so, a lady in town gave dad her decreased husband's 1892 Winchester in .32-20. It was his dad's squirrel gun, so dad had been told by her husband while he was still alive.

In the time dad has owned this rifle it had not been fired. It was definitely not a safe queen. I got the chance to send a few down range tonight. Had one kneeling shot at 50 yards that put a commercial boolit about 1 inch away from the 10.

The rifle is tight, and I think worth getting in to working with. The .32-20 was a pleasure to shoot, I like it, and can see why folks still like to shoot'em.

Maybe one day soon I'll be able to turn out some good ammo to keep it fed, and get dad into shooting it. Just stoked thanks for reading my ramblings.

[pworley1]

Be careful those 32 wcf and Winchester 92 combinations are addictive. Before you know it you will be looking for a colt wheel gun to go with it.

[runfiverun]

A good twenty years ago or so, a lady in town gave dad her decreased husband's 1892 Winchester in .32-20. It was his dad's squirrel gun, so dad had been told by her husband while he was still alive.

In the time dad has owned this rifle it had not been fired. It was definitely not a safe queen. I got the chance to send a few down range tonight. Had one kneeling shot at 50 yards that put a commercial boolit about 1 inch away from the 10.

The rifle is tight, and I think worth getting in to working with. The .32-20 was a pleasure to shoot, I like it, and can see why folks still like to shoot'em.

Maybe one day soon I'll be able to turn out some good ammo to keep it fed, and get dad into shooting it. Just stoked thanks for reading my ramblings.



that's what this whole web site is all about right there..^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[btroj]

I can't see straight due to jealousy.

A 32-20 is a wonderful thing and one like you are shooting is better yet. You won't be able to not enjoy it.

[Gibbs44]

I've noticed .32-20 stuff doesn't last to long in the S&S section. There has to be a reason.

[btroj]

My Marlin is just a fun gun to shoot. Try a 120 gr cast over 3.5 g or so of Trailboss. I get around 750 fps and it is quiet. I can hit the gong at 100 all day long. It is weird to hear the twang of the mainspring when firing it, the sound transfers thru the stock pretty well..

Someday that rifle will get a deer.

[bob208]

don't wast time or money on the factory loaded shells with lead bullets. I once got a nice 92 in 32-20 with a " bad bore". the guy that had it said he tried it out and the bullets were hitting side ways and all over the place. I thought I would reline it. the I cleaned it pulled chunks of lead out of it. got it done it looked like a new bore. it shoots real good. I have rolled a few ground hogs with it. I have the lyman mold for it I ordered in hp many years ago.

[06ackley]

I inherited my grandfathers 92 in 32-20 and I love it.Dont shoot it as often as I should.I have only put jacketed rounds loaded with H110 but that's about to change this year.Just loaded some cast to see how it does.

[Gibbs44]

btroj what mold do you have? It looks like 100 or so grains is fairly standard . In did see where Accurate had a 120, though I'm sure Tom could come up with about anything imaginable. I've not checked anyone other than Lyman and Lee at this point. I'm still getting ahead of myself as it still needs to have the bore slugged.

[McLintock]

I've got a NEI 4 holer that makes a 115 gr gas check bullet that works real well in tube mags and handguns for that matter. Also got the Lyman 118 plain base for low to medium type loads.
McLintock

[btroj]

btroj what mold do you have? It looks like 100 or so grains is fairly standard . In did see where Accurate had a 120, though I'm sure Tom could come up with about anything imaginable. I've not checked anyone other than Lyman and Lee at this point. I'm still getting ahead of myself as it still needs to have the bore slugged.

Mine is an old Lee group bit mould. It is a 120 gr RNFP. It shoots very well.

I shoot mostly a load of 5 to 5.5 gr of Unique and that bullet.

I have a 311316 mould but it casts smaller than the rifle wants so I don't use it much.

[northmn]

Mine is an old Lee group bit mould. It is a 120 gr RNFP. It shoots very well.

I shoot mostly a load of 5 to 5.5 gr of Unique and that bullet.

I have a 311316 mould but it casts smaller than the rifle wants so I don't use it much.
I use the same mold and it works fine for me. I even use the gas checks but One does not need to. My 32-20 is a recent Marlin make with a Ducks Unlimited medalion inletted in the buttstock. I ahd a Rossi 357 and sold it after I got the 32-20 as it just plain outshot the Rossi. I have also had good luck with the Lee bullet for 32 Long revolvers but it does not have a crimp groove such that stovepiping is a possibility. I carry mine on the tractor and 4 wheeler when I cut firewood and have gotten a couple of small game animals with it. Haven't bothered trying to work up the "best" load for it as I have some powders I want to shoot up. Its not fussy, and does not shoot up powders very fast. Came with some jacketed Remington factory cartridges. They shoot different from the cast, but the 100 grain Lee pistol bullets and the 120's shoot close enough at 25 yards so as not to matter.
Treat it kindly with reasonable loads and it will be around for you to hand down.

DP

[btroj]

Only bad thing about my 32-20 is that velocity changes give huge vertical changes on target. I have had days where I shot loads that had 2 feet or more difference in impact at 50 yards.

[runfiverun]

rcbs makes a nice 98gr rnfp mold....[mine pours out to a tick over 313 with ww and some tin]
if I had a 32-20 I'd definitely give it a lot more of a work-out.
I use 32-20 brass and that boolit in my 30 carbine revolver

[Dan Cash]

btroj what mold do you have? It looks like 100 or so grains is fairly standard . In did see where Accurate had a 120, though I'm sure Tom could come up with about anything imaginable. I've not checked anyone other than Lyman and Lee at this point. I'm still getting ahead of myself as it still needs to have the bore slugged.

Accurate is the way to go. I got a 105 grain 4 holer from Tom to feed my friend's rebored 92 and my C96 mauser. It works wonderfully. Now it also feeds a 94 Marlin and a CZ52. The heavier 120 bullet may be beneficial in some ways but I wanted a compromise weight. The bullet is no compromise as it turn out. It will roll a coyote, DRT at 200 yards with a 9 grain 2400 boost.

[northmn]

About the only benefit I found from the 120 grain bullet is that I already had the mold before I found the rifle. My concern over the 100 grain mold I got was that it did not have any crimp groove. While I have used it with no problem, I prefer the crimp in the bullet I use. Also I have a lot of AA1680 which I have no other use for and I think the 120 might work better with it. The old standard for the 32-20 is the old Lyman 115 grain flatnose. My Lee mold works well enough such that I do no not see a need to spend what the Lyman molds go for now.
A retired individual I know was talking about his boyhood days and claimed that the 32-20 was a much better killer on deer than the 25-20 his brother had to use. Those were with factory loads. While I do not use one for that I found his comments interesting. For what I have used mine for a 100 grain factory equivalent load would be just fine and I have been reducing the loads since I got it. Won't be using up the 1680 anytime soon with it either and may go back to the 100 grain bullets.

DP

[Gibbs44]

rcbs makes a nice 98gr rnfp mold....[mine pours out to a tick over 313 with ww and some tin]
if I had a 32-20 I'd definitely give it a lot more of a work-out.
I use 32-20 brass and that boolit in my 30 carbine revolver

How does the brass do being run through the revolver? I'm guessing that it comes out as a tapered rimmed case, do you reload with 32-20 dies, or 30 carbine dies after that. Not that I have a 30 carbine revolver, just curious.

[TCLouis]

I see Lee's soup can boolit in your future if you cast.

[TXGunNut]

Lee has a nice TL mould, works great in my Colt. Still looking for my 92.

[Four Fingers of Death]

The 120Gn Group buy the guys are talking about sounds like the Willbird group buy, which was my first group buy and as well as turning out great boolits, it is sorta nostalgic.

They are great rifles, I have a Savage Bolt gun which I gave to a gunsmith to fit a scope base several years ago, but he hasn't got around to it. I also have a 92 half mag carbeen with a nice bore and New Daisy 92 with an octangular barrel with no serial number, no body knows how old that one is. The chamber is strange and the bore is like a dried up sewer pipe from a curry restaurant. It was given to me for spares. I will clean the barrel out and see how it goes. Unless it cleans up ok, (extremely unlikely), I will probably reline it with a hammer forged liner. I also have a Rossi break action single shot which is uncannily acccurate. It has won a lot of long range pistol calibre matches, which got a lot of noses out of joint. I picked it up cheap, thinking it would make a great donor barrel, but when I saw how good it shoots, I was reluctant to chop it.

Very addictive calibre.

[btroj]

Mine is the Willbird buy, I got an extra mould. It was also my first group buy mould. I just like how it shoots in the Marlin.

[Wind]

Hey there G44 -- Yes indeed! The 32-20 can be very addicting!! And they'll reach out a ways too...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUGeOJ8evpY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJp32Tj5yIk

Best regards. Wind

[Gibbs44]

This is my first hearing of the Willbird group buy. Anyone have a picture they are willing to share of it in the 32? I suppose I know what I'll be asking for come birthday time.

[btroj]

http://i1348.photobucket.com/albums/p733/Btroj/image_zps07aec877.jpg (http://s1348.photobucket.com/user/Btroj/media/image_zps07aec877.jpg.html)

Look at the top bullet, that is the Willbird 32-20 group buy. I am sure Tom at Accurate can cut a very similar bullet. I have shot a few thousand in my 32-20. Great bullet.

[Gibbs44]

Thanks, for the info.

[smlekid]

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=31&products_id=406&osCsid=f3otaa9qinv3fi67frcvg5iet3
this is the boolit I'm using in my '92 still playing with loads but Bluedot and 2400 are looking good so far

[9.3X62AL]

Even in 92/6/2, my example of the Lee Soup Can (113 grain .311 FN/GC) won't quite get to .312", and my Marlin 94CCL dotes on boolits of at least .313". Only one of my three revolvers in 32-20 likes its boolits that skinny, also. My Lyman #311316 will "clean up" in a .314" sizer die when cast of 92/6/2, a self-designed revolver bullet of 120 grains by Mountain Molds falls out @ .315", as does the RCBS 32-98-SWC.

[4060MAY]

There was also a LEE Soupcan Group Buy that cast at .315-.316..with GC and WW680 in my model 53 Winchester/Maruko..Chrony is 1750, very accurate....no pressure signs
I alsos have the Willbird GB..should have bought three molds..everyone sees it wants one...works well in a M/N 91/30 as cast

[KirkD]

The 32-20 is my favourite small game cartridge. I have owned a few different 32-20's over the years and would not want to be without one. Here is a custom mould that Tom at Accurate Moulds made for me, which I received over Christmas. It is a plain base bullet meant to be cast from pure clip on wheel weights and air cooled.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v497/3855Win/31-112M_zpsf04ffa62.jpg

[Gibbs44]

How's it shoot Kirk?

[9.3X62AL]

THAT is a nice-looking bullet design! One characteristic of the Marlin leverguns I'm familiar with (2 of my own, one more belonging to a friend here at CB) is their short, abrupt throats. A similar design with a substantial front drive band ahead of the crimp groove--Lyman 311316--will bump up against those throats HARD if seated to crimp into said groove in cases of OEM length (1.302"). So hard, that sometimes seating in the chamber is quite difficult. "Kissing" the leade is one thing--forcing a boolit into lands so firmly that it will de-boolit a loaded round is quite another, as is failure to fully chamber such a cartridge.

Our solution has been to trim back the 32-20 cases to achieve better cartridge fit in such chambers--1.290" in my rifle, and 1.275" in his variant. I had to resort to similar methods with my newly-rebored 38-55 Win 94; the Starline 2.125" cases with the Lee .379"-250 FN fed from the magazine fine, allowed the lifter to fully function--but jammed the bullet ogive up against the chamber firmly. Single-fed rounds would chamber fully, but feed geometry wasn't quite right. Rather than take monkey wrenches to the rifle, I started trimming cases back in .010" increments in 5-round lots--and loading them with a docile charge under seated boolits. At 2.105", rounds started being a draggy feed/fit into the chamber. At 2.090", the feeding was fully reliable. I can derive a clue from my surroundings, and it occurred to me that Starline's shorter 38-55 case length of 2.082" might not have been arrived at by accident--so I trimmed all 250 of those new cases to the shorter OEM length. Yes, it was a tiresome PITA with a Forster hand-crank trimmer. But my brass stocks in this caliber are all the same length--they will all feed my present boolit flawlessly--and I will have nose shape and length firmly in mind when I order moulds to service the Win 94 x 38-55 in order to cater to its needs and quirks. Lesson learned & reinforced--lever rifles are a lot like autopistols when it comes to boolit selection for use/service.

[btroj]

That short throat is why I like a bullet with a smooth transition from nose profile to body diameter, something like a -640 profile nose.

The bullet Kirk showed is nice but I would prefer to eliminate the front band and taper the nose smoothly into the body with a crimp groove. Looks better to me and I find they shoot better in my Marlins.

Think of what the nose is like on all the RD bullets, no front band. Maybe there is a reason why?

[merlin101]

WOW!! I had hoped I'd find a little info here on 32-20 since a buddy just picked up four UNWANTED (can you belive that)guns from a coworker who's dad passed. He was going to give them to the local PD for "disposal"!!! I belive I have him talked out of the Marlin 189? in 32-20, he's keeping the rest/ Sounds good to me! I'm really looking forward to seeing them and shooting that 32.

[Eutectic]

That short throat is why I like a bullet with a smooth transition from nose profile to body diameter, something like a -640 profile nose.

The bullet Kirk showed is nice but I would prefer to eliminate the front band and taper the nose smoothly into the body with a crimp groove. Looks better to me and I find they shoot better in my Marlins.

Think of what the nose is like on all the RD bullets, no front band. Maybe there is a reason why?

+1 !

There's a lot of knowledge in Brad's post above.

My two bolt .32-20's (Win 43, Sav 23) both do their best work with the Ranch Dog boolit. This is with real lube.... not LLA however. The Model 23 thinks it's a 'bench gun' with my favorite 1700fps RD load.

My .25-20's (5 of them) also prefer the smooth steep transition and the Ranch Dog type nose.

My Win Model 92 .25-20 tolerates the front band
pretty well.... It had an occasional flyer though... and I blamed the lube. But working later with the RD type nose the flyer went away with the same lube!

One Savage Model 23 .25-20 I have I modified the throat slightly deeper (.085") and less abrupt and now it shoots the front band design like a house afire! The Lyman #257420 HP is it's favorite.

As 9.3X62AL states some of the .32-20 (and .25-20) throats are so short the crimp groove can be too deep in the case with factory length brass at times.

Eutectic

[btroj]

My Marlin 357 hates anything with a front band. Period. Fast or slow the swc bullets all shoot poorly. Feed it a 359640 and it is happy. The 640 shoots better at 100 than the swc did at 50.

Give me that style nose any day. I like bullets that can center themselves easily.

[9.3X62AL]

All of this is food for thought. Much thought, concerning the 25-20 and 32-20 rifles I have on staff. Something like a #311008 that included a crimp groove in the right place and a gas check shank might be just what the doctor ordered.

[Gibbs44]

All of this is food for thought. Much thought, concerning the 25-20 and 32-20 rifles I have on staff. Something like a #311008 that included a crimp groove in the right place and a gas check shank might be just what the doctor ordered.

Some good information indeed.

[canyon-ghost]

93138 This is from a TC Contender 10" barrel scoped. They are to 100 meters (109 yards) It does so good with the little plain based molds that I've never bought the gas check ones. 93139

[KirkD]

How's it shoot Kirk?
I just got it a couple weeks ago and it is too cold here to cast bullets right now. However, I tried about 6 different bullet types to see which ones were the most accurate that included front driving band, no front driving band, original design, etc. The bullet that was the most accurate in my Winchester Model 53 was a Magma plain base design. I went on Accurate Mould's website and found one very similar to it, except it used a gas check. I asked Tom if he could make some modifications to the existing design to eliminate the gas check, and add a lube groove. A few days later, he got back to me with this modified design. It should be very accurate, as it is very similar to the Magma bullet.

[Eutectic]

I'm glad KirkD mentioned the .32-20 Magma designed boolit! Both it and this thread has reminded me of a project I have thought of for some time that has remained on the back burner.....

I bought some Oregon Trail cast boolits quite a while back for .32-20.... They were the Magma design.... They were too hard and the lube was no good.... but the castings were OK for store bought boolits. I tried them in my S&W revolver and they weren't close to Lyman #311316 accuracy performance. (Revolvers like that front band as we all know!) So they sat in my stash...

This Magma .32-20 boolit design is rather unique... The ogive terminates at the crimp groove. My samples mic .302" at this point. So seated out, this boolit has a small bore rider section. (albeit rather fragile) With that thought I modified some for a gascheck and loaded them out to just touch the throat in my Winchester Model 43. And they really shot!!!! Too long o.a.l. to crimp and they wouldn't feed in a Winchester lever gun either. But I satisfied what I was thinking. The Model 43 has the same throat design as the Model 92 by the way.

Magma has someone on board that knows something about cast boolit design... I don't see this as a common thing in cast boolits. I swear whoever this person is... they had a .38-40 Model 92 in front of them when they designed the Magma mold for the .38-40. It fits the throat nye on perfect and does it with the crimp groove at a perfect depth! Did I mention it shoots? Better than I thought a Model 92 could shoot!

My back burner project is to machine a die to use in my reloading press. I'll start with .25-20 as I have some 'wanta shoot' molds.. I'll start with a bored hole at .250" (bore diameter) and then machine up to about mid-point to .258".... My usually sizing diameter. At the junction of the two diameters I'll radius it as the Winchester throat configuration is. I size a sized and lubed boolit to an exact depth.

This die can accomplish a couple of things. One, it can just bump the front band back enough (on a throat matching taper) for the crimp groove to be a perfect fit in standard length brass while throat fit remains close to perfect. Or, the front band can be sized down into a bore rider section that just begs to shoot by design in my bolt guns where the boolit can be seated out more....

Thanks for moving this project up guys!

Eutectic

[shdwlkr]

Don't forget Ruger Buckeye in 32-20 yep years ago special run. That and an original winchester mdl 92 in 32-20 and another being made into a 256 win mag and a Miroku/winchester 92 in 357 mag and looking for another one in 38-40, Nope they are not addicting at all.
Just laid away a winchester mdl 94 with 26 inch octagon barrel in 30-30 another useless cartridge to those that don't know. I find them once in a while not often like the 25-35 that just happened to find me one day at my local LGS. In all I think there are 8 now that I can play with in different calibers, and barrel lengths.

Stay away from those level action winchesters, marlins they are a terrible disease and you should send all of them to me as I am terminal now so a few more can't harm me any. Save yourself and send them quickly in my direction.

[9.3X62AL]

Stay away from those level action winchesters, marlins they are a terrible disease and you should send all of them to me as I am terminal now so a few more can't harm me any. Save yourself and send them quickly in my direction.

HA HA! WAY too late for me. This ground is well-covered, leverguns from 22 LR to 45-70. Revolvers too. I'm unredeemable.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Magma moulds account for about 95+% of the moulds used by commercial casters, so they would get plenty of feedback. They have been around awhile as well. The mould my mate was using in the early 80s for 38 Special looks pretty much the same as what most commercial casters here are using at the moment.

[KirkD]

The one problem that I did have with commercially purchased Magma bullets was that they were too hard. At the low velocities (1,200 fps) I like to use, I got leading. I have found that soft cast usually solves any leading problems, so it was time to order my own mould.

[9.3X62AL]

The one problem that I did have with commercially purchased Magma bullets was that they were too hard. At the low velocities (1,200 fps) I like to use, I got leading. I have found that soft cast usually solves any leading problems, so it was time to order my own mould.

I hear ya, Kirk. Too hard--too darn small--and that lube on commersh boolits is useless. If you want it done RIGHT--you gotta do it yourself, or find a Vendor That Gets It and is willing to accomodate the dimensional poetry present in firearms in ways other than by making iron bullets. "Harder" is seldom "better" in my experience.

[Four Fingers of Death]

The commercial bullet casters and most of the punters want em' as hard as! A few here even advertise or name their bullets as hard cast. They seem to think all problems are solved by making the bullets as hard as they can. Our local bloke will size them any size you specify.

[bigbear]

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=31&products_id=406&osCsid=f3otaa9qinv3fi67frcvg5iet3
this is the boolit I'm using in my '92 still playing with loads but Bluedot and 2400 are looking good so far
In the above referenced ad I noticed some boolits have gas checks some don't? Are they needed? Optional? same mold?

[smlekid]

I'm running around 1600fps with a 50/50 (ww/pb) pain base boolit using carnuba red lube sized .314" in a tight .310" bore
my rifle has an aftermarket barrel no issues with leading

[salvadore]

I have a newer Marlin in 32/20 and it is very accurate. Once I settled on a load, also using 1680 and Ohaus' version of 311316, it shot a 2.25" ten shot group @ 100yds with eight of them going into 1.25". I also have the NEI mold, got tired of fighting the gascheck and had it made into a plain base to shoot in my Colt OP. It was very accurate in my revolver with 3.5 grs of 231 so I tried it in the rifle. Sighted in at 100yds it shoots 3" high at 50yds. Looking forward to Spring and ground squirrels.

[Gibbs44]

Does anyone have a recommendation for commercial cast? As much as I'd like to, I rarely have the time to cast. I plan to get set up for this rifle one day, but just to get shooting, it's probably going to be buying, for now.

[Bob Busetti]

I have had several 32WCF's in my time, even had a 92 in the 5000 serial number range, as always rifle long gone. I was most impressed with Colt single action (late prewar) that I got from a guy that was shooting the high velocity Winchester ammo in it. I shoot a few that came with the gun, impressive to say the least, don't have it now either.
Bob

[Four Fingers of Death]

Does anyone have a recommendation for commercial cast? As much as I'd like to, I rarely have the time to cast. I plan to get set up for this rifle one day, but just to get shooting, it's probably going to be buying, for now.

Bullshop wil do them how you want.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Does anyone have a recommendation for commercial cast? As much as I'd like to, I rarely have the time to cast. I plan to get set up for this rifle one day, but just to get shooting, it's probably going to be buying, for now.

Bullshop wil do them how you want. bullshop@nemont.net

[KirkD]

... Our local bloke will size them any size you specify.
It is sure nice to have someone locally who will size them like that. I talked to a couple commercial cast companies to see if they offered any custom options. The answer was no. However, there is a local fellow here as well that will also cast and size them according to my specs, although I now do almost all of my own casting.

[Gibbs44]

I'll get up with him when I get my stuff together (dies, size needed, etc.). Didn't know Bullshop did that.

[Idaho Mule]

A commercial caster I have had good luck with is Desperado Cowboy Bullets (cowboybullets.com) .He casts of 20:1 alloy and will size to order. I haven't ordered any from him since I started casting my own about 3 yrs. ago,I think I still have close to 1k of his bullets though. For my own casting I have 3 different molds. The RCBS 98 SWC gets lots of use as well as a NOE 314316gc in 4 cavity. Both of those molds cast at .315 using 70/30 ww/lead alloy. I also have an old Ideal 3118 single cavity that I cast with on those days when I want to be nostalgic. As said, they are addicting. The stable includes 1 Marlin 1894 CL, 1 Winchester 1892, 1 Colt SAA,1 S&W 1905 6", and 2 Ruger Buckeyes. If I could get them all to like the same load I would dedicate a Dillon to 32-20. But, they are all individuals with their own little quirks and desires, so I do the best I can to keep them fed and happy. JW

[Gibbs44]

I just found the card from Winchester that the previous owner received about the manufacture of the 92. They actually sent two cards, one said that it shipped in 1919 and the other 1922. From what I gather this rifle should be modern steel, does anyone have any input on this? If I need to, I'll call Winchester and ask them, which I might do anyway. I just need to know what is safe to shoot, not that the max is on the list, just bp level versus smokeless. Thanks again for all the help.

[Four Fingers of Death]

From previous discussions, it appears that anything after 1896 or thereabouts is ok as they went to better steel around that time. Prior to that I'd be using BP. Even with early 20th century stuff, I'd be working up slow. Not much point in driving these things hard anyway. If you really want to hammer it, buy a Rossi 357.

[Gibbs44]

Yep like I said no hammer, just looking to be safe.

[shdwlkr]

actually 1895 when winchester started using Nickel Steel barrels and went from Black Powder to smokeless powder. When I look for old winchesters I look for the nickel steel barrel as that tells me it can be used with smokeless powder.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Thanks shdwlkr.

[fouronesix]

I just found the card from Winchester that the previous owner received about the manufacture of the 92. They actually sent two cards, one said that it shipped in 1919 and the other 1922. From what I gather this rifle should be modern steel, does anyone have any input on this? If I need to, I'll call Winchester and ask them, which I might do anyway. I just need to know what is safe to shoot, not that the max is on the list, just bp level versus smokeless. Thanks again for all the help.

No doubt that your gun is for smokeless with a date of 1919-22. Plus it should have proof marks on the receiver ring and barrel adjacent (smokeless proofs). It would be hard to blow one up with any reasonable 32-20 load. The same would apply if it were in 25-20. They are strong. I am fairly certain the brass would let go well before the action would. And in reality, no matter when it was made, first year or last year of production, the strength of that Browning design far exceeded anything that could be loaded in blackpowder and was truly a smokeless strength design from the beginning even though the 86/92 design predated smokeless by a few years.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I saw an old 92 at the range during a cowboy shoot once. It had a replacement barrel in 44Mag. I noticed it had two lines scribed on the side of the rear sight elevator and I asked the owner what they were. He said he used the rifle for pig hunting and competing in cowboy action and they were his sight settings for both rounds. I was curious and asked what load he used for the pig hunting. He said that he used Winchester factory ammo. I worked out that the rifle was made in 1908 and advised him accordingly. We were still in the campsite at the range and took the rifle to another competitor who is an excellent gunsmith. He stripped the gun and examined it with a jeweller's eyepiece, etc. He said that while there was significant polishing and slight wear in the friction areas, he could see no signs of strain on the working parts and the headspace, etc was spot on. Tough rifle.

My friend has since picked up a Rossi in 44Mag for the pig hunting and just uses the old girl for cowboy. He said if he only hunted every now and then he would have kept using it, but he worked as a contract farm fencer and used the gun several times a week hunting on properties he was working on, so he thought that is was probably better to not stretch the friendship. He said he goes through about one and a half to two 50 round packets of 44 Factory ammo a month.