30 carbine Blackhawk and 32-20 brass

[rockrat]

Finally got around to getting out my old beat up 30 carbine blackhawk after reading about using 32-20 brass. Got some new WW 32-20 brass and trimmed it to fit and loaded up rounds with 8.5 gr 2400 and the 314008 plain base and gas check versions, some 311440 boolits and a 150gr plain base Lee GB boolit with 3 crimp grooves and a 135gr SWC gc. All sized .311". Thought it would be too big for the chamber mouth @.3085, but worked well. Didn't have my crony, so no velocities.

Only drawback was gun shoots about 5" high. First group with the 135 swc wasn't too great, about 2" @50 feet(I was shooting indoors). Rims kind of drug on the recoil shield as really needed to seat the SWC a bit deeper. Next tried the 150gr, but half of them went in the target sideways, in the 135gr swc group (top left). Shot the 150's again at the top right target, same result as the first. Then shot the 314008 pb at the bottom right target. Decent group. Next was the 314008 gc at the far left of the bottom left section of the target. Little better. Last group was was the 311440, which was just to the right of the 314008gc group. Not too shabby.

All in all, got a few decent groups, considering my aging eyes. Seems like pleasant loads, especially compared to 30 carbine ammo.

[Scharfschuetze]

Interesting! If I'd have know you could do that back in 1983 or so I would have bought a Blackhawk in 30 Carbine when I saw one at the LGS.

[wrench man]

So do you have to do something to the rim or will your cylinder accept the rimmed shell??, I tried a 25-20 case in mine to see and there is no way in %&*# the cylinder will turn?

[too many things]

WHY again WHY ???? the 30cal brass works WHY ??? would anyone use something is not made for the gun WHY??

[Bullshop Junior]

WHY again WHY ???? the 30cal brass works WHY ??? would anyone use something is not made for the gun WHY??

It's what we do here.

[9.3X62AL]

WHY again WHY ???? the 30cal brass works WHY ??? would anyone use something is not made for the gun WHY??

Same reason people climb mountains.....because it's there.

A few folks have described iffy ignition in 30 Carbine Blackhawks using 30 Carbine ammo, more often reloaded 30 Carbine ammo. One pass through a 30 Carbine sizer die should press out any shoulder left on the 32-20 case, and some (not all) 32-20 cases might require a trim to fit in the chambers. The definite rim on 32-20 cases assists in assuring positive ignition to chambered cartridge. That is the usual allegation, anyway; both of my 30 C BHs lit/light off 30 Carbine reloads quite reliably, so I haven't tried the regimen.

[Scharfschuetze]

My thinking is that with the rimmed round and its positive head space control, you could actually put a crimp on your boolit. While taper crimps work, I prefer a roll crimp and a rimmed case with revolver ammo and thus I passed on the 30 Carbine revolver. Well, if I ever see another one I'll now be tempted to buy it.

[Mohillbilly]

My take is this is an improvement on carbine brass .I am not as concerned about having short trimmed brass not going bang for the range . I do have a good supply or carbine brass, some of it is pick ups , some were give away included in other deals . I am slowly weeding those trimmed shorts out by not picking them up again when shot by my rifle . I will get more 32-20 for my revolver use exclusively . In the mean time I shoot all carbine brass in the revolver , cull out the ftf and shoot those in my rifle and leave lay . Eventually I can shoot reformed 32-20 and not be as concerned on the trim length , and can even roll crimp if wanted . I will have custom , made to fit ,my gun brass . New carbine brass varies in length , batch to batch , and by manufacture . I have yet to find any of those ftf unless there is no/blocked flash hole , or bad primer . I think auto-rim . The now orphaned 9 mm Fed is another one , by sizing 38 in a 9 mm die and trim to length . I also am looking to make 10 mm auto rim for a buckeye .

[leftiye]

I would guess that if your .30 carbine brass is the correct maximum length, that ignition would be fine. 30 carbine brass is thicker (stronger) and you shouldn't have to crimp (nor want to) as recoil is low and a crimp would impact the ignition issue. My .30 Blackhawk has never shown me any issues.

[too many things]

I have shot well over 5000 in my Blackhawk and have never had a mis fire that wasn't my fault {no powder} I don't check the length and do use a light crimp I also don't use rifle primers. I use mag small pistol

[cbrick]

WHY again WHY ???? the 30cal brass works WHY ??? would anyone use something is not made for the gun WHY??

A better question is . . . Why not? The 223 brass I stick in my 7TCU wasn't made for the 7TCU either but I use it anyway.

I have shot well over 5000 in my Blackhawk and have never had a mis fire that wasn't my fault {no powder} I don't check the length and do use a light crimp I also don't use rifle primers. I use mag small pistol

I use WSR primers in mine, I also use 32-20 brass in mine. Because of misfires? Nope, never had a misfire with this revolver.

So why 32-20 brass?

1> Because when I got the revolver 30 Carbine brass was unobtanium and 32-20 brass was obtanium! 2> Because I'm lazy enough to not want to keep brass trimmed to a specific length for a rimless round for a plinking cartridge! 3> Because it gives me a rimmed cartridge instead of a rimless cartridge 4> Because it works quite well with my reduced loads! 5> Because there is no legitimate reason not to! 6> Because I like it!

Does this answer . . . WHY again WHY ????

Rick

[lbaize3]

I have been shooting 32-20 ammo in my 30 Carbine Blackhawk for years. Don't do anything special, just drop in a 32-20 cartridge loaded with .314 dia. 115 gr. lead gas checked boolit, pushed with 3.9 grains of Red Dot. It is wonderfully accurate, does not lead and I reload the brass with 32-20 dies...

I only have 1000 30 carbine cases on had. I have over 6,000 cases for 32-20, including another box of 1000 Starline cases sitting in a box under my loading bench. I load the 30 carbine with another 115 grain .309 dia gas checked boolit, but I load my carbine somewhat hot. My 32-20 pistols do not have the same long barrel that the 30 carbine Blackhawk has and I do enjoy shooting the lighter loaded 32-20 in the pistol.

[Twmaster]

This is interesting. I've been looking at new Blackhawks in 30 Carbine, but, I already load for and have plenty of 32-20 brass/pills etc.

Got a link to this article on using these in the 30 BH?

ETA: Now I just realized.... This is the 7.62 Nagant Revolver thing too! Using 32-20 to repilcate that cartridge....

[leftiye]

Except the Nagant doesn't have chamber throats.

[clum553946]

Isn't 32-20 brass harder to find & more expensive than 30 carbine brass?

[FLHTC]

It only works in the new models. The old models don't have the room to accept the rim thickness. I much prefer the rimmed cases in a Blackhawks and was using 32-20 cases many moons ago. The 30 carbine sizer works well on them.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

I've shot regular 30 carbine cases through my Ruger without any problems. Also have used 32-20 cases without probs. The carbine cases need a slight taper crimp whereas the 32-20's use a slight roll crimp. The 32-20's need to be trimmed slightly, but the advantage of using them is that the rim keeps the round from going too far. Accuracy-wise for me they both do well. LLS

[DuckHunterJon]

It only works in the new models. The old models don't have the room to accept the rim thickness. I much prefer the rimmed cases in a Blackhawks and was using 32-20 cases many moons ago. The 30 carbine sizer works well on them.

Any chance this could be backwards? I have a new model in 30 carb and 32-20. I just tried a new Rem 32-20 round in the 30, and it does not clear. Its fine until the round gets to about the 10 o'clock position, then the rim runs out of clearance. Just curious as I have both guns, and don't really need to switch them up. Thanks!

[Nueces]

I just tried a new 32-20 round in my early old model Ruger (SN 74xx) and it would not go past the loading gate. Seems only the new models can sometimes accept 32-20s.

[Poygan]

I have a new model Blackhawk. Initially had a problem with reloaded carbine brass binding on the recoil shield and acquired some .32-20 brass. That generally worked better except for some R-P brass which had too thick a base and would bind on the recoil shield. I found that trimming the carbine brass solved the problem and have since stopped using the .32-20 brass.