Cimarron 32/20 revolver

[T-Bird]

I've always wanted a revolver in 32/20 to be a companion for my mod 53 Miroku gun that I bought in the '90's which I love. There is a Cimarron revolver for sale on GB close to me and I was going to look at it. Do any of you have one? How is the quality? Worth the 473$ he's asking?

[Guesser]

My 32-20 is not marked Cimarron. It is a Ubertti, they make the Cimarron you are looking at. I bought mine used and had to make a minor repair but it shoots better than my list gen. Colt. I like it, I also have a Stoeger in 45 Colt and a Cimarron in 44 Special; all made by Ubertti. They are well made guns.

[Green Frog]

I stumbled onto a Navy Arms-marked SAA in 32-20 a few years ago... also product of Uberti. It seems that they started out as an OK product quite a few years ago but have progressed to quite respectable in the intervening time. They have been variously labeled by Uberti, Navy Arms, Taylor & Co and perhaps others and are now pretty nice guns. That price is not a steal, but if it's in excellent condition, it's not bad. BTW, Wolff Spring Co makes a spring set for this model which is money well spent... Navy Arms put them in all of their 32-20s before they were sold.

Froggie

[T-Bird]

thanks for the responses guys. Are "rifle" loads safe in them?

[Guesser]

Define "rifle loads". if you are talking Remington current production in boxes marked "rifle", then yes. But do not use the old Winchester Model 1892 80 gr. JHP ammunition or hand loads loaded to that level.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I have two of these, a 5 1/2 " Cimarron and a 4 3/4" Taylor. I purchased both together on an internet auction. The Cimarron is the earlier back powder frame, and had the early safety hammer with the gizmo attached to the bottom of the hammer. It seemed just fine until I actually shot it, and then it would lock up about every second round. The solution was to replace the Uberti hammer with a Colt hammer that lacked the safety mechanism. The Taylor had the standard hammer, but was very difficult to cock and required some internal smoothing and polishing. Both appeared almost new externally, but had apparently seen considerable use. So my advice would be to avoid one of the older versions with the safety-type hammer. Later versions seem to have done away with it. I don't want to discourage you from buying one, because overall I think Uberti makes some well made revolvers.

[T-Bird]

can't even find it anymore, maybe they took it down, or sold it. Now I'm mad, I "really needed" that gun!

[Bent Ramrod]

Cimarrons are very good revolvers. I have a .32-20 with the 7-1/2" barrel, standard finish, blackpowder style frame and bullseye ejector.

You can order a number of different finishes on the two styles of gun, and the markings are serif style like the original letters and numbers. Such "extra" touches are not often seen on production revolvers.

I had to shorten the engagement of the cylinder axle holding screw as it was pushing the axle back slightly and lightening the primer strikes. (This is the axle with the two-notch "safety" position.) A few file strokes and the screw now holds the axle in securely without pushing it backwards.

With loads it likes, the thing shoots like a rifle. IIRC, the new cost, 7-8 years ago, was in the low $400s by the time the store and the State of California had added their cumshaw to the list price.

[bedbugbilly]

You won't go wrong with a Uberti. I have a Uberty SAA Cattleman -45 Colt 7 1/2" and a Uberti Bisley - 4 3/4" 357 Mag. Both excellent revolvers, no issues, great fit and finish and accurate. One of the 32-20 s that Taylors lists is on my "list" of "to buy".

[Green Frog]

Right now, Taylor's lists only one variation (the "Cattleman Standard Finish") of their Uberti-made SAAs in 32-20 but it comes in three barrel lengths, 4.15, 5.5 and 7.5 inches. There is a $23 premium for the 32-20 chambering or you can get it with the "Taylor Tuning" for an extra $148, an option I highly recommend as this gives you a custom tuned gun at a standard gun price. This will put you at a MSRP of $548 or $673, but they run frequent sales if you watch their website and you can often get one for considerably less. I know that's more than the used price you saw, but that one is apparently gone... if you really want to feel ill, I got my 5.5" Navy Arms 32-20 looking like brand new at a local gun shop with no box or docs, but with a sack of factory ammo (about 30-40 rounds) for about $250 or so a couple of years ago. Gotta be there looking and strike when the iron is hot!

Froggie

[9.3X62AL]

I have owned 2 Uberti Cattleman revolvers, both with 4-3/4" barrels, one each in 45 Colt and 44/40 WCF. Both were/are EXCELLENT. I view that base pin/safety idea as a kind of novel and unobtrusive answer to the hoplophobic goobermint safety zealots that end users can ignore enthusiastically for the life of the firearm. "5 beans in the wheel" has worked well for a very long time.

[Love Life]

I have owned 2 Uberti Cattleman revolvers, both with 4-3/4" barrels, one each in 45 Colt and 44/40 WCF. Both were/are EXCELLENT. I view that base pin/safety idea as a kind of novel and unobtrusive answer to the hoplophobic goobermint safety zealots that end users can ignore enthusiastically for the life of the firearm. "5 beans in the wheel" has worked well for a very long time.

Load one, skip one, load 4!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dan Cash]

I have a Cimarron 5 1/2 .32-20 which I bught new about 3 years ago. It is about as straight "Colt" as one can get; action is very smooth, timing spot on, fit and finish perfect. Don't like the glossy varnish on the one piece grips. It is very tightly chambered so your hand loads better be right and bullets no more than .311. My revolver thrives on a 105 grain cast bullet over 9.4 grains of 2400 fired off by a small rifle primer.

[T-Bird]

Thanks guys, my new gun search was modified somewhat. I decided that my Miroku 1873 357 needed a companion. So I had the LGS order me a Uberti Cattleman 2 in 357 7.5in bbl. They said it should be here Monday! I can't wait! I'll get a 32/20 later!

[Wayne Smith]

Another option, if still available, is that the Uberti Lightning was available in 32-20 - mine is 41Colt, and fits in a .22 holster.

[T-Bird]

Yes it would MS

[9.3X62AL]

None of my 32/20 revolvers will EVER see rifle-level loads being run through them. All of my examples are pre-WWII, mind you--but I don't think any modern revolver other than perhaps a Ruger Blackhawk has any business digesting rifle-level loadings. My revolvers "limit out" at 950-1000 FPS with the 115 grain cast bullets I make, and that is a HARD LIMIT. For years, I have used Ken Waters' Pet Loads recommendation of 6.0 grains of SR-4756, and this delivers 975-1000 FPS from 5.5" barrels. I still have a few pounds of "4756" left, but it went out of print a couple years ago and I am trying out Herco as its replacement. I did give Trail Boss a test-drive--it is accurate, but 100%-volume loads give barely 800 FPS. Nice, but docile--and they hit high on target in fixed-sight wheelguns, 2.5"-3.0" high.

[Outpost75]

Olin AutoComp gives me safe and satisfactory results in my .32-20s, using the same volumetric measure setting as Bullseye:

Factory Loads Fired to Develop Safe Performance Baseline in Rifle and Revolver:

Ammunition Description___________Colt Police Positive 5”_____Savage Sporter 25”

Rem-UMC 100-grain lead
Kleanbore “Dogbone” box 1930s______898, 44 Sd, 116 ES_____1302, 15 SD, 38 ES - Max. Do Not Exceed
4.5 grains Hercules Infallible (burning rate between modern Unique and Herco)

Peters 100-grain softpoint
Kings Mills, Ohio 1940s______________870, 28, 71______________1150, 44, 137
4.5 grains Hercules Infallible

WRA 100-grain lead
Red & yellow box 1950s_____________854, 33, 87_______________1263, 18, 53
5 grains unknown Ball Powder, possibly WC630?

W-W 100-grain lead
Rounded primer, yellow box, 1970s____800, 11, 31______________1241, 9, 22
5.5 grains unknown Ball Powder possibly WC630?

W-W 100-grain lead
Flat primer, white box, 1990s_________778, 27, 69_______________1172, 18, 65
3.5 grains rolled greenish Ball powder resembling W231

R-P 100-grain lead
Bridgeport, CT 1970s________________780, 24, 67_______________1181, 17, 52
3 grains unknown fine-grained black flake, granulation finer than Bullseye, like .22 rimfire powder

R-P 100-grain lead
Lonoke, AR current production________716, 21, 55_______________1140, 12, 35
3 grains unknown fine grained black flake resembling .22 rimfire powder

Column Mean by Gun_______________5” Revolver______________25” Rifle
Average Velocity of Factory Loads_____814 fps._________________1207 fps

Standard Pressure Loads for Rifle or Revolver

Bullet,
RCBS Little Dandy Rotor#, Pdr. Chg.____Colt Police Positive 5”______Savage Sporter 25”

Accurate 31-105T Attachment 204533

RCBS LD#4, 3.4 grains Bullseye_______798 fps, 27 Sd, 60ES________1153 fps, 20 Sd, 72 ES

RCBS LD#4, 4.9 grains AutoComp_____912 fps, 19 Sd, 53 ES________1315 fps, 32 Sd, 118 ES

[Green Frog]

Keep going guys. All of this discussion is saving me a BUNCH of time chasing rabbits from the bench instead of in the field. I've gotten about three or four "recipes" from folks I trust, that can be used right away. Thanks to all involved.

Froggie

[9.3X62AL]

This is going a bit far afield, but here goes anyway. I have a Ruger Blackhawk in 30 U.S. Carbine because it serves as a sort of "rifle-level 32/20". That the Carbine cartridge was derived from the 32/20 high speed loadings is pretty obvious. The 7.62 x 38R Nagant owes the 32/20 a debt of gratitude for its dimensions as well. The late Frank Barnes said in his Cartridges of the World that "There was nothing new under the sun." I won't be quite so gracious--gun designers plagiarize the living daylights out of each other.