32-20 pistol and rifle

[Lethemgo]

My stuff came yesterday to cast and load for the 32-20. Want to load up some stuff to get going to range this weekend so going to load some 100gr jacketed bullets then will cast up some lead boolits in the evening. I'm loading for a 1909 colt bisley and a 1911 Winchester 92. Should I load two different loads or just do one to start. Thinking maybe 4.5 or 5gr unique and just load up 50 to go to range and try out each gun.

[shdwlkr]

with the age of the firearms you are planning to use I would work up one load that works for both of them then you don't have to wonder one day if you have the wrong load for the firearm you wish to use.

[earlmck]

Murphy's law will tell you that there is no chance at all those two like the same load (none of my rifle/pistol combos ever have). But you gotta' start somewhere, so it looks like you have a good first guess there. One of those guns should kinda' like your first guess.

One detail that generally gets me is that getting a fat enough boolit to fit the cylinder decent on the revolver produces one that is too fat to chamber freely in the rifle. You may be luckier than I ever was though.

[Rimfire]

I wouldn't use the jacketed bullets in the revolver. Lots of 32-20 revolvers have a ring in the barrel from a stuck bullet in the barrel and being fired again.

[Kraschenbirn]

Ken Waters shows as 4.5 gr. of Unique as max. for 100 gr. jacketed in his 1905 S&W Hand Ejector and, in his article, stated that we was "disappointed" with performance this load for both accuracy and velocity. His "best" jacketed load was obtained with 8.0 gr 2400 and a Remington 100 gr. JSP.

I don't shoot .32-20 in a handgun (only because I haven't run across one in decent condition that I could afford) but found the best accuracy in my 1885 Low Wall with the good ol' 31108 (118 gr from my alloy) over 6.0 gr AA#5 but that's a 'rifle-only' load generating a little over 1300 fps.

Bill

[cwlongshot]

I have used Red Dot Unique but my favorite is PB. Too bad its long gone, but if you have some, give it a try. Its a favorite on squirrels and rabbits with my 115 swc cast soft. barely loud ear muffs not needed with a tiny dipper of powder. But bug hole accuracy form my Winchester 92 & Marlin 1984. My H&R with a SMLE barrel dosen't shoot them as well, but that gun isn't made to.

The 32WCF is a old and very good friend to me.

CW

[Outpost75]

Group 1 Standard Pressure .32-20 Loads for Rifle or Revolver

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

Remington .311” 100-grain JSP____930 fps, 16 Sd, 45 ES________1230 fps, 26 Sd, 79 ES
LD#4, 4.9 grains AutoComp

Accurate 31-105T

LD#1, 3.2 grains TiteGroup_________858 fps, 22 Sd, 61 Es_______1133 fps, 30 Sd, 67 ES

LD#4, 3.4 grains Bullseye__________861 fps, 19 Sd, 47ES________1173 fps, 18 Sd, 54 ES

LD#3, 4.5 grains AutoComp________912 fps, 19 Sd, 53 ES _______1260 fps, 21 Sd, 55 ES

LD#4, 4.9 grains AutoComp________ 943 fps, 32 Sd, 71 ES_______1315 fps, 32 Sd, 118 ES

LD#10, 7.5 grains Alliant #2400_____991 fps, 24 Sd, 65 ES_______1348, 29 Sd, 69 ES DO NOT EXCEED!

LD#13, 10.0 grains IMR4227_______985 fps, 25 Sd, 61ES________1280 fps, 53 Sd, 176 ES

LD#17, 13 grains IMR4198________974 fps, 21 Sd, 94 ES________1326 fps, 46 Sd, 138 ES

[Lethemgo]

I was trying to take the fast to shooting route. I'll just go home and cast a few tonight for in my revolver. I have wheel weights and some 20-1 I could use. Maybe just to start I'll cast the soft stuff as I'm not going to load heavy loads anyway. I'll use the bullseye load. Any thoughts on this?

[Lethemgo]

So I came home and cast up some boolits. Tumbled them in tumble lube now tomorrow I'll load up some rounds and hopefully hit the range on Saturday.

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