I've got a 32-20 reloading issue.

[stocker1042]

I'd appreciate any help here. I just picked up a cool old Smith 32-20. Attempting to load some cast into some new brass. This is my first go-around with small bottleneck cases.

I have the boolits sized to .313 so they are correct. Brass is new. After the boolit is seated, it does not look like it is 100% straight in relation to the rest of the case. In other words, the top bottleneck part gets distorted from the rest of the larger case portion. Or, in other words, the case no longer seems 100% concentric.

Is this normal? If not, what am I doing wrong? Brand new lee dies, single stage press.

[dubber123]

I have had boolits tip when seating and produce funky looking rounds, easy to do in the thin 32-20 cases. I also have a set of dies in .375 H&H where the case portion of the seat die is visibly off center to the portion that guides the bullet in. It is physically impossible to make a concentric round with them. I'd strip the guts out of the seat die and give it a once over to make sure it doesn't have a similar issue.

[mpbarry1]

a lee tapered expanding die mught help. mine look good

[high standard 40]

I just bought the same Lee 32-20 dies for a "new to me" Ruger Blackhawk. I size my bullets to .313" also. I have not experienced the issue you described. Could it be you are crimping to heavy? Or try this. Seat and crimp as you have it set now and index the case to the die as you do so. Withdraw it and examine. Then run it back into the die but index it 180 degrees and examine again and see if it changes the issue.

[stocker1042]

Good idea as far as the indexing goes. I will give that a shot tomorrow.

[Guesser]

I've been using Lyman 32-20 dies for over 30 years, never experienced what you are describing.

[Idaho Mule]

Sounds like your boolits are tipping a bit when you seat them. Check your seating stem and see how it fits the nose of your boolit. You may have to modify seating stem so it fits. Proper fit of the seating stem to boolit helps the boolit alignment. I also use an M die before seating. For the 32-20 I go pretty light on my flair and open it just enough to accept the boolit base, this too helps the boolit seat straight. I do not know if you crimp in a seperate operation or not, but would suggest you do. Also crimp just enough, they don't need a heavy crimp. The 32-20 is a blast to shoot but they do take a little extra care in reloading. Hope this helps and enjoy your Smith. JW

[wch]

+1 for the Lyman "M" die.

[bigdog454]

I've had a similar problem when the crimp was set too heavy.
BD

[stocker1042]

I am pulling what is left of my hair out on this deal. I did the clocking thing to see if the die was the issue..no..it did it at random. I tried the belling die..very light belling....still did it. I tried every setting possible on the die...still does it. I even tried different boolits...still does it. It appears as if no matter what I do, the bullet will instantly get going crooked in the case no matter what. I'm using a basic Lee O press that I've used for an uncountable amount of rounds of straight walled cases and even bottle neck rifle rounds and have never had an issue.

Any other ideas?

[MT Chambers]

Without an in-line seating die, I've had to fashion a diff. contour of the nose of the seating stem using epoxy. Otherwise get a set of Redding dies and be happy.

[leftiye]

I'm guessing that your factory sizing die is sizing too much, and that either your expander ball is messing up its operation, or not expanding enough. Thus allowing deformation during seating due to the thin cases. I've accordioned the necks in 32-20 cases. Dies can be lapped out to not size too much, expanders can be reduced in size with a drill motor and sandpaper.

[Dan Cash]

Your sizing or seating die are off center between body and neck portion of the case. Check your resized case before seating a bullet. I have had this happen with a Herter's .30-30 sizing die and a Lee die, .300 Sav. I think. It seems not all that rare. Get another set of dies as you will never get satisfactory reloads with what you are using.

[rintinglen]

The Lee Factory Crimp die is your friend for loading the 32-20. If your problem stems from poor crimping results from your die set, the LCD can help.

[Lloyd Smale]

make sure your flaring your case neck enough. Start the bullet straight in the case and go slow. 3220 cases are thin and damage easily. As to crimp you only need a real mild crimp with them. Dont get carried away over crimping.

[bedbugbilly]

I don't reload the 32 WCF but hope to in the future - so I've been following this thread with interest.

I'm just wondering - and no real basis for it - but the throat of the 32-20 is thin if I understand the cartridge correctly. Is there any chance that your belling stem in your powder through die/neck expander die is possibly "out of round" or dirty? It's small - so it seems like if it was a little out of round, it would cause the bullet to "tip" as it enters the neck during seating? It seems like you'd catch this if it was but maybe not if it was just a "bit" out of round?

You say your are sizing to .310 - I'm assuming through a Lee push through sizing die? I imagine you have measured the sized bullets but is there any possibility they are not concentric (perfectly round) after sizing? I ask that as I had some 38s that I cast in an old mold and was going to load "as cast". I discovered they were a smidgin out of round and when I seated them, I noticed they were what I would call "tipped" in the case mouth - which if I understand correctly is what you are experiencing? They weren't bad enough that I couldn't shoot 'em but from then on, I pushed them through a .358 Lee sizer which basically swaged them back "in to round" - they they seated just fine in the case mouth.

I hope you get it figured out and keep us posted. I'm looking forward to eventually loading the 32 WCF - my G-uncle carried a Belgium Colt in that caliber in the late 1800's when he was a factory rep for International Harvestor traveling around the mid-west and west (I still have the pistol but it's not shootable). A nice historic cartridge!

[Ramjet-SS]

what kind of press ?

[10mmShooter]

Stocker,

I size to .314 for my .32 WCF, my old "I" frame is circa 1919...so she's an oldie, I use the RCBS 32-20 cowboy dies. They work great except I scratched the sizer die and had to spend an hour polishing out the scratch.