Forming .32-20 (.32 WCF) Brass

[36g]

New to the forum but not new to firearms, reloading, bullet casting.

With the current brass availability situation, one is led to some unusual means sometimes. With the acquisition of a Cimarron '73 Winchester in .32-20 the need for ammo arose. Loaded ammo - good luck, unobtainium. Once-fired or new brass - likewise. Loading dies - available. Solution - 7.62 Nagant Revolver brass.

Process - run Nagant brass through FL sizer die, trim to length, inside and outside ream to remove any flashing, and load. My first loads were very light using 100 gr. cast LFP. Will work up some loads as time permits.

Range time - brass worked very well. Only major difference in Nagant brass and factory .32-20 brass is slightly reduced rim thickness and diameter. Extractor grabbed rim reliably, no pressure signs, case neck sealed well with no gas blowby towards rim.

[Nueces]

Nice report on an interesting result. I was prepared to doubt that you were of this galaxy, being able to source an oddity like the Nagant brass, but I find it all over at what is now a reasonable price. There was a thread here about making 310 Cadet cases from the PPU Nagant case.

As a forward looking, prudent stockist (no, not a hoarder!), I believe I will lay in a supply. Thanks for the heads up.

[cwtebay]

Now I definitely know that I have come full circle!!!! I made Nagant brass from 32-20 for 20 years!!
Excellent idea though if you have surplus Nagant around!
I am reminded of a fella that was making 30-40 brass from 35 WCF.

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[toot]

I shoot NAGANT AMMO in mine, and it fire forms when done.

[Milsurp Junkie]

Where are you guys finding nagant brass? I used to make it from 32-20...and was about to try to form it from 223 brass to get it long enough for the gas seal.

[36g]

Try Powder Valley or Graf and Sons...

[Wayne Smith]

Star Line makes 32-20 brass, I have no idea if they have any in stock at the moment, but it is standard for them to make it.

[36g]

Starline and Winchester both appear to be unobtainable at the moment.

[boingk]

Interesting.

I'm using an excess of Starline 32-20 to form 310 Cadet by trimming to 1.120" and giving a quick sand on the base to stop extraction problems due to the thicker base.

I did the sizeable trim using a step-drill. Yeah, I'm a monster haha, but at least it got a good deburr afterward.

Fave load for both is a 78gn .314 roundnose with 1cc Trailboss for 1250fps.

- boingk

[36g]

I have been using a tubing cut off saw that works pretty well to do the gross trimming followed by a traditional case trimmer. It is a bit underpowered and you need to watch your fingers but it will cut to close length and then finish with regular case trimmer.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0992JXZ8G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The table and adjustable length gauge help tremendously.

[rgsumpter]

Just saw this on another forum. https://winchestercollector.org/forum/winchester-swap-meet/32-20-once-fired-brass/

[uscra112]

Things are lookin' mighty tough when you can't even get .32-20 brass.

[toot]

it's a sign of what is comming, you can be sure!!

[36g]

Was able to find a couple of bags of new .32-20 brass at the local farm supply store a few weeks ago so there are some supplies actually getting out.

[toot]

I have used NAGANT brass for years and not a HICCUP using it. I use them in my S&W revolver also.

[ascast]

I am curious why your doing all this. Gun Broker has loads of 32-20 brass for about 40 cents a pop.

[Bent Ramrod]

I use Nagant brass for my .32 Ideal. Comes up a little short, but the swelling ahead of the base isn’t extreme, and the thin rim still allows function. And it is surprisingly available—a guy at a Gun Show with a table full of bags of common brass (.30-30, .30-06, etc) dragged a bag of Privi Partizan out of the pile and sold it to me at a surprisingly 2019-ish price.

[BJK]

A little off subject, but the .32/20 is a nice little cartridge. I load it for a Contender and in modern steel I can get a 125gr bullet near 2000 fps. I have my barrel boxed up and ready to ship out to get it threaded. I think it'll make a good quiet subsonic round with a can in place.

When I got my barrel I bought 1k brass and at my age that's enough for life.

When I first got the barrel (in a purchase of a grab bag of Contender "stuff" from a coworker) I wondered what I'd use it for. I'd never heard of it. Then I did some research into what it was used for back in the day and now. It was a very interesting read. Back in the day the sedate loads for it were highly thought of for deer and bear. Today I'd want more velocity and bullet weight hence my load that I already mentioned. With us it goes on walks, or did. The Contender barrel was used by the metallic silhouette crowd and the bore is .308 for modern bullet compatibility. They'd lob the bullets in.

If anyone knows anything more about the .32/20 I'm interested in hearing about it.

[gwpercle]

Huntington Die Specialties (HDS) advertises hard to find cases like 32-20 , 25-20 , 8mm Nambu , 32-40 ,284 Winchester and a few other hard to find ... I went to their on-line catalog , checked on the first three and they appear to be in stock ...But said to phone in to place an order ... so they may or may not be in stock . www.huntingtons.com
Might be a source of brass , I had forgotten about HDS ... I thought they were bought out / up by RCBS ...but evidently HDS remained as seperate business and not part of RCBS .
I'm going back to site and look at their on-line catalog ... if they are still in business I will be more than happy to buy from them .
Gary

[Tall]

Just wanted to say I talked to Huntington's on the phone recently. They no longer use their website and it is seriously out of date. Like 32 WCF brass many of the items listed there are long out of stock.

[Minerat]

Best to call. They were the only place I could get dies and brass for my 327 fed a couple of years ago. Not even RCBS had the dies but Huntington's did. Forgot a shell holder when placing order sent an email late on a Sunday when I remembered. Did not hear anything so figured I was out of luck but when the package got to me the shell holder was there. Mr. Huntington started RCBS then sold to Blount. They are great to work with.

[Kai]

Now I definitely know that I have come full circle!!!! I made Nagant brass from 32-20 for 20 years!!
Excellent idea though if you have surplus Nagant around!
I am reminded of a fella that was making 30-40 brass from 35 WCF.

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Any trick to forming nagant brass from 32-20? Just run it through the nagant die? I have lots of 32-20 brass and was given a nagant pistola that is like new. Certainly don't need another cartridge to load but figure I got the gun so may as well shoot it.

[HWooldridge]

Any trick to forming nagant brass from 32-20? Just run it through the nagant die? I have lots of 32-20 brass and was given a nagant pistola that is like new. Certainly don't need another cartridge to load but figure I got the gun so may as well shoot it.

You might want to market some of your 32-20 brass - it’s worth its weight in gold…

[Combat Diver]

Tag for interest. Thinking of trading for a Winchester 43 in .218 Bee. Will need cases of course.

[uscra112]

You might want to market some of your 32-20 brass - it’s worth its weight in gold…

Gold you can buy anywhere - the brass, not so much! :lol:

[HWooldridge]

Gold you can buy anywhere - the brass, not so much! :lol:

Amen - ye olde hens’ teeth are more available…

[Easty]

Went through the process of using 7.62 Nagant brass to make 32-20 and they worked fine in handgun but not in my Marlin 1894 CL. They chamber fine and extract from chamber fine but won’t eject out of receiver. Think it is a head thickness issue.

[Rapier]

Being a 30-20 shooter, BF, Contender, Merrill, most all single shot modern guns are made with a .308 barrel with 1-10 twist. I have the dies and expanders for the 30-20 version. However, it is necessary to have the brass to start with to make the 32-20 and/or the 25-20. When the brass comes around, good idea to buy it.

[Littlewolf]

I found 150 rnds of once fired nagant brass at a gun show and loaded it with a #3 tool and 3118 boolits. shoots great out of my savage sporter doesn't eject due to rim diameter on every round but some do but if I could get real 32-20 brass ...

[Wayne Smith]

If everyone puts an order in to Starline they may actually make some again.

[HWooldridge]

If everyone puts an order in to Starline they may actually make some again.

I sent them a note asking that very question but they haven’t responded - either yea or nay.

[Tall]

They will not allow you to order 32 WCF and many other calibers. I have had 41 Long Colt on order for many years. Still nothing and they allow orders on that one.

[nicholst55]

I sent them a note asking that very question but they haven’t responded - either yea or nay.

Similar situation with .480 Ruger brass; only two sources, Starline and Hornady. Hornady has decided to only sell ammo in that flavor, and Starline isn't accepting orders.

[Rockindaddy]

Wonder if anyone has formed 25-20 WCF out of Privi Partisan 7.62 Nagant? I have a bag of once fired. My Winchester 92' will smile!

[Mk42gunner]

Wonder if anyone has formed 25-20 WCF out of Privi Partisan 7.62 Nagant? I have a bag of once fired. My Winchester 92' will smile!
I wondered the same thing as most of my .25-20 is reformed .32-20 brass.

I don't see why it wouldn't work, but I probably am not going to do it -- at least not soon. My .25-20 is a single shot and I have sufficient brass on hand, at least for now.

Robert

[Texas by God]

Grafs has PPU Nagant brass for sale.
If I had a 32-20 I’d be getting some NOW.


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[john.k]

Funny ,a while back I was at a shop,they had a huge plastic bag of Starline 32-20 unprimed as a special .......woman at the counter said there were too many short cases to sell retail.........I checked it out ,and there were maybe five improperly formed cases in hundreds .....anyhoo,bought the bag......shoulda bought small primers as well .

[376Steyr]

Sgammo.com has loaded PPU 7.62 ammo in stock now, at a very reasonable price. I squirreled some away, just in case a 32-20 appears in my safe before brass is again available. I keep an eye on the Starline website, hoping that they will someday make a run of 32-20.

[HWooldridge]

Winchester and Remington both used to produce 32-20 brass, but that supply has also dried up. I believe I have more Winchester brass in my stash than Starline.

[Three44s]

My answer for the 32-20 is instead shoot .30 Herret. I source 30-30 Win, do the conversion and do not look back.

Lots of people ran away from the Herret because it was too much trouble, but I can convert a lot of easy to find brass instead of looking for hard to find stuff.

Of course I had to get a Contender carbine barrel in 25-20 and step right in the bear trap after all! But I got that itch scratched thanks to our dearly departed Grumpa a while back.

It just goes round and round doesn’t it?

Three44s