What's Up With 32-20 And 25-20 Prices?

[.45Cole]

It seems like components and esp loaded rounds are bringing in a fortune, especially for 25-20. I wish starline would do a run and slow down the hype over 25-20 - they've become more expensive than my .348! Never thought the day would come when 32-20 brass approached $1/each!

[dtknowles]

New reality.......

[gc45]

Very tough, I know. if I could not reload my 32's the guns would set or be sold. As it is not a popular case, Starline may feel there is no profit in making them preferring to make other brass instead. I have tried calling them to no avail, same with others who used to make 32 and 25 cases available most all the time. Same with 218 bee cases, no longer there..Maybe 223 and 9mm takes most of their shop time these days, just a guess.

[cwtebay]

Very tough, I know. if I could not reload my 32's the guns would set or be sold. As it is not a popular case, Starline may feel there is no profit in making them preferring to make other brass instead. I have tried calling them to no avail, same with others who used to make 32 and 25 cases available most all the time. Same with 218 bee cases, no longer there..Maybe 223 and 9mm takes most of their shop time these days, just a guess.That may be true for you, but I have several thousand 32 WCF and 25 WCF cases, around 2500 218 cases and I just ordered 32 WCF from starline today. I am a scrounger and tend to find what I need.

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[Bad Ass Wallace]

It is a curious situation, I make 25/20 and 218 Mashburn Bee from 32/20 but these are just unavailable in Australia.

https://i.imgur.com/6AFUHJMl.jpg

[Idaho Mule]

That may be true for you, but I have several thousand 32 WCF and 25 WCF cases, around 2500 218 cases and I just ordered 32 WCF from starline today. I am a scrounger and tend to find what I need.

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I am curious how you ordered 32-20 brass from Starline today. I just checked and it says "out of stock, no back orders".

[cwtebay]

I am curious how you ordered 32-20 brass from Starline today. I just checked and it says "out of stock, no back orders".I received an email from starline that my backorder was released. I believe several other members received the same

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[FergusonTO35]

Sadly, they just continue to fade into the past. Far as I know, neither one has been chambered in a production rifle since the Marlin 1894 of the 90's. Marlin did a run of them in the 2000's and I seriously doubt they produced many of them. It has been many decades since the .32-20 and .25-20 were mainstream cartridges with ammo available everywhere at a reasonable price. My dad had a Marlin .32-20 back around 1990, and even then ammo was .60-.75 cents each and could only be found in a well stocked gun shop.

[veeman]

I too look often daily at starline for 32-20 brass, always NA. I did get my backorder of 38-40 yesterday that I ordered 3 weeks ago, was really surprised at that, considering some have been waiting a year or more for theirs.

[Kai]

Quality cartridge told me they can't get the raw materials. Starline told me they are way to busy making more popular cases to regularly pump out 3220 or to tool up for 2520. I've still got new winchester 2520 cases for sale but no, they ain't cheap.

[dverna]

Obsolete cartridges will get increasingly difficult and expensive to source. It is sad to see, but companies are driven by profit and not nostalgia. I understand that even though it sucks.

In a recent thread a few people were recommending a .218 Bee to a fellow for a new gun build. Made no sense at all.

[35 Rem]

I have maybe 700 32-20's and I treat them like gold. I never EVER work the lever fast enough to actually eject one onto the ground. :) If Starline ever recovers and stocks some I'll buy at least 1,000. Yeah, the 25-20 is really scarce. I got lucky with buying Starline 32 Winchester Special right after buying a rifle so chambered last year. Some guy had a lot of them that he was selling through Gunbroker and I got 1,100 so I'm set for life with that one. A friend who also has a 32 Special bought several hundred from the same seller. OF course, people like that are part of the problem. They make a huge order from Starline, which helps to keep the shortage going, then sell at a premium through Gunbroker. Not much you can do about it though.

[35 Rem]

Quality cartridge told me they can't get the raw materials. Starline told me they are way to busy making more popular cases to regularly pump out 3220 or to tool up for 2520. I've still got new winchester 2520 cases for sale but no, they ain't cheap.

I don't understand why they don't factor in set up production costs to the price of some of these oldies and make them anyhow. Starline got their start with such cartridges and it would gain a lot of customer loyalty if they would do seasonal runs of the same. I don't know the overall numbers they would sell but I bet they have a good idea and you know they would move fast because the supply chain has run dry. Again, Starline built their business on these type cartridges, it just doesn't make sense to turn their backs on their longtime customers completely.

[HWooldridge]

I don't understand why they don't factor in set up production costs to the price of some of these oldies and make them anyhow. Starline got their start with such cartridges and it would gain a lot of customer loyalty if they would do seasonal runs of the same. I don't know the overall numbers they would sell but I bet they have a good idea and you know they would move fast because the supply chain has run dry. Again, Starline built their business on these type cartridges, it just doesn't make sense to turn their backs on their longtime customers completely.

It's probably simply a question of machine capacity. They would rather consume a shift running a size they are absolutely sure will sell quickly instead of an obsolete cartridge. I'll wager you will start seeing some of the oddball stuff being produced again if we ever get back to an overabundance of components in the marketplace, but there will be a continuing shortage until that happens.

[KWK]

It seems like components and esp loaded rounds are bringing in a fortune...

With allies in two wars and China itching for a third, ammo components will be dear for years. There are hoarders out there sitting on thousands of cases and wanting to order more. Starline won't be able to meet demand, and I can't see them shutting down a line to change tooling to an obsolete cartridge and then back. They can service the greatest number of people by cranking out the popular cases. We lose.

I was thinking of chambering a single shot in 32-20 but will have to settle for 38/357 instead. Starline has a "green light" on those, and I have empties of each on my shelves.

[Eddie Southgate]

I have maybe 700 32-20's and I treat them like gold. I never EVER work the lever fast enough to actually eject one onto the ground. :) If Starline ever recovers and stocks some I'll buy at least 1,000. Yeah, the 25-20 is really scarce. I got lucky with buying Starline 32 Winchester Special right after buying a rifle so chambered last year. Some guy had a lot of them that he was selling through Gunbroker and I got 1,100 so I'm set for life with that one. A friend who also has a 32 Special bought several hundred from the same seller. OF course, people like that are part of the problem. They make a huge order from Starline, which helps to keep the shortage going, then sell at a premium through Gunbroker. Not much you can do about it though.

Run a garden variety 30-30 into a .32 WS sizing die and you got a .32 WS .

[Kai]

Run a garden variety 30-30 into a .32 WS sizing die and you got a .32 WS .

That is the wrong 32 caliber winchester cartridge!

[cwtebay]

I received an email from starline that my backorder was released. I believe several other members received the same

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk2000 cases on the way. I believe that if you put yourself on the backorder list you'll be notified when they make their production.

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[Kai]

2000 cases on the way. I believe that if you put yourself on the backorder list you'll be notified when they make their production.

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You must be talking 3220?

[cwtebay]

You must be talking 3220?Yes, I believe that's the only one in this family currently available - unless you order 100,000. Then I believe they will they'll make 25 WCF or 218 Bee.

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[35 Rem]

Run a garden variety 30-30 into a .32 WS sizing die and you got a .32 WS .

True but when you have rifles chambered for both, I don't want such similar cartridges laying around that both have the same head stamp. Besides I got a good enough price on the 32 Specials that it was not much more than 30-30 anyhow.

[35 Rem]

2000 cases on the way. I believe that if you put yourself on the backorder list you'll be notified when they make their production.

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Problem is that they won't take backorders most of the time.

[cwtebay]

Problem is that they won't take backorders most of the time.I'm unsure about that part, Starline has always been incredible to do business with. I had this on backorder for a minute or two, but they've delivered everything I have ever ordered from them.

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[obssd1958]

I've had .41 Colt on backorder from Starline since September of 2022. They assure me that they will eventually get to it...

[cwtebay]

I've had .41 Colt on backorder from Starline since September of 2022. They assure me that they will eventually get to it...They will, I got my 41 Colt after waiting for some time.

[dtknowles]

I have 100 or so 32-20, all loaded at this time. Why do ya'll need so much brass. I shoot them and reload them and shoot them again. I anneal them so they last longer after a few cycles. I probably have 25 or so antique loaded factory rounds that I will never shoot, well except for Armageddon I guess. I am pretty sure I could make brass from .223 if I got desperate but having 100 plus on the shelf and dozens of other guns to shoot, I don't feel I need more brass.
TEK

[35 Rem]

I have 100 or so 32-20, all loaded at this time. Why do ya'll need so much brass. I shoot them and reload them and shoot them again. I anneal them so they last longer after a few cycles. I probably have 25 or so antique loaded factory rounds that I will never shoot, well except for Armageddon I guess. I am pretty sure I could make brass from .223 if I got desperate but having 100 plus on the shelf and dozens of other guns to shoot, I don't feel I need more brass.
TEK

Mainly because of times like we have experienced with Obama and Biden in the White House, political unrest, nutjobs shooting up public places with liberals reacting by trying to outlaw guns, then the public responding to that by grabbing up anything that will go "Boom" for years. These things can cause years and years of famine in the supply chain for all things gun related. I feel a lot more comfortable if I have enough to weather these hard times without buying until things normalize. I sure wish it wasn't like that.

[HWooldridge]

I suppose the question "how much is enough" has to be answered by each individual. Granted, I am not a cowboy action shooter but I've never been at a loss for brass. Biggest concern for me has always been primers, so 500 cases of any size is way more than I'll ever need. I started reloading 45 years ago (just counted - had to take off my shoes and socks...LOL) and still have cases from when I started. Some of my 44-40 cases began as a 50 round box of factory ammo that I bought at a hardware store before I ever considered reloading my own shells, so that brass is even older. I will certainly concede that competitive shooters are in a different world but I'd wager most people either sell it off as surplus or die and leave it for the heirs.

I looked at the Track of the Wolf brass yesterday when it was available and decided against buying more - I just don't need it...YMMV

[freakonaleash]

I've been finding 32 20 and 25 20 brass at local gunshows. The old timers must be croaking off and their reloading components are turning up on gunshow tables. I buy all the old obsolete brass I come across.

[cwtebay]

I have 100 or so 32-20, all loaded at this time. Why do ya'll need so much brass. I shoot them and reload them and shoot them again. I anneal them so they last longer after a few cycles. I probably have 25 or so antique loaded factory rounds that I will never shoot, well except for Armageddon I guess. I am pretty sure I could make brass from .223 if I got desperate but having 100 plus on the shelf and dozens of other guns to shoot, I don't feel I need more brass.
TEKThis brass in particular is lost through attrition with me. 218 Bee - case head separation, 25-20 - neck fails, 32-20 - case splits. My kids and nephews and nieces love the 1892's and the Winchester 43 is my go to for ground squirrels and such. All get more than their share of use.

(Several also get donated back to mother earth when misplaced, and I seem to be pretty proficient at crushing at least one per loading session)

[farmbif]

Remington bankruptcy didn't help any. for about the past 20 years ive seen only one box of winchester 25-20 but a dozen years ago or so when Remington made a "seasonal"run i was able to get case of the 86 grain soft point ammo and brass was impossible to find anywhere and even then it was quite expensive. about $1.50/round.
I remember when I first got the 25-20 went to all the local shops looking for ammo and only one place even knew what it was.
both the 32-20 and the 25-20 ammo are things that you have to keep searching till you find it. a few years ago I stumbled upon a place called duck creek and he had new 25-20 and 35 rem brass at very reasonable cost.
got to stock up when you find it and keep your eyes open.

[Kai]

I have 100 or so 32-20, all loaded at this time. Why do ya'll need so much brass. I shoot them and reload them and shoot them again. I anneal them so they last longer after a few cycles. I probably have 25 or so antique loaded factory rounds that I will never shoot, well except for Armageddon I guess. I am pretty sure I could make brass from .223 if I got desperate but having 100 plus on the shelf and dozens of other guns to shoot, I don't feel I need more brass.
TEK

To each his own but if you are like others and shoot very often your 100 cases will be warn out before you know it and with shortages your rifle will soon be hanging in the wall. 32-20 from .223 brass? I don't think that's gona work. You need a rim!

[smkummer]

I've been finding 32 20 and 25 20 brass at local gunshows. The old timers must be croaking off and their reloading components are turning up on gunshow tables. I buy all the old obsolete brass I come across.
Yep, I’ve noticed this as well. I’ve got 600 cases and about all are loaded at this time. Shooting cowboy action, I bring back about 45-50 of the 60 I shoot out of my 92. I’m good until Starline starts making them again.

[dtknowles]

To each his own but if you are like others and shoot very often your 100 cases will be warn out before you know it and with shortages your rifle will soon be hanging in the wall. 32-20 from .223 brass? I don't think that's gona work. You need a rim!

My cases will not be worn out before I know it. I anneal them so that they last longer. I am shooting mild loads (about the same as 32 S&W long), and I don't overdo the belling or crimp. I shoot them in a revolver, so I rarely lose brass. Also like I said, I have many guns I shoot so the 32-20 does not get a lot of range time but it is the most accurate revolver I have ever shot. It is a Dan Wesson.

Regarding making brass from .223, I am pretty sure I can do it but it would be a lot of work. I have made a couple .32 extra long from .223 brass.

I just measured some ammo, the rim on the 32-20 was 0.405" dia and 0.060" thick. The body at the head was 0.349". The rim on the .223 was 0.375" dia and 0.040" thick so the rim would be undersized but not so much that it would not work in a revolver probably would not extract reliability in a lever gun. They would have to be sized, trimmed, turned on a lathe and sized again. Like I said, a lot of work. Could do the same thing with .357 mag brass and end up with the proper rim.

Tim

[cwtebay]

My cases will not be worn out before I know it. I anneal them so that they last longer. I am shooting mild loads (about the same as 32 S&W long), and I don't overdo the belling or crimp. I shoot them in a revolver, so I rarely lose brass. Also like I said, I have many guns I shoot so the 32-20 does not get a lot of range time but it is the most accurate revolver I have ever shot. It is a Dan Wesson.

Regarding making brass from .223, I am pretty sure I can do it but it would be a lot of work. I have made a couple .32 extra long from .223 brass.

I just measured some ammo, the rim on the 32-20 was 0.405" dia and 0.060" thick. The body at the head was 0.349". The rim on the .223 was 0.375" dia and 0.040" thick so the rim would be undersized but not so much that it would not work in a revolver probably would not extract reliability in a lever gun. They would have to be sized, trimmed, turned on a lathe and sized again. Like I said, a lot of work. Could do the same thing with .357 mag brass and end up with the proper rim.

TimIf you are shooting them infrequently in a revolver at mild loads - can't disagree with you there. I tend to make my 32-20 loads to match the original loadings or slightly below for my rifles and carbines. I load one SRC for lion hunting with 100gr j-words at around 2000fps and do enjoy shooting that one as well - brass life is much shorter than the 750fps'ish loading.
I get roughly 8 reloadings for that and probably double that (and far more) for my boolit loads at 1695fps. I have several containers labeled 1-8+ for my reloaded brass and the 8+ always seems to be fairly full.
But as I mentioned before - I lose brass through attrition, and that means that nothing in will equal nothing out in fairly short order.

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[cwtebay]

My cases will not be worn out before I know it. I anneal them so that they last longer. I am shooting mild loads (about the same as 32 S&W long), and I don't overdo the belling or crimp. I shoot them in a revolver, so I rarely lose brass. Also like I said, I have many guns I shoot so the 32-20 does not get a lot of range time but it is the most accurate revolver I have ever shot. It is a Dan Wesson.

Regarding making brass from .223, I am pretty sure I can do it but it would be a lot of work. I have made a couple .32 extra long from .223 brass.

I just measured some ammo, the rim on the 32-20 was 0.405" dia and 0.060" thick. The body at the head was 0.349". The rim on the .223 was 0.375" dia and 0.040" thick so the rim would be undersized but not so much that it would not work in a revolver probably would not extract reliability in a lever gun. They would have to be sized, trimmed, turned on a lathe and sized again. Like I said, a lot of work. Could do the same thing with .357 mag brass and end up with the proper rim.

TimAlso - forming brass for this family of cartridges from 5.56 is possible! I had a bit of time several years ago and did it! It required me to put a cheater bar on my press and trimming them in a mini chop saw. I then put them through multiple dies to arrive at my desired shoulder and case mouth. The upside is that they are incredibly hardy brass! I used military 5.56 for this and can't believe how much the volume changes. The downside has been that extraction has been a challenge (due to the rim) and the volume change has been enough to make changes in charge fairly prominent on the to do list, and EXTRACTION sucks (did I mention that?).
I find it fun to see how many folks are making 7.62 Nagant brass into 32-20! I recall when starting my foray into reloading making 32-20 into 7.62 Nagant. Then the Iron Curtain dropped and lo and behold the little cardboard boxes with Cyrillic writing were as cheap as 22RF.


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[Bigslug]

Figure that both a .32-20 and a .38 Special/.357 Magnum case use about the same amount of raw material, and the demand and rate of sale for the latter will outweigh the former by about 300 billion to one. Which would YOU rather tool up to produce?

I've got my weird cartridges: went through an Ackley Improved phase, get a great deal of joy out of the .32-20 blown out in a modified Martini Cadet, and have a strange weakness for Webley revolvers. But the realization I keep coming to is that the history of cartridge development gave us AT LEAST ten different cartridges that for all practical purposes are identical to each other in performance. In that light, the guys with the "boring" .38, 9mm, 5.56, .308, and .30-06 will be awash in a sea of brass - a lot of it free. The dinosaurs are fun, but you can't take their continued availability for granted, and had better strike hard during those times of plenty.

It would be nice if the Big Boys and Starline could come to some kind of agreement where the large factories could make component brass for the Wal Mart calibers and Starline would exclusively handle the old "dash" rounds, but it ain't the way to make a steady buck.

Truth is, the logistically superior rounds are just as fun when the primer pops.

[Lance Boyle]

With allies in two wars and China itching for a third, ammo components will be dear for years. There are hoarders out there sitting on thousands of cases and wanting to order more. Starline won't be able to meet demand, and I can't see them shutting down a line to change tooling to an obsolete cartridge and then back. They can service the greatest number of people by cranking out the popular cases. We lose.

I was thinking of chambering a single shot in 32-20 but will have to settle for 38/357 instead. Starline has a "green light" on those, and I have empties of each on my shelves.

I suspect this will certainly be a problem for us going forward for a good five years at least unless we get a streak of love and peace in the world. There is a bigger demand for the raw materials that our stuff uses but is also used by military powders. I am guessing even cannon powder has a huge crossover to our smokeless gun powder. I have seen more stories on cannon shell production not being able to keep pace with expenditures in Ukraine. They fire more per day than we can make, or even buy or borrow from allies. The only good thing is all the allies will rotate their old stocks out of the warehouses but it may leave them short if they need it,....like we are doing to ourselves. I was in the service in the eighties and nineties. We were shooting WW2 .50 cal ammo and Korean war era mortar shells. Those stocks are gone as well they should be as we all know even well stored things potentially break down chemically.

Until the gov is satisfied with their stock our stuff will still take a back seat and cost more due to the competition for resources.

Oh and don’t get me started on the near monopoly on gun powder sales in the U.S. that Hodgdon holds. When you own your competition things aren’t less expensive ever.

[farmbif]

not to get side tracked on this but hodgdon does now have 4 big brands but the increase in price is much less then alliant, my jaw about hit the floor looking at the current cost for a jug of 2400. Ive been in this reloading hobby all my adult life and stocked up on supplies when I could, you can never have enough 2400, so now the powder bunker is well stocked, and it is a powder bunker, legal and legit to powder storage standards. just one thing you need to keep in mind is where you gonna store the stuff.

[fordwannabe]

Don’t know f they still have any but a month ago ET brass in Ohio had factory primed Winchester 25-20 brass $30 for 50 cases. I got 500!

[Lance Boyle]

not to get side tracked on this but hodgdon does now have 4 big brands but the increase in price is much less then alliant, my jaw about hit the floor looking at the current cost for a jug of 2400. Ive been in this reloading hobby all my adult life and stocked up on supplies when I could, you can never have enough 2400, so now the powder bunker is well stocked, and it is a powder bunker, legal and legit to powder storage standards. just one thing you need to keep in mind is where you gonna store the stuff.


You can buy VihtaVouri N110 cheaper or Enforcer even cheaper still.


Back on topic I tried to work a deal on a Browning 53 in 32-20 last year but the consignor apparently snubbed my offer. Probably did me a favor. In all honesty my ideal would be a nonexistent model 92 in a .32 H&R . A guy can dream right?

[FergusonTO35]

Remington bankruptcy didn't help any. for about the past 20 years ive seen only one box of winchester 25-20 but a dozen years ago or so when Remington made a "seasonal"run i was able to get case of the 86 grain soft point ammo and brass was impossible to find anywhere and even then it was quite expensive. about $1.50/round.
I remember when I first got the 25-20 went to all the local shops looking for ammo and only one place even knew what it was.
both the 32-20 and the 25-20 ammo are things that you have to keep searching till you find it. a few years ago I stumbled upon a place called duck creek and he had new 25-20 and 35 rem brass at very reasonable cost.
got to stock up when you find it and keep your eyes open.

When Dad had a .32_20 1894 over 30 years ago Remington was all that was available and it still cost at least twice as much per round as .30-30. He quickly figured out that a marginal at best cartridge with pricey ammo made no sense just for deer and whistle pigs so he moved on to a Browning BLR .308 which he still has.

[FergusonTO35]

not to get side tracked on this but hodgdon does now have 4 big brands but the increase in price is much less then alliant, my jaw about hit the floor looking at the current cost for a jug of 2400. Ive been in this reloading hobby all my adult life and stocked up on supplies when I could, you can never have enough 2400, so now the powder bunker is well stocked, and it is a powder bunker, legal and legit to powder storage standards. just one thing you need to keep in mind is where you gonna store the stuff.

I don't bother with anything Alliant other than Bullseye and Unique any more. Availability is too erratic and I think Hodgdon and IMR are actually better for most applications.

[Kai]

not to get side tracked on this but hodgdon does now have 4 big brands but the increase in price is much less then alliant, my jaw about hit the floor looking at the current cost for a jug of 2400. Ive been in this reloading hobby all my adult life and stocked up on supplies when I could, you can never have enough 2400, so now the powder bunker is well stocked, and it is a powder bunker, legal and legit to powder storage standards. just one thing you need to keep in mind is where you gonna store the stuff.

I agree. 2400 is a very versitile powder especially with cast bullets. My go to for 25-20.

[TheAbe]

I was at my preferred local shop for brass the other day, picking up some once fired .357’s. Somehow, at least 4x 32-20 cases ended up in the mix, which I pulled out. Shop owner said I could just have them...nobody ever asks for them anymore. Not sure if he had any additional in stock, but there are drawers labeled 32-20, 25-20, .218 Bee and others in his bulk brass area. Most of these are empty, sitting there from years past, but he has some odd stuff. Saw bags of both empty .43 Spanish and what I believe loaded 11mm Gras ammo. Anyone have serious needs for a few dozen of anything oddball? I can check... PM me and I can take a look this week.

[Eddie Southgate]

That is the wrong 32 caliber winchester cartridge!

I was responding to 35Rem's post. You did not read the quote , fortunately he did before he responded.

[Milky Duck]

$1 per round for brass......hmmmmm over here Ive seen that paid for PRIMERS in last year..... if I wanted brass in obscure calibre and could actually find it...happy to pay $1 per case
to put into perspective loaded centrfire rounds sell for $30-130 per 20 rounds depending on cartridge and load.
the cheapest Ive bought was $50 for 50 rounds of triple two just because it was labeled fmjhp which is contridition in terms so bought it to see what it was.

[cwtebay]

$1 per round for brass......hmmmmm over here Ive seen that paid for PRIMERS in last year..... if I wanted brass in obscure calibre and could actually find it...happy to pay $1 per case
to put into perspective loaded centrfire rounds sell for $30-130 per 20 rounds depending on cartridge and load.
the cheapest Ive bought was $50 for 50 rounds of triple two just because it was labeled fmjhp which is contridition in terms so bought it to see what it was.You know what? This post puts it into perspective, doesn't it? Yes I have bought a whole lot of brass in my time - accumulator? Definitely. Hoarder? Possibly.
But this gentleman is paying what this thread would be screaming about as far as prices go for run of the mill 222 ammunition (congrats on your find BTW!). I have paid stupid amounts for 280 Ross brass, 577 tyrannosaur...etc, ad nauseum. But how fortunate are we to be complaining about $80/1000 primers and brass we have to wait 5 months for? I am still an ant, and will never understand the way of the grasshopper - but my stores are in for winter and I for one am grateful for my situation!

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[freakonaleash]

I was at a gunshow yesterday and found a bag of 100 fired old 25 20 brass for $180. I passed. I have been lucky to find them much cheaper at the same gunshow in the past year.

[.45Cole]

All the gunshow robbers are currently milking all they can out of 25-20, and it's spilling over to 32-20. "super rare' "collector item" "low/last production" are used waaay too much at the gunshows to justify their gouging of john q public.

[indian joe]

New reality.......

maybe some fellers end up wildcatting these onto 357 mag cases (32/357) then the 256 mag could rise from the ashes too

[Eddie Southgate]

Figure that both a .32-20 and a .38 Special/.357 Magnum case use about the same amount of raw material, and the demand and rate of sale for the latter will outweigh the former by about 300 billion to one. Which would YOU rather tool up to produce?

I've got my weird cartridges: went through an Ackley Improved phase, get a great deal of joy out of the .32-20 blown out in a modified Martini Cadet, and have a strange weakness for Webley revolvers. But the realization I keep coming to is that the history of cartridge development gave us AT LEAST ten different cartridges that for all practical purposes are identical to each other in performance. In that light, the guys with the "boring" .38, 9mm, 5.56, .308, and .30-06 will be awash in a sea of brass - a lot of it free. The dinosaurs are fun, but you can't take their continued availability for granted, and had better strike hard during those times of plenty.

It would be nice if the Big Boys and Starline could come to some kind of agreement where the large factories could make component brass for the Wal Mart calibers and Starline would exclusively handle the old "dash" rounds, but it ain't the way to make a steady buck.

Truth is, the logistically superior rounds are just as fun when the primer pops.

Bigslug , while I agree with your last statement I do have to also say that those readily available rounds wont fit nor function through my guns that need the cases being discussed and I do not want to have to quit using a gun that is every bit as useful now as it was 100 years ago. These non mainstream cartridge cases are what made Starline the big successful company that they now are but they seem to have an issue remembering that. A lot of the brass that they now make in profusion is brass that is readily obtainable from sources that were around before Starline and are still in good supply from those same sources. 6 to 12 months of their production diverted to the brass that is in demand but has no supply (brass not loaded ammo) would be enough to keep us shooting without seriously denting their profits. Personally , rather than make 32-20 brass I think they would get better milage out of 25-20 brass. It's easier to go from .25 to .32 or .22 than it is to go from .32 to .25 or .22 . Word is that the do already make the 25-20 on contract for another company so will not release it under their name due to the contract and the fact that the contractor paid for the tooling. Don't know that for a fact but read it in a thread on this forum . One of the posters in that thread talked to someone from the contracting company so I assume the info is correct.

[cwtebay]

Bigslug , while I agree with your last statement I do have to also say that those readily available rounds wont fit nor function through my guns that need the cases being discussed and I do not want to have to quit using a gun that is every bit as useful now as it was 100 years ago. These non mainstream cartridge cases are what made Starline the big successful company that they now are but they seem to have an issue remembering that. A lot of the brass that they now make in profusion is brass that is readily obtainable from sources that were around before Starline and are still in good supply from those same sources. 6 to 12 months of their production diverted to the brass that is in demand but has no supply (brass not loaded ammo) would be enough to keep us shooting without seriously denting their profits. Personally , rather than make 32-20 brass I think they would get better milage out of 25-20 brass. It's easier to go from .25 to .32 or .22 than it is to go from .32 to .25 or .22 . Word is that the do already make the 25-20 on contract for another company so will not release it under their name due to the contract and the fact that the contractor paid for the tooling. Don't know that for a fact but read it in a thread on this forum . One of the posters in that thread talked to someone from the contracting company so I assume the info is correct.I don't know about the exclusivity of the contract, but there is a contractor that has had several hundred thousand cases made by Starline and markets it as loaded ammunition only now. When he first got the shipment he sold me quite a few cases but has since discontinued that practice.

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I think a 25-20 would be hilarious fun, but I stay away both from the "collectible" rifle cost and scarce ammo/brass. I have .327 and that's hard enough!

Speaking of which, I was able to buy the first .327 brass since before COVID. Midway sent an email that it was available and I grabbed a couple hundred rounds before they changed their mind.

[DK'dUranium]

320107Midway offered Starline 32-20 for one hour a couple days ago. Look at this splashy email they sent me. I attempted to order the moment I checked email, but they were sold out already. Midway's alert had only been out briefly that morning. The whole thing kinda cheesed me off.

[indian joe]

With allies in two wars and China itching for a third, ammo components will be dear for years. There are hoarders out there sitting on thousands of cases and wanting to order more. Starline won't be able to meet demand, and I can't see them shutting down a line to change tooling to an obsolete cartridge and then back. They can service the greatest number of people by cranking out the popular cases. We lose.

I was thinking of chambering a single shot in 32-20 but will have to settle for 38/357 instead. Starline has a "green light" on those, and I have empties of each on my shelves.

You are lookin in the wrong direction Mate ! - Q -- when is the last time China started a war outside its own borders???? A --never in my lifetime - nor the last several hundred years
The hawks on the hill in DC are where the impetus for wars comes from !!!!!!

[Kai]

You are lookin in the wrong direction Mate ! - Q -- when is the last time China started a war outside its own borders???? A --never in my lifetime - nor the last several hundred years
The hawks on the hill in DC are where the impetus for wars comes from !!!!!!
What you say about China is true, at least it was. New leaders bring new ideas. I will agree that the idiots in DC aren't helping matters.