New guy intro, question and comment

[USARO4]

Hello, I'm a longtime lurker and gleaner of knowledge from this site. I've been handloading for fourteen years and casting for four years. I credit this site with getting me started in casting, yep, I've been lurking here that long. I collect Ruger revolvers but they're mainly just a vehicle to launch lead from. My question, has anyone tried to fire 32 H@R magnum rounds thru a .30 carbine Blackhawk revolver? I read about this on the Ruger forum and would have asked them but they're not accepting new members. IMHO this is the best site for info and camaraderie regarding PB bullets. I feel like I already know many of you here. Any members here from the middle TN area? I'd like to swap bullets, beer, and lies with you. Thanks.

[9.3X62AL]

Welcome aboard, USARO4. No, it didn't occur to me to try that move with the 32 Mag ammo in a 30 Carbine Ruger revolver--and I had both at the same time. The 30 Carbine ammo loaded to about 1000 FPS was a LOT less blasty.

I suspect the 32 Mag brass would get at least distended by firing in the wider charge hole--.356" as opposed to the cartridge's .337" just above the rim. I am NOT fond of radial clearances that wide. There has been some commentary on firing 32-20 cases in the 30 Carbine revolvers after running the cases through a 30 Carbine sizer--someone my chime in with details on that practice, which seems pretty sound at first glance.

[Cherokee]

I personally would not fire 32 H&R in the 30 Carbine. If the smaller case were to let go, gas would come your way. As for 32-20 in 30 Carbine, I have several 32-20 OM Rugers and not a single one will allow for chambering a 32-20 case and rotating the cylinder - there is a rim on the case and the Ruger does not have clearance for it. What I did was have an auxilary cylinder properly chambered for 32-20 and that works great.

[USARO4]

I agree with you both, not to mention the fact that you would have a.314 bullet being swaged down to .308 by your barrel. It sounds impractical to me, but I'm the curious type and always looking for a chance to buy differant brass and experiment. I,ve had good luck running the .30 carbine at 900-1100 FPS with moderate loads of medium burning powder under cast 115 gr. About the same as the 32 Mag.

[StarMetal]

I don't see where if a case ruptures in a Ruger single action how the gas is going to be coming back at you. It's going to travel back until it exits the cylinder and then hits the recoils shield where the gas will make a radial 90 degree turn with most of it coming out of the left and right side. It's not going to get pass that firing pin hole or the hammer backing it up. Still not a thing to chance.

The 32-20 has alot thicker rim on it then the 30 carbine. It would depend on how must headspace Ruger gives the 30 carbine, but only in the non-countersunk cylinder chambers.

Joe

[Jeffreytooker]

Back about 83 or 84 I had a Ruger in 30 Carbine. If I remember correctly the bore was .308. I loaded 32-20 brass in the 30 carbine with 113 gr .308 Cast Boolits. I remember it used a die from the 30-20 and a die from the 30 Carbine. I had good clearance for the 32-20 rim. It functioned properly. At this time I cannot remeber exactly how the resizing and loading went, with which die and when. My shooting pardner was impressed so I traded the 30 Carbine and dies to him for something I wanted at the time. He used it for a while to shoot pistol sillouette. I have always thought if I found a 30 Carbine revolver at a reasonable price I might shoot 30-20 cases in it again.

Jeffrey

[Buckshot]

................In the Ruger 30MI revolter there is a step in the chamber for the 30M1 casemouth to stop against. Also the chambermouths in my pistol at least, will 'BARELY' accept a cast slug at .309". You have to push it firmly in, to chamber the round. I don't know the 32 H&R mag case or loaded length, but if long enough, you'd have to have a hammer to get the boolit into that chamber mouth!

....................Buckshot

[beagle]

Jeffrey...I have the same experiences with a new model Blackhawk in .30 Carbine. Factory .32-20s will load and shoot. .32-20s reloaded with .311" bullets won't chamber unless I trim back the cases a bit. I've been using a bunch of old pickup cases as a test bed and need to get some Starline brass and do it right. Looks to me like it's feasible and desireable. Accuracy is as good or better than .30 Carbine cases.

Makes me wonder why Ruger won't field a convertible cylinder in .32-20 for the .30 Carbine being as they have the tooling and drawings from the Buckeye project and there would be very little R & D money involved.

Guess you'll hear the old saw about pressures associated with .308" bores and .312" bullets but based on my experiences, that old dog don't hunt in this case as I've used .312s in the chopped off .32-20 cases. .311's shoot all right and load and chamber easier./beagle


Back about 83 or 84 I had a Ruger in 30 Carbine. If I remember correctly the bore was .308. I loaded 32-20 brass in the 30 carbine with 113 gr .308 Cast Boolits. I remember it used a die from the 30-20 and a die from the 30 Carbine. I had good clearance for the 32-20 rim. It functioned properly. At this time I cannot remeber exactly how the resizing and loading went, with which die and when. My shooting pardner was impressed so I traded the 30 Carbine and dies to him for something I wanted at the time. He used it for a while to shoot pistol sillouette. I have always thought if I found a 30 Carbine revolver at a reasonable price I might shoot 30-20 cases in it again.

Jeffrey

[USARO4]

Beagle, Does the slight bottleneck on the 32-20 straighten out when fired in the .30 carbine? Your comment on Ruger making a convertible model on the .30 carbine has got me thinking. Since Ruger wont sell, as far as I know, individual cylinders, anyone know of a place man might buy blackhawk cylinders? Buy 3 and have them re-bored to 32-20, 32mag, and 32 streaker. Once properly fitted a man would have the capability to shoot 5 differant cartridges, counting the 32 long, thru one revolver. I know it is probably to costly, but its nice to speculate. Dreaming about new projects and guns is almost as much fun as owning them. So many bullets to try, so little time.