Strong 32-20 revolver?

[rickster]

Would like to find a strong revolver in 32-20. Something along the lines of a S&W K frame would be about right. I have a nice little Colt Police Positive Special, but I know better than run heavy loads through it. I know there were some early S&Ws in 32-20. Were any S&W 32-20s made with high strength steels? I once saw a Colt New Army 32-20 that looked stout, but dont know much about them. Any ideas?

[Bullshop]

Ruger Buckeye. It is on the BH frame with dual cylenders for 32/20 and 32 H&R mag.
Another option is the Ruger BH 30 carb. You can use 30 carb ammo or load 30/20 ammo, (32/20 brass with 30 cal boolits)
Just so happens we have a NIB 30 carb for sale, $410.00 shipped.
BIC/BS

[Cactus Farmer]

I have a BH in 30 Carbine and you can't believe the fun it will give. From pop gun loads to full house screamers. The 7 1/2 inch tube with the longer sight radius is a long range delite too. 200 yards with a handgun is a real HOOT. 100 yard jack rabbits aren't that hard to hit at all.
Take BullShop up on the deal he has........you won't be sorry.

[runfiverun]

i trim down my 32-20 brass for the carbine and use the 98 gr rcbs sized to 313.
flat shooting little pip squeak, quiet too.
took out a marmot this summer had to be a shade over 100 yds, figured on walking in a shot, wrong. held dead on and he just slumped down the rocks perforated from front to back.

[Bullshop Junior]

i trim down my 32-20 brass for the carbine and use the 98 gr rcbs sized to 313.
flat shooting little pip squeak, quiet too.
took out a marmot this summer had to be a shade over 100 yds, figured on walking in a shot, wrong. held dead on and he just slumped down the rocks perforated from front to back.
Why do you shorted the brass? The 30 Carb is longer.

[S.R.Custom]

Would like to find a strong revolver in 32-20. Something along the lines of a S&W K frame would be about right. ...Were any S&W 32-20s made with high strength steels?

You're looking for a S&W "32-20 Hand Ejector Model of 1905, 4th Change" starting at serial number 81287. (That's when they started with the heat treated cylinders in that gun.) They were made up to 1940.

[Cactus Farmer]

[QUOTE=runfiverun;760127
took out a marmot this summer had to be a shade over 100 yds, [/QUOTE]

Are marmot hides worth anything? They are just another rat,but cute rats.

[Bret4207]

The Colt Army Special is built on the 41 frame, same as the Officers Model/Python. I've run some stupidly hot loads through mine with out issue, but the lack of good sights is the limiting factor.

[runfiverun]

don't know what a hide is worth never looked.
daniel i cut them down so's i can crimp the case in the crimp groove and just keep the boolits nose off the chamber throat.
i also use the larger boolit to help center it in the cylinder also.
mimimal/no case sizing just a bit on the neck.
i have been looking for a dan wesson 32-20 revolver for ever, i went this route for the mean time.

[Harry O]

I got a S&W NewModel 16 quite a few years ago (before they became collectors items). I had it rechambered in 32-20. It is one of the most accurate handguns I own. The key is the sights. I also have a Colt Police Positive Special in 32-20. It is a nice gun, but it has fixed sights. The big problem with getting an older K-frame is the sights. However, there is the adjustable "Wondersight" available now that might work.

I bent the Colt with hot factory loads when I was a kid. A gunsmith repaired it. I never fired hotter than factory lead bullet loads in it afterward.

I use 6.0gr of SR4756 with 100gr Hornady XTP's or 5.8gr of 4756 with a 120gr Lyman 311316-GC. Both are VERY accurate. I would NEVER fire either one of these in the Colt. I use the recommended load of Trail Boss (I forget what it is now) with an RCBS 98gr RNFP for the Colt.

[rickster]

Thanks for the ideas fellas. Too bad the older guns had fixed sights because I would want to experiment with a variety of loads and would want to be able to adjust the sights accordingly. The S&W 10 and its lineage fit me just right, so I am going to check on the Wondersight. Thanks for bringing up the Ruger 30C. That thought never crossed my mind. The more I think about it, the more tempting it gets, and I see it is highly spoken of by gun writers. I've never been a fan of single actions (even though I rarely shoot double actions in double action mode). Maybe its the sights. Maybe its the grips. The Ruger 30C would solve at least one of those problems. Would be real nice to find a shooter grade S&W 16 that the collectors dont want (good luck huh). I have a 32-20 reamer itching to ream something. Hmmmmm

[Bullshop Junior]

Thanks for the ideas fellas. Too bad the older guns had fixed sights because I would want to experiment with a variety of loads and would want to be able to adjust the sights accordingly. The S&W 10 and its lineage fit me just right, so I am going to check on the Wondersight. Thanks for bringing up the Ruger 30C. That thought never crossed my mind. The more I think about it, the more tempting it gets, and I see it is highly spoken of by gun writers. I've never been a fan of single actions (even though I rarely shoot double actions in double action mode). Maybe its the sights. Maybe its the grips. The Ruger 30C would solve at least one of those problems. Would be real nice to find a shooter grade S&W 16 that the collectors dont want (good luck huh). I have a 32-20 reamer itching to ream something. Hmmmmm
No need for the reamer! If you size 32/20s in a 30 carb die they fit right in.
One thing - The 30 carb should have a .308" groove, and the 32/20 should be .312", but you can just use .308" boolits in the 32/20 cases.

It is very temping, and even I, who has no money, is thinking about it.

[9.3X62AL]

Daniel--

You WOULD bring up that BH x 30 Carbine again.

Harry--

Having a M&P x 5" in 32-20, I've avoided the temptation to open up the chambers of my Model 16-4. So far, anyway. My M&P is older than the 4th Change spoken of above, serial range is 66xxx. I limit the SR-4756 to 5.5 grains with 115-120 grain boolits, and 6.0 grains with the 100 grain castings. The revo clearly prefers the heavier boolits, and shoots right to the sights with them loaded as above. Interestingly, both the Model 16-4 and the M&P have identical throat dimensions, .314".

A 32-20 revolver of sufficient strength to equal 327 Federal ballistics safely makes a lot more sense than a whole new caliber. Brass availability comes to mind, but what do we mere consumers know about gunmaking?

[Bullshop]

Sorry Allen its just the salesmen in us. Its like the energiser bunny we cant turn it off, it just goes on and on and on.
BIC/BS

[rickster]

[QUOTE=Bullshop Junior;760935]No need for the reamer! If you size 32/20s in a 30 carb die they fit right in.
QUOTE]

And there is room for the rim between the cylinder and frame?

I see that the mighty Paco rechambers his. Why?

[jhrosier]

I.....
I bent the Colt with hot factory loads when I was a kid. A gunsmith repaired it. I never fired hotter than factory lead bullet loads in it afterward. ....

Just a note of caution.....
There are boxes of 32-20 RIFLE ammo out there just waiting to be discovered the hard way! I have a box of same that is clearly marked to be used only in Winchester 1892 rifles. If you get a handfull of cartridges in a sandwich bag there is no way to know what you got.

Jack

[Harry O]

9.3x62AL: I bought one of the new Wondersights to put on my Colt PPS. It is really too big for that one, but it should work fine for a K-frame. It is well made and worth the money. Now, I just have to get a gun to put it on.

jhrosier: That is how it got bent. To be fair, I saw what it said on the box and asked the old guy behind the counter about it. He said that that was for black powder guns only. You could shoot them in any smokeless powder guns. I was young and stupid. I believed him, probably because I wanted to (it was very hard to find 32-20 ammo of any kind back in the mid-1960's). He was wrong. The box was right.

[Marvin S]

Just what kind of FSP does one suppose you could safely get with 115gr cast in the 1905 HE 4change. I have one of these and did not know about the cylinders.

[runfiverun]

rickster.
for the 32-20 rim there is, for the 25-20 rim there ain't.
don't know why they are different, but they are. haven't been able to measure any 218 bee rims but i know the 327 fed rims are too thick.
paco might just have a cut put in the cylinder so he can use the 25-20's too.
i've seen ruger owners have cuts put in their 45 acp cylinders too so they will take the ar case better and others not need it. and others cut down thinner rimmed colt brass so it'll fit.
just a gun thing.

[NoDakJak]

Several years ago I really screwed up with a 800X load with 311008. I figure that I am lucky to be around to ashamedly admit my mistake. Test gun was a Colt Army Special with six inch barrel in very good condition. Being hard wired into the stupid mode I fired four rounds before I checked the chronograph. I had noted that the muzzle blast seemed rather loud but had never loaded this powder before so I ignored it. Recoil seemed to be a might brisk! When I finally got around to checking the chronograph I almost fainted. Velocity was slightly over 2,000 fps. I suspect that pressures were somewhat higher than proof loads. I had to use a hammer and punch to remove the cases from the cylinder. There was no evident damage to the revolver. Thank god I was firing the Colt as I sincerely believe that my 1905 S&W would not have survived. The 32.20 is one of my favorite rifle cartridges but it is a stinker in a revolver and I much prefer the 32S&W Long or 32 H&R Magnum in a revolver.
Neil

[exile]

I have never fired a .32/20, haven't even seen one. I do have an SP-101 in .327 Federal. Fixed sights, short barrel though. If Ruger would get off their duffs and chamber a 50th Anniversary Flattop (small frame) in .327 Federal with a 7 1/2 inch barrel this discussion might be moot. Of course you would still have the brass problem, but I can't imagine 32/20 brass is easy to find unless Starline makes it. Nothing that hasn't been said before, I am sure.

exile

[Bodydoc447]

You are in luck. Starline make .32-20 brass. IMO, it is the best of all the manufacturers for this caliber.

Doc

[McLintock]

I wanted what you're talking about, a really stout 32-20, and had a cylinder I got from Brownells, reamed for 32-20 and fitted to my 3 screw .30 Carbine. Here's a pic:
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1620/1303399/7384995/289232135.jpg
Prior to that, I got a New Model .30 carbine cylinder, as it doesn't have the recessed cylinder of the Old Model, and did the 32-20 brass thing in the .30 Carbine; worked good. I used .311" bullets, just as I'm still doing with the new cylinder, and with 14.5 grs of H110 and a 115 gr gas checked bullet it does (and did) the trick for me.
McLintock

[rickster]

Thats pretty cool McLintock.

Looks like Brownell's has the cylinders on clearance for $189.

[rickster]

Bought a shooter grade circa 1913 Colt Army Special 32-20 at the gunshow today. Anyone care to suggest a load that shoots to point of aim? Barrel is 6".

I know this isn't a super strong revolver, given the limitations of 1913 metallurgy, but its a nice size and should be a little more stout than the Colt PPS.

[Shome10x]

rickster, PM

[9.3X62AL]

Rickster--

The Army Special is significantly stronger than the PPS, and likely a bit stronger than my S&W M&P. The Army Specials and Single Action Armys were the stoutest of 32-20 rollers until Ruger started ginning up Blackhawks for the chambering.

This isn't a "strong" load, but it goes point-of-aim in my Bisley Colt x 4.75" and the M&P. 5.5 grains of SR-4756 with any 110-120 grain cast boolit, lit off by standard SP primers. This is derived from Ken Waters' "Pet Loads" article on the 32-20 in revolvers. Mr. Waters listed 6.0 grains of SR-4756 as the top-end load for the stronger models we're discussing here.

[rickster]

Whew! The old Army Special proved plenty strong. This weekend, I had an unexpected hot load. The case setback hard against the frame and the primer blew extruding a tit into the firing pin hole and locking up the cylinder. It took quite a bit of doing to get the cylinder open. But after it was all said and done, including a close examination, the revolver appears no worse for the experience. Even though I wont be shooting loads anywhere near that hot in the future (on purpose), my body parts appreciate the fact that there is good safety margin. Things might have ended much differently had that happened in the PPS.