.32-20

[Lakeland terrier]

What’s the best mould available for .32-20 Winchester 1892
Finding moulds in the United Kingdom is hard

[Jeff Michel]

Lyman 31108 or the RCBS 98 grain version, Saeco 322

[TimD]

What’s the best mould available for .32-20 Winchester 1892
Finding moulds in the United Kingdom is hard

There is an Active group buy that you might be interested in:

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...-PB-or-GC-mold

I plan to use it for 32-20.

Tim

[Kraschenbirn]

+1 on the 311008 (if you can find one). Mine casts .314 / 118 gr and I've yet to find anything better in my Uberti 1885 Low Wall. Also, a pretty good 50-yard plinker in my Longbranch Mk4No1.

Bill

[Greg S]

I've run the RCBS 90cm, and the MP 314640 and the MP 314 Hammer. As long as it drops .314+ particularly the older winchesters.

[Green Frog]

NOE also makes a copy of the old standby Ideal 3118 pattern (which actually traces back to the original Winchester design.) I don’t know what the ramifications are currently for getting anything firearms related into the UK. Can such items be shipped in without jumping through a bunch of regulatory hoops?

Froggie

[samari46]

Also Lyman's 311316 gas check mold for the 32-20. Frank

[Lakeland terrier]

There is no problem importing moulds into the uk as its not classified as anything more dangerous than a lump of metal.
Don’t know what the US laws are but I suspect they are the similar as it’s not a firearm or an article of war

[GoodOlBoy]

What’s the best mould available for .32-20 Winchester 1892
Finding moulds in the United Kingdom is hard

I'm not sure 32-20 1892 Winchesters were made in molds, I am pretty certain they were machined with some forged parts. I don't know that for fact as I wasn't around in 1892, but I seem to remember it is hard to mold something and it have movable parts.

Now for a real answer I would look at the Lee DC 311-100-2R. 100 grain, good bullet for a 32-20, and a mold that was harder than hens teeth to find BEFORE the current shortages.
https://leeprecision.com/mold-dc-311-100-2r.html

Good Luck, and God Bless.

Richard

[Rick B]

Hello, Per TimD's post above. I would sign up for the M&P 3118 group buy, plain base or gas check. I use a 311316 in an original 1873, it at times hangs up on the front driving band. Tom at Accurate molds can make whatever you want. Lead time is now 10 weeks.
Rick

[Wheelgun]

+ 1 for the NOE 3118 clone.

I don’t have a 32/20 rifle...yet. All my experience is out of SAA, SAA clones and a Ruger Blackhawk. As to bullet styles/molds, I haven’t found one that didn’t work yet. All the molds I have or have tried, have given excellent performance in the 32/20.

My other top choice lately, has been the Group Buy from Arsenal, the 313-115rf is a RanchDogg clone, mine drops .314 with my alloy. Also Arsenal makes a 314008 that drops around 124gr, and another good one is the NOE 315-115 swc. It’s a mini-Keith, but in my experience it like to be pushed fairly hard to get good performance. Lee 311-93 is a nice light one as well, though it does drop smaller at .312-313.


+ 1 for anything from Tom at Accurate Molds.

[gpidaho]

For revolvers, I like the Saeco #326 98gr. SWC. Gp

[Wayne Smith]

Just out of curiosity check the MP Molds website - might be easier to get it to you from Slovenia than from the US give current issues here.

[TimD]

Just out of curiosity check the MP Molds website - might be easier to get it to you from Slovenia than from the US give current issues here.

Our MP Molds Group Buy would also be shipped directly to him from Slovenia.

[Lakeland terrier]

Ordered on group buy ! Thanks guys

[Green Frog]

Well, Mr Terrier, we went round and round but got you to a good place. Mihec has always enjoyed a good reputation for quality and if you’re getting in at the right time on the group buy you may just have less hassle getting it from the Continent than you would from the US. Life is strange right now!

What reloading dies do you have or plan to get? I believe any of them currently available should be fine. I’m somewhat partial to Lyman, but often use RCBS or Lee with just about equal satisfaction. Which is most readily available in the UK? Do you have access to plenty of primers and powder there? As you can see on these pages, they are tough or expensive (or both) to find here.

Of course the 32-20 was invented by Winchester as a rifle cartridge for their lever guns, but here in the States, first our cowboys, then our law enforcement (and many on the other side of the law, like Moonshiners) discovered that it worked well in revolvers as well. Original single action and double action revolvers have gotten pretty pricy here, but Uberti and perhaps other Italian makers have been making some excellent copies of the old Colt Single Action Army. Would laws and regulations in the UK allow you to get one of these to go with your rifle? I know I’ve had a lot of fun with mine!

Keep us informed on how things are going and whether you need any more advice in “Jolly Olde England!”
Froggie

[Outpost75]

In rural Appalachia the .32-20 has been the "agricultural utility" gun for either rifle or revolver for over 100 years. The Savage 23 bolt action is common and affordable. I bought mine at a farm estate sale and use it for rough shooting around the farm for small game and varmints up to coyote. I have also used it to kill whitetail deer on damage permits, and it works OK for that use at short range. I use mostly Accurate 31-105D bullet of soft lead with 3.5 grains of Bullseye pistol powder in both rifle and revolver.

[Lakeland terrier]

Froggie
I bought 1000 primers two months ago got my 44-40 without to much problem, powder is ok use unique.
I have about 800 primers for 32-20 in stock UK market is always over priced and subject to shortage but by ringing different stores I can usually find what I need.
I use Lee dies in Lee classic 4 hole turret for my carbines currently using commercial hard cast but have a reasonable amount of lead cast into brownie tins.
Most of your powders are available here. But unfortunately eh EU have banned some eg 4898 which I use in my.17 fireball but I still have 1.5 tubs in hand.
Dean

[lotech]

I've used several in various weights but found the best to be the Lyman #311316, a gas check flat nose design that weighs around 120 grains in wheelweight alloy. It can be used without the gas check.

[Green Frog]

“A thutty two twenny will shoot clean thru a man!”

The usefulness of the 32-20 round has long been extolled, then neglected, then rediscovered. The facts remain unchanged, though; as we look at the performance of this grey beard round, it does a lot of things well. It’s quite versatile in both rifles and handguns and it can be just plain fun for casual use. Because of its time of design and the performance envelope it occupies, cast bullets can be just as good as any.

I had the 311316 bullet mould mentioned by lotech and it certainly made fine bullets, but I’m just too lazy to use gas checks on a regular basis, and this design is pretty close otherwise to the 3118 design we came in on, so that’s good enough for me. If somebody wanted to buy 1 mould and have the potential to upload hot, it might be OK to buy the 311316, since shooting GC bullets “bare” usually works fine.

Froggie