32-20

[GoodOlBoy]

I might be stiring up a hornets nest here but the 32-20 has been on my mind a bit lately. I know folks say that it's too light for deer, but I have seen many deer taken cleanly with this old round, and somewhere in the back of my coconut I am really considering trying to acquire one. My Great Grandfather used a 32-20 as a pot gun (ie to fill the cook pot) and was greatly successful in doing so. In fact the ONLY round I know of that he shot more than the 32-20 was the 22 long which he also used as a pot filler. So who reloads for this venerable old round these days? Heck for that matter who has loaded for it in the past. I have heard that there were issues with the neck collapsing but that could be rumor mill bunk for all I know (Much like all 45 colts being weak because balloon head brass split on one notable gun writer)

Anyway I am just curious and looking for a good conversation.

GoodOlBoy

[buckhunter]

How much difference is their between and 32-20 and 32 Spec. 32 Special is a deer killer.

[Larryjk]

The 32-20 is much slower than the .32 Spec. and doesn't shoot as heavy a bullet. I don't have a 32-20 at present, but find it a great revolver cartridge for small game hunting. It isn't any problem for me to reload but you do want to watch your bullet alignment in the neck when loading cast bullets.
The 32-20 was considered a much better "poaching" round than the 25-2- because of the heavier bullet. The 25-20 was favored by practiced poachers because it didn't have as loud a report. Only reporting what I have been told.

[powell&hyde]

My grandfather used the 25-20 for deer!!

[Jack]

Going back to GOB's question, a couple alternatives come to mind. First, a 30-30 can be loaded to 32-20 ballistics quite easily with lead bullets. That might be one alternative to buying a new rifle, if that's the aim.
If you happen to own a 30 carbine, the 30 carbine's ballistics are pretty similar to the old high speed 32-20 loadings.
The 25-20 is another good small game cartridge, if you happen to have one or run across one.
Of course, if the whole idea is, you want a new rifle, well, more power to ya'. Been there myself. :)

[skeet]

GOB..for all intents and purposes yep..the 32-20 is too light for deer. Yep a bunch of deer have been killed with the round but like the 25-20 it really isn't a deer round. Lots and i mean LOTS of deer have been killed with the 22 LR..but it isn't a deer round either. I have an old Colt revolver in 32-20..shoots ok and all but no barn burner. I also have a Contender bbl in the caliber..but the Contender uses a .308 bullet..not the larger .311-.314 bore. I actually have quite a few bullets for use in the 32-20 and they measure in those sizes. Now as to the necks on the 32-20..yep..they are thin... but if you use caution and a little flair in the mouth they will load ok. They do not last long though.. The brass is not heavy. I have even made .218 Bee brass from it but too much is lost to the process. If I were you..I would save my money for a Ruger Blackhawk in 327 Federal..shoot all kinds of stuff in it..32 short..32 Long...32 H&R Mag and the 327 Federal.. Yeah..I know it's not old...but old doesn't really make it all better.

[Adam Helmer]

skeet,

As usual, I agree with you about the .32-20: Too Light for deer. The .32-40 would be a fairer shot for the deer. The .30-30 is my lightest lever deer gun.

Adam

[skeet]

Adam and as usual I kinda agree with you. The old 32-40 is better than many rounds.. The 30-30 is a good cartridge for deer within its parameters..But there is another lever gun round not too well known that works as well if not better. It's called the 7-30 Waters. It really is no better than the 30-30 in my opinion...but with somewhat lighter bullets and just a bit flatter shooting it does the job. I will also make a case for the 25-35. Has killed many a deer..but feel it is a little light but works in the hands of a good hunter. Definitely too light for an every day load for bears though. My favorite in the lever gun type rounds for deer and black bear is the good ol 35 Remington. But mine is in a Remington Pump..I have a 141 and a 760 both in 35 Rem.

[Jack]

My favorite lever gun round is the 375 Winchester, but, that's another thread.

[Sore Shoulder]

No expert here on the 32-20, but I am starting to develop an interest in it as well. I'm shooting an old Winchester 94 made in the teens. I'm shooting cast bullets only due to the age. I'm not having any problems with shoulders collapsing. I'm expanding the neck before seating, and I'm seating and then crimping in a separate step. I'm just plinking and its becoming just PLAIN FUN!

[skeet]

Having fun is what it is all about.. You are doing it right by neck expanding. The cases do stretch a bit in the 92 lever guns..more in the 73s. They won't last too long but with moderate loads you'll be ok. Another neat thing you can do with the oldtimers is to learn Kaintucky windage and slow bullet elevation. After a bit you'll be surprised how far you can hit targets. I used to have a neat place to shoot back east and learned I could actually hit things up to 450 yds with a 4 inch 22 Diamondback I had. Sold it but that thing was the epitome of FUN. BTW what powder are you using?? What kind of bullets??

[Sore Shoulder]

Whoops, I'm shooting a 92, not a 94....brain lapse there, sorry. I'm using Winchester cases currently, have some Remington cases on the shelf I got a good price on, hope to get some Starline if I continue with this gun. I first tried the Winchester factory lead loads, very mild but poor accuracy. Local gun shop had some M&P cast bullets, 115 gr. with gas check, .312 and .310 sized. the 312's give me very good results, the 310's are too small and keyhole at 50 yards. No loss there; I'll shoot them in the 30-30 (already tried and they shoot very nicely!). I'm using Unique, right around 5 grains or a tad under. I also got some samples of LaserCast plain based bullets from Oregon Trail, 115 (I think) sized at .313 with no gas checks and they shoot fine as well with the Unique. I think this is the bullet I'll be going with due to availability; I don't think M&P is in business any longer.

[skeet]

Looks to me like you have it well in hand. The 313s and 314s will usually shoot better. I also have an old Savage bolt gun back east in 32-20. Shot good with 314s if I remember right. Ugly rifle but it do shoot. Stored in the locker back there in the barn on the farm. Have to check it out when I get back there.

[Larryjk]

You fellows have mainly been talking shooting 32-20 in rifles. Try them in a revolver. One of my friends came back from visiting a cowboy museum and said there were more 32-20s in Colt SA revolvers than .45 Colt. I told him most cowboys didn't spend much time shooting each other and carried a 32-20 because their rifle (model 73 or 92) could shoot the same ammo and it was a lot lighter per box and didn't take up as much room in the saddle bags. It was very effective in shooting small game and an occasional deer or crippled cow or horse. It is just a very useful caliber.

[Rapier]

GOB,
If you can find one, buy a modern single shot in 32-20. They are all 308 and all 1-10 twist. With a 150 Rem bulk bullet and H-4227 you can get 1,600 fps out of a 10 inch Contender so with a bit of work I would think at least 2-300 better out of a 16-18 inch tube single shot and a tad slower powder like H-110 or 296.

I have done a good bit of work with modern 30-20s and the 30 Carbine with heavy bullets, up to 200s. Even built a custom DW revolver based on the Super Mag frame for a custom 30 Caliber rimmed straight walled cartridge called the 30 Harm.
Ed

[Seawolf1090]

Not quite the same thing, but I have been handloading for my Russian Nagant revovler using the .32-20 cases reformed using the Lee Nagant die set. Basically it straightens the case removing that slight bottleneck from the .32-20. I am using a modified .32 H&R Magnum load, using Bullseye powder. Publiched data for this load in the H&R Nagnum is around 1000FPS - not a barn burner but pretty fair for this old handgun - puts it back up tot he same velocity as the old Russian military load. Good 'bark' compared to the wimpy Fiocchi factory loads and the current Russian target loads. Using the Hornady .32 XTP jacketed hollowpoint, it seems to have good power for a light caliber. I need to chrony it, to see what my actual velocity is. Likely still a fair bit les than .32-20 from a carbine. I'm getting this crazy notionto try building a rifle - likely a singlesho - using this cartridge, so I'd have a handgun/long gun combination. I have found .32-20 lever rifle barrels available on Numrich's site, and a small Martini Cadet could be a good basis to start with.
Where I hunt on a lease. for the last few years our distances were within 100 to 150 yards, so I had been using the old .30-30 - but they logged it out, and now our distances have increased to 200 to 250 yards - too long for any smaller .32 I think. But for a 'bunny buster' and small varmint load, the .32-20 or 7.62 Nagant could be fun!

[Rapier]

If you can find a Cadet Action, I just happen to have an original Cadet barrel and forearm. The bore is pitted but it would do for a liner project or as an experiment. The Cadet action is very simple to add and remove a barrel to once you get the extractor cuts done and these are done as it sits. Only thing is that the original 310 Cadet rifle is not .311. Most bores are on the north side of .320 since the British like the Russians at times measured the land diameter, not the grove diameter and the 310 Cadet is such a gun.

Were It me, I would simply skip all the ta da and do a .308 barrel chambered to X that would give you a big choice in bullets. Low pressure to 30 cal is done all the time with the 7.62x39 and the 32-20 for that matter as just about all single shot 32-20s, rifles and handguns, made today are in fact barreled on a .308.
Ed