I recently did some shooting with a revolver chambered in .32 S&W Long and really enjoyed it. My question is, will a revolver chambered in .32-20 also fire .32 Long and .32 Magnum cartridges?

Ruger made a 32-20 that had another cylinder to shoot 32mag and long from. It was called a Blackhawk Buckeye. I believe it is due to one being a rifle cartridge and one being a handgun cartridge. Someone with more knowledge should be along to give you a better answer.

Jim

There are two reasons that 32-20 and 32 H&R Mags require separate cylinders. First is that 32-20 is longer cartridge, so, 32-20 cylinders must be longer than 32 H&R Mag cylinders. Second is that body of 32-20 is larger than for straight-walled 32s, like 32 H&R Mag and 32 S&W Long.

Has nothing at all to do with 32-20 being a "rifle" cartridge and 32 S&W Long and 32 H&R Mag being "pistol" cartridges. In Colt SAAs, 32-20 was 3-4th most popular chambering. Lots and lots of 32-20 chambered S&W and Colt DA revolvers were made for police and military use in 1890s and early 1900s. GunBroker always seems to have a bunch of these 32-20 chambered revolvers for sale.

Perhaps one could fire 32 S&W Long cartridges in a 32-20, IF rim is wide enough to hold against firing pin. However, you will get much swollen case, even ruptured case, low velocities, likely poor grouping, etc., etc. Maybe not truly dangerous, but not smart either.

Firing the much higher pressure 32 H&R Mag cartridges in an old 32-20 chambered revolver is definitely not smart. 32 H&R Mag has operating pressure well over 20.000 psi, whereas 32-20 standard velocity loads are SAMMI rated for about 14.000 psi max. In addition, you get all the dimensional mismatches of 32 S&W Long in 32-20 chambers. Long ago major ammo companies produced a true HV 32-20 loading that operated at about 20.000 psi and WAS NOT RECOMMENDED for use in Colt SAAs, Colt and S&W DAs, Winchester toggle-link rifles, etc., ONLY in Winchester 1892, Marlin 1894, and similarly strong rifles.

Niklas

Answer to the OP is no. Just no.
Not unless the EMP has struck and a .32-20 gun and .32 S&W L is all you can get to fight off the cannibals.

The .32-20 has a slight but significant bottleneck. As Niklas says, bulging brass would be certain, splits likely.

Pretty much what I thought, but since I'm not familiar with the .32-20 cartridge I just wanted to be sure. Thanks for the info.

I have a 32-20 that a guy shot 32 long with it. The gun seems to be ok, I ran some 32-20 in her the other day and everything was fine. The gun reads 32 WCF on the barrel, The guy who had it told me it was easyer to find 32 long than 32-20...

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George Jamison

Actually, yes you can. You just need to buy chamber adapters like the ones used on Jets. They used to sell them out of the back pages of the American Rifleman.

As noted by other posters, if you attempt to chamber and fire one in a .32-20 cylinder, you'll get bulged and ruptured cases. To avoid that problem, you'll need the adapters.

If you're desperate.....you could attempt to make your own out of a fired .32-20 case. Probably won't be thick enough, but maybe.

While tinkering years ago with a 22 mag, we drilled the case head on fired 22 mag cases and managed to insert 22 lr (and shorts and BB caps) into the back of the mag cases. They worked pretty well. Not 100% ignition, and we never did figure out if the accuracy problems were the gun, the ammo, or maybe our shooting skills. Not bad, but not good.

I managed to stockpile my .32-20 reloading supplies at a couple of gunshows a while back. One guy at the OGCA show had a coffee can and a box full of cast gas check bullets. He wanted $9 for about 500 of them (just to get rid of them.) Then at a Dayton, OH show a guy had 5 partial boxes of ammo, and a box of virgin brass. He only wanted $50 for the entire lot, then he threw in a couple of boxes of jacked bullets. I went home a rich man.

The trick to finding factory ammo is to haunt the small gunshows out in the country. Stop at every table with individuals (as opposed to commercial vendors) and wear out your set of lips. Ask if they have any ammo. Surprising how many do, but didn't bother to bring it because they didn't think anyone would want it. The same trick also works for other obscure calibers. The trick is to ask. Be pleasant when you do.

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Dick Burg

Don't try to over-think this and rationalize why this cannot work, because you are all wrong!

CAN you shoot .32 S&W Long in a .32-20, yes! The same goes for .32 S&W and .32 ACP believe it or not.

Is it safe, absolutely. Will it result in bulged cases, yes. Is it a good idea, not really. If you aren't going to reload them what difference does it make? If you are reloading you wouldn't be asking the question.

Can you shoot .32 H&R Magnum in a .32-20, no. There is too much difference in neck diameter between the cartridges and as a result the .32 H&R won't chamber in a .32-20, it is too long and would have to enter the chamber neck.

This has been asked before. I am not guessing, to satisfy my own curiosity I have shot the .32 ACP in a .32-20. The others are obvious.

Never gave it any thought that 32 H&R Mag would not chamber in 32-20.

Decided to check Lyman's 47 for external dimensions at necks -- 32 H&R mag is given as 0,337 (ditto for 32 S&W Long) and 32-20 given as 0,3307. Chamber dimensions not given. Sure hope someone is not so unlucky as to stick a 32 H&R Mag into an old S&W Hand Ejector or Colt DA 32-20 revolver with slightly oversize chamber.

Nice to know that there is some protection against such an idiot ammo substitution.

Thanks,
Niklas

My Great Grandfather rode the range with a S&W in 32020 and a Marlin lever 1893 in 32-20. One ammunition both weapons. I have read over the years that original black powder load in 32-20 worked well in both revolver and long gun. The rub came when smokeless powder began in the loads. The grains were perfected for the rifle and it was not a good match. The revolver became a "plinker" and the long gun became a more straight shooter. None of this info is certified with the exception of the fact that I own both weapons now and use an old Lee loader to make my rounds. I adjust grains as necessary for each weapons. Now we have defeated the two weapon one ammo rule. The information about the powder changes was from my Grandfather. I'm sure that there are expers here that will give you more than my old lore.

I agree with most everything you posted, however, 32 H&R Mag chambers in all of my 32-20 revolvers, factory chambers including my Winch '92, and those chambers I have reamed; and shoots quite well.
32 Auto falls too far in the 32-20 chambers for the firing pin to reach. But ther semi-rim design fit and function fine in the 32 Long chambers.

It's the 327 Fed Mag that's too long and will not chamber in a 32-20 chamber.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

I think what you may be alluding to is standard smokeless 32-20s that shoot in either revolver or rifle, vs. the 'rifle only' hi performance 32-20 smokeless rounds that should not be fired in revolvers. Although the Colt SAA can handle them because of the oversize-for-caliber Colt single action cylinder.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Welcome to the Forum.

A lot depends on the individual firearms involved. Some will shoot well with a single load, while others won't. I have had a number of revolvers in .32-20 and several rifles as well. I had a couple of loads that shot well in both a 5" S&W and a Marlin 1894. I also had loads that were safe ONLY in a rifle.

Enjoy your granddaddy's guns. I only have one that belonged to mine, but do have a number that were my dad's.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

As well noted above- the answer is of course NO --- and surely no 32 mag in those older guns, many which have untreated cylinders. The Ruger 'Buckeye' photoed below will handle anything, but not the older guns.



This older 32/20 will chamber 32 mag, as I checked when I got it, but I would never think of using it in this gun--

My original remark was not made without direct evidence, and I will stand behind it. I own 9 (at least, that's all I could recall and find right now ) .32-20 firearms. These are:

Colt Army Special
Colt PP Special
Spanish S&W clone
Cimmarron (Uberti) SAA
S&W 1902 1st Change
S&W 1905 3rd Change
S&W 1905 4th Change
S&W Model 16-1 (re-chambered, I don't want to hear any whining about this!!!!)
Marlin 1894 (1980s)

I feel this is a fairly comprehensive sample of .32-20 firearms.

After reading your remarks I checked every one of them and a .32 H&R will not chamber in any of them! It lacks ca. 1/16" to ca. 1/10". So all I can say to your remark is that I have serious doubts about its accuracy.

I will concede your 1892 Winchester may accept the .32 H&R as many 1892s do have somewhat large necks in their chambers, at least the two I have owned did.

Naturally it is possible that some .32 H&R may be found that is particularly thin, but neither Federal or Starline brass I have will chamber in any of my guns when loaded with .311 jacketed bullets. When loaded with under-sized bullets it is possible that .32 H&R may chamber in a 32-20, but that doesn't qualify as a normal or standard cartridge then!

Just some remarks about .32 ACP in a .32-20. Hondo44 is correct that it will not headspace in a .32-20, it falls right into the chamber. BUT, if the gun is raised muzzle up so the cartridge falls back against the breech and carefully lowered to firing position, the cartridge will fire. There is sufficient inertia in the cartridge to allow the firing pin to adequately indent the primer. I had never given this any thought until someone years ago, in one of the gun magazines, listed .32 ACP as one of several alternative cartridges that could be fired in a .32-20! I had to try it, fired 2 rounds as I recall, and both fired. Is it practical, absolutely not! Will it work? Sure does! Accuracy, who knows! But if you need to plink a Squirrel out of a tree and a .32-20 rifle and .32 ACP cartridge were all you had it would work as a "field expedient".

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Gunsmithing since 1961

I will second the above, at least regarding revolvers. My four .32-20 revolvers (both Colt - Army Special and OP, and S&W M&Ps) will not chamber a .32 H&R Mag cartridge. I no longer have any rifles in .32-20, so I don't know about those. I've never tried shooting a .32 ACP in a .32-20, but they will work, after a fashion, in a .32 S&W Long chamber.

Not that SAAMI specifications mean anything on an old gun, but the SAAMI largest chamber neck diameter for the .32-20 is 0.322". The smallest SAAMI case neck diameter for the .32 H&R Magnum is 0.331". So even in the best of circumstances the .32-20 chamber neck will be about 0.01" too small to accept a .32 H&R Magnum cartridge.

I have shot .32 S&W and .32 L out of a 32-20 pistol. I took 115 gr. 32-20 bullets and cut the nose off with bolt cutters to get the weight down and hand loaded for a .32 S&W top break. I didn't shoot any for accuracy but all would leave a mark at arms length. Larry

I don't doubt the accuracy of your experience for a minute, and wasn't implying that I did. Just relating my different experience.

As usual with firearms, there are variables that make both of our experiences possible. Chambers can vary as we know.

My 32-20s are Colt SAAs (known for oversize chambers), Rugers, and the '92 Winch I mentioned. I'll "throw out" one Ruger, a Super Single Six reamed to 32-20, because it started life as a 32 H&R so that's clearly the reason in that cylinder!

My .32 H&R Mags are Blackhills factory ammo in Starline brass and Federal lead and jacketed factory ammo.

All things can be explained with due diligence and specificity.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Back in the day, I worked two murders where the weapon involved was a .32-20 revolver loaded with .32 S&W Long cartridges. The cases swelled and IIRC, at least one case split.

That didn't keep the victims alive however.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Interesting story.

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Jim
S&WCA #819