Smith & Wesson Forum

Go Back   Smith & Wesson Forum > Smith & Wesson Revolvers > S&W Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961
o

Notices

S&W Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961 All 5-Screw & Vintage 4-Screw SWING-OUT Cylinder REVOLVERS, and the 35 Autos and 32 Autos


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 01-21-2015, 06:48 PM
seawa60 seawa60 is offline
Member
32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter  
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 15
Likes: 12
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Default 32-20 Barrel Diameter

Hi Guys-

I have a model 1905 HE in 32-20 and just picked up a Marlin 1892 in the same caliber to keep the 1905 company on these long winter nights. Since I've gotten somewhat invested in the caliber, I'm thinking I should start thinking about learning to reload. Seems like there are varying barrel diameters for guns of different vintage (and manufacturers?) and I am looking for some guidance.

Is there any way of know what the diameter of the barrels on my guns are without 'slugging the bores' (a fine term I just learned about today). Also, any advice on how to determine best loads for these two firearms would be a nice bonus .

Any advice on this would be very helpful. Thanks.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 01-21-2015, 07:32 PM
DWalt's Avatar
DWalt DWalt is online now
Member
32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter  
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: South Texas & San Antonio
Posts: 33,481
Likes: 236
Liked 28,944 Times in 14,013 Posts
Default

I assume you mean bore diameter. I believe that the earlier .32-20 revolvers and rifles had a 0.313"-0.314" bore (groove) diameter. That is the typical bullet diameter to use. That's what I use. Recommended bullet is Lead. Try Missouri Bullet Company - they have good flat-nose 100 grain bullets. My "standard" load is 3.5 grains of Bullseye with the MBC bullet. Just be very careful to avoid double loads.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 01-21-2015, 11:06 PM
Alk8944's Avatar
Alk8944 Alk8944 is online now
Member
32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter  
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sandy Utah
Posts: 8,616
Likes: 1,554
Liked 8,612 Times in 3,452 Posts
Default

Like DWalt said, sort of, just load .314 bullets and don't worry about it!
__________________
Gunsmithing since 1961
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 01-22-2015, 02:17 AM
opoefc opoefc is offline
Absent Comrade
US Veteran
SWCA Founding Member
32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter  
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: San Diego, CA. USA
Posts: 10,536
Likes: 3,529
Liked 6,883 Times in 2,796 Posts
Default

If you are loading you own ammo, as suggested above and use the powder weights mentioned, you should be good to go, however back at the turn of the 20th century .32-20 rifle ammo. was a much hotter round that .32-20 revolver ammo. Rifle ammo. boxes of the period were usually marked as "Rifle " ammo and not safe to fire in handguns. If you should happen to pick up some vintage ammo, be sure to read the box warnings if it's marked "Rifle Only" The 32-20 is a great cartridge in rifles or handgun and is overlooked by todays shooters, I think. Ed.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 01-22-2015, 02:49 AM
Biggfoot44 Biggfoot44 is offline
Member
32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter  
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 2,060
Likes: 2
Liked 1,595 Times in 888 Posts
Default

Presumably you mean a modern Marlin M1894 ? Marlin did make .32-20's in the 1890s ( and I have one ) , but none of them were a M1892 .
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 01-22-2015, 02:52 AM
drgbike's Avatar
drgbike drgbike is offline
Member
32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter  
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: South Western,PA.
Posts: 537
Likes: 1,556
Liked 537 Times in 219 Posts
Default

Stick with lead bullets, then you wont be tempted. Remember its NOT a magnum. Just a pleasant little round to shoot.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 01-22-2015, 03:19 AM
Hang-Fire Hank Hang-Fire Hank is offline
Member
32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter  
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Central AZ
Posts: 434
Likes: 8
Liked 355 Times in 163 Posts
Default NOT A 32-20

SEAWA60: Besides the Marlin model 1892 being chambered in .22LR, it was also chambered in a weird .32 caliber called something like ".32 Colt New Police". I had one & no way would a .32-20 cartridge chamber. Then I knew why the rifle was in perfect shape. That cartridge had long been discontinued. Unless it has sentimental value (e.g. family gun), sell it & get either an original antique model 1889 or model 1894 or one of the re-issue model 1894CL. I really like that caliber & have had MANY rifles and a Colt SAA in that chambering. Good Luck, Hank
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 01-22-2015, 04:59 AM
k22fan k22fan is offline
Member
32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter  
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 5,835
Likes: 5,161
Liked 5,242 Times in 2,483 Posts
Default

seawa60,

An RCBS .314” bullet mold shoots much more accurately in a 1920s vintage S&W .32-20 than any of the Lyman molds I tried. The Lyman molds all cast too small a diameter. As previously posted start with .314” or .313 if you can’t get any at .314”.

It is difficult to measure slugs driven through S&W bores because of the odd number of lands and grooves. Fortunately that doesn’t matter because to reload for revolver accuracy you match the bullet diameter to chamber throat diameter, not bore diameter. It is best to start with throat diameter or a thousandths larger.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 01-23-2015, 07:01 AM
daddy bear daddy bear is offline
Member
32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter  
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 332
Likes: 78
Liked 283 Times in 145 Posts
Default

Kind of blows the theory of handgun and rifle chambered alike as making ammo supplies simple when one has to be careful not to load the high speed stuff into revolvers. To me, it makes things much more complicated.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 01-23-2015, 07:17 AM
DWalt's Avatar
DWalt DWalt is online now
Member
32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter  
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: South Texas & San Antonio
Posts: 33,481
Likes: 236
Liked 28,944 Times in 14,013 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by daddy bear View Post
Kind of blows the theory of handgun and rifle chambered alike as making ammo supplies simple when one has to be careful not to load the high speed stuff into revolvers. To me, it makes things much more complicated.
The high-velocity .32-20 ammunition has not been factory loaded since the early 1960s. The lore is that the HV rifle loads were dangerous to use in .32-20 revolvers, but the fact is that it was not an unusual practice to do so back in the day, under the concept of "if it fits, I'll shoot it" common among the good ol' boys. Obviously not a good idea, but I have never heard of a .32-20 revolver blowing up. There's a lot of metal around those chambers.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 01-23-2015, 07:55 AM
Muley Gil Muley Gil is offline
US Veteran
32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter  
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: The SW Va Blue Ridge
Posts: 17,472
Likes: 88,960
Liked 24,780 Times in 8,482 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hang-Fire Hank View Post
SEAWA60: Besides the Marlin model 1892 being chambered in .22LR, it was also chambered in a weird .32 caliber called something like ".32 Colt New Police". I had one & no way would a .32-20 cartridge chamber. Then I knew why the rifle was in perfect shape. That cartridge had long been discontinued. Unless it has sentimental value (e.g. family gun), sell it & get either an original antique model 1889 or model 1894 or one of the re-issue model 1894CL. I really like that caliber & have had MANY rifles and a Colt SAA in that chambering. Good Luck, Hank
It was probably chambered in .32 Short Colt, as the .32 Colt New Police is the same as the .32 S&W Long.

See this ad:

Antique Arms, Inc. - Marlin Model 1892 Rifle
__________________
John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 01-23-2015, 08:05 AM
Muley Gil Muley Gil is offline
US Veteran
32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter 32-20 Barrel Diameter  
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: The SW Va Blue Ridge
Posts: 17,472
Likes: 88,960
Liked 24,780 Times in 8,482 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by daddy bear View Post
Kind of blows the theory of handgun and rifle chambered alike as making ammo supplies simple when one has to be careful not to load the high speed stuff into revolvers. To me, it makes things much more complicated.
Well, when the .32-20 was introduced in the 1880s, the only loads available were loaded with black powder and they were safe in both rifles and revolvers.

Blame that danged old Alfred Nobel and a century plus of gun cranks and wildcatters for making things so hard.
__________________
John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Last edited by Muley Gil; 01-23-2015 at 08:12 AM.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
M&P 10 Barrel Diameter?? and other questions Dave686 Smith & Wesson M&P10 Rifles 2 11-06-2019 12:36 PM
Outside barrel diameter? TDI Brad Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 3 01-24-2013 08:39 PM
Barrel Diameter Maiden Tx4 S&W-Smithing 0 08-26-2010 10:29 PM
Barrel pin diameter? Marksman S&W-Smithing 2 08-26-2010 05:44 PM
M&P 15-22 barrel diameter DougStump Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 22 02-03-2010 05:57 PM

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
smith-wessonforum.com tested by Norton Internet Security smith-wessonforum.com tested by McAfee Internet Security

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:32 PM.


Smith-WessonForum.com is not affiliated with Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select: SWHC)