32-20 with Modern Ammo
- Thread starter Retired W4
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I don't believe the Model of 1903 was ever chambered for the .32-20 Winchester cartridge.
smithra_66
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I shoot the 32-20 a lot out of a 1906 vintage hand ejector and a 1905 vintage model 92.
I would highly recommend, if you want to shoot that caliber, to use it as an excuse to start reloading and casting.
I would not shoot any factory ammo that says "rifle" in the HE.
You probably will have a REALLY hard time finding ammo unless you reload and cast...then you can make it exactly the way you want it and you'll have no problems.
I use two different bullets:
An Accurate molds 115 LFP with a large grease groove, along with 18 grains of Swiss 2f Black powder. This works great in the pistol or the rifle. Yields about 900 fps in the pistol and 1250 in the rifle.
An Accurate molds 90 grain LSWC, with a smaller grease groove and cast a bit harder for smokeless. 3 grains of bullseye goes easy on the pistol, and 5 grains of Unique for about 1350 fps in the rifle.
I know I could get a lot more out of the rifle but I have no desire to...
You'll have peace of mind and an (almost) endless supply of ammo if you take this route.
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I don't believe the Model of 1903 was ever chambered for the .32-20 Winchester cartridge.
Oops, what model is the round butt ? Fixed it, thank you
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Alk8944
US Veteran
The K-Frame Model Hand Ejectors made for the .32-20 were 1899, 1902 and 1905. Basically they are all the same gun so far as shooting is concerned. Other than caliber they are identical to the various .38 Hand Ejectors known as the .38 Military and Police.
I would not try any box that states "Super-X", "High Velocity", and has jacketed bullets in any old revolver. I believe that bottom box dates back to the 1940s, maybe late 1930s. Western Super-X was introduced in the 1920s and meant high power. High velocity is not something you see on most boxes made in the last 50 years, and jacketed bullets will raise chamber pressure from 15% to 30% over lead.
You cannot call the factory to get any information on 70 year old ammunition, period! Makes no sense shooting vintage ammunition while having no idea what they were originally designed for, and never a good idea to shoot jacketed bullets in 100+/- year old revolvers.
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I would not try any box that states "Super-X", "High Velocity", and has jacketed bullets in any old revolver. I believe that bottom box dates back to the 1940s, maybe late 1930s. Western Super-X was introduced in the 1920s and meant high power. High velocity is not something you see on most boxes made in the last 50 years, and jacketed bullets will raise chamber pressure from 15% to 30% over lead.
You cannot call the factory to get any information on 70 year old ammunition, period! Makes no sense shooting vintage ammunition while having no idea what they were originally designed for, and never a good idea to shoot jacketed bullets in 100+/- year old revolvers.
Matter of fact the old Hi Velocity ammo is labeled for rifles only and either the Win or Rem also says not for use in 1873 Wins.
So rifles only means no revolvers, really not that hard to figure out.
Any 32/20 ammo made in last 50yrs isn't the hi-vel for rifles only.
DWalt
Member
Winchester used Super Speed, Western used Super-X, and Remington used Hi-Speed to designate high velocity handgun loads. Also, the headstamp will usually contain "HV" or something similar. Reloading is advised for anyone owning a .32-20 rifle or revolver and plans to shoot it much. At least that was true back when primers were more readily available.
There was undoubtedly a great deal of HV .32-20 ammunition fired in revolvers back in the day. The consequence will not be the revolver blowing up in your face (any revolver will easily withstand the higher pressure), but rather taking a risk of causing a crack in the barrel at the forcing cone.
There was undoubtedly a great deal of HV .32-20 ammunition fired in revolvers back in the day. The consequence will not be the revolver blowing up in your face (any revolver will easily withstand the higher pressure), but rather taking a risk of causing a crack in the barrel at the forcing cone.
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All the HV 32/20 I have or have seen is some type of jacketed ammo. I'm no sure if they made such ammo with lead bullet.
When I started loading 32/20 & 25/20 years ago I bought jacketed bullets.
That didn't last long I've never came across original revolvers or rifles that didn't do better with cast bullets. It's always been a challenge to find 32/20 with excellent bores because a lot of them lived through BP days.
When I started loading 32/20 & 25/20 years ago I bought jacketed bullets.
That didn't last long I've never came across original revolvers or rifles that didn't do better with cast bullets. It's always been a challenge to find 32/20 with excellent bores because a lot of them lived through BP days.
DWalt
Member
Every time the topic of .32-20 revolvers come up here, invariably someone warns against using HV ammo. It would be very unlikely that could happen as almost all of the HV ammo has long since disappeared into the cartridge collectors domain. Not that you couldn't find some at an estate or garage sale, etc., but that would also be highly improbable.
How many Wives Tales can you think of having to do with guns and ammo? For some these are the Gospel. That's why they never die. They are passed down from father to son.
Having said that it isn't smart to use any ammo that you don't know origins of. The ammo shortage has brought out all kinds of ammo to the market. Every little LGS has ammo coming in out of the woodwork. Especially hand loads. Use to be shops would not knowingly sell unknown hand loads because of liability. It is against the law to make and sell ammo without license.
OP
Drm50, that is a fine looking Marlin carbine you have there. I know a couple people around here that would love to have something like that.
Really?
The 32-20 was originally a black powder cartridge. It was the fourth most popular cartridge in the Colt SAA and the #1 most popular cartridge in the Colt Bisley. It was considered to be a prime Target cartridge.
If my experience with my Uberti 1873 Carbine accurately reflects the same performance back then it was no wonder it was popular for use in rifles and carbines.
Time marches on and smokeless powder arrives. Sometime during the early 1900's Colt starts heat treating the cylinder of the SAA and says it is safe for use of smokeless ammunition in them.
Only now the new fangled smokeless ammunition isn't safe for revolvers and the 1873 rifle/carbine. It is sold for rifle use only.
Yet Colt is manufacturing new SAA chambered in the 32-20. But smokeless ammunition is unsafe for it.
Wait the situation gets worse. Smith and Wesson introduces their large frame double action revolver in 32-20. It becomes a popular handgun carried by leo's. Yet commercial ammo is too hot for use in it?
I think not. I think the rifle only warning was concern about use in guns that had not been heat treated and manufactured with modern steel as blackpowder era guns could not safely withstand the higher pressure ammo.
Historical research shows that one of the reasons the 32-20 became popular in the 1930's was for use against bandits. Like the 38 Super lawmen needed more powerful ammunition to penetrate the heavy steel use in automobiles. So the ammo of choice? Why rifle only labeled of course. If I was a pre-WWII lawdog I would be carrying the S&W HD loaded with rifle only label ammunition.
There I go again. Rambling about my favorite cartridge.
While I also love the .32-20 cartridge, having had at least one handgun in that caliber since 1975 and have owned a dozen or so revolvers and rifles, there are three fallacies in your post.
The first .32-20 that S&W built was the 1899, a medium frame.
By the 1930s, S&W had discontinued building .32-20 revolvers; they were still in the catalog, but the factory had enough already built. Sales were at an all-time low for that round.
The Heavy Duty was only offered in .38 special, although some of the 1930s catalogues list the .44 Special as an option. It was never offered as a factory chambering in .32-20.
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Maybe I missed this..........
Wouldn't modern .32-20 ammunition designed for cowboy action shooting be completely safe and reliable in any S&W revolver designed to shoot smokeless powder?
Maybe not but I figured I had better ask.............
Wouldn't modern .32-20 ammunition designed for cowboy action shooting be completely safe and reliable in any S&W revolver designed to shoot smokeless powder?
Maybe not but I figured I had better ask.............
Jim Watson
Member
"Cowboy" ammunition is generally a code word for "underloaded" and is a common recommendation for old guns.
I have read that .32-20 revolvers are disproportionately subject to bulged barrels.
Is that so, and if so, what is the current theory?
I have read that .32-20 revolvers are disproportionately subject to bulged barrels.
Is that so, and if so, what is the current theory?
First, .32-20 is and always has been a rifle cartridge in all loadings! There have never been any commercial loads marketed specifically for revolvers! This rifle cartridge was adopted by both Colt and S&W, and all commercial ammunition except the 80 grain high velocity hollow-point is appropriate for revolvers. Any load with a bullet of 100 to 120 grains is appropriate for revolvers, regardless of when loaded! This includes lead and jacketed bullets.
The 80 grain High Velocity loading was the only load that was marketed with a warning against use in revolvers!!!!!
You mentioned .32 Special. This is a rifle cartridge chambered in the Model 1894 Winchester, a totally different animal.
The velocities you list or various .32-20 loads are what would be seen when fired in a rifle, not a revolver. You will not find a warning against use in revolvers on the boxes of any .32-20 ammunition, made at any time, except the 80 grain high velocity hollow point load!
All your post succeeds in doing is muddying the water for people who seriously want to have an authoritative answer!!!!!!!!!
That old muddy water.
These seem to contradict a lot of what you posted ?
Note it's a 20 round box
That it does indeed say important not for revolvers.
Also note the velocity and that's for a 115 grain jacketed bullet.
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Paul
Good old Dominion ammo. When I bought my first .32-40 Marlin Model 1893, back in the mid 1970s, I went around to all the gun shops in Portland, Oregon, to see what I could find in the way of ammo for it. I managed to secure 6 or 7 boxes of Dominion 170 grain .32-40s. Great stuff. I reloaded some of those cases 3 or 4 times. One of the boxes is sitting on a shelf just above where I am at this moment.
Good old Dominion ammo. When I bought my first .32-40 Marlin Model 1893, back in the mid 1970s, I went around to all the gun shops in Portland, Oregon, to see what I could find in the way of ammo for it. I managed to secure 6 or 7 boxes of Dominion 170 grain .32-40s. Great stuff. I reloaded some of those cases 3 or 4 times. One of the boxes is sitting on a shelf just above where I am at this moment.
