I just bought a 32-20 H.E. 1st change, SN 16.... I would like to make a few shots with that nice old gun. However, I'm not sure whether the gun can handle smokeless powder or not. From what I read in my books it should, but I want to be on the safe side. I have a good supply of bullets cast from an old Winchester one cavity mold for the 32-20 and I also have lot of new empty brass. Any advice?
Thanks
Rainer

You can run smokeless through it. Factory loads work just fine.

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George Jamison

Thanks Jamie,
I will start with a mild load for this oldie!
Rainer

My standard .32-20 load is a 100 grain lead bullet and 3.5 grains of Bullseye. Very mild.

Thanks for your help. I loaded a 110 Grains cast bullet from an old Winchester 1 cavity mold in front of 4 Grains Accurate Arms no. 5. The manual mentions a starting load of 4.5 Grains. Will try tommorow evening and let you know.
Rainer

Hi George,
sorry, I must have been mixed up when reading the various messages. Pls. excuse!
Later today I will post some pictures of the .32-20 HE. Optically it's not the best, but it works smooth as a Swiss watch.
Rainer

Here we say that Swiss watches work smooth as a Smith & Wesson!!

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Hello Rainer, there in one important thing you should keep in mind. At one time the major ammo manufacturers made 32-20 in two different smokeless loadings, one for revolvers and a much more powerful load for rifles. Rifle loads were marked as such on the box. Do not use these older hi speed loads in your revolver. I believe they are also loaded with jacketed bullets.
You also need to be careful of your reloading data in making sure it is specific for use in revolvers.
Modern 32-20 ammo made by Remington or Winchester loaded with the lead bullets are safe for use in your revolver. But since it's hard to find and a bit pricey, reloading is the way to go. I too like Bullseye but am having equally good results with Trailboss. I mold my own 113 gr flat point bullets using the old Lyman 3118 mold.

John

I looked up the high-speed .32-20 loads once, and I believe I found they were discontinued over 50 years ago, back in about 1962 or so. Therefore, they won't be found on store shelves. The boxes were marked as being high velocity, and I think most also indicated that on the headstamp. Further, I believe all high speed loadings used jacketed bullets (and so did some revolver loads). Any factory load, new or old, having lead bullets will be OK for revolver use. Even though the current Remington factory .32-20 loads say "Rifle" on the box, they are not high velocity, and are OK for use in revolvers.

I have not tried AA #5 in .32-20, and it would not be my first choice in that caliber, as #5 is a fairly slow and high bulk density propellant. I do use it for very hot loads in .38 Super/9X23 (excellent in those) and have also used it in .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum. For virtually every other handgun cartridge I load for (a lot of them), I use Bullseye, 231/HS-6, or AA #2.

Before I knew any better I did fire a few of the HV loads in a late S&W .32-20 with no ill effects. They were Remington 80gr HP bullets and the box was marked High Velocity. I don't know if they would have done the same in a non heat treated earlier gun. When I got my first .32-20 in the late 1960's, Standard Remington loads were with a half jacketed 100 grain bullet, and Winchester's were loaded with an all lead 100gr bullet. I always preferred the Remingtons because the Winchesters leaded the bores. The Remington bullets used to be available in bulk packs and I shot a good many in reloads.

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Tom
1560

I have to believe that over many years there was a lot of the HV rifle ammunition fired, intentionally and unintentionally, in revolvers, and probably for the most part, with no disastrous consequences. I'd think the only problems (if any) would have been a result of use in the old black powder era Colts and S&Ws prior to cylinder heat treating. There was/is a lot of metal thickness around the chambers, as the .32-20s were used in the same diameter cylinders as the much larger cartridges, and could have probably taken the increased chamber pressure and then some without failure.