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01-21-2015, 06:48 PM
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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.
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01-21-2015, 07:32 PM
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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.
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01-21-2015, 11:06 PM
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Like DWalt said, sort of, just load .314 bullets and don't worry about it!
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01-22-2015, 02:17 AM
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US Veteran SWCA Founding Member Absent Comrade
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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.
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01-22-2015, 02:49 AM
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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 .
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01-22-2015, 02:52 AM
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Stick with lead bullets, then you wont be tempted. Remember its NOT a magnum. Just a pleasant little round to shoot.
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01-22-2015, 03:19 AM
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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
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01-22-2015, 04:59 AM
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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.
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01-23-2015, 07:01 AM
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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.
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01-23-2015, 07:17 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by daddy bear
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.
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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.
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01-23-2015, 07:55 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hang-Fire Hank
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
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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
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01-23-2015, 08:05 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by daddy bear
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.
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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.
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Last edited by Muley Gil; 01-23-2015 at 08:12 AM.
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