1905 HE. 32/20 loads

[Drm50]

I’m looking to load for a 1905HE manf 06 or 07. I have several hundred loaded with 100gr cast over 6.0 g Unique. According to book these are at 1650fps. These shoot excellent in my Marlin 1894 from same era. It’s been so long can’t remember where this load came from. I’ve fired these from S&Ws & Colts but of later vintage. I’m wondering if these to juicy for my old pistol.
Good weather breaking and want to come up with good load to sight in with. Not interested in hot rods. Thinking of using 3.5gr
Tite Group, same 100gr bullet at approx. 1000fps. Have molds for 115gr too. * all my existing handloads are loaded with small rifle primers. Anyone using similar loads in pre heat treated models?

 

[glowe]

Your rifle load is WAAAY to hot for a 115 year old S&W M&P.

Unique - 3.5g - 969fps - 98 grain LRN. As far as I am concerned, 969 fps is also way too fast for the revolver, but the Alliant reloading guide does not show minimum loads. I am still a true believer in Trail Boss for these vintage calibers, low pressures and low SD.

 

[rockquarry]

Lyman Cast Bullet Book #4 has plenty of safe data for even the early guns designed for smokeless powder use.

 

[Brooks]

I am shooting 4.3 grs Unique with a 118 cast lead bullet. Chrono'd at 875 fps. From 1908 32-20 HE. That's 200 fpe. I would not drop down below 4 grs Unique. Shoot only cast.

 

[glowe]

The 3.4g is from the Alliant website for Cowboy loads so is perfectly safe. Slower the better for shooting paper, and better for the revolver. Besides you can get 431.8 rounds more per pound of powder with 3.4g. Try several loads out from 3.4 to 4.3 and you will often find that accuracy increases with slower speeds in this caliber.

 

[TIMETRIPPER]

I cast the Lyman #3118, 115 gr bullet and the highest I've ever gone is 4.5 gr of Unique. 4 grains did better.
My favorite load with that bullet is 3.5 grs of Bullseye. I also use it in my Stevens 44 single shot rifle and it is an accurate 100 yard load.

John

 

[Brooks]

Winchester Super-X 32-20 100gr lead ammo is safe in all guns. 1873, 1892, 1894, S&W HE... etc.
Claimed velocity from Winchester is 1210 fps out of a rifle. 325 fpe.
If you duplicate this load it is safe in all pistols.
IMHO. Check .... and recheck... and then check again.

 

[rockquarry]

Winchester Super-X 32-20 100gr lead ammo is safe in all guns. 1873, 1892, 1894, S&W HE... etc.
Claimed velocity from Winchester is 1210 fps out of a rifle. 325 fpe.
If you duplicate this load it is safe in all pistols.
IMHO. Check .... and recheck... and then check again.

It's been a while, but I've chronographed modern Winchester and/or Remington .32-20 100 grain lead ammo. I think it was only around 1100 fps from a rifle. From a revolver, you'd probably get no more than 800 - 850 fps. Very mild.