The 32-20 is great. I have a hand ejector from 1912 that is very accurate. I do not shoot hot loads in it due to the soft steel. my understanding is that these were not heat treated until the 20's. The Ruger buckeye and Browning 53 will take a lot of magnum level loads. I feel like the 32-20 is under appreciated. If more people would try it I think it would be more popular. It makes a great field ctg. but to get the level of performance that it is capable of you must handload. There have been some good articles in Handloader about loading this caliber. The 32-20 is one of my favorites.
.32-20 A Serious Cartridge for Relaxin'
- Thread starter bmcgilvray
- Start date
Smithhound
US Veteran
I love my .32-20, there is just something about walking through the woods with this old Smith on my hip, I also have a Marlin 1894cl in the same chambering. To keep the reloads seperate, when I place the rifle loads into an MTM plastic case I take a large red sharpie and draw a line across the base of each.
RD
RD
bigolddave
Member
Smithhound
I have the same combination. I had the Browning 53, but it was too pretty to take out in the woods, so I sold it to somebody who would. The Smith is about my favorite.
I have the same combination. I had the Browning 53, but it was too pretty to take out in the woods, so I sold it to somebody who would. The Smith is about my favorite.
I bought a 1905 2nd change 32-20 target a week or so ago, knowingly paying too much but I wanted it! The bluing is probably only 75% or so, the bore is great & the grips # to the rest of it. Shot it this last weekend & it was a ton of fun. Here is my question: in the trigger guard at some point in time someone drilled two holes. They run parallel to the triggerguard. They had been filled with plug screws at some time in the past. Any guesses as to what they were for? Ever heard of this modification before?
depicts
US Veteran
bmcgilvay,
I saw what I thought was a Winchester Mod 94 marked 32 WCF this week in very nice condition for sale for $400.
What do you think? Is that a decent buy with good wood, nice bluing, some wear on the receiver, but honest wear?
For some reason I was thinking the 32 WCF was a longer cartridge, not a pistol round. Obviously you know more about it than I do.
I think I better go back today and look at that winchester again.
This is at the shop I told you about that sells mostly machine guns and special class 3 guns. They don't pay much attention there to the old Smith's I like, and apparently, Winchester lever actions either.I find some real bargains there some days.
Nice pics "B"
Bill
I saw what I thought was a Winchester Mod 94 marked 32 WCF this week in very nice condition for sale for $400.
What do you think? Is that a decent buy with good wood, nice bluing, some wear on the receiver, but honest wear?
For some reason I was thinking the 32 WCF was a longer cartridge, not a pistol round. Obviously you know more about it than I do.
I think I better go back today and look at that winchester again.
This is at the shop I told you about that sells mostly machine guns and special class 3 guns. They don't pay much attention there to the old Smith's I like, and apparently, Winchester lever actions either.I find some real bargains there some days.
Nice pics "B"
Bill
bigolddave
Member
Depicts,
If you bought a Winchester 1892 in .32 WCF for $400, you have done very well. I just paid $1200 for a quite nice Take down rifle, and I thought I was about right. The take down feature adds a little, but condition is mosre important. Just after I bought mine, I saw a solid frame in .32 for $750, with the octagon barrel so heavily polished for refinishing that you had to look twice to see that it wasn't round.
When I first started buying guns, in the late fifties, model 92's were $35 on up, with many to choose from. Now, as with all lever guns, whether Winchester, Marlin, or Savage, the sky seems to be the limit.
If you bought a Winchester 1892 in .32 WCF for $400, you have done very well. I just paid $1200 for a quite nice Take down rifle, and I thought I was about right. The take down feature adds a little, but condition is mosre important. Just after I bought mine, I saw a solid frame in .32 for $750, with the octagon barrel so heavily polished for refinishing that you had to look twice to see that it wasn't round.
When I first started buying guns, in the late fifties, model 92's were $35 on up, with many to choose from. Now, as with all lever guns, whether Winchester, Marlin, or Savage, the sky seems to be the limit.
depicts
US Veteran
Thanks Dave, I'll have to take a much closer look at the rifle. I couldn't get there today.
That is one classy looking Smith. I saw one that looked like that at the last gunshow I went to though it was in 38 spl caliber.
Picture is of a Colt army special made in 1923 same as my Mother and a Marlin from 1898 both in 32-20.
Picture is of a Colt army special made in 1923 same as my Mother and a Marlin from 1898 both in 32-20.
Hussygun
Member
i love this round. have a 1905 M&P 6", an SAA colt, two M-92 win and a rem m-25 pump. its a mild plinker and you can easy jack it up to mini magnum status in a good 92 or solid SAA smokeless proofed revolver. it the perfect wood chuck killer along the ditches and wooded areas here in MI farm country. the remington pump seems to shoot the round very well indeed. Phil
Excellent write-up! The 32-20 is my favourite small game cartridge. I shoot it in an original Winchester Model 1892 rifle made in 1903. It's cheap like Borscht to reload and kills those varmints dead. I usually choose a velocity of around 1,200 fps which gives a quieter 'snap' of a report rather than an ear-splitting 'crack' and the 85 grain bullets still go right through the Woodchucks that are constantly digging massive holes in my alfalfa field. An old S&W sixgun chambered in 32-20 would make an excellent companion to the rifle. Here's a photo of my old Winchester, veteran of 104 summers ....
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