32-20 Ammo for Colt Revolver

[DWalt]

Most comments are correct. You are not likely to run into any high velocity .32-20 factory loads today. Someone said they were phased out in the 1960s, but other sources give 1950s, possibly both dates are true depending upon manufacturer. For sure, if factory ammunition has lead bullets, it is suitable for use in any revolver chambered in .32-20. Best approach is to reload, far, far less expensive if you plan to shoot much. I will shoot several hundred rounds of .32-20 every month, all reloaded. I use 100 grain .313 cast lead bullets from Missouri Bullet Company over 3.5 grains of Bullseye propellant, very accurate, never had a problem with that load.

 

[shooter7]

Though the Police Positive Special is one of the smallest guns made in 32-20, I would think one in vg-exc. shape, should be able to be shot with the 118gr. and 80gr. Load-X moly coated load, as well as the 115gr. Ultramax, and Black Hills loads, in addition to the similar Winchester/Remington 100gr. loads. These are pretty low velocity all lead loads. So far, I've only used the 118gr. Load-X in a Marlin rifle, and it shoots great.

I don't understand the velocity on the Ventura Munitions site for the JHP load, but in the past, the pictured jhp ammo, was made by HSM, and was loaded at a lot lower velocity (in the 850fps range), though it is always sold out it seems, and I haven't been able to get any. HSM, does have some 115gr lfn available often, and it is about the cheapest 32-20 "factory loaded" you can get, but it is also often sold out. I haven't tried any, but recently ordered some, so we'll see.

I have been hesitant to pick up a Colt PPS in this caliber, because of it's size, preferring the Army Special/Official Police, and the S&W M&P 4th Change revolvers in this cartridge, as they are a little larger and probably stronger guns. When you do fire this cartridge out of a revolver, you do realize that it's a bit more powerful, than you would expect for a 32 caliber, with recoil on par with the 148gr. 38spl. wadcutters, at least for me anyway. I can imagine this loaded with a copper jacketed projectile in a modern rifle, like the Marlin 1894 and the Browning 53 at high velocity to be quite potent for raccoon sized animals.

I don't think there has ever been a 32-20 revolver specific load, BTW, and I don't know why the 32-20 ever got into the double action revolver in the first place.

 

[DWalt]

The old high velocity .32-20 loads with jacketed bullets were on a par ballistically with the .30 Carbine military load when fired from a rifle. The original intent was that they were to be used only in the Winchester Model 92 and other rifles designed for smokeless powder, and not for the Winchester 1873. Belive it or not, I ran across a Winchester 92 that was originally a .32-20, but had been modified to shoot .30 Carbine. Side by side, there is little difference in appearance between the two cartridges, except that the .32-20 is rimmed.

 

[Desert]

32.20 ammo

The 80 grain winchester hollow points were marked OPE on the box for open point expanding

I just picked some up recently

I have 2 boxes of 32.20 Western and one box of ultramax, the westerns are 80 gr and 100gr and the ultra is 115 gr.....looking around I found some as low as 31.00 a box..most are up at the 35.00 box range

 

[bigolddave]

Years back, I believe the state of Tennessee had a tax on handgun ammunition, but not on rifle. (A surtax, not sales tax.) Some ammunition, and .32/20 was one, had a sticker indication for rifle use, so was exempt from the tax. Once you got the ammo home, who was to say what you shot it in.

 

[DWalt]

Years back, I believe the state of Tennessee had a tax on handgun ammunition, but not on rifle. (A surtax, not sales tax.) Some ammunition, and .32/20 was one, had a sticker indication for rifle use, so was exempt from the tax. Once you got the ammo home, who was to say what you shot it in.

That's been discussed here several times previously. Apparently there were several states which levied special taxes on handgun ammunition back in the day. And the gun grabbers are still trying that tactic.

 

[old tanker]

The .32-20 is a fine cartridge. Reloading is not difficult. It is quite accurate in both rifles and revolvers. Colt chambered several revolvers in .32-20 while S&W did only the one. Colt New Army from 1907, Army Special from 1925 and a Police Positive Special from 1922. The Model of 1902 dates from 1903 while the nickel 1905 dates to 1907. You might say I am a fan.

 

[old tanker]

Rifles in .32-20

You mostly hear the .32-20 linked to Winchester and Marlin lever action rifles but the Marlin 27S and the Remington Model 25 are just slick handling pump rifles that are great fun to shoot. When I was a kid I had a cousin with a bolt action Savage (Model 43 I think) that caused a fair amount of coveting.

 

[DWalt]

Not too common, but the Colt Lightning rifle was also chambered in .32-20, among others. So was the Winchester Model 43. That's one you never see in .32-20. The model 43 was more famous in the .22 Hornet chambering. There was also the Savage Model 23 bolt action, and another Savage single shot rifle which I do not remember the model number of.

I am sure I once saw a Remington Model 14-1/2 pump gun in .32-20, but I cannot find any information that it was ever factory-made in .32-20. Maybe it was another Remington.

 

[TripleLock]

You are not likely to run into any high velocity .32-20 factory loads today. Someone said they were phased out in the 1960s, but other sources give 1950s, possibly both dates are true depending upon manufacturer.

Catalogs from the major ammunition manufacturers bear out the later date for the discontinuance of the old .32-20 high velocity cartridges: Peters (load #3272) last listed in catalogs in 1964; Remington (load #4732) last listed in catalogs in1965; Western (load #32203) listed in catalogs 1967, not in 1969; W-W (no load number listed) listed in catalogs in 1966, not in 1970.