.32-20 +P ammo-Safe??

[Glenn R. McMannly]

I would not. Besides, rifle ammo will have a slower burning powder, and accuracy may suffer. Similar to 30 carbine…I always reload for that.

1905 was transition to smokeless powders for Colt Saa. Does yours have a VP proofmark on trigger guard?

Not always.

My ‘86 Ruger BH will put them on a nickel at 25 benched with Lake City.

 

[Muley Gil]

Yes, the .32 Long cartridge will work in a .32-20 chamber. I once knew a guy who was fatally shot with a .32 Long bullet fired from a .32-20 revolver. It was an accident, he and a friend were butchering a cow. I never knew the details of how it happened as I was not present.

I worked two different murders where the offenders used .32-20 revolvers loaded with .32 Long ammo.

 

[oneeyedpete]

The Colt SAA is a very strong action! Having said that, it will be a lot more pleasent to plink with standard pressure ammo. As others said, it would be worth considering reloading, but there is usually no problem finding factory ammo. Here is the lowest cost ammo I just found on the Ammoseek website:

HSM 32-20 WIN COWBOY ACTION 115GR FLAT POINT ROUND NOSE 50RD BOX | Maryland Munitions Inc

Don't give up on shooting that old gal! They are a lot of fun to shoot!

 

[Gamecock]

This caveat?
"use this high-performance ammo only in firearms made with barrel steel designed for smokeless powder."


Can you give a single example of a failure of an early smokeless frame rechambered to .357? We know there were many such conversions.
Better yet, can you give an example of an early smokeless 32-20 SAA failing from the use of high velocity "rifle" .32-20 loads?

Failure? Seriously? The gun doesn't have to "fail" for you to destroy it. Shooting proof loads in it will stretch the frame. It's NOT a safety issue, though it could become one.

As stated above, there is no such thing as 32-20 +P.
It's marketing BS. 32-20 is a low pressure cartridge. Keep it that way.

 

[silicosys4]

Failure? Seriously? The gun doesn't have to "fail" for you to destroy it. Shooting proof loads in it will stretch the frame. It's NOT a safety issue, though it could become one.

As stated above, there is no such thing as 32-20 +P.
It's marketing BS. 32-20 is a low pressure cartridge. Keep it that way.

Proof loads?
Nobody is talking about firing "proof loads".
As I said,
Show me a .32-20 with a frame sprung from firing factory loads of any kind.

 

[GerSan69]

Frankly, I wouldn't shoot anything in it! Display it or keep it in the safe, but don't take any chances. Not meant to be an insult, but if you have to come on a forum like this and ask a no-brainer question like that then your knowledge of ammo is limited enough to not want to buy anything modern to shoot in it. Enjoy it for what it is - a beautiful piece of engineering from a bygone era and family heirloom - rather than taking a chance on destroying it. Good luck, Merry Christmas!

 

[RMFnLA]

A perfect candidate for handloading.

Starline occasionally has brass in stock; buy a few hundred rounds and you’ll never look back.

Sweet SAA, btw.

 

[Warren Sear]

A perfect candidate for handloading.

Starline occasionally has brass in stock; buy a few hundred rounds and you’ll never look back.

Sweet SAA, btw.

Yes, definitely shoot it. Use low powered handloaded ammo made with home-cast lead bullets, and it will last forever.

I have a 44 caliber German Reichsrevolver Model 1883 that is a family heirloom. I shoot my own cast bullet low powered ammo in it. BTW, this is a black powder handgun, but I have never shot a single round of black powder ammo in it; only smokeless.

My grandfather brought with him when he emigrated to the US from Germany.

 

[Buick]

I've got a nice

1st generation .32 WCF Colt SAA. Mfg'd in 1923. It's one of the most accurate handguns i own.

 

[cmansguns]

Watch out for ammo scammers!

Oneeyedpete posted a link to what he said was the lowest 32-20 ammo he could find and he saw that on ammoseek. Maryland Munitions has the lowest possible credibility factor there is (2.7 out of 100) indicating that it is probably a scammer. I don't like to blast any seller, but I hate scammers and have been a victim before so I will tell you as far as I know NO LEGITIMATE SELLER has 32-20 HSM factory ammo for less than $1.00 per round, and MOST that do truly have ANY in stock are in the $2.50 to $3.00 per round area for true HSM 32-20 Cowboy Action ammo.

Just as always....use due diligence and look at reviews, Google if "Company X is a scam?"

If someone on here has actually dealt with this firm and had good experiences than please post a note about same and I will stand corrected, but there is even a warning that clicking on their website could bring a trogan malware into your computer.

 

[CMudrock]

Thank you for response. I'm starting to consider shelving this gun & just continue to shoot the S&W .357. That's a 1936 item.

GOOD CHOICE. S&W made a superior product IMO, & will perform better. Old Colts are collectible, & increase in value faster with less wear. I could enjoy maintaining & fondling IT

I enjoy shooting MY old wheel guns (none of them are Colts). But my modern Steel DA/SA hi-capacity, self loaders get used most often, for practice & practicality.
Best Wishes, C.

 

[silicosys4]

Thank you for response. I'm starting to consider shelving this gun & just continue to shoot the S&W .357. That's a 1936 item.

Sheesh.
Consider selling it then.
I've been looking for a .32-20 SAA for a while, I handload for the .32-20.

You can get set up to hand load for less than the cost of an afternoons worth of shooting factory .32-20 at $3/round.

 

[lgeorge1]

Easy to find ads. Hard to find anything available. You need to pay attention to the "out of stock" notation.

Too many nays re: rrifle +p ammo. They win.

 

[jsfricks]

Georgia Arms makes good ammo. I’ve been to the factory years ago and bought a lot in person of various calibers. They have decent prices, especially for reloading components.

 

[Drm50]

There is no point in running hot rod ammo in an old Colt or S&W revolver.
In both Colt and S&W revolvers and Win, Marlin and Savage rifles I’ve found moderate, the old standard factory loadings with a 115 cast bullet preform best. I forgot to mention a Ruger that I thought might do well with jacketed bullets and a bit juicy load. No, it didn’t do bad with jackets but only at moderate velocity, did much better with cast. I have boxes of REM
JSP bullets I bought years ago and always end up shooting the cast 115gr.