Convert 32-20 to 32 H&R

[Green Frog]

That grip on the 631 pictured above is the same as what I got on mine. On the matter of the 32-20 versus 32 magnum I forgot about the case rim being larger, that would require a k frame cylinder.

You might be able to deal with the case diameter difference by using a five shot cylinder, but I doubt the I-frame cylinder or even a J-frame before the current 357-length would be long enough for a 32/20.

Froggie

 

[Muley Gil]

I need to get out the calipers. Colt built their Police Positive Special in .32-20 (six shot). I don't believe the PPS cylinder is that much bigger than a J frame.


PPS=Just a hair over 1 3/8"

J frame=1 5/16"

 

[Hammerdown]

Is it possible to have a cylinder made to convert my existing 32-20 to shoot 32 H&R Mag? I have a 142XXX serial number 4" revolver. Is the 32 mag too much pressure? I assume a 32 Long cylinder would work but I was looking for something more powerful. If the 32 mag would work, would a 327 Federal work? I'm just wondering.

Hello Brick
Simply Put No, to Modify an Older 32-20 cylinder to H&R .32 Magnum it's Ingredient's for disaster. The Increased case pressure's of the .32 H&R Magnum round is higher than that of the 32-20 Cartridge. In looking at most Older 32-20's made prior to around 1926 The cylinder's are Not Heat Treated. For those gun's Manufactured prior to 1926 I would suggest only Pistol ammo to be shot in them. They Offered Two style of ammo back then one for pistol's & The other for Rifles. The rifle ammo is hotter than the pistol ammo as their vintage boxes suggested For rifle or pisol use. In viewing the 32-20 cartridge it is very close in velocity to the H&R .32 Magnum round and is very accurate. If you hand load you can Tailor the round to be one ragged hole accurate out of your gun and that's the way I would go with it. Sometimes Velocity is Not Superior when hand loading for gun's. If you want a gun chambered in .32 H&R Magnum I would suggest that you buy one Rather than Modify your 32-20 Hand eject... I have a model 16-4 that Hamilton Bowen modified to the new FederaL .327 Magnum cartridge. I had little concern over the conversion being Dangerous as the Model 16-4 has a Lot of Meat in the side wall's of it's factory cylinder. Hamilton Bowen assured me that this gun would be safe no matter how hot I hand loaded for it and it shoot's excellent after he machined and matched the cylinder throat's in it's cylinder. it now shoot's More acurate than it did in Factory form...

 

[Hondo44]

You might be able to deal with the case diameter difference by using a five shot cylinder, but I doubt the I-frame cylinder or even a J-frame before the current 357-length would be long enough for a 32/20.

Froggie

I had looked into that very issue. The J frame cylinder is not long enough for the 32-20 but the cyl frame window is. The J Magnum frame is even better with a longer cylinder window. And both are plenty long enough for the 327 Fed Mag, but the 327 is higher pressure at around 43K psi IIRC, than the 357 Mag.

 

[Hondo44]

For a price, I imagine anything could be done. However the 32-20 has a base diameter which is much larger than that of a 32 H&R so it is not a simple rechamberimng of the cylinders. The 32-20 is a perfectly useful cartridge which is as least as powerfull as the 32 H&R.

It's only .030" larger and 6 will fit in the circle circumference of a J frame cylinder. But although the J frame window is long enough, the 32 S&W Long cylinder does not fill up the window like the 38 Spl cylinder, so a custom cylinder would have to be made. My Model 36 cylinder will turn with chambered 32-20 rounds; they do not stick out of the end of my cylinder.

 

[BSA]

Anything the 32 Magnum can do the 32-20 can do better. The Mag. uses a 95 gr. bullet whereas the 32-20 uses a 115 gr. The 32-20 is a more reliable rifle round due to its bottleneck shape.

 

[Green Frog]

Anything the 32 Magnum can do the 32-20 can do better. The Mag. uses a 95 gr. bullet whereas the 32-20 uses a 115 gr. The 32-20 is a more reliable rifle round due to its bottleneck shape.

Sorry BSA, but I have to disagree with you. Skeeter Skelton was probably the all time greatest proponent of the 32/20. In his last public appearance I asked him about the 32/20 for the TC Contender. He had been working with the earliest versions of the 32 H&R Mag and quickly but firmly steered me away from his beloved 32/20 and toward the little Maggie. Better brass life, easier reloading, etc, etc. The H&R Mag never rose to its full potential, but the Fed Mag in a full sized revolver promises to do so. I'm putting my money where my mouth is and have bought a full sized Ruger and am building a stainless K-frame in the caliber.

Regards,
Froggie

PS Where did you get the idea that the 32 Mag was limited to 95 grain bullets? The 115 grain Lyman/Ideal 3118 is an ideal choice for the Maggie, and I have a 125 grain that will probably get a fair amount of use in the Fed Mag.

 

[Hondo44]

On the one hand the 32-20 has much better case life with new brass from Starline and others with thicker necks.

On the other hand the versatility of the 32 FM with several different bullet weights can not be overstated.

Personally I prefer the traditional 32-20 in my Rugers/SAs and 32 FM in a Smith, J or K frame.

How's that for diplomacy?

 

[peyton]

I was poking around on my second favorite Gun site, and found this barrel for sale. The add with it says: "Smith & Wesson "K" Frame .32 Long barrel is 6" in length. Barrel appears new but there are several small blemishes in bore which may be light pitting". I am posting pictures in this thread because it has me confused, I thought the only "K" frame 32 long revolver was the K-32 and it was a heavy barrel with a rib on top. I suspect it is actually was made for a regulation police but I thought those were on I or J frames. Oh help me wise ones!!

 

[Green Frog]

I was poking around on my second favorite Gun site, and found this barrel for sale. The add with it says: "Smith & Wesson "K" Frame .32 Long barrel is 6" in length. Barrel appears new but there are several small blemishes in bore which may be light pitting". I am posting pictures in this thread because it has me confused, I thought the only "K" frame 32 long revolver was the K-32 and it was a heavy barrel with a rib on top. I suspect it is actually was made for a regulation police but I thought those were on I or J frames. Oh help me wise ones!!

I've been watching that one too. I kinda hoped nobody else was interested. I've dealt with Larry before and if he says it's for a K-frame, that is what I would expect. It could be anything, though, because he has bought up a lot of miscellaneous stuff that was on shelves and in bins in the factory, so experimental, one-off, custom projects, etc. will occasionally show up in his offerings. Makes for some interesting speculation, though, doesn't it?

Froggie

 

[DWalt]

"He had been working with the earliest versions of the 32 H&R Mag and quickly but firmly steered me away from his beloved 32/20 and toward the little Maggie. Better brass life, easier reloading, etc, etc."

Newer .32-20 brass should be able to withstand any load. Regarding reloading, I see no difference in ease with any other rimmed revolver cartridge. In fact, due to its length, I think it is easier to handle than shorter cases. As I see it, the principal disadvantage is the relative difficulty of finding factory loads, and the fact that those, when found, are lightly loaded for use in older revolvers. No reason I can see that .32-20 brass life should be any different than .32 Mag or .327. In short, given a suitably strong revolver (and I can think of only one, the Colt Official Police, which was chambered in .32-20 until 1940) it would be simple to equal the .32 Mag, and maybe even the .327. That assumes one wanted to do so. I don't. But I have loaded and fired .32-20 loads equivalent to the old High Velocity rifle loads in my OP with no problem of any kind. The OP has a very beefy cylinder and frame, which is essentially that of the Colt Python.

 

[Oyeboteb]

Why not just Hand Load .32-20 to suit the Ballistics one wants? Instead of bothering to have the Revolver 'converted' to .32 H&R Magnum?

Seems a lot easier, AND a lot more Historically accurate and actually more interesting...since, of course, people did used to do that, back when.

 

[Hondo44]

It's almost certainly a pre war K32 barrel since it has a notch for the immediate pre war 'barrel' shaped extractor rod head. And if it has patent dates on the top that would almost clinch it. But then there's always the chance it is a very early post war 'Transitional' K32 pre-ribbed barrel that we've also seen with the notch and barrel head rod.

 

[peyton]

I feel pretty stupid, and that does happen frequently. There is a K32 on GB with some great pictures and the barrel I posted above looks like it. The front sight is partially missing it seems. I did bid on it and requested extra photos.
I had to sneak over to the USO computer room to bring up pictures of my K-32 my wife bought for me three years ago. The army blocks photobucket for some reason. The barrel is different with a rib on it. The side markings look the same.

I have ventured into the .32-20 revolvers, but not with what you think. I just sent it in to USFA to get a .327 cylinder for it, they would not sell the cylinder outright.

 

[Hammerdown]

It's almost certainly a pre war barrel since it has a notch for the immediate pre war 'barrel' shaped extractor rod head. And if it has patent dates on the top that would almost clinch it. But then there's always the chance it is a very early post war transitional that we've also seen with the notch and barrel head rod.

Hello Jim
You hit the Nail on the Head. That is a Pre-War K-32 Target revolver Barrel for sure. Here is what it looks like on the correct revolver. This gun is not mine but I have handled it and pictured it. It belong's to a friend it is one of 94 K-32 Target's made...

 

[Hondo44]

What a sweetheart. I would love to shoot a K frame 32 sometime, or even just hold one! The closest I have is K22 Outdoorsman that would make a nice pair.

 

[Hammerdown]

What a sweetheart. I would love to shoot a K frame 32 sometime, or even just hold one! The closest I have is K22 Outdoorsman that would make a nice pair.

Hello Jim
My friend that Own's the Pre-War K-32 which shipped in 1939 has never shot it and I doubt that he ever will as he is purely a Collector, but I have asked him to "Will it to me"... as he Know's how Ate up I am with the gun and the .32 S&W Long Cartridge I do have a Post-War wide barrel rib K-32 that was made in 1951 that I shoot often shown below. I can tell you that they are a Joy to shoot as they have very little recoil or report, but shoot very accurate target results...I Lucked into this Pre-16 about Five years ago and after a 30 Year Hunt for one, it will never leave my hands, as it is without a Doubt my Favorite K-Frame Target revolver... Hammerdown

 

[K&Nframe]

Bowen and others use a K frame 22 or 22 mag cylinder as the base for the 32 mag and 327 mag cylinders. Bowen actually has someone produce new k 22 cylinders for this pupose. You can read about it on his sight.

Kevin

 

[Hondo44]

Hello Jim
My friend that Own's the Pre-War K-32 which shipped in 1939 has never shot it and I doubt that he ever will as he is purely a Collector, but I have asked him to "Will it to me"... as he Know's how Ate up I am with the gun and the .32 S&W Long Cartridge I do have a Post-War wide barrel rib K-32 that was made in 1951 that I shoot often shown below. I can tell you that they are a Joy to shoot as they have very little recoil or report, but shoot very accurate target results...I Lucked into this Pre-16 about Five years ago and after a 30 Year Hunt for one, it will never leave my hands, as it is without a Doubt my Favorite K-Frame Target revolver... Hammerdown

Oh that's classy with speed hammer, and box with SAT as well! I had one opportunity to get one of later vintage about 8 years ago for $1800. It was well used but only at matches so no abuse or holster wear. I still think I made the right decision at the time to pass on it for that price, but as the reasons and the visual fade I sometimes wonder....... Is there ever enough good reasons to pass up any K32?

 

[Hammerdown]

Oh that's classy with speed hammer, and box with SAT as well! I had one opportunity to get one of later vintage about 8 years ago for $1800. It was well used but only at matches so no abuse or holster wear. I still think I made the right decision at the time to pass on it for that price, but as the reasons and the visual fade I sometimes wonder....... Is there ever enough good reasons to pass up any K32?

Hello Jim
Well, They aint Makin Em any More, and never will again so I guess if you are lucky enough to see one you had better jump on it or you will not have one... Life is far Too short to go without the Toy's we want while we are Here....