.32-20 Revolvers

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Last Post 06 October 2018

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Ed Harris posted this 26 July 2017

Years ago fooled with a Colt Army Special, which I sold.

Recently won a GunBroker Auction for S&W .32-20 Hand Ejector 4th Change 6" barrel.

Some of the auction pics:

UPDATE, now that I have the gun in hand I see that the SN 759XX indicates it was manufactured in 1917 so is NOT heat treated. So will be cautious on the loads. Those in Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook (2010) which have been pressure tested not exceeding 16,000 cup/psi are OK. Thinking mostly about Accurate 31-090B and 31-95T bullets and 3 grains of Bullseye, maybe 7 grs. of #2400, or 10 grs. of IMR 4227, if those will burn at the light level.

Maybe with a heavier bullet around 120 grs.? what say you all?

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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delmarskid posted this 06 October 2018

I wish Smith and Wesson would do a run of 32-20's again. I love my 327 feds but it just isn't the same. It's like hearing Robert Johnson on the acordian, cool but just not quite right.

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delmarskid posted this 06 October 2018

"Her hairs all tangled and she ain't talking right."

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 06 October 2018

for blues fans, npr has a jewel called " blues till sunrise " ... ours really is about 4 hours sunday morning from midnight on ... big collection of old time blues artists ...

ken

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Ed Harris posted this 06 October 2018

.32-20 Blues by Robert Johnson, YouTube

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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Ed Harris posted this 04 October 2018

Yes, here is table from FS #254, revised from latest reshoot. All loads are well proven in both rifle and revolver.

Group 1 Standard Pressure Loads for Rifle or Revolver

Bullet, Little Dandy#, Pdr. Chg.____Colt Police Positive 5”______Savage Sporter 25”

Remington .311” 100-grain JSP____930 fps, 16 Sd, 45 ES________1230 fps, 26 Sd, 79 ES

LD#4, 4.9 grains AutoComp

Accurate 31-105T

LD#1, 3.2 grains TiteGroup_________858 fps, 22 Sd, 61 Es_______1133 fps, 30 Sd, 67 ES

LD#4, 3.4 grains Bullseye__________861 fps, 19 Sd, 47ES________1173 fps, 18 Sd, 54 ES

LD#3, 4.5 grains AutoComp________912 fps, 19 Sd, 53 ES _______1260 fps, 21 Sd, 55 ES

LD#4, 4.9 grains AutoComp________ 943 fps, 32 Sd, 71 ES_______1315 fps, 32 Sd, 118 ES

LD#10, 7.5 grains Alliant #2400_____991 fps, 24 Sd, 65 ES_______1348, 29 Sd, 69 ES DO NOT EXCEED!

LD#13, 10.0 grains IMR4227_______985 fps, 25 Sd, 61ES________1280 fps, 53 Sd, 176 ES

LD#17, 13 grains IMR4198________974 fps, 21 Sd, 94 ES________1326 fps, 46 Sd, 138 ES

Accurate 31-114D

LD#3, 3.0 grains Bullseye_________741 fps, 35 Sd, 92 ES________1041 fps, 26 SD, 78 ES

LD#4, 3.2 grains Bullsye__________861 fps, 20 Sd, 54 ES________1173 fps, 18 Sd, 52 ES

LD#13, 10.0 grains IMR4227______962 fps, 27 Sd, 62 ES_______1268 fps, 62Sd, 224ES

LD#15, 11.5 grains IMR4198______777 fps, 43 Sd, 101ES_______1248 fps, 36 Sd, 114 ES

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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M3 Mitch posted this 04 October 2018

Ed, did you get a chance to try those loads yet? I'm not looking at a manual as I type this, but these seem like mild loads that would work OK with a PB bullet.

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Ed Harris posted this 29 August 2017

Good info, thx. I'm casting 31-105T (double-crimp-groove, bevel-base) today.

Plan to load for test 3.4 Bullseye, 8.0 Alliant #2400, 10.0 IMR4227.

Will also increase IMR 4198 to whatever it takes to get powder compression (~14 grs.) and try it in the rifle first.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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GP Idaho posted this 29 August 2017

Here's a second look at Ed's loads that He's posted. These were fired this morning out of the Colt revolver. Basic information is that they were loaded in previously loaded R-P brass to a COL of 1.590 with bullets cast and tumble lubed by Ed Harris. Accurate 31-100T at .313 . To be brief I'll just give charge and av. fps. if anyone wants SDs, Highs and lows PM me. 3gr. TiteGroup 749 fps, 3.2 Bullseye 800, 4.5 Unique 973, 8.3 2400 (just fired one as they were a little warm as Ed advised. 1103. 10gr IMR 4227 961 with lots of powder not burned., 12.5 H-4198 932 accurate but again lots of powder not burned. On to the Accurate 31-090V 4.5 gr Unique 926 and 3.8 GreenDot at 905. Thanks Ed for sending along the bullets and the 31-090V mould. Enjoy the day all. Gp

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Ed Harris posted this 28 August 2017

Ran some .32-20 chronograph data today, the 8.3 of Alliant #2400 is a bit warm in the Colt Police Positive, so I'd recommend cutting to 8 grains even. With 31-100T (earlier bullet) unsized at .312 diameter velocity was 916 fps from 5" Colt, Sd 56, ES 128. Ballistic uniformity may improve with bullet which fits throats and heavier crimp, but this load shot to sights at 100 yards and was accurate.

10 grs. IMR4227 with 31-114D gave 962 fps, 27Sd, 62 ES, also shot to sights at 100 yards.

10 grs. IMR4227 with 31-105T 985 fps, 25 Sd, 61 ES.

3 grains Bullseye with 31-114D gave 741 fps, 35 Sd, 92 ES. Mild compared to factory, Could stand more powder, believe that 3.2-3.3 of Alliant Bullseye should be fine, but not more.

Various trials with IMR4198 were very mild, got vertical stringing, lots of unburned powder in revolver. 12.5 grs. with 31-114D shot OK in rifle, approximates factory velocity 1248 fps.36 Sd, 114 ES. Increasing load to compress charge as if loading black powder may help rifle uniformity. I don't recommend using 4198 in the .32-20 for revolver use.

Factory ammos fired for reference:

Factory Rem-UMC "Dogbone" logo box, from 1930s, Sharpeshooter powder 898 fps, 44 Sd, 116 ES in Colt, in Savage sporter rifle 1302, 15 Sd 36 ES. 3" group at 100 yards rifle with open sights.

Old WRA red & yellow box 100-grain lead, Infallible powder, 870 fps, 28 Sd, 71 ES in Colt, in Savage Sporter rifle 1263 fps, 28 Sd, 93 ES.

Modern W-W 4.5 grains of what sure looks like WST 100-grain lead 778 fps, 27 Sd, 69 ES in Colt, in rifle 1172, 18 Sd, 55 ES

Modern R-P 100-grain lead, 3 grs of fine black granular like .22 LR powder, 780 fps, 11 Sd, 49 ES, in rifle 1150 fps, 44 Sd, 137 ES

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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R. Dupraz posted this 18 August 2017

After all these years, sounds like I did it again, don't it? Oh well it needed some love.

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GP Idaho posted this 18 August 2017

Ken: Does sound like I've been on a run of good luck lately Huh. No worries I'll do something soon that will wake up the "Fun man" and things will go all to **** laugh out loud. Gp

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 18 August 2017

hi gp ... hey you are supposed to include at least a hint of guilt when reporting on your adventures with a new toy ...

maybe make up some kind of setback ... just to keep with protocol ...

ken

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Ed Harris posted this 18 August 2017

GP Idaho,

Thanks for posting your velocity data. This is highly useful!

Would be interested to know what the cylinder gap is on the Colt, and the barrel length. I think 4.5 of Unique should be a winner. In my experience Green Dot tracks very close to 231 so that should be a safe level to try. I have little experience with Trail Boss but people have told me that weight-for-weight it tracks closely to Bullseye or TiteGroup, and based on Ric's recommendation I'm trying 3.0-3.1 grains of Bullseye as metered by RCBS Little Dandy Rotor #3.

I may try the same VOLUME of AutoComp in the rifle and the same WEIGHT of Titegroup for comparison.

Been too hot, humid and tropical to put in much range time, but when the weather breaks I plan to run several batches of lead factory ammo through revolver and rifle and try various charges with Accurate 31-105T to attempt a factory duplication load.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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GP Idaho posted this 18 August 2017

First off, I'd like to tell you all how pleased I am with my recent purchase of the Colt 32-20 offered by Mr. Richard Dupraz. The revolver certainly shows more potential accuracy than my old hands are capable of. Having no prior experience with the 32-20 round I consulted all the printed information I had on hand. Ken Water's Pet Loads, Cast Bullet Handbooks #3 and 4 and a cowboy action handbook by IMR. Here's how I started using the Lee 311-93-1R and the Lee TL314-90-swc I assembled these first rounds and chronograph in hand headed out to the county range. 3.3 TiteGroup Av 896 sd 24, 3.8 Green Dot av 992 sd 26, 4.8 Unique av 1173 sd 28 4.5 Unique av 1066 sd 14 and Trail Boss 2.7gr. av 735 ad 14. All in all very pleased with these as a first try. The 4.8 Unique is a few fps faster than recommended by handbook #4 and the Trail Boss load has the recoil of a 22rf if that. I'm looking to add a couple more moulds and will share #s when. Thanks again Richard for a fine shooter grade 32-20. It's going to be a lot of fun. Gp

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David Reiss posted this 11 August 2017

I have the following molds which can work and I have used for the .32-20:

Lyman 313226 93 gr. PB RN
Big Lube 32-80 80 gr. PB FN
Lee TL314-90-SWC PB
Arsenal 314-100 100 gr. SWC PB & GC
NOE 315-89-WC 89 gr. PB WC

David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
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Ed Harris posted this 11 August 2017

Had I known I could have sized and lubed for you...

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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RicinYakima posted this 11 August 2017

Thank you Ed, always a gentleman. My shop yesterday was 118 degrees, and full of smoke from the Canadian fires, so it may be a while till l get them sized and loaded.