.32 cal no. 1 rollingblock

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  • Last Post 28 January 2018
loophole posted this 27 January 2018

I have a couple of guns in 32 WCF and I love the cartridge. I decided to convert a No. 1 rolling block from .32 rimfire to 32wcf.  I found a gun on the internet advertised as .32 rimfire and it came in a few days ago.  well used, but nearly perfect bore, metal in very good shape--it even has a vintage marble tang sight.  The stock has a poorly installed hook buttplate but I think that is why I got rifle for a very good price. On the bottom of the bbl is stamped "32" where I have seen the calibre stamped of other rolling blocks.

I decided to examine the chamber and out of curiosity tried to chamber a new 32 wcf case.  The case fits, although the rim is a little too tight.  A case fired in my Cimmaron revolver will not chamber(neck too big dia.), nor will a new case with a seated round( too long). 

I primed a new case and found that this will fire, although the firing pin strikes a bit off center.  I took the pin out and it is a rimfire pin.

If I am not mistaken a .32 rimfire is a few thousands  smaller case dia. and a smaller rim dia. than 32 wcf, so the center fire case should be too big to fit.  Also what seems to be a rimfire firing pin but it looks as if it would not strike the rim of the case.  It is only about 1/16" from the center of the centerfire primer.

As nearly as I can measure the bbl is 32 cal.

Any idea what I have here?  I have the reamer ordered and if I do not receive any better information I will ream out the chamber and see how it shoots.  Will accuracy be affected with a firing pin which strikes the primer about 1/16" off center, or should I make and install a centerfire pin?

Thanks for your help.

Steve K 

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RicinYakima posted this 27 January 2018

I would have no idea if it is a #1 Rolling Block. If it is a #4 they were made in every .30 RF and .32 RF. Chambers were large since the cases were never reloaded and black powder fouling built up quickly with this little rounds. You will need to make a chamber cast. HTH, Ric

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loophole posted this 27 January 2018

It is a no. 1.  The differences from a no. 4 are pretty obvious.

Steve K

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RicinYakima posted this 28 January 2018

Yes, but I didn't know they made any but .50, .54 and 58 RF's in the No.1's.

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David Reiss posted this 28 January 2018

I have been studying the RBs for a while and that caliber in a #1 is new to me. I would love to see some photos. You may have a very rare piece. 

David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
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loophole posted this 28 January 2018

I gave the chamber a thorough cleaning and I found that with a 32wcf bullet loaded to the crimp grove in a new case the round will chamber.  A fired case is too tight in the neck.

I referred to the firing pin as a rimfire pin, because it is a cylinder shape about 3/16" dia with a pin about 1/16" dia turned at  the top edge of the larger of the larger dia--just like a 32 rimfire pin.  I thought a centerfire pin was a smaller pin turned concentric  on the larger one.

More interesting--there is a liner of some sort drilled into the front of the breech block, about 1/4" dia with the smaller part of the firing pin passing through a small hole in the liner.

Could it be that someone already has converted a 32 rimfire?  It may be that they drilled the hole in the liner at an angle to allow the rimfire pin to strike the primer? if this is an old conversion the work was done professionally.

Steve K

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corerftech posted this 28 January 2018

Loophole, you shouldn’t be using 32 wcf (32-20).

32 RF is a 32 long Colt in RF version. Your reamer should be a 32 s&w long or 32 h&r either full depth or short chambered to make a 32 s&w. Your necks sticking issues is due to the neck being part way down the barrel waaaay past the throat. That should give you pause!

Change your direction and stop use of 32 wcf, if indeed you do have a 32 RF. If you ream with a 32h&r only run in part way you will get a minor recut in the certainly damaged throat. A 32s&w reamer will NOT touch the throat. You must use h&r. You can run in .010 deeper and as much as .020 with the h&r, by hand, while still in the action likely, and cut a perfect throat and leade which will result in excellent accuracy potential and easily compensated by seating depth adjustments plus if your a stickler, use shortened 32 h&r brass to make perfect the marriage of brass to new chamber length. No harm, will shoot safely all 32 s&w variants and also your perfected long cases from h&r parent brass. This is not conjecture, this is patent.

Feel free to PM me for any other details. This is proven work on multiple guns in your same condition and situation. Regards—-

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loophole posted this 28 January 2018

more careful inspection and some 'net research.  I think what I have is a no. 1-1/2.  flat thin sidewalls, flat receiver top.  Cerrosafe ought to be here in  a week.

Steve K

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RicinYakima posted this 28 January 2018

"More interesting--there is a liner of some sort drilled into the front of the breech block, about 1/4" dia with the smaller part of the firing pin passing through a small hole in the liner."

I am 100% sure this has been converted from RF to CF as that is how they have done it for at least 100 years. All original RB's have a one piece block. Check to see if a 32 Long Colt or a 32 S&W Long will chamber, The S&W (or Colt New Police) are about 0.010" larger in front of the rim than .32 Long Colt. (Marlin made 32 Long Colt rifles for years with two firing pins convertible to 32RF.)

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loophole posted this 28 January 2018

All my research shows the 32 pistol cartridges have smaller rim dia and base dia than 32 wcf, so the 32 wcf round should not chamber in a 32 colt or32 s&w. My chamber seems to accept the 32 wcf as if it were made for it.  The fired case from a revolver may not fit because the neck has expanded a little larger than chamber neck--a slightly looser neck in the revolver? A chamber cast may clear up the mystery.

The best I can tell the firing pin in this gun can not be installed in a sleeved block to strike the center of the primer because the angle of the pin would not fit in the sleeve. 

Steve K

 

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