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32-20 as pistol cartridge

reddnek
I just acquired a very nice S&W 32-20 revolver. I've been told this was at one time a pretty hot hand gun load.Does anybody know of a good small game hunting load for this weapon?
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  • cody45
    I have a 1st gen colt SAA in 32 wcf. Its a fun handgun cartridge. Make sure you do not interchange rifle loads with revolver loads. Many articles have been written about that danger. Lyman loadbooks have lots of good loads for cast bullets in the old revolvers.
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  • Iconoclast
    Check out the older (circa 1975 & before) Lyman manuals. You can make some real nice loads with the Lyman 3116 (I think that's the number - about 115gr nominal) and Unique powder. They also had several loads using SP .30 Carb bullets.

    "There is nothing lower than the human race - except the french." (Mark Twain)
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  • reddnek
    since i bought 3 boxes of shells for the 32-20 i guess i better pull the bullets and reload before i try it out huh
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  • rufe-snow
    quote:Originally posted by reddnek
    since i bought 3 boxes of shells for the 32-20 i guess i better pull the bullets and reload before i try it out huh


    If it's modern,i.e. recent production commerical ammo, I wouldn't sweat it. The ammo manufactures havn't loaded the high-velocity "HOT" 32-20 ammo in many years.

    The 32-20 originated as a black powder cartridge in the 19th Century. There is a lot of the old black powder era guns still around and being used. Because of this the modern ammo produced for the 32-20 is grossly underloaded. The ammo manufacturers do this deliberately, to keep the blood sucking lawyers, ( may they all burn in Hell ), off their necks.

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  • hedgehopper62
    checking my 45th edition copyright 1970 of lymans it says to be very carful as these loads are not to be used in older handguns as they were made for black powder.tks.hedge
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  • ATF
    Here's a page from and old Lyman Realoading Manual from the 50s.This was my first manual I bought when I first started reloading in 1956.

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    When a worm wants to relax,does he go fishing? "And remember a wet dog doesn't fly at night" "My memory's not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be." ATF,Eagle Guns
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  • ATF
    quote:Originally posted by reddnek
    I just acquired a very nice S&W 32-20 revolver. I've been told this was at one time a pretty hot hand gun load.Does anybody know of a good small game hunting load for this weapon?



    Give us the serial number like 1234XX and one of us will tell you when it was manufactured.[:)]

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    When a worm wants to relax,does he go fishing? "And remember a wet dog doesn't fly at night" "My memory's not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be." ATF,Eagle Guns
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  • reddnek
    serial # is13667z as near as i can see needs to be cleaned up a little
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  • I.Shute
    I notice that the green box Remington 80 grain 4732 and the yellow box WW 100 grain 32201 don't say anything about pistols.
    Only say for use in arms in good condition originally chambered for this cartridge.
    Winchester says MV is 1290 fps and ME is 370 foot-pounds.
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  • Iconoclast
    I Shute - yeahbut the .32 WCF was one of the original loadings for the M73 and was chambered in some pre-1900 handguns . . . the people running the ammo companies are not dumb - all the factory loads for cartridges originally developed for BP loadings are produced to exert only low pressure.

    "There is nothing lower than the human race - except the french." (Mark Twain)
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