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32-20 reloading advice


Shifty Jack, SASS #65353

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Can anyone provide guidance on things to watch out for when reloading 32-20? What dies have worked the best for you? Would you use a Dillon 650 or 1050 to load and why? 

 

I have never loaded any of the WCF calibers and have heard they can be a little different. Thanks!

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A couple of differences from loading straight cases,   the bottle neck case will require lube to size.  I use Hornady One Shot. I rack up the cases in loading blocks and give the top half a spray with lube.  Second is to go easy and slowly when setting the seating die.  I use seat and roll crimp in one die. 

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15 minutes ago, irish ike, SASS #43615 said:

I use RCBS carbide dies, no lube needed. Lee Factory crimp, Dillon 650, full case of 3F BP.  You do have to watch setting the bullet straight before pressing in. A good bell mouth helps.

Ike

 

Where did you get RCBS carbide dies?  

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There aren't any .32-20 carbide sizer dies, because the entire die would have to be carved out of carbide since this is a bottle neck case.

 

The only bottleneck case sizing die made of carbide is for 50 BMG cartridge and it's right at $1000 from Dillon.

 

I agree - you can load .32-20 on any press.  If you are already using a press, continue with it until you are comfortable loading with it, then move your dies to a higher speed progressive press if you can justify it.   I don't like loading bottleneck WCF cartridges on a full progressive press, so a 550C would be as high capacity press as I would use.   And if you are wanting to load black powder (or subs) I CERTAINLY would recommend a slower press, especially as you get started.

 

Whatever die set you choose (and most will work perfectly well), you will find a larger expander button in the case expander die will make loading lead bullets much easier, because the standard button is usually sized for jacketed bullets that can plow their way down a tight neck designed to use tension to hold the bullet.   But that much tension during seating can tear up a lead bullet.    The RCBS Cowboy dies have the larger button included with the set, and don't cost much more than other comparable dies.

 

Good luck, GJ

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I load 32WCF on Dillon 550B.  I use RCBS Cowboy Dies.  But use the Dillon powder die.  The conversation kit for the Dillon came with an expander too small for cast bullets.   I found somewhere someone substituted an expander for 32S&W.  Dillon sent me one.  Worked fine with smokeless powder.  But BlackMZ bridged up in the small hole. So now I'm using a Lee powder through die.  

1140412519_32WCFDillonexpander.jpg.29b00d35b2ff381f0d5bceec04090f70.jpg

 

S came with the kit. SW worked. 

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22 minutes ago, irish ike, SASS #43615 said:

So I just went out and checked my dies, In RCBS I have carbide dies in 32-20, 44-40. 45 Colt, and 45 ACP so............

Ike

Do you have an item number for the 32-20 dies? I can't find carbide anywhere.

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17 hours ago, irish ike, SASS #43615 said:

I have carbide dies in 32-20, 44-40

 

How about a picture showing where those two bottleneck dies say they are carbide?

 

(.45 Colt and .45 auto are easy for die makers to produce - cartridge case is close enough to straight-walled cases that a carbide ring will size "close enough")

 

Good luck, GJ

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8 hours ago, Yusta B. said:

This is from the ad - no 32-20 listed

 

 

 

  1. Home
  2. Metallic Reloading
  3. Handgun Dies
  4. Die Sets
  5. 32 ACP / 32 S&W / 32 H&R Mag

 

 

That's because the 32WCF,  38WCF and 44WCF are rifle cartridges.

 

https://www.grafs.com/catalog/product/productId/13373

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I should have been more specific on my post.


I use the Lee dies on a Lyman turret press.  I prefer Lee dies cuz I really like the "powder through the expander die" feature that they have.  No need to take the brass out of the press to put the powder in.  At first I was having problems with the completed cartridges fitting in some of my guns, so instead of trying to seat and crimp with the one die, I now only seat with the seating die, and then I use a Lee Factory Crimp Die to crimp.  Since I did that, I've never had any problems with my rounds chambering.  (Same for .44-40)   I run a .313" 100 grain RNFP bullet over 3.0 grains of Trailboss with small rifle primers.   I use this bullet because it was in stock the first time I had to buy bullets for this caliber, and I have stayed with it.  Runs well in a 1st and 3rd gen Colt, a Winchester 92, Winchester 73 and a Colt Lightning.

 

The general procedure I use is Lube--Resize/Deprime--Tumble to Clean--Prime--Powder--Seat--Crimp.

 

.32-20 is a very fun round to shoot.  It can make a surprisingly loud bang, but recoil is practically non existent.  The only "drawback" is that finding guns to shoot it can be a little difficult.   I don't think anyone is making new guns in the caliber, for example, so you are limited to what you can find on the used market.

 

Perhaps this time my "good luck" will make more sense, as I've given you something to work with.  :)
 

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I have quite a few 32-20's, and I reload for them. Most of the advice has already been given above. Lube the case, or at least run a lubed one in the resizer die every third one or so. Put a decent flair on the case mouth, but don't overdue it. I load on both a single stage Lyman Orange Crush press, or a Hornady LNL progressive, with no problems. Get and use a Factory Crimp die. I prefer 2.3 gr. of Trail Boss under a 100 grain FP bullet.

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12 hours ago, irish ike, SASS #43615 said:

So I just went out and checked my dies, In RCBS I have carbide dies in 32-20, 44-40. 45 Colt, and 45 ACP so............

 

I too would sure like to see a photo of those RCBS 44-40 and 32-20 Carbide Dies.

 

All my WCF dies are plain steel. The old set of 44-40 dies I bought a bazillion years ago are just plain old steel. Hornady coats their dies with Titanium Nitride (TiN) so they don't need case lube, but I lube them anyway. The 32-20 and 25-20 Cowboy Dies are steel. just as the label says. Not carbide.

 

44-40%2038-40%2032-20%2025-20%20Die%20Bo

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1 hour ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

...  I don't think anyone is making new guns in the caliber, for example, so you are limited to what you can find on the used market....

 

Uberti makes 'em.

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596a19d3b7415_CimarronLightningJuly2017.jpg.6974515bedefee8d20ec18c91f5fb7b9.jpg

 

I have this pair of Cimarron Lightning 32 and extra 32WCF cylinders.  I don't think I've shot them with the 32WCF cylinders. 

 

Got 2 old Marlin 1894s in 32WCF and a Winchester 92 in 32WCF.  

 

5aa4ee45b15f1_ColtlightningMarch2018.jpg.c82f2df86b7c8249c7dee7672f3e72ca.jpg

 

This original Colt Lightning in 32WCF came into one of our favorite toy stores but I couldn't buy everything. 

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Desperado bullets are good for b/p or smkless. I've used them. I thought whyte leather works made a big lube bullet in 32-20 but I see they don't. Any dies will do , I'm partial to RCBS ,,,,,,,,,, just because. I tried the Cowboy dies from RCBS , but didn't seem to make any difference. Went back to the regular dies. Any press will do. I'm partial to RCBS and Dillon,,,,, again ,,,,, just 'cause. My main match calibers are 38-40, 44-40 and sometimes 32-20. +1 to Three Foot,, try to use all same headstamps, I went through that about 10-12 yrs. ago. I've never been able to find carbide dies in 32-20, 38-40 or 44-40. 

Be safe, have fun,

Isom

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4 hours ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

   I don't think anyone is making new guns in the caliber, for example, so you are limited to what you can find on the used market.
 

 

Uberti was making an 1873 rifle in 32-20, of which I own one, but it's not listed anymore on their site. Taylor & Co. still sells revolvers in 32-20 of which I bought two last year. Granted supply is limited but some new firearms are still available.

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15 hours ago, irish ike, SASS #43615 said:

So I just went out and checked my dies, In RCBS I have carbide dies in 32-20, 44-40. 45 Colt, and 45 ACP so............

Ike

How about some pictures of the 32-20 and 44-40 carbide dies so we’ll know what to look for and order?

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Oh. Are we showing our 32-20 firearms?

 

A 32-20 Winchester Model 1892 from 1911.

 

Model%201892%201911%2032-20%2002_zpsjnwd

 

 

 

 

A Smith and Wesson 32-20 Hand Ejector from 1916.

 

32-20%20Hand%20Ejector%2006_zpsop6q7nfx.

 

 

 

 

A Colt 32-20 Police Positive Special from 1926.

 

Police%20Positive%20Special%2032-20%2001

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I shoot smokeless.  HP-38 and with coated 115gr bullets.   Guns are a 1st Gen Colt or full size USFA or Ubertis.  Rifles are Browning 53s and a Cimarron '73.

 

Wonderful caliber.

1909 Colt..

 

32-20%2B%25283%2529.jpg

 

And a pair of modern Ubertis which seem to shoot those 115gr loads pretty good :-)   FWIW I load these on a Dillon 550.  And everything else for handguns on  Dillon 1050s. 

 

DSC09553.JPG

 

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