Searching for 32WCF ammunition

1368 Views 50 Replies 20 Participants Last post by Reamer, 4 d ago

blauder

Discussion Starter · 8 d ago

Hi all, I've got my Grandfather's Colt Bisley he bought in 1913 at Tufts-Lyon Arms Company in Los Angeles, according to my Colt letter. The problem is I can't find any 32-20 to shoot. I've looked everywhere.
Does anybody have any suggestions? They would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

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Bullet Bob

· #41 · 7 d ago

"Live in MI, if you're near, don't want the bother of mailing them. "

"They" have made that a huge pain in the pattootie. I have old boxes of stuff I'd sell or even give away, but I'm far to lazy to jump through the hoops. I know some people don't mind it, other people are me.

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Pooky

· #42 · 7 d ago

I have approximately 3500 rds of remington 32-20. I could part with 200 rds if the price is right.

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paracord

· #43 · 6 d ago

Bibbyman said:
Grafs has it in-stock.

7.62mm Russian Nagant - Handgun Brass - Metallic Reloading - Graf & Sons

www.grafs.com

Wow. That's amazing.

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Cozmo

· #44 · 5 d ago

Starline runs 32-20 brass on a regular basis. It sells out pretty quickly when they do. Generally, once a year or so someone starts a similar thread on 32-20. Any of the WCF calibers, and just as many other calibers, sell for a $1. a round these days.

I don't consider 32wcf obsolete, or any of the other wcf calibers obsolete for that matter. Some are just harder to find than others. .41 Colt? Obsolete is a better call there, but even it can be found given enough time and $.

FWIW Remington, WW, Winchester brass are all different in OAL. Which plays hell with the reloading. If you want to reload I'd suggest finding some Starline 32-20. It is consistent and a better quality brass than the rest IMO. Almost guaranteed to be newer as well.

Outstanding caliber for a SAA.

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Collects

· #45 · 5 d ago

Sometimes you can find it at gun shows

There are 2 types of 32-20, a higher pressure type for rifled and a lower pressure type for revolvers, and the boxes are not always marked as to which one it is

Somebody will come along who can quote you the pressures.

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Collects

· #46 · 5 d ago

Rifles. Not rifled. Sorry for the typo

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Outpost75

· #47 · 5 d ago (Edited)

Collects said:
Sometimes you can find it at gun shows

There are 2 types of 32-20, a higher pressure type for rifled and a lower pressure type for revolvers, and the boxes are not always marked as to which one it is. Somebody will come along who can quote you the pressures.

The high pressure rifle loads were all loaded with 80-grain "mushroom" JHP bullets and haven' t been factory loaded since the 1970s. The box will have a printed warning:

Not for Use In Revolvers.

Post-1970 standard pressure R-P and W-W 100-grain soft point or lead bullet loads are safe in either Winchester 1873 rifles or older pre-1920 revolvers.

Factory loads are closely approximated by loading 100-115 grain cast lead FN bullets such as Lyman #311008, RCBS 32-098SWC or the Hornady .312" diameter 100-grain XTP jacketed bullets with either 3.5 grains of Bullseye, 4 grains of W231, WST or HP38, 4.5 grains of Unique, 7.5 grains of #2400 or 9.5 grains of 4227.

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Tall

· #48 · 5 d ago

Outpost75 said:
The high pressure rifle loads were all loaded with 80-grain "mushroom" JHP bullets and haven' t been factory loaded since the 1970s. The box will have a printed warning:

Not for Use In Revolvers.

Post-1970 standard pressure R-P and W-W 100-grain soft point or lead bullet loads are safe in either Winchester 1873 rifles or older pre-1920 revolvers.

Factory loads are closely approximated by loading 100-115 grain cast lead FN bullets such as Lyman #311008, RCBS 32-098SWC or the Hornady .312" diameter 100-grain XTP jacketed bullets with either 3.5 grains of Bullseye, 4 grains of W231, WST or HP38, 4.5 grains of Unique, 7.5 grains of #2400 or 9.5 grains of 4227.

I just loaded some 32 WCF with 110 Grain LSW over 9.0 grains of Dupont 4227. I used a bit more W231 and it was pretty good.

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Cozmo

· #49 · 5 d ago (Edited)

(used) 110 Grain LSW over 9.0 grains of Dupont 4227. I used a bit more W231 and it was pretty good.

The max booked load for a 32-20 using WW 231 and a 115 lead is 4.5gr.
Much more than 4.5 and a SAA will lock up on high primers. No one is shooting that load in a Colt.

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Tall

· #50 · 4 d ago

Cozmo said:
The max booked load for a 32-20 using WW 231 and a 115 lead is 4.5gr.
Much more than 4.5 and a SAA will lock up on high primers.

Yes my 32 WCF load for 231 was 4.2 grains. It was really accurate in my three revolvers chambered for that round. The 4.0 grain load left some unburned powder which made me step it up a hair to get complete burning. I am hoping the IMR 4227 will be better.

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Reamer

· #51 · 4 d ago

Pre covid, most of the big chain store gun shops had it in stock. 25-20 also, but it wasn't cheap. $60-70 a box of 50 (remington).

Went north of $85 at one point when they stopped selling it.

There is a place online that does reloads when he can get the brass.

He got a bit of bad rap for not completing orders, and QC issues, but again, this is back when Covid caused everything to be stupid.

I believe things have returned (mostly) normal by now.

I can't remember the website at the moment.

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