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Reloading for 32-20 Revolver
dfletcher
Member Posts: 8,162 ✭✭✭
I just bought an older Colt Police Positive (yes, off GB[:D]) and have a few questions about reloading for it. I've bought a Lyman 3 die FL die set, Starline brass and Missouri Bullets 100 grain flat nose, hard cast lead @ .314 diameter.
I reload for the 32 H & R Mag and have a few boxes of Hornady XTP 85 grain bullets.
I presume I reload for this as I would any other pistol cartridge - decap & resize, expand case mouth then seat & crimp - correct? That's what I intend to do with the lead bullets.
I notice Hornady sells 2 die sets - is that for rifle only when using jacketed? Is there any reason I can't neck size only and use jacketed out of the revolver, so long as I have good neck tension?
I see alot of reloading data in my Hornady, Speer & Sierra for 32-20 RIFLE loads & T/C single shot. Nothing on "old revolvers" other than Hodgden on line. Any other sources?
I reload for the 32 H & R Mag and have a few boxes of Hornady XTP 85 grain bullets.
I presume I reload for this as I would any other pistol cartridge - decap & resize, expand case mouth then seat & crimp - correct? That's what I intend to do with the lead bullets.
I notice Hornady sells 2 die sets - is that for rifle only when using jacketed? Is there any reason I can't neck size only and use jacketed out of the revolver, so long as I have good neck tension?
I see alot of reloading data in my Hornady, Speer & Sierra for 32-20 RIFLE loads & T/C single shot. Nothing on "old revolvers" other than Hodgden on line. Any other sources?
Comments
I wouldn't load lead bullets, that were anything over .002 over groove diameter. Specially with hard cast bullets.
Keep loads on the light side. The Police Positive was the small frame Colt Revolver. You would have a much higher margin of safety, if it was the Official Police. Which had a much beefier frame and cylinder.
I used 32-20 brass, to load for the Swedish Model 1887 Military revolver. Best loads were with the .308 carbine bullet, that weighed about 110 grains. 3 grains of fast burning, A A 2 pistol powder was the best load. Never crono'ed it? But I would stick to a similar load for the Colt. Starting about 2 1/2 grains. Before going any higher.
First thing, I would do would be to slug the barrel. Groove diameter could be anything between .308 and .311.
I wouldn't load lead bullets, that were anything over .002 over groove diameter. Specially with hard cast bullets.
Keep loads on the light side. The Police Positive was the small frame Colt Revolver. You would have a much higher margin of safety, if it was the Official Police. Which had a much beefier frame and cylinder.
I used 32-20 brass, to load for the Swedish Model 1887 Military revolver. Best loads were with the .308 carbine bullet, that weighed about 110 grains. 3 grains of fast burning, A A 2 pistol powder was the best load. Never crono'ed it? But I would stick to a similar load for the Colt. Starting about 2 1/2 grains. Before going any higher.
+1
I would also slug the cylinder leades to see where they were in conjunction with the groove diameter. If they are way smaller, like 0.003-0.004", I would consider opening them up to match the groove diameter. It will aide in pressure, and accuracy. Before I opened them up, I would try it on paper, to see where the accuracy was, for a benchmark.
I push the Hornady .314 bullets thru a home made sizer.
2 or 3 inches at 25 yards is great from a 1927 revolver.
Bullseye 2.1 grains 707 fps and No.80 3.5 grains 727 fps.
They also list 12 grains of FFFg black powder for that bullet in the bullet data for 32 S&W Long and 32-20 New Police and 2.5 grains of Hercules Bullseye.
Bullet has a flat base and nose with a single large grease groove, a small forward shoulder but no crimp groove.
So my 1949 Ideal handbook #36 lists 2 loads for a 32-20 Colt N.P. using Lyman 31357 a 100 grain bullet in the pistol/revolver data.
Bullseye 2.1 grains 707 fps and No.80 3.5 grains 727 fps.
They also list 12 grains of FFFg black powder for that bullet in the bullet data for 32 S&W Long and 32-20 New Police and 2.5 grains of Hercules Bullseye.
Bullet has a flat base and nose with a single large grease groove, a small forward shoulder but no crimp groove.
Charlie I believe that their is an error, in the Ideal Handbook. The 32 Colt New Police, is the same cartridge as the 32 S & W long. Colt didn't want to use S & W's name, on their guns or ammo. So they called it the NP = New Police. The 32-20 and the 32 NP, were different cartridges.
Being that it's a smaller cartridge in overall length. Than the 32-20, the charge weight would be less. The 2.1 grains of BE would be a minimal load for the 32-20. Might even cause functioning problems.
When I loaded for the Swede revolver. To light a load, caused the cylinder to bind up.
32-20 has 2 loads for 2 different bullets.
3118 a 115 grain bullet 3.0 gr Bullseye 975 fps and 9.0 gr of #80 935 fps.
31133 a 100 grain bullet 3.0 gr Bullseye 998 fps and 10.5 gr of #80 1000 fps
good catch.
TiteGroup seems to be a popular powder for the 32-20 pistol loads.
I assume everyone is using a 3 die set & crimping, right?
I'll check my bore diameter, thanks for a reminder on that.
The 32-20 is about the 80th cartridge I reload for. I've passed up buying a rifle in 32-20 even though I really like the Winchester 53 in that caliber - didn't want to add another caliber to the bench. Now I've kind of blown that. Reloading is expensive that way.
Please determine year of manufacture as Colt didn't heat treat Police Positive Cylinders before about 1924.
Manufactured in 1922.