Notes on the 32 mag, 327 Fed, and 32-20. SP101
Apr 7, 2013 11:05:30 GMT -5
BigBore44, JSutter, and 2 more like this
Post by 2 Dogs on Apr 7, 2013 11:05:30 GMT -5
I get alot of PM questions, emails, and other inquiries as to how to obtain best performance with the bigger 32s as well as how best to go about a custom revolver. I am going to try to answer some of those questions and welcome your experiences as well.
First, let me state that I typically use my 32 caliber sixguns with higher pressure loads. That is NOT the only way to obtain excellent results. My friends Sixshot, Callshot, and Fowler all use much more mild loads in the field on dangerous critters like ground squirrels. The 32 magnum has plenty of THUNK for smaller critters up to and including the rangy Jackrabbit to turn thier lights right out. All the 327 Federal and 32-20 will do with 100-120 grain class bullets is add more ZAP. Thus, the 32 magnum allows for a wide range of loads with very good results. I started out with hardcast lead 100 grain class bullets in my 32 magnum and quickly fell in love with the LBT 118-120 grain gas check bullet. I also like the 100 grain XTP bullet which gives top accuracy in my sixguns. One bullet that allows "creative" loading is the Ranier plated 100 grain HP bullet. I read somewhere that velocity limits shouldnt be pressed too hard with the Ranier bullet and I cannot disagree with the manufacturer. I will say that I load them long and shoot them very hard out of my custom Harton 32 Vaquero. Please note that my custom Harton has a custom barrel on it, properly cut throats, and otherwise is dimensionally correct. If your own 32 is not set up thus, use caution as you certainly dont want to shed any of the plated jacket and have it stay in your barrel. To determine your own maximum OAL simply either use your cylinder as a case gauge or drop an empty case into the cylinder and measure it from the base of the case to the mouth of the cylinder. As with the bigger 5 shot conversions, when loading long, you have to use care to avoid bullet jump or you will tie up your sixgun. Additionly, for the 32 magnum, I have an additional bullet mold I intend to do some work with this year. It is a 3 crimp groove, 100 grain HP gas check mold by NOE. I like gas checks on my hot 32s. In summary, if you have a 32 magnum, note that it has been MORE than adequate for all the small game killing I have done. It allows for a wide range of loads. I have obtained excellent accuracy with my sixguns. Last, I have not been able to injure my Single Six frame 32s with any load.
I have made no mention of exact powder charges for my heavier loads. I dont really care to share my recipe as my sixguns may be set up differently than yours and each of us has to be careful about what we do. I will say I mostly use powders from 2400 to H110 and magnum pistol primers in my 32 caliber "performance" loads. I use small magnum pistol primers by CCI. Am I getting more wear and tear on my cases? Most likely. I dont really know as I have a considerable amount of 32 magnum brass and it takes a while to go thru it all. To this point, I have been happy with what I have seen.
Stepping over to the 327 I will begin making some comments about which I think is the "best" sixgun for this longer than the 32 mag standard case. When I built my first 327 Federal magnum, it was a 5 shot conversion by Harton on a Single Six. We used ALL the available cylinder window. Some of my fellow 327 sixgunning fans used the Bowen 32 cylinder as a base for thier own 327 Single Six conversion and we found thier Single Six cylinder was too short for the custom bullet mold I was using for mine. Be sure you measure your maximum overall length so LBT can cut your mold correctly for your own Single Six 327 conversion and adjust your loads accordingly. With the 120 grain class bullets I was getting 1550 fps with my Single Six FIVE shot 327 Federal with no signs of excessive pressure that I could see. I dont see that a 5 shot cylinder is required here, I think a 6 shot cylinder would do just as good. In summary, with the 327 in a Single Six with a long custom cylinder I could easily push a 120 grain class bullet nearly as fast as I could the 100 grain class bullets. I did load some 100 grain Raniers "long" in this little Single Six and while they held up fine and shot into an inch at 25 yards, I saw no reason to shoot them over the 120s in the 327 Federal.
Thus, I began to wonder. Could I be short changing the 327 Federal? Would it run with a heavier longer bullet? Would it stabilize?
I moved over to a customized Buckeye next. My example displayed excellent alignment and I had Harton convert it to Bisley and install an 6.5" custom barrel. I obtained some LBT bullets that weighed 133 grains. Unfortunately these bullets were plain based. To see what they would do I shot them in my Buckeye 32-20 cylinder. To my surprise they were doing some 1500 plus fps and shot extremely well to 100 yards. In all cases, my spent brass fell easily out of my cylinder and primers looked fine. Flatter to be sure, but no leaking or piercing.
In summary, if all you have is a 32 magnum rest assured it will serve you well with a variety of loads. I now use the 32 magnum everywhere I used to use a 22 LR for "killing". I have had the 22 LR let me down on both Jacks and when trying the "coup de grace" on big hogs. Additionally, the 32 magnum far out shoots and totally eclipses the 22 magnum class sixguns in the field. If all you need from your 327 Federal is a 120 grain class bullet at 1400+ fps I believe a custom Single Six would be fine for you. I have personally moved over to the FA 97 as it allows the 327 to handle a yet heavier bullet with its longer cylinder. Stepping up in size, to the mid frame Rugers, will also work well, and give you some options not available in the 97 such as CCH and Bisley grip frames. The full size Rugers in the Buckeye and the 8 shot 327 are just beasts. I dont think you could hurt them. Your case would give out before these massive for the 32 six/eight gun cylinders would.
The Big Bull in the sixgun field however remains the 32-20. It will handle the heaviest bullets and has the greatest case capacity in modern guns with TIGHT properly cut cylinders. It is however more difficult/slower to load for than the straight case versions, but as with all the 32s just about all the fun a man can have with his clothes on. Loud? You bet. Not quite 30 carbine loud by still pretty loud.
There are many sixguns suitable for the varied 32s. I really like my FA97 5.5" sixgun. Largely because of its size but while it was expensive I didnt have to wait 3 years for it either. Bill Fowler found it for me in Colorado at a shop. Everyone who has shot it just loved it. My close friend and hunting buddy Mark Hargrove displayed his considerable sixgun prowess with that little 97 one day on distant steel targets. If you can hold it, that little gun can hit it. My custom Single Six 32 by Harton was simularly as accurate. Mike Barranti was with me one day shooting at some long range steel and was stunned not only at how well the little gun shot but by how hard it hit the steel.
If you cast, be advised I can recommend a number of molds. LBT is at the forefront here, as Veral will cut a mold just for your sixgun. Miha, who cuts some fabulous molds, the best I have used, is in the process of cutting us a mold I call the 32 Sixgun Sledgehammer, a 135 grain HP and 140 grain solid. You can sign up for his group buy on the Active Group Buy section of Castboolits.gunloads.com. Dont miss that one as it is due soon. We have been waiting for it for nearly 2 years. Miha also has a 100 grain and 115 grain 32 caliber group buy in the same section. Sign up, sit back and wait. Last, NOE made the Smokin' Hot 32 mold, a 3 crimp, multiple size HP, 100 grain GC mold. This one may or may not still be available, you will have to ask Sweede Nelson.
This is by no means a comprehensive look at the 32s. There is much to learn and I am as eager to do so as you are. I hope you got out of this what you were looking for but if not please ask me here as there are many on this board with significant experience and all can benefit from the answers. Including ME! :-)
First, let me state that I typically use my 32 caliber sixguns with higher pressure loads. That is NOT the only way to obtain excellent results. My friends Sixshot, Callshot, and Fowler all use much more mild loads in the field on dangerous critters like ground squirrels. The 32 magnum has plenty of THUNK for smaller critters up to and including the rangy Jackrabbit to turn thier lights right out. All the 327 Federal and 32-20 will do with 100-120 grain class bullets is add more ZAP. Thus, the 32 magnum allows for a wide range of loads with very good results. I started out with hardcast lead 100 grain class bullets in my 32 magnum and quickly fell in love with the LBT 118-120 grain gas check bullet. I also like the 100 grain XTP bullet which gives top accuracy in my sixguns. One bullet that allows "creative" loading is the Ranier plated 100 grain HP bullet. I read somewhere that velocity limits shouldnt be pressed too hard with the Ranier bullet and I cannot disagree with the manufacturer. I will say that I load them long and shoot them very hard out of my custom Harton 32 Vaquero. Please note that my custom Harton has a custom barrel on it, properly cut throats, and otherwise is dimensionally correct. If your own 32 is not set up thus, use caution as you certainly dont want to shed any of the plated jacket and have it stay in your barrel. To determine your own maximum OAL simply either use your cylinder as a case gauge or drop an empty case into the cylinder and measure it from the base of the case to the mouth of the cylinder. As with the bigger 5 shot conversions, when loading long, you have to use care to avoid bullet jump or you will tie up your sixgun. Additionly, for the 32 magnum, I have an additional bullet mold I intend to do some work with this year. It is a 3 crimp groove, 100 grain HP gas check mold by NOE. I like gas checks on my hot 32s. In summary, if you have a 32 magnum, note that it has been MORE than adequate for all the small game killing I have done. It allows for a wide range of loads. I have obtained excellent accuracy with my sixguns. Last, I have not been able to injure my Single Six frame 32s with any load.
I have made no mention of exact powder charges for my heavier loads. I dont really care to share my recipe as my sixguns may be set up differently than yours and each of us has to be careful about what we do. I will say I mostly use powders from 2400 to H110 and magnum pistol primers in my 32 caliber "performance" loads. I use small magnum pistol primers by CCI. Am I getting more wear and tear on my cases? Most likely. I dont really know as I have a considerable amount of 32 magnum brass and it takes a while to go thru it all. To this point, I have been happy with what I have seen.
Stepping over to the 327 I will begin making some comments about which I think is the "best" sixgun for this longer than the 32 mag standard case. When I built my first 327 Federal magnum, it was a 5 shot conversion by Harton on a Single Six. We used ALL the available cylinder window. Some of my fellow 327 sixgunning fans used the Bowen 32 cylinder as a base for thier own 327 Single Six conversion and we found thier Single Six cylinder was too short for the custom bullet mold I was using for mine. Be sure you measure your maximum overall length so LBT can cut your mold correctly for your own Single Six 327 conversion and adjust your loads accordingly. With the 120 grain class bullets I was getting 1550 fps with my Single Six FIVE shot 327 Federal with no signs of excessive pressure that I could see. I dont see that a 5 shot cylinder is required here, I think a 6 shot cylinder would do just as good. In summary, with the 327 in a Single Six with a long custom cylinder I could easily push a 120 grain class bullet nearly as fast as I could the 100 grain class bullets. I did load some 100 grain Raniers "long" in this little Single Six and while they held up fine and shot into an inch at 25 yards, I saw no reason to shoot them over the 120s in the 327 Federal.
Thus, I began to wonder. Could I be short changing the 327 Federal? Would it run with a heavier longer bullet? Would it stabilize?
I moved over to a customized Buckeye next. My example displayed excellent alignment and I had Harton convert it to Bisley and install an 6.5" custom barrel. I obtained some LBT bullets that weighed 133 grains. Unfortunately these bullets were plain based. To see what they would do I shot them in my Buckeye 32-20 cylinder. To my surprise they were doing some 1500 plus fps and shot extremely well to 100 yards. In all cases, my spent brass fell easily out of my cylinder and primers looked fine. Flatter to be sure, but no leaking or piercing.
In summary, if all you have is a 32 magnum rest assured it will serve you well with a variety of loads. I now use the 32 magnum everywhere I used to use a 22 LR for "killing". I have had the 22 LR let me down on both Jacks and when trying the "coup de grace" on big hogs. Additionally, the 32 magnum far out shoots and totally eclipses the 22 magnum class sixguns in the field. If all you need from your 327 Federal is a 120 grain class bullet at 1400+ fps I believe a custom Single Six would be fine for you. I have personally moved over to the FA 97 as it allows the 327 to handle a yet heavier bullet with its longer cylinder. Stepping up in size, to the mid frame Rugers, will also work well, and give you some options not available in the 97 such as CCH and Bisley grip frames. The full size Rugers in the Buckeye and the 8 shot 327 are just beasts. I dont think you could hurt them. Your case would give out before these massive for the 32 six/eight gun cylinders would.
The Big Bull in the sixgun field however remains the 32-20. It will handle the heaviest bullets and has the greatest case capacity in modern guns with TIGHT properly cut cylinders. It is however more difficult/slower to load for than the straight case versions, but as with all the 32s just about all the fun a man can have with his clothes on. Loud? You bet. Not quite 30 carbine loud by still pretty loud.
There are many sixguns suitable for the varied 32s. I really like my FA97 5.5" sixgun. Largely because of its size but while it was expensive I didnt have to wait 3 years for it either. Bill Fowler found it for me in Colorado at a shop. Everyone who has shot it just loved it. My close friend and hunting buddy Mark Hargrove displayed his considerable sixgun prowess with that little 97 one day on distant steel targets. If you can hold it, that little gun can hit it. My custom Single Six 32 by Harton was simularly as accurate. Mike Barranti was with me one day shooting at some long range steel and was stunned not only at how well the little gun shot but by how hard it hit the steel.
If you cast, be advised I can recommend a number of molds. LBT is at the forefront here, as Veral will cut a mold just for your sixgun. Miha, who cuts some fabulous molds, the best I have used, is in the process of cutting us a mold I call the 32 Sixgun Sledgehammer, a 135 grain HP and 140 grain solid. You can sign up for his group buy on the Active Group Buy section of Castboolits.gunloads.com. Dont miss that one as it is due soon. We have been waiting for it for nearly 2 years. Miha also has a 100 grain and 115 grain 32 caliber group buy in the same section. Sign up, sit back and wait. Last, NOE made the Smokin' Hot 32 mold, a 3 crimp, multiple size HP, 100 grain GC mold. This one may or may not still be available, you will have to ask Sweede Nelson.
This is by no means a comprehensive look at the 32s. There is much to learn and I am as eager to do so as you are. I hope you got out of this what you were looking for but if not please ask me here as there are many on this board with significant experience and all can benefit from the answers. Including ME! :-)
