Anyone Load 32-20 or have 32-20

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swampratt

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I have an issue I think my die is not sizing my case far enough in the shoulder diameter and body diameter area.

This gun I have is an old Marlin Ballard I have never had ammo for it.
Someone gave me some fired cases .
These do not chamber in my rifle and after full length sizing they still do not fit.

The case is .344" at the shoulder and mid way to the base is .345" and the
case will not go all the way into the chamber lacks about .200".

I smoked the case to see where it is binding and it is the shoulder and 3/8" or so down from there.

If anyone here has 32-20 can you measure the case for me at the shoulder and 1/4" down and 1/2" down from shoulder for Diameter.

I even held the sized case in my hand and the sizing die in my hand and inserted the case into the die and whacked it in all the way with a plastic hammer and then drive it back out with a Lee wack-a-mole rod.
Thinking it may size a bit more as if the shell holder may have been too thick.

Did not fix the situation.
Still will not go in the chamber all the way.
It will if i tap it good with the plastic hammer.. but then drive the case out with a dowle rod.
 

Jcann

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This is a loaded (I assume factory round) Western 32-20
1/4” from case mouth- 0.3255”
Case midpoint- 0.3325”
Diameter directly above rim- 0.3465”

Are we speaking the same round?
 

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swampratt

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HHHMMM My 32-20 is a bottle neck case.
I heard there are 3 different 32-20's but no idea on the differences.
My chamber is bottle necked.
as is my brass that was given to me.
 

Jcann

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HHHMMM My 32-20 is a bottle neck case.
I heard there are 3 different 32-20's but no idea on the differences.
My chamber is bottle necked.
as is my brass that was given to me.

I thought something was strang when you were talking about shoulder. My round is from my cartridge collection. I don't have anything that shoots it
 

swampratt

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Jcann what is the rim diameter of that round you have and the OAL from base to the end of the bullet?

I got mine honed out and got a case to fit in with a little pressure from my thumb.
Fired a primer off in it just too see if it would fire it. Yep.
I used a CCI 500 primer. big divot in it.
So I loaded 2.0gr red dot and the 100gr powder coated bullet..I seated it too long and had to seat farther just past the crimp groove.
This time I used a CCI 550 primer and I shot it into a thick websters encyclopedia of dictionaries book.
It made it 3/4 of the way through. Straight hole in from 4 feet away.
I think I can reduce it a bit :)
This load works in my gun consult a manual before attempting reloading.
It was about 2x louder than a primer going off.

The 550 primer barely has a divot surprised it even fired.
 

Sgt Dog

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I do load for the 32-20 and have a Marlin. But know a bit about Ballards, if you want to talk about it pm me your number. My first thought is that it's not a 32-20 but a 32 Long.
 
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Sgt Dog

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See now where you say your you've checked your chamber and it shows a bottleneck. Sorry for missing that. A great many of the old three-line Ballards were 32 straight-walls I'm thinking, though I know they also produced 32-20. The three-lines should be treated carefully as they are cast receivers instead of forged. The Ballards were and are fabulous rifles. I shot my 40-65 (relined 40-85) at the Quigley in Montana last year with Black Powder and shot a 40-63 original bore the year before with Smokeless. I shoot one still in monthy BPCR matches. Have not shot a 32-20 Ballard however.
 

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