32-40

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Ross Smith posted this 03 March 2018

I just bought a 32-40 rolling block. Now I need STUFF. I'm finding out that ain't easy. Any body out there wanting to unload some 32-40 reloading gear? I'd like to find either a set of lyman 310 dies or a Lee Loader or le wilson . Am I better off getting a shoyen device from CPA? Help!

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corerftech posted this 04 March 2018

Maybe Breach Seat? No dies, need two cases, pusher/seater and an empty to load about 1000 times over. Make from 30-30 and not worry about disparity in neck length. I can FL size 30-30 for you to make those cases ( not a 1000 of them). I’m sure there are others here that might be able to, if in fact you are going to BS and not run fixed Ammo. Buy a 30.00 set of LEE dies and get some 30-30 and shoot some COW loads to FF them. You’ll be done. 32-40 brass is unobtainium and I surely won’t part with any that I have which is not a good supply. Jamison needs to kick into gear, or star line and get all of us out of a perpetual jam. Again if you BS, brass won’t matter.

Accuracy will improve too, FWIW.

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Ross Smith posted this 04 March 2018

I am definitely interested in breach seating. I have some 30-30 dies and brass. Don't know what a COW load is tho.

I contacted a friend in the schuetzen game and he is only 30 miles away. He said he can get me started and size some 38-55 brass. He breach seats also. I knew this would be an adventure but the scarcity is staggering.

Seems like everybody is always sold out of 32-40, cpa's sold out of molds, nobody has brass, anytime some 32-40 components show up they are sold out immediately, you'd think they would get the message.

Do you use any bp loads?

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Bud Hyett posted this 04 March 2018

In the 1980's, first made .32-40 brass from W-W .32 Special and later Starline .38-55 for a Marlin 1893 since this was what was available and I could control the length. Trimmed to 2.13 and deburred, they worked fine. 100 cases will possibly wear out any rifle, definitely 200 cases will.

Traded this rifle and a Marlin 36 in .32 WCF to a friend in Boise many years ago, was getting out of the .32 caliber bore size. Today, I am shooting two .32-20's in CBA and ASSRA matches, life runs in circles.

A Remington Rolling Block in .38-55 was my starting rifle in Schuetzen competition. Chambered by a gunsmith who understood breech seating, it was a paradox. One time it was competitive, shooting minute-of-angle and the next time it was shooting improved cylinder. The secrets were bullet hardness (very soft) and the force used to breech seat (soft and steady) and the position of the bullet in the leade.

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

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frnkeore posted this 04 March 2018

NOE has several 32 cal molds, for both breech seating and fixed.

If you can give me the twist rate, I can tell you which one will work the best, for your rifle.

Frank

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lotech posted this 04 March 2018

Winchester makes a batch of .32-40 cases every few years. When I finally got some several years ago, I found no difference in accuracy between real .32-40 brass and the re-formed .30-30 cases I had been using. Load data, velocity, etc. was also unchanged.

The 165 gr. plain base flat nose bullet (Lyman) works well and is quite accurate using wheelweight alloy as long as the muzzle velocity doesn't exceed about 1450 fps. For higher velocities, I've had good luck with every mould I've tried including the Lee 8mm, the RCBS .32, and a similar one from Accurate Arms. The 200 grain SAECO is intended for breech seating, but I loaded that one into a case (just barely) and it was probably the most accurate bullet of them all. Size to .321" or larger, whatever will work in your rifle.

Rifle I use is a Winchester 1885 Traditional Hunter (reproduction).

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Ross Smith posted this 04 March 2018

Thanks all, big help. I'm trying to get enough stuff together to shoot this rifle when it arrives. I found a guy locally that will help me with that. I'm sure I'll need more coaching as the learning curve progresses. Ross

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frnkeore posted this 05 March 2018

This is what a well developed rifle and load can do at 200 yards, when you breech seat.

The 5 shot record is .275 @ 200 yd and the 10 shot is .960 or so.

Frank

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Ross Smith posted this 05 March 2018

Thanks Frank, that is absolutely fabulus. gettin'' me psyched.

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BigMan54 posted this 06 March 2018

COW=Cream Of Wheat.

I use it as a filler in my .40-82 loads fo my ancient 1886. Good for blowing out cases in fire-forming.

Long time Caster/Reloader, Getting back into it after almost 10yrs. Life Member NRA 40+yrs, Life S.A.S.S. #375. Does this mean a description of me as a fumble-fingered knuckle-draggin' baboon. I also drool in my sleep. I firmly believe that true happiness is a warm gun. Did I mention how much I HATE auto-correct on this blasted tablet.

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Ross Smith posted this 06 March 2018

Thanks 54, I just asked the same question in another post.

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Ross Smith posted this 07 March 2018

Good news for me, I was given and loaned bullets, cases, dies and some 4227 to get started. The cases are 38-55 headstamp that have been sized and primed . the quandry is they are sized to .338. Is there such an animal? a .338-55?