Marlin 1894CL 32-2-

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  • Last Post 23 May 2011
Pete Voss posted this 18 October 2010

I bought one of these the other day. It had been gathering dust in a shop for at least six months. I've been looking for one in 38/357 but now that I have dies and a mould for my S&W M&P in 32-20 this gun seemed like a natural. It has a Redfield receiver sight to boot. The mould I bought is the RCBS 98g SWC. I will load this bullet for the Marlin as soon as my backordered brass from Buffalo Arms arrives--should I also be planning on shooting a heavier bullet?

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6mmintl posted this 18 October 2010

Pete, saw your name, I (FrankAmbruso AKA 6mmintl) just posted a new F. W. Kessler Martini project I picked up in the single shot rifle forum, check it out.

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Ed Harris posted this 19 October 2010

In the rifle I have found the heavier bullets give better accuracy beyond 50 yards. Good choices are Saeco #322 which is 123-grs. plainbased .314” in wheelweights, Lyman #311008, 116-gr. plainbase, or NEI #82, which is 130 grs. with GC or 115 grs. in plainbase.

I got a .314-140FN LBT from a recent group buy in hope that I could use it in my .32 H&R Magnum Marlin, but I cannot drive the heavy plainbased bullet fast enough to stabilize in its 20 inch twist. It works well in my .303 British, .30-40 Krag with oversized barrel and in the 7.62x54R.

The heaviest bullet you can use is the NEI #82 in GC. I have three of the NEI #82 moulds in 130-gr. GC, 115-gr. plainbase and 88 grain plainbase and these are my “go to” moulds for the .32 rifles and handguns.

HOWEVER -- the last two NEI moulds I got were less than satisfactory, and still not right after I returned them and got them back. I sent both to http://www.hollowpointmold.com>http://www.hollowpointmold.com have fixed and the moulds work so well now it was worth the money to have them fixed. But they shouldn't have needed the extra work in the first place. Fair warning that NEI appears to be having QC problems.

LBT, RCBS and Saeco have always been top notch. Veral would always be first choice if I wanted something different, but RCBS and Saeco have been good dollar values in production moulds.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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Ranch Dog posted this 22 October 2010

My 1894CL doesn't see a lot of use but I have killed a bobcat with it! I shoot the TLC313-115-RF of my design. It is a gas checked Lee Micro Band bullet.

I haven't really given the cartridge/bullet a good work out but it shoots well with my load of H110 (14.5-grains, 1900 FPS, 26.7K PSI). It is on the list this winter to get a good workout so it is ready for late winter coyote/bobcat shooting. I found some 40.0K PSI modern rifle data (on Load Data) which I suspect is based on the 1894 being able to handle the 44 Mag. That isn't a reasonable assumption as my experience with pressure trace gear has taught me that the brass contains more of the pressure than is generally understood and there is quite a bit of difference between 32-20 Win and the 44 Mag (.016” vs. .027"). Using QuickLoad, I have come up with a load that would be reasonable in the 1894 using H110, based on a Pmax of 32.7K PSI (15.5-grains  for 2100 FPS). That work is yet to be done.

Back to the bobcat. I was sitting at this very desk and saw a bobcat cross my entrance road, which leads to the highway at some distance. It turned at the edge of the brush and started walking toward the house but was still about 250-yards out. I picked up the 32-20 from a rack at my back door and slipped out the front door. It was now at about 100-yards but saw me and did what cats often do when they feel they are at a comfortable distance... sat down on it's haunches. That gave me time to think about holdover as I have only shot the rifle at 50-yards. I put the crosshairs on the top of his head, between his ears and squeezed the trigger. That cat jumped about 6' in the air and landed in a pile! While varmint hunting I'm always so surprised by how puny this cartridge and the 25-20 Win sound. Doesn't sound like enough “bang” to get the job done but it does!

I was cleaning my reloading room and found an old book that I bought as a kid. It is “Grandpa Recalls... Deer Hunting Stories” by Lewey Michmeruizen. It was published in 1964, I bought it in response to a classified ad in Outdoor Life. Any way it is a recollection of MI hunting stories from 1938 to 1964 and there are a few interesting calibers mentioned. The 32-20 Win as a deer cartridge was one.

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Ed Harris posted this 22 October 2010

I know an ole boy in West Virginia who still hunts deer with a .32-20 in an original Winchester Model 1873. We found that a nominal caseful of RL-7 or H4198 slightly compressed, with the Hornady 100-gr. XTP hollowpoint shot well, to the sights and has easy extraction with no signs of pressure. Velocity is a bit higher than current factory, but is similar to older blackpowder loads, about 1350 f.p.s. Same charge works fine with 115-gr. flatnosed lead also. NOT suitable for use in revolvers, due to unburned powder. But a good rifle load.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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Ranch Dog posted this 22 October 2010

Ed Harris wrote: I know an ole boy in West Virginia who still hunts deer with a .32-20 in an original Winchester Model 1873. Very cool! I bet he is very good at it too! In the book I mentioned, there is a lot of hunting with the 25-20 and 32-40 as well.

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bsdger45 posted this 22 October 2010

When I bought my 1894CL 32WCF, new, in the 1980s,the chamber was badly chattered, the fired cased looking as a polygon. Returned it to Marlin for a replacement barrel, but no, they polished out the chamber so that the empties were larger polygons. I took it apart and set the barrel and everything else back 1/2 inch to fix the problem. Although I haven't read of others reporting this condition, I doubt that my rifle was the only one to have this malady.

John

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Ed Harris posted this 22 October 2010

Ranch Dog

Could you maybe scan some portions of "Deer Hunting Stories” by Lewey Michmeruizen which would make interesting reading into .pdf so they could maybe be reprinted in The Fouling Shot. The only copy I found used on Amazon.com the guy wanted $65 for.... 

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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gregg posted this 22 October 2010

bsdger45 wrote: When I bought my 1894CL 32WCF, new, in the 1980s,the chamber was badly chattered, the fired cased looking as a polygon. Returned it to Marlin for a replacement barrel, but no, they polished out the chamber so that the empties were larger polygons. I took it apart and set the barrel and everything else back 1/2 inch to fix the problem. Although I haven't read of others reporting this condition, I doubt that my rifle was the only one to have this malady.

John

Two years ago I bought a 1894CL 32WCF for my 55yr birthday . Had a messed up barrel and was double feeding. Sent it in and it came back new barrel and after very few rounds started double feeding again and sent it back . Works fine now. Just love the darn thing. This is just a note Marlin does goof up at times but will make it good.

Well on secound thought they did you no favor.:shock:.>

It's all to bad . Great rifles.

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Ranch Dog posted this 22 October 2010

Ed Harris wrote: Ranch Dog

Could you maybe scan some portions of "Deer Hunting Stories” by Lewey Michmeruizen which would make interesting reading into .pdf so they could maybe be reprinted in The Fouling Shot. The only copy I found used on Amazon.com the guy wanted $65 for.... 

Is there any issue with copyrights? I don't mind doing it but I wouldn't want the CBA in the dog house over it.

I paid $1.50 for it back in '64!

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tturner53 posted this 22 October 2010

Another good one, 'The Deer Pasture'. I don't recall the author's name, but it's worth finding. Any reason I couldn't shoot that RD bullet in my Ruger SSM? I'm becoming a tumble lube fan and really like the RD designs. Suits my style and they go along well with Ed's recomendations on a lot of stuff, easy does it kind of thing. I've been using the Lee TL314-90-SWC and SR4756 in the little Ruger with good accuracy and also in the 7.62x54r M/N over a little Bullseye. Very surprising accuracy at 25 yds. The extra weight and flat point of the RD bullet would be better for hunting I think, and for knocking down silhouettes at 50 yds. with the Ruger. The club where I shoot in cb silhouette matches just uses heavy steel plate rectangles for that leg, railroad track bases I think.

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Ranch Dog posted this 23 October 2010

Deleted, double post.

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Ranch Dog posted this 23 October 2010

Not sure about the SSM, Mr. Harris would probably know.

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6pt-sika posted this 23 October 2010

Ed Harris wrote: I know an ole boy in West Virginia who still hunts deer with a .32-20 in an original Winchester Model 1873.  Same charge works fine with 115-gr. flatnosed lead also. NOT suitable for use in revolvers, due to unburned powder. But a good rifle load.

Brian Pearce wrote an article in Handloader a few years back about loading for the 32-20 in both rifles and revolvers .

He had one load that intrested me quite a bit when I still had several Marlin 32-20's . He used a Lyman 311316 which is almost the same thing as the RD 313-115GC . ANyway he used a stout load of H-110 that was “supposed” to chronograph about 2000 from a 24” Winchester Model 1892 . I tried the load in one of my newer Marlin 1894L's with a 22” barrel and also in a circa 1906 Marlin 1894 with a 26” barrel . Both shot the bullet well enough at 50 yards to kill a deer and I had all intentions of trying to do just that . But as things change so did my priorities and I sold ALL my 32-20's before I could give this load a try on a Virginia whitetail .

Incidently when I was trying Mr. Pearce's hot load with the 311316 I also tried it with the RD 115 grainer and as expected it also shot well enough for deer with open sights at 50 yards .

While I am not advocating the 32-20 as a general purpose deer rifle , I think in the correct hands it'll do the job nicely inside 75 yards provided the shooter uses some discretion .

Rememeber the Jordan buck that “was” the worlds record whitetail for a number of years was killed with a 25-20 ! Granted he shot it something like half a dozen times .>

Over the last 10 years I've used a number of old “obsolete” cartridges with cast bullets to kill deer . Within reason they'll all do the job . ;)

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hunterspistol posted this 23 October 2010

      Your mold selection, and consequently bullet style, has a lots of room for different weights.  The 98 grain is more than likely light, and the Lyman 008 that's 115 grain will probably fill the bill.  There are also many 115-130 grain Lymans in 32 out there.  A guy just can't go wrong with 32-20. 

Ron

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gregg posted this 24 October 2010

Just a thought> have had some luck with the Lee 115 gr RF. Soup can as called on one forum.

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bsdger45 posted this 24 October 2010

I am currently reading 1926 American Rifleman magazines. They were published twice a month back then and the 32-20 was incredibly popular. The “Dope Bag” questions were answered by the trio of Major Townsend Whelen, Major J.S. Hatcher, and Capt. Chas. Askins. Many questions about 32-20.

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Ed Harris posted this 25 October 2010

The 1964 book being out of print for many years, copyright is probably no longer an issue, but it may take some research to confirm.

No problem using bullets up to 130 grains in the Ruger SRM. Heavier won't stabilize unless you exceed factory poressures, but the Ruger is up to it if you are cautious.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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Ranch Dog posted this 25 October 2010

bsdger45 wrote: I am currently reading 1926 American Rifleman magazines. They were published twice a month back then and the 32-20 was incredibly popular. The “Dope Bag” questions were answered by the trio of Major Townsend Whelen, Major J.S. Hatcher, and Capt. Chas. Askins. Many questions about 32-20.

Are these question in relation to reloading, use as a hunting rifle? Just curious, as in 80 years it has just about disappeared.

 

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gregg posted this 25 October 2010

Ranch Dog wrote: bsdger45 wrote: I am currently reading 1926 American Rifleman magazines. They were published twice a month back then and the 32-20 was incredibly popular. The “Dope Bag” questions were answered by the trio of Major Townsend Whelen, Major J.S. Hatcher, and Capt. Chas. Askins. Many questions about 32-20.

Are these question in relation to reloading, use as a hunting rifle? Just curious, as in 80 years it has just about disappeared.

 

You told of the good job the 32wcf did on the bob cat. Others talked of even taking  deer. (I  know we are not hot on that but it did and does)  We who love the old ones. Us who knows what killed a deer in 1795 or 1895 works just as well now.I think we like it. Hand that soft spoken lite rifle to  most anyone out there they will go oh ? What is it? ????Well that is nice and hand it right back to ya.  Most don't see the charm? They don't see the nice take it hunting rifle . They want the ear splittings  flat shooting tac rife with the promised of 500 yd kill ??Even if they don't shoot over 10 rounds a year? I don't know ??How could such a nice round all but die?? And if rifles sold well Marlin and others would be makeing tons of them. They don't??:thinking:

 

 

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bsdger45 posted this 25 October 2010

The information most requested for the 32-20 was with reference to relaoding and bullet selection and/or casting. The 270 was new at the time, the DCM had sold Labels, Krags, and the US government got stuck with large quantities of 7.62 Russian rifles (USA made) when the Czar fell. These were sold off cheaply. High velocity was in vogue so 32-20 bullets were loaded in the 30/06 and 7.62 Russian at extremely high speeds. Used win 1892 rifles run about $22, $10 gets a 7.62 Russian rifle

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