Do you know these USFA guns?

[Frank V]

I believe you are correct Yahoody.
I've never shot the .38-40/.38WCF, but do have a lot of experience with the .40S&W. They are about the same velocities & the .40S&W really opens up with the Rem. 180gr JHP. I've found it to be very accurate too. I trust it on duty as a lot of people did the .38-40 in the 1800s.

[yahoody]

Yes we do agree.  Some pretty astute frontier gunmen made a real effort to use 38/40 back in the day.  I'd bet it was a combo of gun weight and power that was a sweet spot if you shot a lot.  Big and small game/targets.  I don't know that for a fact but it is my guess on the 38/40.

My Grand Father was really enamored with his 38/40 Bisley.  It is a 5 1/2 gun , that he rebarreled from 32/20 and along  up 'Winchester '73 rifle.

Bisley started out as a graduation present and target gun.  Went he had to move back to the ranch he  and the Bisley conveted to 38wcf. 

[Monsai52]

Yahoody,

Sorry to dredge up an older thread, but was curious as to your load for 32-20.  I shoot a good bit of 32-20 out of a later vintage 1st gen SAA (1921), but I keep the loads relatively light; 115gr LFP over 2.4grs of Trail Boss.

Best regards, 

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[yahoody]

No worries Monsai,
The paper plates were shot with a Oregon Trail 115 and a max load of WSL.  The WSL load (which I can't find at the moment) was just short of backing out primers and stopping the guns.  We shoot a good bit of really hot 32-20 in a Browning '92.  So I started there and backed off till the guns starting running again.   The hot loads are a nice game load and a good plinker if you weren't in a hurry.  But once in a while  they would bind up the cylinder (tight).  Fine for my use of the 32-30.  Not so good for my wife trying to shoot SASS with the same ammo/guns.

The ammo we are shooting now seems just as accurate as the hot ammo, although I have yet to sit down and shoot 25 yards groups with it.  Our current SASS load is a 100gr Badman Bullets or 115 Oregon Trail with 3.1 gr or HP38 (aka WW231).  More pop and energy to either of the two than the guys  shooting 38s in our SASS matches I think.  115gr should be around 900 +/-fps in a 4 3/4" gun.

more here:

http://www.reloadammo.com/3220.htm

http://www.gmdr.com/lever/3220w115_dat.htm

[Monsai52]

Yahoody,

Thanks for the info and the links. 

I don't want to push the limits with a nice 1st gen, but sometimes I'd like something with a little more pop than my standard Trail Boss loads. 

Best regards,   

[yahoody]

The 3.1gr of 231/HP38 was listed as a starting load with 115s.   32-20 guns are hell for stout by comparison to a  .45 Colt.  There is a LOT of steel in that .32 cylinder wall.  And a reason they call the 32-20a the first magnum pistol round.   One of the first pistol calibers to break the sound barrier with factory ammo I suspect.

The "pop" use to frighten some shooters and no question without hearing protection..painful.

I would feel comfortable shooting anything that will actually run in the 32-20 pistol, even in a 1st gen gun.

I suspect most did with the available 32-20 rifle ammo running around 1500fps and above for some early factory smokeless loads.
Never heard of anyone blowing up a 32-20 of any generation.  Even Elmer Keith didn't manage it and he loved/shot the old caliber a bunch.

One of the reason I like them as well....they are really tough guns for a Colt SAA design.