Comparing Some Popular .32-Caliber Cartridges: Ballistic Review

Reader Rick Wallace inquired about the .32 H&R Magnum, the .327 Federal Magnum, and the .32-20 Winchester (a.k.a. .32 WCF), wanting to know how they all stack up in terms of performance. A short answer is, “They’re all interesting, but their ballistic performances are different.” I guess that’s why I’ve owned at least two dozen .32-caliber rifles and handguns over the last 40 years. Each one has distinctly individual characteristics, and I’ve enjoyed shooting them all. The .32 H&R is not really a magnum cartridge compared to the .357, .41, and .44 Magnums. Federal partnered with Harrington and Richardson to develop this round in the 1980s. H&R revolvers are not nearly strong enough to accommodate typical magnum revolver pressures. The .32 H&R Magnum is simply a stretched .32 S&W Long case with only a modest boost in operating pressure. The SAAMI maximum average pressure (MAP) is 21,000 psi. That’s just a little more than half the typical magnum round.

The .327 Federal Magnum is a different beast altogether. Introduced in 2008, it’s not just a stretched version of the .32 H&R round. The .327 Federal case is both stouter and stronger to accommodate a more than doubled MAP (45,000 psi). That’s also more than 25 percent greater than the MAP of the typical magnum revolver cartridge. The .327 Federal’s ballistics compare favorably with .357 Magnum performance; however, because of the smaller case diameter, similar size revolvers can accommodate an extra round in the cylinder. The .32 WCF originated in the early 1880s when blackpowder was the universal propellant. As the .32-20 name suggests, the case was charged with 20 grains of compressed propellant. SAAMI pressure standards didn’t exist back then, but the ingredients of blackpowder weren’t as energetic as smokeless powders, so chamber pressure was modest. When ammunition standards were established by SAAMI around 1926, much more powerful smokeless propellants were in common use. The .32-20’s current MAP is specified as 16,000 CUP, which is quite a bit lower than the .32 H&R Magnum and significantly less than the .327 Federal Magnum. The .32-20’s slightly bottlenecked case is 1/8 inch longer and nearly 1/16 inch larger in diameter than the .327 Federal. Although the .32-20’s case capacity is greater, the availability of many vintage firearms precludes increasing .32-20 factory ammo’s performance.

Many years ago, ammo companies offered high-velocity .32-20 factory loads topped with 80-grain jacketed bullets. The cartridge case heads were actually marked to indicate the significantly more powerful rounds. I don’t know just how much the MAP was increased, but that high-velocity option has long since been abandoned. I reviewed my range records and prepared a chart of test loads that have performed well in my guns. All results listed are for firing them in the same revolver. It’s a Bowen Custom Ruger Old Model Blackhawk that was converted to .32-20 and later fitted with an interchangeable cylinder for .327 Federal, which also accepts .32 H&R. As you can see, many of the .32 H&R and .32-20 loads are comparable, and as you would expect, the .327 Federal achieves higher ballistics. Caution: Do not use these handloads in any vintage revolver or an original or replica 1873 Winchester rifle.

Handloading Tips

Unlike Federal’s two .32 Magnum cartridges, the .32-20 requires quite a bit more attention when handloading. The .32 H&R and .327 Federal cases are straight-wall cases, so resizing is readily accomplished by inserting each one into and out of a carbide- or nitride-coated sizer die. However, the .32-20 is a typical 19th-century blackpowder round. It has a tapered case body with a distinctly smaller-diameter neck. Just like any other bottlenecked case, you must full-length resize in a precision-machined, tool-steel die and apply lube before pressing the case into the die. Too little lube, and it might seize in the die. Then you’ll have to employ a stuck-case-remover device to clear the jammed brass from the die. Of course, the stuck case is not usable after it’s removed. Because the low-pressure .32-20 brass is not as robustly constructed as the two modern magnum cases, inadvertently bumping the case mouth on the die will almost surely damage the case so badly it can’t be salvaged. And if you apply too much lube when resizing, you’ll likely create a dent in the case shoulder. Depending on the size of the defect, the case may be weakened so that it will rupture when the round is fired. Even if you are careful with how much lube you apply, as it accumulates in the die, dents will form. You must routinely inspect each one after sizing and flush the die with acetone or other solvent and blow it dry before tiny imperfections get too big. Then you start over and repeat the process of “seasoning” the now-clean, bare-steel die to avoid sticking a case with too little lube and, if you overdo it with applying lube, denting the shoulder! The .327 Federal Magnum can be handloaded to duplicate and exceed .32-20 pressures with much less frustration.

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