Custom full length sizing for 32-20 Marlin _UPDATED

[gundownunder]

Well I'm finally ready to start loading for the 32-20 Marlin that I bought a couple months ago.
It's taken me that long to get around to finding brass and sizing dies and everything, and even then I couldn't find any Starline brass so had to settle for Remington instead. I've read the stories about how Marlin chambers are longer than Winchester and as a result, brass tends to cop a flogging in the Marlins which results in a much reduced case life.

The dies I've got are the Lee 3 die set and I'm wondering if there is any way that I can reliably and easily lap the full length resizing die to make a custom die for my chamber. Anybody done it, or do I need to invest in a custom die from somewhere else.

and for those who require them, here are the obligatory pics.

The rifle is one of those 80s model "CL" classics with the 22" barrel and half length mag tube.
It shows signs of its previous life in the hands of someone who used it plenty but didn't show it much love. There is some surface rust on the mag tube and barrel and also on top of the receiver where he had a scope mounted on it and moisture got under the scope rail. The wood has collected signs of a life in the bush as well. In the next week or so I'll take it up to the range and see how we go with it.






Watch for the update on this thread

[JerryB]

Looks like a good carrying rifle, and in my oldest and mostest favorite round.

[Cast Bullet Hunter]

Instead of worrying about "what you heard" about the Marlins shoot a few rounds in the rifle and re-size some of them in your dies. Then compare the fired with sized cases and make your own determination as to relative dimensions!

Just remember, you don't have to size the cases until the shell holder bumps the die body.

I probably have more .32-20 firearms than many on this forum own total guns. I have never worried about which cases go in which gun, just full length size them all and load as necessary for whichever I want to use them in. In 50 years of loading this cartridge I don't recall ever having a .32-20 case fail from being over-worked, and some of my brass I have been loading for over 40 years, and loaded it I have no idea how many times! You are worryng about nothing.

While I usually do not use Remington brass due to too frequent case splits, in .32-20 I prefer Remington as it is the only full-length .32-20 available. I have not had any problems with Remington in this caliber.

[jnyork]

I shoot a couple thousand or so a year at metallic silhouette with that same rifle, loading with Lee dies and RCBS both. Never had any problem like you describe, occasionally split a neck but have started annealing every so often and that has cut down considerably on the splitting. I use Starline brass but I understand it is getting hard to find. No disrespect, but it sounds like you are trying to fix something before you know it's broke.

[earlmck]

I hadn't heard that info about the Marlin 32/20 chambers being longer. But even if true it just means you now own a "32/20 slightly improved". And a mighty nice looking rifle it it, by the way!

Since the 32/20 headspaces on the rim and not the shoulder, even if the shoulder area grows during the first firing it shouldn't bother brass life at all. I have a similar situation with a K-Hornet which grows the shoulder area quite a bunch and I seldom lose a case and even then it is generally from neck splits because I forgot to anneal soon enough. It's like friend Cast Bullet Hunter says:

Just remember, you don't have to size the cases until the shell holder bumps the die body.

And that's good advice for any round you reload -- just ease the sizing die down until the sized case chambers easily, which will almost always be a bit before the die bumps the shell holder. This way you know you are not setting back any shoulders.

[pokey]

and for those who require them, here are the obligatory pics.

thank you,

[Old Savage]

IIRC those are actually according to Paco's book chambered for the Marlin 32-21 round.

[Leverluver]

Like others have said, I have had no problems with mine and it is a twin of yours. Also, dies are made from fairly machinable material and just surface hardened. Even if you lap out only 2 or 3 thou, you will take away the surface hardening and the die will wear quicker.

[DPris]

Back during Bubbles' CAS days she kept me busy loading for her two pet Marlin .32-20s.
I used RCBS dies & never had a problem in thousands of reloaded rounds using Starline brass.
First I've heard of the longer Marlin chamber.
Denis

[missionary5155]

Greetings I see few reasons to FLS cases if they are segregated to a certain rifle. Fire a round.. eject.. let it cool completely.. push it back in the chamber and close the lever. If there was no force needed to close the lever why not just neck size the case ?
That is what I do and enjoy long brass life.
Mike in Peru

[ollogger]

1 only neck size rem. brass for a 73 winchester, seems
to last a long time

[BenT]

The shoulder will be pushed slightly forward in the marlin. I just screw the die in far enough to bump the shoulder. No worries. No nead full length size.

[gundownunder]

I think I'm in love.

I took a few rounds to the range today, some with 1.0cc (3.8 gr) Trailboss, and some with 1.0cc (12.3 gr) ADI 2205, Remington cases and 115 gr RNFP commercial cast.
Shot a few 5 shot groups at 50 yds with open sights and managed about 1.5" with Trailboss and a 2" group with the 2205 (4227 equivalent ). The 05 load opened up to about 5" at 100 but that may just be me, I only had 5 for the 100 so will need to try again another day.
I'll fine tune them a bit to see how good it gets, but I can see this becoming my favorite rifle.

[AJMD429]

I'll fine tune them a bit to see how good it gets, but I can see this becoming my favorite rifle.

I've always thought that the .32-20 does a fine job of bracketing the 'middle' of pistol calibers, at least as loaded in a 'modern' gun. With a .22 LR for when you mostly just want to shoot but don't need any 'knock-down' to apeak of, the .32-20 falls next in line. Top it off with a 'thumper' of some sort, and you've got alot of bases covered...

[Nicknack]

Gday Gundownunder.
Beautiful little 94,and welcome to the 32-20 club,great little cartridge.I see you are after some Starline brass Cleavers firearms at Margate out of Brisbane did have plenty and will post them to you and they were quite resonably priced (can't remember how much)
http://cleaverfirearms.com/
Just got my 32 WCF Winchester Low Wall back from the gunsmith with a new reline tube.crowning is good using a tried and proven load of 4.5 grns AP70 behind a 110 grain bullet which is great in my 1892 Winchester but the groups are terrible in the Low Wall.When I got home there was bad leading for the first 2 1/2 '' of rifling.
Will try it with some jacketed bullets and some slower burning powder,trouble is i also had some Trail Boss loads that were used after I fired the AP 70 loads which might have leaded up the bore first,so there is some more testing to do with the Trail boss.I know the Low Wall should shoot well,good trigger pull,New rifling,tang sights,good crown,.312 tight bore all the way ,commercial cast Lead bullets at .3135 and tight head space.
Regards

[gundownunder]

Well it's time to look at that custom die, or another brand, and not for the reason I first inquired about.

I bought a set of Lee dies for the 32-20 and when I did my first lot of cases I found out that the neck size on the Lee resizing die crushes the necks down to .315 before expanding them back up to .327 with the expander die, which then goes up to .328 when the bullet is seated. The fired case comes out of the chamber at .330. The brass I'm using is Rem because Starline is a bit like rocking horse dumplings over here at the moment. The resizing die would be good if I had bought it for a 30-20 and not a 32-20.

I contacted Lee and they told me I could ship the die back to them and get it re-machined but they can open it up by no more than .010. This is still going to lead to excessive brass working and shortened case life. They also want me to pay $10 plus the cost of shipping back to them from Oz. They can PARTLY fix a die they sold which doesn't size a case to anywhere near the specs for the caliber. Up till now almost everything I have bought for reloading was Lee, I think a change is as good as a holiday.

[Tycer]

My RCBS 18105 FL die set for 32/20 sizes both R-P and Starline to .320 OD and .306 ID and places a very nice flare which I set to .308 which slides over a gas check perfectly. I'll be loading Lyman 3118s later this week (hopefully) and see how the .308 flare works for the plain base.

[Cast Bullet Hunter]

G.D.U.

This is precisely why I rarely use Lee dies. They work, usually, but frequently are lacking in some areas.

You don't need a custom die set, just a GOOD one. My recommendation would be the RCBS Cowboy set. The RCBS standard set is fine, but the Cowboy set is dimensioned slightly differently to make it more appropriate for cast bullets.

[Tycer]

. The RCBS standard set is fine, but the Cowboy set is dimensioned slightly differently to make it more appropriate for cast bullets.

Nice to know!

[Nath]

Stick at it GDU, you'll sort it

Try takin' that camera down some trail with ya' too

Nath.

[gundownunder]

Thanks C B H, that sounds like it might be a good place to start.