t/c contender .32-20

9ballbilly · September 29, 2019, 07:27 AM

Just picked up a .32-20 win. barrel. According to the Speer manual these have a .308 groove diameter rather than .311 to allow a wider selection of bullets to be used.

I'm guessing that means I'll need to change the expander plug in the die. Can the plug just be swapped with one from a .30 cal die from the same manufacturer?

Might be a stupid question, but it's something I haven't run into before. Thanks for any help.

David R · September 29, 2019, 08:11 AM

I have the same barrel. The .308 bore is the balls. I buy cast coated bullets for 30 carbine. 115 grain. I never changed the expander and have no problems. It just flares the case mouth, so bullet tension is still fine. Its a single shot, so it cannot have bullet jump or set back.

Enjoy the gun, bought mine in 1990 for Silhouette. Still shooti it. Its worth putting a scope on it. One accurate cartridge. I can load them up way faster than original. Case is thin and crushes easy. Gun is strong, so cases last a long time. I use a spray case lube because there are no carbide dies for a tapered case.

Shooting silhouette last year, I was questioned about the gun. "Is it below 1550 fps?" I said yes. "is it a bottle neck case?" I said "No"

With a 2X scope on this gun and the great trigger, I can hand this gun to most anyone and they will make a hit on the first shot. Shots after that depend on if they flinch.

When I Ifirst bught the gun, I had 2 boxes of factory loads and iron sights. I went squirrel hunting with it. I stopped in the farmers house after being out a few times. He said how many did you get? I told him 3. He said how much ammo left? I said none. He laughed at me. I used most of the ammo for sighting in and target shooting.

Factory ammo is terrible.

Enjoy your gun.

David

Sent from my SM-T900 using Tapatalk

9ballbilly · September 29, 2019, 08:45 AM

David R.- Thanks for the reply.

I did a little more research and it looks like both Redding and a company called C4HD make a die set specifically for it. Instead of .32-20 win. they call it 30-20 tc.

Thought I'd leave this info here for anyone looking in the future.

Hammerhead · September 29, 2019, 12:09 PM

RCBS also makes dies for the.32-20tc

**Unclenick** · September 29, 2019, 01:25 PM

9ballbilly,

The answer to your expander question depends on the type of expander the die set uses. Since the cartridge has a small bottleneck, an expander ball in the sizing die as seen for other bottleneck cases, can be used. Hornady's 2-die set is this type. RCBS makes two separate 3-die sets for this cartridge, one of which is called a Cowboy Action set which they claim has slightly different dimensions for lead bullets only. These will have the male expander die for flaring the top. The other brands seem to sell 3-die sets for this cartridge. The separate expander die would work without interchanging the expander if it is the type that only produces a flare like the Lee Powder-Thru Expander does. But if they use, as the Lyman set does, a Lyman M-die-type profile that puts a step in the case mouth below the flare, it is possible the nose of the expander will make a case too wide for a good grip on .308 bullets. In this instance, you should be able to get a .308 size expander that fits the die.

As you can see from the types of die sets made for 32-20, your best bet is to call into the manufacturer of the set you are interested in and explain your situation and ask if their die set is compatible with the smaller bullet or if they recommend a separate expander for it.

T. O'Heir · September 30, 2019, 01:47 PM

"...rather than .311..." That's not right either. .32-20 uses a .312" jacketed bullet and a .314" cast bullet.
Speer makes bullets, not TC barrels. Slug the barrel yourself to be sure what its diameter is. A cast .30 calibre bullet or lead fishing sinker, gets hammered through the barrel, preferably from the chamber end, with a 1/4" brass rod and a plastic mallet then you measure it with a micrometer. It's far easier to do than describe. Plan 'B' is to call TC and ask.
https://www.tcarms.com/contact
"...Can the plug just be swapped..." Normally, yes. The manufacturers use the same threads for everything. Highly likely the other manufacturers use the same threads too. Easy thing to try anyway.

September 29, 2019, 07:27 AM	#1
9ballbilly Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2008 Location: northeast Florida Posts: 611	t/c contender .32-20 Just picked up a .32-20 win. barrel. According to the Speer manual these have a .308 groove diameter rather than .311 to allow a wider selection of bullets to be used. I'm guessing that means I'll need to change the expander plug in the die. Can the plug just be swapped with one from a .30 cal die from the same manufacturer? Might be a stupid question, but it's something I haven't run into before. Thanks for any help. __________________ may God eternally bless the American Rifleman--- as long as one stands, resolute, liberty shall not perish.

September 29, 2019, 08:45 AM	#3
9ballbilly Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2008 Location: northeast Florida Posts: 611	David R.- Thanks for the reply. I did a little more research and it looks like both Redding and a company called C4HD make a die set specifically for it. Instead of .32-20 win. they call it 30-20 tc. Thought I'd leave this info here for anyone looking in the future. __________________ may God eternally bless the American Rifleman--- as long as one stands, resolute, liberty shall not perish.

September 29, 2019, 01:25 PM	#5
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,061	9ballbilly, The answer to your expander question depends on the type of expander the die set uses. Since the cartridge has a small bottleneck, an expander ball in the sizing die as seen for other bottleneck cases, can be used. Hornady's 2-die set is this type. RCBS makes two separate 3-die sets for this cartridge, one of which is called a Cowboy Action set which they claim has slightly different dimensions for lead bullets only. These will have the male expander die for flaring the top. The other brands seem to sell 3-die sets for this cartridge. The separate expander die would work without interchanging the expander if it is the type that only produces a flare like the Lee Powder-Thru Expander does. But if they use, as the Lyman set does, a Lyman M-die-type profile that puts a step in the case mouth below the flare, it is possible the nose of the expander will make a case too wide for a good grip on .308 bullets. In this instance, you should be able to get a .308 size expander that fits the die. As you can see from the types of die sets made for 32-20, your best bet is to call into the manufacturer of the set you are interested in and explain your situation and ask if their die set is compatible with the smaller bullet or if they recommend a separate expander for it. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

September 30, 2019, 01:47 PM	#6
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"...rather than .311..." That's not right either. .32-20 uses a .312" jacketed bullet and a .314" cast bullet. Speer makes bullets, not TC barrels. Slug the barrel yourself to be sure what its diameter is. A cast .30 calibre bullet or lead fishing sinker, gets hammered through the barrel, preferably from the chamber end, with a 1/4" brass rod and a plastic mallet then you measure it with a micrometer. It's far easier to do than describe. Plan 'B' is to call TC and ask. https://www.tcarms.com/contact "...Can the plug just be swapped..." Normally, yes. The manufacturers use the same threads for everything. Highly likely the other manufacturers use the same threads too. Easy thing to try anyway. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

September 29, 2019, 08:11 AM	#2
David R Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2015 Location: The swamps of WNY Posts: 753	I have the same barrel. The .308 bore is the balls. I buy cast coated bullets for 30 carbine. 115 grain. I never changed the expander and have no problems. It just flares the case mouth, so bullet tension is still fine. Its a single shot, so it cannot have bullet jump or set back. Enjoy the gun, bought mine in 1990 for Silhouette. Still shooti it. Its worth putting a scope on it. One accurate cartridge. I can load them up way faster than original. Case is thin and crushes easy. Gun is strong, so cases last a long time. I use a spray case lube because there are no carbide dies for a tapered case. Shooting silhouette last year, I was questioned about the gun. "Is it below 1550 fps?" I said yes. "is it a bottle neck case?" I said "No" With a 2X scope on this gun and the great trigger, I can hand this gun to most anyone and they will make a hit on the first shot. Shots after that depend on if they flinch. When I Ifirst bught the gun, I had 2 boxes of factory loads and iron sights. I went squirrel hunting with it. I stopped in the farmers house after being out a few times. He said how many did you get? I told him 3. He said how much ammo left? I said none. He laughed at me. I used most of the ammo for sighting in and target shooting. Factory ammo is terrible. Enjoy your gun. David Sent from my SM-T900 using Tapatalk

September 29, 2019, 12:09 PM	#4
Hammerhead Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,432	RCBS also makes dies for the.32-20tc