# .32-20 (.32 wcf) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 11, 2010, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-20-32-wcf/535707 "2010-04-11T06:00:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-20-32-wcf/535707/1 "2010-04-11T06:00:38Z")
I have an 1897 Winchester Model 1892 Rifle in .32-20 (aka .32 WCF). I’ve read that .32-20 is suitable for ‘small- to medium-sized game’. I don’t hunt (nor have a desire to), so I’m not sure what that means. What would people hunt with .32-20? Bonus question: Where can I get ammo for my rifle? A search of online sources shows everyone is out of stock. (One place had an expected in-stock date of July.) ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-20-32-wcf/535707/2 "2010-04-11T06:11:59Z")
Small to medium sized game would be squirrels, rabbits, ground hogs, foxes, coyotes, birds, maybe a small deer but that’s kinda pushing it. It’s a bit under-sized to reliably take down a deer. If I’m reading their web page correctly, track of the wolf has .32-20s in stock. I order minie balls from them and so far I’ve been happy with what I’ve received. That’s my only experience with them, though. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-20-32-wcf/535707/3 "2010-04-11T06:20:07Z")
I googled Track of the Wolf and found .32-20 black powder loads. Historically correct, but my rifle is 113 years old. I’d rather not to the hot-water-and-dish-soap thing, and stick to smokeless powder loads. If someone 100 years ago could only have one rifle, I suppose it makes sense to have an ‘all-rounder’ like the .32-20. (I did read that people hunted deer with it.) It seems like it would make a bit of a mess on something as small as a squirrel or a rabbit, though. I though a .22 would be best for those. (But again, IANAHunter; so I wouldn’t know.) ---
**Author:** ![CateAyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@CateAyo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CateAyo)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-20-32-wcf/535707/4 "2010-04-11T15:20:43Z")
Robert Johnson had an opinion. [http://mog.com/music/Robert\_Johnson/King\_of\_the\_Delta\_Blues\_Singers/32-20\_Blues](http://mog.com/music/Robert_Johnson/King_of_the_Delta_Blues_Singers/32-20_Blues) For those ocassions when a .38 special is most too light. ---
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-20-32-wcf/535707/5 "2010-04-11T15:32:15Z")
Try here: [www.ammotogo.com](http://www.ammotogo.com) ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-20-32-wcf/535707/6 "2010-04-11T15:33:19Z")
the .22 cartridge didn’t reach it’s current state of perfection until much later. Early smokeless types eroded the bore pretty quickly and many people continued to use semi-smokeless or black powder types. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-20-32-wcf/535707/7 "2010-04-11T15:50:45Z")
> [@SanDiegoTim](#): > > Try here: [www.ammotogo.com](http://www.ammotogo.com) Tried there last night. ‘There is no product that matches the search criteria.’ I’m starting to think that if I want to shoot this thing, I might have to look into getting reloading gear. (I have 50 or 100 cases from shooting years ago.) > [@Mk\_VII](#): > > the .22 cartridge didn’t reach it’s current state of perfection until much later. Early smokeless types eroded the bore pretty quickly and many people continued to use semi-smokeless or black powder types. Was the erosion because of the powder; or from corrosive primers? When did the .32-20 switch from black powder to smokeless powder? ISTM that ammunition makers would want to use smokeless powder in the 20th Century for commonality with their other ammunition. I know that people/companies that make ‘vintage’ ammo load them light, in case people use them in antique guns (as opposed to modern reproductions that are made to smokeless standards). ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-20-32-wcf/535707/8 "2010-04-11T18:00:31Z")
Just a point of interest, but when I was in Alaska 100 or so years ago, I bought a Winchester .38-55, of the same vintage. Had a 255 grain, soft nose slug, and was one of the rifles you would want if a Brown Bear started to come after you. It did not have much range, but would bring down just about anything, no matter where you hit it. I kept if for many years, great for deer hunting, but when I got sick of killing things and quit, sold it. I doubt if you could find ammo for it now. So, I wonder how many different sizes those old Winchesters came in? ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-20-32-wcf/535707/9 "2010-04-11T18:08:26Z")
I have a Model 1892 Winchester in .25-20 caliber. Same charge as yours, but you have a .32 caliber bullet on the end of yours. I wouldn’t recommend deer hunting because unless you deliver an excellent shot, the chances are you will wound the thing and have it run off to suffer a painful death. But for squirrels, rabbits, groundhogs, foxes and the like? Great gun. Wasn’t too much at all, and I don’t think that the .32 caliber round would make it too big. What is wrong with the .32-20 round? Nothing at all. It works great. But a .22 works just as great and it is far cheaper to shoot. It has become the standard that replaced all of these old small Winchester calibers. ---
**Author:** ![Tully\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ab992/32.png) [@Tully\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tully_Mars)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/32-20-32-wcf/535707/10 "2010-04-12T01:24:13Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I have an 1897 Winchester Model 1892 Rifle in .32-20 (aka .32 WCF). My grandfather carried that same rifle and caliber for years and years. I heard he pretty much shot the barrel smooth in it. He killed numerous white-tailed deer in East Texas. I used to have an old pliers-type handloader for it, but I just looked in the closet and couldn’t find it. I think I gave it to my aunt that has the rifle now. I did find eight rounds of ammo for it.