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Great Low Wall! I’ve got one in .25-20 SS coming, if the seller will ever ship it.
On the Pawn Stars show, I didn’t like it from the start. Just the name of the show trying to be a play on porn stars, kind of like Shitz Creek or whatever torques me off. But last year at a Navy reunion my buddies and I had to go see the shop. Very underwhelming, about as big as half my garage. I’ve been to garage sales that have better stuff. Basically – it’s a prop for the TV show. Best gun line they use? “We won’t know what it’s worth til we SHOOT it!” Be it a priceless Patterson or original Hawkin….these guys are hacks.
TXGunNut said
Back to the OP, that’s an interesting cartridge. 150 grain bullet nudged out of the case by 26 grains of powder? Sounds like a good prospect for garden or chicken coop pest control or short range target work. Could be fun.
Stevens’ idea in designing this cartridge, when there were already a multitude of RF & CF .32s to choose from, was to use it as a means for restoring shot out bores in the older .32s, reboring being a Stevens specialty. (Any makes were accepted.) .313″ was the nominal bore dia. for most of these other .32s, so the Ideal was given a .323″ bore to allow for reboring smaller bores, the largest of any of the so-called .32s.
But short range (100 yds) target work was also one of its intended purposes.
This spring I acquired an 1885 low wall (#100280) in caliber .32 Ideal, a cartridge unfamiliar to me. With the rifle were 60 cartridges, some loaded with black powder and 153 gr. .318″ bullets. Many of the cases were Peters, others WRA. I handload for over 30 cartridges but this one was going to be problematic. Not one of my many shell holders fit the rim! Regardless, I was able to put together some loads using an Arsenal mold throwing 165 gr. .321″ bullets. There’s much more work to be done with loads, but with its excellent bore the little rifle shows good+ potential at the range. I especially like its sights. I’ve attached some photos for your review and hope to report range results in the future.
Brian Sindelar said There’s much more work to be done with loads, but with its excellent bore the little rifle shows good+ potential at the range.
Gun looks immaculate, so “good+ potential” is probably conservative. Worth trying .323″ bullets, if you can obtain them.
Hello Brian,
That is a very interesting low-wall Plain Sporting rifle. Specifically, the “B” stamped on the bitter end of the lower tang is the first one I have ever seen, and it is a complete mystery to me. Ordinarily, the lower tang is blank in that location, or will have a sideways stamped “A” (which indicates a coil-spring action). The factory records indicate that this rifle was received in the warehouse in July 1905 as a 32 Ideal, 28″ No. 1 octagon barrel, plain trigger (light pull), which is too early for it to be a coil-spring action.
The sights that are on it now were added after-the-fact by a discriminating shooter (a Lyman No. 5B Combination front, a Lyman No. 6 Folding leaf rear, and a Marbles tang sight). The 32 Ideal cartridge was known for its inherent accuracy, but it was greatly outnumbered in production by the much more popular 32-40 cartridge.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Thank you, Bert, for the very helpful information! I feel fortunate to own this nice low-wall. It’s going to be doing alot of work at my range.
Re: Clarence: Gun looks immaculate, so “good+ potential” is probably conservative. Worth trying .323″ bullets, if you can obtain them.
I’m betting you’re right on its potential. I’m wishing my new mold was casting .323″ instead of .321″. I’ll try to get some.
In one of the few targets I made with this low-wall I got fairly good groups. In this target with a 5 shot group, three were pretty much in one hole. I liked that!
Brian Sindelar said
I’m betting you’re right on its potential. I’m wishing my new mold was casting .323″ instead of .321″. I’ll try to get some.
Try Hunters Supply cast : Link I used the 170 gr 8mm for my 32-40 several years ago. Or beagle your mould with aluminum tape if you have a sizer that works…
Ron
Technically, the glass is always full; half liquid, half air....
WACA #10293
rwsem said Try Hunters Supply cast : Link I used the 170 gr 8mm for my 32-40 several years ago. Or beagle your mould with aluminum tape if you have a sizer that works…
I have a .32 Spl. HW with a badly pitted bore. Considering the bore, it shot better than expected with .321″ bullets (jacketed, of course), but with 8mm–.323″, I believe it shot about as well as a perfect bore!
I don’t know how to cite Ron’s message here as I’ve only recently posted.
But thanks, Ron, for the link to Hunter’s Supply. I just ordered 250 .324 cast bullets for both my .32 Ideal and .32-40 rifles. I have a .323 sizing die for my luber. Plus I have been looking for a good cast bullet supplier and these bullets are shipped free!
Brian Sindelar said I just ordered 250 .324 cast bullets for both my .32 Ideal and .32-40 rifles. I have a .323 sizing die for my luber.
Brian, if you can lube them without sizing, that’s also worth trying as, theoretically, the .001” oversize may shoot best. Though as we all know, theory & practice don’t always agree.
To quote any message, look at the upper right hand side of the dialogue box, & select the quotation mark shown there, which will copy that message. Remember, we’re now living in the post-literate age, when symbols (as in the pre-literate age) have replaced words…SO old-fashioned! Much more amusing to try to figure out what such symbols mean!
clarence said
Brian Sindelar said I just ordered 250 .324 cast bullets for both my .32 Ideal and .32-40 rifles. I have a .323 sizing die for my luber.
Brian, if you can lube them without sizing, that’s also worth trying as, theoretically, the .001” oversize may shoot best. Though as we all know, theory & practice don’t always agree.
To quote any message, look at the upper right hand side of the dialogue box, & select the quotation mark shown there, which will copy that message. Remember, we’re now living in the post-literate age, when symbols (as in the pre-literate age) have replaced words…SO old-fashioned! Much more amusing to try to figure out what such symbols mean!
Thanks, Clarence! I’m also new to Iphones as well and the number of those stupid little widgets on the phone exceeds my primer supply.
Evidently the bullets I ordered from Hunters Supply in .324″ are ‘slick’ coated so perhaps I won’t have to size or lube them. I usually chronograph my new loads and I doubt that any will exceed 1300 fps.
Brian Sindelar said
Thanks, Clarence! I’m also new to Iphones as well and the number of those stupid little widgets on the phone exceeds my primer supply.
What’s an Iphone? Looked recently at the dashboard of a new car? Custom designed for illiterates & airheads.
AZshot said
Great Low Wall! I’ve got one in .25-20 SS coming, if the seller will ever ship it.On the Pawn Stars show, I didn’t like it from the start. Just the name of the show trying to be a play on porn stars, kind of like Shitz Creek or whatever torques me off. But last year at a Navy reunion my buddies and I had to go see the shop. Very underwhelming, about as big as half my garage. I’ve been to garage sales that have better stuff. Basically – it’s a prop for the TV show. Best gun line they use? “We won’t know what it’s worth til we SHOOT it!” Be it a priceless Patterson or original Hawkin….these guys are hacks.
Your comment brings back memories. One time, years ago, when I was in Las Vegas I stopped in there. What a joke the place was – your comments were right on. And you’re right about their need to SHOOT a gun to determine its value – and the kicker is they only deal in antique guns!
What a joke the place was – your comments were right on. steve004 said
I heard the same from someone else who went there. It’s hilarious to hear them spouting off like pseudo-historians about something they’d never heard of before the pre-arranged scene was shot. However, I do like to watch the firing tests of antique artillery pieces like the Bira Gun.
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