Stevens Favorite .32 RF to 32 Colt (Another Project Checked Off)

[NorthCoastBigBore]

Another project I've had on the backburner, promised myself I'd finish it this Christmas break. I was using it with reloaded rimfire rounds, and I'll keep shooting those in the pocket revolver, but they are time consuming to make up and reload.

So for the Favorite, I've been wanting to make the leap to .32 Colt for awhile now. For anyone who doesn't realize, the conversion requires no reaming - .32 Colt and .32 RF share case dimensions, the only difference is rimfire vs. centerfire. Don't confuse the 32 Colt S/L with .32 S&W, the former use a heeled bullet so although they are similar, the .32 S&W is a fatter case and won't chamber in a .32 Colt. No worry about someone dropping a hotter modern .32 S&W in there, in this conversion.

So the only change has to be to move the firing pin and re-drill (endmill) the revised firing pin channel angle. I had to make a new firing pin too as I found that the new hole puts the pin at the very top of the firing pin channel, and there isn't a lot of meat there to go much bigger. I just milled it out of drill rod. Simple.

I found an extra breech block so I still have the original, although part of me says "why"...

Yup if anyone is highly observant, I put a bushing in the breech block to tighten it up, it wasn't bad but these can usually use a tightening. The lever wasn't drooping on this one (a commonly observed symptom of bent/worn out pins) but hey... one day I'll make a new screw set for this unit.

I pretty much did all the work yesterday, it was an easy job. Tried it out this afternoon unfortunately it was windy as heck out and my fingers froze, couldn't see the sights 'cuz the wind was tearing up my eyes... so it was more function vs. accuracy event, but it ran flawlessly. I put 30 rounds through it before I decided the frostbite wasn't worth it and I threw in the towel:

Loads are carefully measured pinches of Bullseye under Jethunter's heeled boolits (gonna need to order more).

I'm also making .32 LONG Colt brass right now using a technique a guy documented on castboolits, by swaging down .32 S&W Long in two steps, turning off the resulting "belt" and then size and load... I'll update when I try them out, I'm charging in and doing 100 of those. Update on the 32 Long Brass sub-project here: https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...from-32-S-amp-W-Brass?p=14451684#post14451684

 

[Willy Tincup]

I'm surprised this conversion isn't more popular than it is. I have a Stevens favourite that is stamped 32 S&W but the 32 colts work much better in it. A few 32 S&W will chamber and fire but the vast majority of them will not chamber or really have to be pushed in and then are hard to extract.
I have a Rem #2 in 32 rf that I am considering doing the same conversion to 32 short colt..........but will need someone to do the milling work on the breech block...............any takers?

 

[Snider shooter]

Sounds familiar. Spare block also,didn't want to ruin original. I drilled a small hole above old pin. Ground front of old pin off so it no longer hits. Cut groove in old pin. Used a finish nail with head resting in groove. Length by guess and by golly. Slightly hard to get new up into new hole from back. More than one way to skin a cat. My book says 472 rounds so far. Lucked into 50 short cases at gun show. Luck still still holding,my buddy handed me a box of 50 long. Iam using black powder in mine. Fun to shoot.

 

[NorthCoastBigBore]

I'm surprised this conversion isn't more popular than it is. I have a Stevens favourite that is stamped 32 S&W but the 32 colts work much better in it. A few 32 S&W will chamber and fire but the vast majority of them will not chamber or really have to be pushed in and then are hard to extract.
I have a Rem #2 in 32 rf that I am considering doing the same conversion to 32 short colt..........but will need someone to do the milling work on the breech block...............any takers?

I agree; and the other nice thing is that compared to say .22 RF rifles, .32s seem to have a better chance of being a little tighter, at least the ones I've seen.

I'm just a hobby guy or I'd offer to help; I don't mind risking my own stuff in an experiment but I'd hate to ruin someone else's!

Sounds familiar. Spare block also,didn't want to ruin original. I drilled a small hole above old pin. Ground front of old pin off so it no longer hits. Cut groove in old pin. Used a finish nail with head resting in groove. Length by guess and by golly. Slightly hard to get new up into new hole from back. More than one way to skin a cat. My book says 472 rounds so far. Lucked into 50 short cases at gun show. Luck still still holding,my buddy handed me a box of 50 long. Iam using black powder in mine. Fun to shoot.

Yessir - there are a few ways around this and I could have got the same results with a drill, hacksaw and file. Glad to hear your finishing nail is still working, I haven't hardened the firing pin yet (from drill rod so I can harden and temper) but I've made a couple others that seem to not care whether they were hardened or not so...