Another .32 Crockett Thread

[Cattman]

my buckshot is .325 with the micrometer i have.

 

[SDSmlf]

my buckshot is .325 with the micrometer i have.

That’s likely #0 buck (believe nominal diameter is .320”). Guess it would work with no patch in a 32.

 

[Cattman]

works well for me.

 

[user 43911]

Muzzle after clean up,

 

[user 43911]

Nose cap is a better fit than the last Crockett I had, other metal fit to wood is not bad

 

[user 43911]

Another mold I'm thinking about for paper patch is this one from Lee, bullet is .565 OL but bearing surface is .345

https://leeprecision.com/mold-dc-tl314-90-swc.html

 

[deermanok]

I have one as well, built from a kit I bought from the Traditions show room in Old Saybrook, Ct.
I got it for quite a markdown as the box was open for some reason and the guy couldn't guarantee that all the parts were there. Turns out that nothing was missing, I think I paid about $ 200.00 for the kit.

 

[user 43911]

Lyman Ideal Single Cavity Bullet Mold (# 32362) for .32-44 , used as a R.E.A.L. type. Note length to width ratio.

 

[user 43911]

As far as round ball goes, if I cast (big if), if I can find it I have a .318 (48 grain ball) mold from Green Mountain, others are NOS Lee .319 (49/50 grain ball), Lee .311 (45 grain ball), Lyman .313 (46 grain ball).

90410 Lee 2-Cavity Bullet Mold .319 Diameter Round Ball, Green Mountain both with 10 thou muslin patch.

 

[mushka]

I've had a Crockett for about a year and I like the way it shoots a prb with 20 grn of 3f. My only problem with it is the real small balls. I've got some troublesome arthritis in my right hand fingers and some of the dexterity is lacking making it hard to get ahold of the smaller balls. A friend with big hands has some trouble also. I can load it but it seems awkward at times and I get frustrated when I drop the patch or ball.. I got to take it real slow.

 

[russellshaffer]

Try using a loading block. I find it pretty easy to load a block while sitting at a bench and then I can just center the block on the muzzle and punch the ball in. Lots easier than juggling a patch and ball on that little muzzle.

 

[user 43911]

Another 32-44 mold, the round ball would be .323 and intended for no patch.

 

[MAC1967]

I had a Crocket . . . the aesthetics were great, size, fit, finish feel size etc . . . however it never shot well for me . .. I read all these stories and threads about how accurate it was . . . I tried everything . . . loads, powders, patches . . .lube .310, .311 etc . . . I finally sent it back to them . . . they range tested it and said it was fine . . they used pyrodex . . but the target they sent back had a 3 shot group the size of a softball . . . I told them I could do that . . . and that I wasn't sure how big their squirrels were in Connecticut but in Indiana their heads are golf ball sized . . .

The rifle had a terrible habit of grabbing patches when I cleaned it . . like a troll lived in the breach plug . . . it would tear up plastic jags . . . like a gap in the threading or something.

I sold it with an explanation of my issues . . and built a TVM Lancaster kit with a Rice 32 barrel . . . that gave me the groups I needed. Liked the Crocket, but I had a bad one.

 

[user 43911]

I had a Crocket . . . the aesthetics were great, size, fit, finish feel size etc . . . however it never shot well for me . .. I read all these stories and threads about how accurate it was . . . I tried everything . . . loads, powders, patches . . .lube .310, .311 etc . . . I finally sent it back to them . . . they range tested it and said it was fine . . they used pyrodex . . but the target they sent back had a 3 shot group the size of a softball . . . I told them I could do that . . . and that I wasn't sure how big their squirrels were in Connecticut but in Indiana their heads are golf ball sized . . .

The rifle had a terrible habit of grabbing patches when I cleaned it . . like a troll lived in the breach plug . . . it would tear up plastic jags . . . like a gap in the threading or something.

I sold it with an explanation of my issues . . and built a TVM Lancaster kit with a Rice 32 barrel . . . that gave me the groups I needed. Liked the Crocket, but I had a bad one.

The plastic jag tearing and patch grab was probably because of running into the patent breech opening, I'm sure of it. I also had a Crockett three years ago that I was not happy with, I could get a sub 1" group at 20 yards but was unhappy with the groups I got at 50 yards and gave up on it.
Fast forward 3 years and I purchased another Crockett.
Just as you said above, size and feel is great for me also, stock has a little cast off and is slim, when the gun is mounted it puts the center line of the barrel (sights) right in front of the eye, for me the comb is just perfect and based on many others getting good results I would say it fits well for them.
I've had guns that cost 4 times the price that shot bad, sometimes stuff happens, I'm giving the Crockett another go, can't help it the gun just feels so right.

 

[ASMman]

I use an old LEE .308 patched round ball in all my .32 caliber rifles, shoot fine.
did they ever switch the Crockett to a hooked breech? My only complaint.

AntiqueSledMan.

 

[user 43911]

I use an old LEE .308 patched round ball in all my .32 caliber rifles, shoot fine.
did they ever switch the Crockett to a hooked breech? My only complaint.

AntiqueSledMan.

No hooked breech, I agree cleaning would be easier.
I use a surgical tube with a weight on the end that goes in a bucket of hot soapy water, other end goes on the nipple , draw water/soap mix into bore with tight fitting patch on a jag, I find the fouling is cleaned from the nipple with no problems.
You can also drill out an old nipple and attach it permanently to the tube so cleaning is a case of removing the nipple, screw in the the tube, put the other end in a bucket and clean like you are using an old bicycle pump with your patched jag on rod.

 

[Cattman]

sometimes their is stress in a barrel. no matter who makes it. have seen it in weatherbys that cost a arm and a leg. when you get a barrel like that when it starts to heat up it will warp and the groups go really bad. i wonder if the bad shooting crockett had that problem. also if my bore tore patches bad i would lap it with a tight patch and 150 grit compound on a rotating range rod. 1000 laps would solve that problem. never lap the last 3 inches at the muzzle. as to the stress in the barrel. a cryogenic treatment would have solved that. i have done that many times and then you get good groups after the treatment. i have seen a couple of barrel that a bored slightly off center. they are worthless. cant do anything with them except machine them so the bore is on center. they will always bend toward the thinner side. you have to be carefull when soldering ribs ect on a long barrel. very easy to warp a barrel. i never solder a barrel, drill and tap is what i did. sometimes a heavy rib under a barrel can cause accuracy problems. cryo treating the barrel and rib together can solve that problem. cryo treating a barrel always is a positive thing. good for steel and takes most of the stress out of it. enough to make a difference. if the bar that made the barrel was bent and then straightened to make a good barrel, the barrel remembers the bend and does so when heated up. again cryotreating a barrel like this is the answer. sonic vibration will do it also but it is hard to find someone to do that. sonic vibration gets 100 percent of the stress out of the barrel. if one is shooting in high end competition, sonic treating the gun barrel your shooting is a good idea. lapping it except for the last 3 inches is also, accuracy is science.

 

[user 43911]

Cattman,

Mac1967 made the following statement,

"The rifle had a terrible habit of grabbing patches when I cleaned it . . like a troll lived in the breach plug . . . it would tear up plastic jags . . . like a gap in the threading or something. "

I feel the cause of the problem he had was running the jag into the patent breech, a plastic jag would let this happen, getting into that area requires a .22 mop/brush (nylon brush so it does not get stuck) to clean if permitted to get very dirty.
Patent breech is not a new thing as many think, it's been around since the mid 1700's.

Most people may lap the barrel but not go much more than that on a $400 rifle.

 

[Crow-Feather]

I must say, I think Traditions has stepped up it's game, I just received a Crockett that I ordered from Midway USA on Tuesday (on sale) , the bluing is great, wood is nice it's way better than a Crockett I purchased a few years ago, trigger sets without getting a hernia, trigger when set is about 1 1/2 pounds, brass oval in wrist (last one did not have this), brass front sight blade with steel dovetail base, looks to be round bottom rifling.
More to follow with pictures, load info I started on another thread I will post here if anyone is interested.

P.S. I'm very shocked at the quality of this gun, date code is 2020.

They are extremely accurate rifles. I am glad to see that they are putting out a good rifle. The price plus the accuracy make them fantastic bargains. My Lee .311 cast balls seemed to shoot better than the store bought orange boxed round balls.

 

[Zonie]

There was a time about 10 years ago or so, when a number of Crocketts that had poorly fitted breech plugs were sold in the US.
The problem was, the face of the breech plug did not but up tightly against the shoulder where the barrels breech threads end.

The gap caused by this was notorious for grabbing cleaning patches whenever the guns were cleaned.

There was nothing really dangerous about the breech plug installation but it did make cleaning the rifle a PITA.