[TIMBERWOLF]

I'd like to get various opinions about the 32 Winchester Special. I saw a Model 94 chambered for it earlier today, and I was told that it is every bit as good, as effective, and as accurate as the 30-30 Winchester. Is this true? Are there many hunters who use the cartridge these days?

Thanks,
Timberwolf

 

[Reb]

Timberwolf,
The 32 Win Special is indeed every bit as good as the 30-30 in performance and accuracy.  Balistics between the two are nearly identical.  However, the cartridge was designed so that the 94 Winchester would have a round that could be reloaded with black powder and would stabilize better than the .308 bore of the 30-30 which tended to foul much to quickly with black.  The reason for its existence is long since past, but this doesn't make it a less effective round.  On a more practical level, reloading for the 32 doesn't offer the wide variety of projectiles or loading data associated with the more popular 30-30.  Additionally, the 32 has a reputation for losing it's accuracy rapidly and spectacularly once the barrel begins to wear very much at all.  As long as the barrel is in excellent shape it should be a fine shooter.
Good luck,
Reb

 

[MikeG]

It is nearly dead if not extinct.  Basically a .30-30 case necked to handle .32 cal bullets, and a slightly slower twist.  Winchester introduced it at about the same time as the .30-30.  There are many theories as to why, the most prominent one seems to be that the .32 Special was easier for people to handload with black powder.

As it was introduced over 100 years ago we may never really know.  

Anyway, brass can be easily made from .30-30, and if you can find bullets you are in business.  I have seen data in a few manuals.  Downrange performance is not significantly different from the .30-30.

 

[Scott]

Timberwolf,
As the previous folks mentioned, components are not as plentiful for the .32 spcl as they are for 30wcf, but loaded cartridges are still available. I tend to favor Federal Classics in the .32 I have dies etc. for the caliber, but have yet to load for it. Only shot one whitetail with it @ about 60-70 yards. One shot and that was it. The buck was completely relaxed @ the shot and "dropped" where it stood.
Model 94's chambered in .32 tend to bring a few more dollars to their sellers than the more common 30wcf. at least thats how it is in my location.
Take care,
Scott in Vermont

 

[RugerNo3]

I believe the 32Spl is to the 32-40 as the 375Win is to the 38-55. An upgrade in performance to get away from the the blackpowder loads or guns. With cast bullets today, you don't have to worry about a scarcity if you're a handloader.

 

[Marshall Stanton]

To address the issue of the inaccuracy of worn barrels, this is entirely correct... to a degree.

The 1"16" twist of the .32 Special equates in rapid loss in stability to bullets once the rifling gets worn as many of these rifles have seen extensive use.  However, a gun that won't shoot .321" jacketed bullets will almost always shoot a gas-checked .323" bullet beautifully!  I've never seen a .32 Special that wouldn't shoot our .323"-170g LFNGC bullet exceptionally well!  These guns have HUGE throats, generally measuring at least .3235-.324".  Fill the throat with a cast bullet of proper diameter sporting a strong front driving band and gas-check, and you're off and shooting a great performer.  As a bonus, the alloy bullets aren't hard on the barrel as jacketed can be some of these older guns.

I've found for reduced loads that Blue Dot, Unique and 2400 work well, and for full throttle hunting ammo, you can't beat H335 and RL-7 for accuracy with cast bullets in this cartridge!

God Bless,

Marshall

 

[timincolombia]

When we were young and the hunting was great the gun most sought afetr in the Family wasa Mod 64 in .32 spl.  We killed many many mulies with it and at least 8 elk that I can recall.  I now have a cpllection of 1936 Marlins and one old 94.  I shoot the RCBS 165 gr with slow powder filling the case and get 1 1/2 in groups at 50 yds with my favorite Mod 36.  I use round balls for squib loads too.  Its about the same as the 30 30 but much fewer bullet choices.  Still, for me it is nostalgic.  I shot my first deer with it in the canadian breaks of eastern N Mex in 1962.  I was trudging along behind my older brother (who had the Mod 54 270) and a big buck doubled back behind him.  he never saw it and was really upset that I got him.

 

[WHCKMSTR1]

the 32 win. special aka 32 remington. introduced in 1895. it was introduced aS A SMOKELESS ROUND. FOR THE 94. 30- 30 is rifled 1 in 12'' and the 32 ,1 in 16'' . it is said 105 years ago smokeless powder wasnt readily available to you or me  and the 30 -30 blaCK POWDER reload FOWLED BARRELS REAL FAST .THE 32 WASNT NEAR AS BAD, LARGELY DO TO TWIST. It is also said that when a 32 gets worn a lil its  accuracy doesnt hold up well. With only .013'' difference between the 2 rounds, one wonders why in the 1st place. the 32 win is close to obscolete . No guns are likely to be chambered for it ever in the future. Cases and ammo are very hard to find.  Wouldnt by it unless i was collecting. Buy a 30 30 if you are looking for that range of performance.

 

[Jack Monteith]

The .32 Winchester Special and the .32 Remington have similar ballistics but they are not interchangable. The .32 has a rimmed case and the .32 Remington has a rimless case, to start with.  

  Winchester, Remington and Federal all load it and Winchester has brass as well.

  The rest of your post is just bits and pieces of earlier post in this thread.  Quite frankly  my 12 year old Hunter Safety students are more knowledgeable than you are.

Jack

 

[MikeG]

Go get 'em, Jack!

Whacky, FYI, cases for the .32 Winchester Special are among the most common ever made... every .30-30 case laying on the ground at the range is just waiting to be made into a .32 Win Special case.

 

[IDShooter]

whckmstr,
    I'd personally like to invite you to leave this board. I can't speak for the moderators, but your conduct has been poor since you first signed on, and I don't appreciate it.                 IDShooter

 

[Bill Lester]

IDShooter was responding to a pair of posts from "whckmstr" that were both offensive to another forum member and of no use in terms of information, data, or substance. Those two posts have been deleted.

 

[oldpete]

Hornady makes a great 170gr. flat pt. for the .32 Spec. and in my pre-64 mod.94 with an old redfield reciever site and 30gr reloader#7 groups 3/4" at 50yds.

 

[John Kort]

Howdy pards,

From a historic perspective, George Madis in his Winchester book references 1895 as the inception date of the .32 Special, but in reality, it did not appear in Winchester's catalog until  January 1902.  

In that catalog, Winchester gave their reason for their new cartridge.........
“The .32 Winchester Special Cartridge, which we have just perfected, is offered to meet the demand of many sportsmen, for a smokeless powder cartridge of larger caliber than the .30 Winchester (.30-30) and not yet so powerful as the .30 U.S. Army (.30-40), which could be reloaded with black powder and give satisfactory results.  The .32 Winchester Special Cartridge meets all of these requirements.  Loaded with Smokeless powder and a 165 gr. bullet, it has a muzzle velocity of  2,057 foot seconds.  With a charge of 40 grs. of  black powder, the .32 Winchester Special develops a velocity of 1,385 foot seconds, which makes it a powerful black powder cartridge .”

One thing that I have trouble believing, which I have seen in print many times, is the lack of accuracy in the 16” twist barrel when the rifling gets worn. Worn how?  All of the rifles produced in this caliber have barrels made of special smokeless steel, that with any reasonable care, would be accurate to at least 10,000 rounds and beyond, if the barrel is properly cared for. At least that has been my experience with the .30-30.

No doubt, more barrels have lost accuracy because of  muzzle wear from an improperly used  cleaning rod than anything else, except, maybe for neglect.  Several years ago a friend of mine purchased an old Marlin in .32 W.S.  He was ready to sell it when the first few shots went through the 50 yard target sideways.  I checked it out, and it turned out that muzzle wear was indeed the culprit. It shot fine after  2”  was removed from  the front of the barrel and it was re crowned.

Sincerely,
John

 

[hfc2]

Paco Kelly has worked with the 32 special and states that it has a  better expansion ratio [which is certainly true] and can consequently [in a modern rifle] be loaded to easily eclipse the 30/30, producing muzzle energies as high as 2500 fpe; his books and articles [sixgunner.com] have reported the data; i sold my last 32 special [too collectable to shoot] and haven't tried this myself; good luck.

 

[William Iorg]

Mic McPherson (sp) has an interesting slant on the .32 Special in the latest Cartidges of the World. Also on the Precision Shooting Web Page.
Kenneth Fuller Lee had some interesting comments on the capability of the cartridge in his Samworth book, Big Game Hunting and Marksmanship, good read.

 

[Jim Baker]

I've been shooting my model94 32 special for over 30 years and it is every bit as accurate now as it was then. An excellent deer gun.
It shoots far better than I can these days.

 

[oldfort]

The .32 Spec seemed to have had a better following in the north where bears and moose roam. I have two and just aquired a .375 Win. They both use the same case as the .30-30. I just noted that Winchester quotes the trajectory of the factory .32 170gr PP and the .375 200gr PP as identical through 400 yds. On paper the .30-30 appears to have an edge, but I would think some different reports would come from the field. The .35 Rem doesn't compare very well with them on paper, but it's a great cartridge. Good luck.

George

 

[skpp]

I picked up a 336A (1951) in .32WS at Gander Mountain a couple of years ago for several reasons; relatively cheap, in decent shape, it was a lever gun, it was an older Marlin, and just to have an odd chambering. I was amazed at how accurate it is, with factory loads as well as my light cast target loads. I know factory loads are still available, but the offering is slim, with a 170 SP probabaly all there is. But I think Remington and Federal still make it. It is probably my favorite lever gun out of the five that I have. If I ever find a decent Winnie in 32, I will snap it up in a second-

 

[koolaid39]

One of the local stores has two used Win 94 in 32 specail right now. The preices are in the $275-$300 range. I am half tempted to put one on layaway.