The .32 special

HChammer

HChammer

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I was just reading up on the history of the .32 Winchester special, my dad hunted with one most of my life and I just picked one up as well.

Anyone else religiously still carry this old beauty? Will we ever see modern rifles chambered in it?
 
Oh I still remember the 30-30 vs 32spl debates and fistfights that use to erupt at my dad's bar when I was a kid....
I think I was 10 or 11 and had enough and said "let me see both cartridges"....couple old guys went out to their trucks and came back with Winchester Silvertips. I looked at them both, up and down, and said "they are the same goddamn thing! Now quit your #####in!"
 
Hitzy said:
Oh I still remember the 30-30 vs 32spl debates and fistfights that use to erupt at my dad's bar when I was a kid....
I think I was 10 or 11 and had enough and said "let me see both cartridges"....couple old guys went out to their trucks and came back with Winchester Silvertips. I looked at them both, up and down, and said "they are the same goddamn thing! Now quit your #####in!"
Click to expand...
Haha that's funny!
 
When I was 15, I shot five deer in less than five minutes with an M94 .32 Spl... I was the "new kid" on the end of a dogging run... that made me a hero in camp that night... really puffed-up my young ego... I shot about two dozen deer with that rifle over the years before I retired it for more interesting cartridges and refined platforms.
 
I have a 1957 94 in 32 spl, it was never fired before I got it. It was won in a hardware store draw. My oldest son fired 2 rounds through it when I wasn't home one day! He has laid claim to it when I kick the bucket, so I guess it's ok!

Someone once said it is a cartridge that should not have been invented! Apparently it has nothing more to offer over the 30-30, other than making a bigger hole!

I may fired it once one day, just to see what it's like. My hunting days begun with a 1949 94 30-30 and that's what I used for many yrs.
 
I have had a Model 94 and two Model 64 rifles in .32 Special.Still have one of the Model 64 rifles and hand load for it.

The reason the .32 Special came about in the first place, according to an old Winchester advertisement ,"In response to customer demand for a larger calibre smokeless cartridge to use in the Model 94 rifle,we have introduced the Model 94 in the new smokeless .32 Winchester Special calibre."
 
James1873 said:
Wasn't the 32 special meant to be effective with black powder too? Slower rifling I think then 30-30
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Correct. . .

Black powder was still common at the turn of the 19th to 20th century and many an ole boy reloaded black powder and found the 30 WCF to foul the barrel with black powder. So Winchester, to stay ahead of the competition, brought out the 32 Winchester Special with a slower rifling to help eliminate black powder fouling but still fast enough to be used with smokeless powder. Since the 32 WS and 30 WCF replicate each other and black powder is no longer an issue, the 32 WS has been put aside. Ammo is still available in limited runs. .

A side note . . comparing a 30 WCF and 32 WS, both with a badly worn barrels; the 30 WCF will still shoot reasonably straight but not so good with the 32 WS.

I have two old 1894 rifles; a 30 WCF, 1897 and a 32 WS, 1902.. Both have excellent bores and both shoot just about the same and I doubt I could tell the difference between the two. . Ammo is just easier to obtain with 30 WCF.
 
James1873 said:
Wasn't the 32 special meant to be effective with black powder too? Slower rifling I think then 30-30
Click to expand...

That's the story that is often told,but the real reason, as stated by Winchester, was their customers wanted a larger smokeless calibre in the Model 94 .
 
Rod said:
A side note . . comparing a 30 WCF and 32 WS, both with a badly worn barrels; the 30 WCF will still shoot reasonably straight but not so good with the 32 WS.
Click to expand...

This was printed by someone a long time ago and I have seen it repeated word for word in many articles,but have never known any one to try it too see if it is indeed true or not.
 
32-40 was a better cartridge IMHO.

30-30. 32 Special. Neither very good. 38-55 is the winner. 25-35 also a decent round.

Leverevolution powder and the 165 FTX in 32 changes all that. Blows the 30-30 into the weeds, unfortunately there will never be any new 32's made, ever.

My pet 30-30 load, H4831 and a 150 cast. I estimate it @ 1800fps. My Bat Masterson loves it.

As far as the poor bore thing, I have a 30-30 with a miserable bore, full of craters after the rust was cleaned out, still MOA.

Had a new 32 (1972), minute of garbage can, mint bore.

Tested a Marlin with micro, couldn't sight it in, no idea where the bullet was going after it left the muzzle. I suspect it needed a good cleaning.
 
The .32 Special was originally intended for the guys who wanted to reload with black powder instead of smokeless. The slower twist rifling(1 in 16in.) was conducive to better accuracy than the .30 WCF with black powder handloads. Some of the old .32 WS rifles had the "special smokeless" rear sight that was calibrated for black or smokeless powder. The .32 WS is no more effective than the .30/30 despite what it's fan club may say. My grandfather was convinced the .32 Special was a better killer than the .30/30 but I think you would have to perform an autopsy on the deer to see any difference.
 
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