Win. 32-40
- Thread starter oldiron
- Start date
- Location
- Winnipeg,Man.
The 32-40 ammo is very scarce and he will probably have to reload for his gun. Brass can be made from 30-30 and 32 Spec. brass. Make sure the bore is clean and clear . Most of the factory ammo if you can find any...is low powered for these older guns. i shoot my 1906-07 Winchester rifles regularly and reload for them all.
BrotherRockeye
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Rural Saskatchewan
brass can be purchased new from Ellwood Epps and WSS among others.
Lee makes a 2 die set that lists at $31.95
factory rounds are available if you want to pay the price.I've seen them from $30-$100/box.
The last gun show I was at had multiple $40 boxes.
from the data I've collected,muzzle velocity tops out under 2000fps with safe handloads.factory seem to hover around the 1400fps mark.
this from my notes:
Introduced in 1884, the .32-40 Winchester would become quite popular on the match circuit, and would come to be associated with a legendary target rifle of the period by earning another name, the .32-40 Ballard. The cartridge would eventually also be chambered in popular "working" lever-action rifles of the period. The .32-40 and the .38-55 Winchester were the first cartridges offered by Winchester in the 1894 rifle. Marlin, Savage, Ballard, Bullard, Kennedy and others would all come to offer rifles chambered in .32-40.
Initially, the round would use 40 grains of blackpowder to propel a 165-grain flat-nosed bullet but would eventually be adapted to smokleless powder. The .32-40 was used by wildcatters of the day as a basis for custom cartridges of improved performance, such as the .33-40 Pope.
In it's high-velocity form, the .32-40 is adequate for medium-sized game such as deer. However, as with all cartridges of history, one should not use high-velocity rounds in firearms of the oldest vintage. Regardless of the age of the firearm to be used, insure it is structurally sound, even for use with standard ammunition.
Obsolete for many years, the .32-40 gained a new lease on life in the 1970s and 1980s when Winchester reintroduced it in their John Wayne commemorative rifles. The rise of Cowboy Action Shooting and NRA Blackpowder Cartridge Rifle competition has also helped prove that few cartridges ever really die in the United States.
The standard factory 165 gr. load exited the muzzle at 1440 fps and 760 ft-lbs. High-velocity offerings raised that to 1752 fps and 1125 ft-lbs.
Lee makes a 2 die set that lists at $31.95
factory rounds are available if you want to pay the price.I've seen them from $30-$100/box.
The last gun show I was at had multiple $40 boxes.
from the data I've collected,muzzle velocity tops out under 2000fps with safe handloads.factory seem to hover around the 1400fps mark.
this from my notes:
Introduced in 1884, the .32-40 Winchester would become quite popular on the match circuit, and would come to be associated with a legendary target rifle of the period by earning another name, the .32-40 Ballard. The cartridge would eventually also be chambered in popular "working" lever-action rifles of the period. The .32-40 and the .38-55 Winchester were the first cartridges offered by Winchester in the 1894 rifle. Marlin, Savage, Ballard, Bullard, Kennedy and others would all come to offer rifles chambered in .32-40.
Initially, the round would use 40 grains of blackpowder to propel a 165-grain flat-nosed bullet but would eventually be adapted to smokleless powder. The .32-40 was used by wildcatters of the day as a basis for custom cartridges of improved performance, such as the .33-40 Pope.
In it's high-velocity form, the .32-40 is adequate for medium-sized game such as deer. However, as with all cartridges of history, one should not use high-velocity rounds in firearms of the oldest vintage. Regardless of the age of the firearm to be used, insure it is structurally sound, even for use with standard ammunition.
Obsolete for many years, the .32-40 gained a new lease on life in the 1970s and 1980s when Winchester reintroduced it in their John Wayne commemorative rifles. The rise of Cowboy Action Shooting and NRA Blackpowder Cartridge Rifle competition has also helped prove that few cartridges ever really die in the United States.
The standard factory 165 gr. load exited the muzzle at 1440 fps and 760 ft-lbs. High-velocity offerings raised that to 1752 fps and 1125 ft-lbs.
A 1907 vintage Win 94 isn't going to use BP cartridges. BP was long gone by then. The Win 94 never came in BP cartridges, as I recall.
The .32-40 uses a .320" jacketd or a .321" cast bullet. Hornady makes a 170 grain .320" FP jacketed bullet. It appears to be the only one available. Shooter's Choice in Waterloo lists them at $29.95 per 100.
I have smokeless data if you want it.
Epp's lists factory ammo.
The .32-40 uses a .320" jacketd or a .321" cast bullet. Hornady makes a 170 grain .320" FP jacketed bullet. It appears to be the only one available. Shooter's Choice in Waterloo lists them at $29.95 per 100.
I have smokeless data if you want it.
Epp's lists factory ammo.
Actually that would be false. I have a couple of early original UMC boxes of 32-40 & 38-55 clearly marked Black Powder.
Oldiron: do a search in the Antique & Black Powder forum for 32-40 cartridges, you should come up with a bunch of info, it's been discussed a few times.
No disrespect intended, however I think you're mistaken
If memory serves (and it's a bit foggy) the 32-40 was one of the two original black powder cartridges the 1894 was chambered for when introduced in 1894 (the other was the 38-55). I don't think Winchester managed to get a reliable nickel steel (smokeless) barrel into consistent production until 1895 (when the 30-30 was introduced). However, and if memory also serves, the buyer had the option of ordering their 1894 with either the new nickel steel (smokless) barrel or the old standby (black powder) barrel until the early teens. So, depending on the barrel (which will be so marked), a 1907 model 1894 may in fact not be able to withstand the pressures of smokeless powders (depending on if it has a nickel steel barrel or not).
vagrantviking
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Alberta
The Ruger #1 45-70 sitting in the store right now wasn't really built for black powder either but it will be a tack-driver with the right blackpowder load.
I think some BP shells were still being sold at least until WWI and probably after. There is always a segment of the market that isn't that keen on change. Thats why I still reload 6 or 8 different cartridges (as well as muzzle stuffers) with the holy Black to this day!
Oh and to hit on the original topic, I do believe that there are a couple of companies selling 32-40 smokeless loads for the Cowboy action crowd. These tend to be pretty tame and I'm not even going to guess if anyone in Canada carries them of or not. A quick search gives me: Conely Percision Cartridge, Collins Cartridge Company, and Ten-X (for certain).
Winchester used to make occasional runs of 32-40 and other companies that do at least a little bit for the Cowboy action bunch include Cor-bon, Black Hills, Magtech, Hornady, PMC, and Ultramax.
Try Buffalo Arms, Track of the Wolf, Dixie Gun Works, or Ellwood Epps for reloading stuff. I know everyone even Lee makes dies for 32-40.
I guess you'd be right, it's marked "for Winchester Marlin and Savage rifles"
They never started isolating which guns the shells were made for till Smokeless shells came along, After all it's the smokeless higher pressure rounds they didn't want in old SS & weaker actioned guns so they would specify for 1894, Wins 1899 Savs etc. There was never a need to isolate which rifle a low pressure BP round was used in.
I own a model 94 in 32-40, my serial nos puts mine in 1903 as date of manufacture. I currently use win 296 powder and 170gr.FP. I have had no issues at all and the gun cycles and shoots great. So lets have some fun out there shooting our old relics, and wishing " if only this gun could talk."
To clarify even further.
The model 1894 was chambered in calibers designed for black powder as well as calibers designed for smokeless powder. The original barrels of the 1894 were made of a steel which was rapidly eroded by the early smokeless powder rounds, namely 30-30. In, or about, 1896 Winchester fitted the model 1894 with a "nickel steel" barrel, which was resistant to barrel erosion. This is considered the turning point for this model which designates it a smokeless powder firearm. There have been many guys who have tried (unsuccessfully) to persuade people that all the calibers of the 1894 are black powder cartridges...not so. The 38-55 and 32-40 are the only rounds which were originally black powder rounds. The 30-30 and 25-35 were smokeless only. Winchester retained the "old" caliber designation style to appeal to the old black powder cartridge shooters who were familiar with the old designations...ie 45-70, 44-40, 38-40, etc. Technically speaking the original loading of the 30-30 was a smokeless powder charge of 30 grains, likewise was true for the 25-35 which used a 35 grain charge.
Here endeth the lesson.
Cheers
The model 1894 was chambered in calibers designed for black powder as well as calibers designed for smokeless powder. The original barrels of the 1894 were made of a steel which was rapidly eroded by the early smokeless powder rounds, namely 30-30. In, or about, 1896 Winchester fitted the model 1894 with a "nickel steel" barrel, which was resistant to barrel erosion. This is considered the turning point for this model which designates it a smokeless powder firearm. There have been many guys who have tried (unsuccessfully) to persuade people that all the calibers of the 1894 are black powder cartridges...not so. The 38-55 and 32-40 are the only rounds which were originally black powder rounds. The 30-30 and 25-35 were smokeless only. Winchester retained the "old" caliber designation style to appeal to the old black powder cartridge shooters who were familiar with the old designations...ie 45-70, 44-40, 38-40, etc. Technically speaking the original loading of the 30-30 was a smokeless powder charge of 30 grains, likewise was true for the 25-35 which used a 35 grain charge.
Here endeth the lesson.
Cheers
