32 WIN SPECIAL

[Smokeless Jim]

HELLO ,  GOT A  ??  ABOUT WIN 94. TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT YEAR THE 32 WIN SPECIAL STARTED LIFE WITH THE M94. PICKED ONE UP THE OTHER DAY CAME WITH BOX OF SHELLS TOO. BUT THEY WERE NOT FLAT NOSE,SO I SHOT ONE AT A TIME. I DID HIT A APPLE AT 25 YDS . NEED DIES AND STUFF. THANKS FOR ANY INFO

[Mikey]

Smokeless Jim - The 32 Winchester Special started life in the 94s long before you and me put together.  It started life as a black powder cartridge alternate to the 30-30 which had gone smokeless, Jim, way back in the early 1900s (sorry, don't have an exact date).  There are lots of loads available for that oldie, and she is a goodie, too.

Due to its calibration and design, you can shoot either black powder or smokeless powder in that cartridge.  My loading manual shows one 170 grain jacketed bullet load and 3 cast bullet loads for that cartridge.

I think........  HTH.  MIkey.

[Shorty]

Just to add to Mikeys info, from my NRA Handloading book;
"The .32 Special cartridge was introduced by Winchester in 1895 for use in the Model 1894 ...rifle.  ...It is said to have been designed as a compromise for use with either smokeless or blackpowder.  The credibility of this explanation is strengthened by the fact that the .32 Special can be used with the same bullets used in the older .32-40, for which many handloaders of the 1890's probably had bullet molds".

[IntrepidWizard]

I had the rifle with the octagon barrel with no blueing and I sold in in 59----sob---------for---------------------$20 to my ungrateful brother.

[willysjeep134]

Not to start a fight, but...........A while back I was told that the 32 was a black powder cartrige. The person who told me meant well, but they were really passing on what they had heard.

I did a little research on Black loads for the 30-30 and found out much about the 32 special. It could be loaded with black powder for a low powered load and would work a little better than 30-30 with black powder, but Winchester didn't have this in mind officially when they designed it. They already had a bunch of better black powder cartriges in the M94 action. the .32 Special was, according to winchester, an attempt to make a slightly more powerful cartrige than the 30-30 but not so powerful as the 30-40 kraig. This was their official reasoning. They had the M94 in 38-55 I believe, which was a much better black powder cartrige for big game, and the M92 in 32-20 for small game already.

I heard the blackpowder reloading reasoning, but remember too Winchester was more interested in selling new ammo and guns than selling reloading friendly components at the time. .32 was one of the more expensive chamberings in the 1901 sears catalog. If somebody were to get one for reloading black powder they had better options than the .32 special.

[w30wcf]

The .32 Winchester Special cartridge was first listed in Winchester's January 1902 catalog.  There have been various references that indicate the date to be closer to 1895, but Winchester buffs feel that the  1902 date is correct.

Here's how Winchester described their new baby:  


From Winchester’s January 1902 catalog:

“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 .”

w30wcf

[knight0334]

w30wcf,

thank you for the copies about my .32 Special rifle.

[w30wcf]

knight0334,
You are more than welcome.  Glad to hear that you rec'd. the info ok.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS,
w30wcf