ohland
06-28-2015, 10:39 PM
NOTE : As always, this is a peek through the heavy drapes of time back to the practitioners of the old school. References to loads and load combinations are period references, do not assume they are suitable for your rifle and components.
The Iron Age, vol 69, March 27, 1902, page 62
https://books.google.com/books?id=cdUcAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA10-PA62&lpg=RA10-PA62&dq=32-40+321232&source=bl&ots=2iz3m2LDMt&sig=Tvb2Hhp8DG5zxsNiQ6xjbHex6Qc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=mZSQVbv6NI-3oQTF7rKwDg&ved=0CCMQ6AEwATgU#v=onepage&q=32-40%20321232&f=true
New .32 Caliber Bullet
Ideal Mfg. Company, New Haven, Conn., have just put on the market a new bullet, as here illustrated, designed especially for the new .32 caliber Winchester special rifle and the new Marlin high pressure smokeless rifle. The bullet here illustrated, known as No. 321,232, was designed by the company especially for these rifles when reloading with low pressure smokeless or black powders. It has five grooves instead of four, the extra groove being in front; the forward portion
143137
beyond this groove is a trifle below the bore of the rifling and is therefore not brought into contact with the barrel. The lubrication in the first groove is first to come into contact with the barrel; the sharp edge of the front band acts as a dirt scraper and the groove as a catcher and holder of the residuum, all of which is favorable to the prevention of leading the barrel. Another feature is the strong, broad base band, which helps to prevent gas cutting.
The manufacturers also call attention to the fact that the bullet is large enough to be sized down to .321, making it especially desirable for the 32-40 Marlin, Winchester, Remington, and Stevens rifles that are worn a trifle large. Samples of this bullet will be mailed to those who request it, and it should be designated in ordering as No. 321,232.
321232 Description
“321232 Standard bullet for the .32 Winchester Special and Marlin .32 H. P. The first groove is a dirt catcher, or for lubrication. For tubular magazine rifles case should be crimped in second groove to prevent bullet receding. This bullet is also the best bullet for single shot .32-40 rifles where bullets are to be shot from case. It is fine for such .32-40's as are worn a trifle large. Load with several bands projecting from case and size to .321". Use 13 to 15 grains Du Pont No. 80 powder. (GC, FN, 170 TP is 295)”
Floodgate wrote:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?9804-Mold-question-Who-designed-321232&p=109885&viewfull=1#post109885
“To expand a bit on Dave's comments, #321232 first showed up in Ideal Handbook No. 15 (1903) and was carried without interruption right up to the Lyman Annual Products Catalog for 1961, switching to the removable block design some time after Lyman took over the Ideal line in the Fall of 1925. The entry in HB #15 states, "321232. This is for the Winchester Special and Marlin .32 H. P. [High Power]. The first groove is a dirt catcher, or for lubrication. When seated with the regular tools [i.e., the tong tools with integral, non-adjustable seat/crimp chamber] the shell crimps in the second groove. It is fine for such .32-40's as are worn a trifle large [.32-40 bullets of that era were listed with a "319" size-to prefix]. Price of single mould only.....REGULAR LIST $1.10 [OUCH!!!]"
There is no indication of the bands being tapered - as for the Pope .32-40 designs - and the "dirt catcher" groove is more typical of the designs by Horace Kephart, though he is not specifically named as the designer.”
CAST BULLETS FOR HIGH POWER RIFLES.
Shooting and Fishing, vol 39 No. 14 page 291 – Jan 11 1906
https://books.google.com/books?id=MO85AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA292&lpg=PA292&dq=32-40+321232&source=bl&ots=vtGEcven_q&sig=wKFrQxKnKUw55fq617bnYHlH2M8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=u6OQVYXDJs77oQSPjoW4Cw&ved=0CF4Q6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=32-40%20321232&f=true
In SHOOTING AND FISHING, issue of Dec. 7, I noticed an article by Chesapeake, on Hunting Rifle Loads, and I heartily agree with him in the matter. We certainly ought to have some smokeless loads with cast bullets worked up for such high power hunting rifles as the .25-35. .30-30, .32-40 high power, .32 Winchester Special, and .38-55 high power. The fact that we have such a variety of cast bullet loads for the Krag (730-40) rifle, that give fine shooting at all distances from the shortest gallery ranges up to 500 or 600 yards, shows conclusively that similar loads that would give satisfactory results could easily be worked out for the hunting rifles above named.
For the past six months I have been experimenting along this line, trying to find a load for the .32 Winchester Special, that would give good results at ranges from 50 to 200 or 250 yards. My first trials were with 8 to 14 grains Laflin & Rand Infallible smokeless and the Ideal bullet No. 321232, cast from Dr, Hudson's 80 lead, 10 tin, 10 antimony alloy.
With 8, 9, or 10 grains Infallible and the above bullet, 170 grains weight, I obtained good accuracy at 50 to 125 yards; but it required too much elevation of the sight to suit me. With 12 to 14 grains of Infallible the velocity was higher, the trajectory flatter, but accuracy was not generally satisfactory, there being many wild or unaccountable shots.
I then tried 14 or 15 grains Marksman smokeless and the 170-grain bullet No. 321232, but found the results very unsatisfactory at any range. The load seemed to give fair velocity, but shot very irregularly. At 100 yards, shooting in the prone position with a sand bag rest. using a Remington Lee sporting rifle, .32 Winchester Special cartridge, telescope sights, many shots that were held for bullseyes struck in the six or even five or four ring of the 100-yard Standard American target. I was unable to find the cause of the poor shooting with this powder and therefore abandoned the load.
My next experiments were with Sharpshooter smokeless. I tried 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16-grain charges of this powder with the bullet used in the preceding trials. The 13 and 14-grain loads gave very good results from 50 to 150 yards, and sometimes did well at 200 yards, but was generally unsatisfactory at 200 yards. At 50 and 100 yards, with this load, shooting in the prone position with a rest, I found it possible to keep ten shots in the bullseye of the Standard American target for the respective distances.
As I was not fully satisfied with the Sharpshooter load, I next tried Du Pont Smokeless Rifle No. 1 in charges from 16 to 19 grains, with the 170grain No. 321232 bullet.
The best load that I found is 18 grains Du Pont Smokeless Rifle No. 1 and the above bullet. It is certainly a fine, accurate shooting load for the .32 Winchester Special. The gas formed from this powder does not appear to be so very hot as that produced by the Laflin & Rand powders; therefore, a softer bullet can be used and fine shooting obtained. I first tried the 80-10-10 alloy, and the 86-7-7; then bullets 1 part tin, 10 of lead, 1 to 13, 1 to 15, and 1 to 16, all of which shot fine. There was but little difference in the shooting of the 1 to 10, 1 to 13, 1 to 15, and the 86-7-7 bullets. The load shoots close at 50 to 250 or 300 yards; the velocity is good and the trajectory low.
At 50 yards, shooting in the prone position with rest, using this load, it was easy to place ten shots in the bull of the Standard American 50—yard target, and I could often place the ten shots in the nine ring of this target at this distance. At 100 and 200 yards this load will place ten shot groups in the nine ring of the target for these ranges, and a good portion of the ten shots will be in the ten ring. At 300 yards, under favorable weather conditions, I have frequently placed ten-shot groups in the bull of the 200-yard Standard American target, when shooting in the prone position with a rest. The only objection to this load is the high cost of the Du Pont No. 1 Smokeless Rifle powder.
Therefore, I endeavored to find a cheaper powder that would shoot as accurately as the Du Pont No. 1 Rifle Smokeless, and the fine shooting obtained with Hazard Blue Ribbon smokeless in the Krag rifle induced me to try it in the .32 Winchester Special.
After trying various charges of Blue Ribbon smokeless I have found that the best results were obtained with 17 grains weight of that powder, with 9 grains of the cereal cream of wheat over the powder, and the 170-grain No. 321232 bullet, cast from Dr, Hudson's 86-7-7 alloy, and lubricated with Kephart‘s lubricant. While this combination does not give as close groups as obtained with the Du Pont No. 1 Smokeless Rifle, it will shoot close enough to place ten-shot strings in the bull of the 50 and l00-yard Standard American targets at those ranges, shooting from a rest, or in the prone position. At 200 yards it will shoot ten shot groups in a six-inch ring, when there is not too much wind; but wind seems to affect the bullet greatly at 200 yards or more. I have tried this load on woodchucks and find it shoots close enough to use in such hunting, and it kills well if placed in the right spot.
However, for woodchucks I found a better killing load by using a hollow point. I50-grain No. 321265 bullet, cast from 1 to 10 lead and tin, or the 86-7-7 alloy. The hollow point, even in these hard bullets, greatly increases the killing power and with this load a woodchuck hit in most any part of his anatomy is at once put out of business. I think this load would be effective on deer at ranges up to 150 yards, possibly farther.
Another load that gave excellent shooting is 18 or 19 grains of Hazard No. 1 Smokeless Rifle powder and the 170-grain No. 321232 bullet or the I50-grain No. 321265 bullet cast from 1 to 16 lead and tin, or harder. This load gave me even better results than the Du Pont No. 1 Rifle Smokeless load; but it costs the same as Du Pont, and cannot be obtained outside of the large cities. The gas from this powder seems to be cooler than that produced by any other smokeless powder that I have yet tried, and I believe this is one of the reasons why it shoots so well.
Briefly, the results of my experience thus far show that the best load I have found is the Hazard No. 1 Smokeless Rifle powder and the bullets above named. The second best results were obtained with Du Pont No. 1 Smokeless Rifle powder and the same bullets. The third best load is the Hazard Blue Ribbon smokeless, 17 grains weight (40 grains bulk) of powder with 9 or 10 grains bulk of cream of wheat and No. 321232 bullet, 170 grains, or No. 321265 bullet, 150 grains, cast from the 86-7-7 alloy.
The Hazard No. 1 and Du Pont N0. 1 Smokeless Rifle cost about twice as much per load as the Blue Ribbon smokeless load. The latter will shoot as close as most men can hold, and will be found satisfactory for woodchuck hunting and similar game at distances up to 200 yards. I believe it would prove all right for deer also; but I cannot state from experience, as I have not had a chance to try it on deer.
In these trials I have used two different rifles for the .32 Winchester Special cartridge—my own Remington-Lee sporting rifle, twenty-eight-inch barrel, Mogg 6 power telescope sight on the side and Lyman sights on the barrel; and a Winchester repeater owned by a friend, twenty-six-inch barrel, half magazine, open sights. The trials were made first with my own rifle and later verified with the Winchester repeater, careful record being made of each experiment. I believe the three loads here recommended are about as good as any we can have, except by the use of the now copper base bullets recently brought out by the Ideal Mfg. CO., for the .30-30, .303, .32-40 high power, and .32 Winchester Special rifles.
These copper base bullets with a proper charge of Lightning smokeless will, doubtless, prove superior to the loads here given; but, of course, it will entail extra labor to make these new soft point, copper base bullets. However, they may shoot enough better to pay for the extra trouble. But if the rifleman does not wish to go to the expense of getting new molds for the copper base bullets and soft tips and to put in the extra labor necessary to make such bullets, he will find, probably, that some of the loads here recommended will suit him.
N. H. R
‘We understand that the manufacture of Hazard No. 1 Smokeless Rifle powder hits been discontinued, though orders may still be filled from stock on hand.
LOADS FOR THE 32-40.
Recreation, vol 20, No. 3 March, 1904 - page 226
https://books.google.com/books?id=ZeifAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA226&lpg=PA226&dq=32-40+321,232&source=bl&ots=hpdjvDJDMC&sig=6hfvmkGqfYok6UlWwCKOYcZZuEw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=c6iQVefwF4SzoQSv2qGICQ&ved=0CE8Q6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=32-40%20321%2C232&f=false
Would say to S. B. that I have a 32-40, with nickel steel barrel. I think it is about as near an all around rifle as there is on the market. It is a matter of choice between that and the 38-55 with nickel steel barrel.
The velocity of the 32-40 is about 1,400 feet a second at muzzle, with black powder; with high pressure smokeless, about 2,050 feet. The 32-40 high pressure is a little more powerful than the 30-30. about the same as the Savage .303 and the 32 Winchester special, and about £J as powerful as the 30-40. It is as accurate as any cartridge, whether black or smokeless. The Savage rifle is made for the 32-40-165. The other 32-40s mentioned are practically out of use.
I use Laflin & Rand's Sharpshooter smokeless. Twelve grains by weight will give the same power as 40 grains black and costs about the same. This may be used with lead bullet. For high power load with metal cased bullet use 20 to 23 grains of the same powder, giving velocities from 1,925 to 2,050 feet. For the miniature, I use the 99-grain sharp pointed bullet, of No. 31,949 in Ideal Hand Book, and 5 or 6 grains of any shot gun smokeless. This does not tear small game. Use short range shells with groove.- For the medium load, 12 grains, I use Ideal bullet No. 321,232. It will seat with regular 32-40 tool and has a groove for shell to crimp into. Make bullets 1 part tin to 16 or 18 parts lead.
The butt stock is a matter of choice: I prefer the shot gun butt for a hunting rifle. Do not use wadding or any method of filling the shell in the medium loads; leave the powder loose in the shell. Never allow bullet to rest on smokeless powder in shell. If black powder is desired for miniature loads, 13 to 15 grains is correct. These loads are all accurate and cheap. Always use great care in cleaning any rifle after using smokeless powder with metal cased bullets. Ernest A. Dunn, Boston, Mass.
The Iron Age, vol 69, March 27, 1902, page 62
https://books.google.com/books?id=cdUcAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA10-PA62&lpg=RA10-PA62&dq=32-40+321232&source=bl&ots=2iz3m2LDMt&sig=Tvb2Hhp8DG5zxsNiQ6xjbHex6Qc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=mZSQVbv6NI-3oQTF7rKwDg&ved=0CCMQ6AEwATgU#v=onepage&q=32-40%20321232&f=true
New .32 Caliber Bullet
Ideal Mfg. Company, New Haven, Conn., have just put on the market a new bullet, as here illustrated, designed especially for the new .32 caliber Winchester special rifle and the new Marlin high pressure smokeless rifle. The bullet here illustrated, known as No. 321,232, was designed by the company especially for these rifles when reloading with low pressure smokeless or black powders. It has five grooves instead of four, the extra groove being in front; the forward portion
143137
beyond this groove is a trifle below the bore of the rifling and is therefore not brought into contact with the barrel. The lubrication in the first groove is first to come into contact with the barrel; the sharp edge of the front band acts as a dirt scraper and the groove as a catcher and holder of the residuum, all of which is favorable to the prevention of leading the barrel. Another feature is the strong, broad base band, which helps to prevent gas cutting.
The manufacturers also call attention to the fact that the bullet is large enough to be sized down to .321, making it especially desirable for the 32-40 Marlin, Winchester, Remington, and Stevens rifles that are worn a trifle large. Samples of this bullet will be mailed to those who request it, and it should be designated in ordering as No. 321,232.
321232 Description
“321232 Standard bullet for the .32 Winchester Special and Marlin .32 H. P. The first groove is a dirt catcher, or for lubrication. For tubular magazine rifles case should be crimped in second groove to prevent bullet receding. This bullet is also the best bullet for single shot .32-40 rifles where bullets are to be shot from case. It is fine for such .32-40's as are worn a trifle large. Load with several bands projecting from case and size to .321". Use 13 to 15 grains Du Pont No. 80 powder. (GC, FN, 170 TP is 295)”
Floodgate wrote:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?9804-Mold-question-Who-designed-321232&p=109885&viewfull=1#post109885
“To expand a bit on Dave's comments, #321232 first showed up in Ideal Handbook No. 15 (1903) and was carried without interruption right up to the Lyman Annual Products Catalog for 1961, switching to the removable block design some time after Lyman took over the Ideal line in the Fall of 1925. The entry in HB #15 states, "321232. This is for the Winchester Special and Marlin .32 H. P. [High Power]. The first groove is a dirt catcher, or for lubrication. When seated with the regular tools [i.e., the tong tools with integral, non-adjustable seat/crimp chamber] the shell crimps in the second groove. It is fine for such .32-40's as are worn a trifle large [.32-40 bullets of that era were listed with a "319" size-to prefix]. Price of single mould only.....REGULAR LIST $1.10 [OUCH!!!]"
There is no indication of the bands being tapered - as for the Pope .32-40 designs - and the "dirt catcher" groove is more typical of the designs by Horace Kephart, though he is not specifically named as the designer.”
CAST BULLETS FOR HIGH POWER RIFLES.
Shooting and Fishing, vol 39 No. 14 page 291 – Jan 11 1906
https://books.google.com/books?id=MO85AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA292&lpg=PA292&dq=32-40+321232&source=bl&ots=vtGEcven_q&sig=wKFrQxKnKUw55fq617bnYHlH2M8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=u6OQVYXDJs77oQSPjoW4Cw&ved=0CF4Q6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=32-40%20321232&f=true
In SHOOTING AND FISHING, issue of Dec. 7, I noticed an article by Chesapeake, on Hunting Rifle Loads, and I heartily agree with him in the matter. We certainly ought to have some smokeless loads with cast bullets worked up for such high power hunting rifles as the .25-35. .30-30, .32-40 high power, .32 Winchester Special, and .38-55 high power. The fact that we have such a variety of cast bullet loads for the Krag (730-40) rifle, that give fine shooting at all distances from the shortest gallery ranges up to 500 or 600 yards, shows conclusively that similar loads that would give satisfactory results could easily be worked out for the hunting rifles above named.
For the past six months I have been experimenting along this line, trying to find a load for the .32 Winchester Special, that would give good results at ranges from 50 to 200 or 250 yards. My first trials were with 8 to 14 grains Laflin & Rand Infallible smokeless and the Ideal bullet No. 321232, cast from Dr, Hudson's 80 lead, 10 tin, 10 antimony alloy.
With 8, 9, or 10 grains Infallible and the above bullet, 170 grains weight, I obtained good accuracy at 50 to 125 yards; but it required too much elevation of the sight to suit me. With 12 to 14 grains of Infallible the velocity was higher, the trajectory flatter, but accuracy was not generally satisfactory, there being many wild or unaccountable shots.
I then tried 14 or 15 grains Marksman smokeless and the 170-grain bullet No. 321232, but found the results very unsatisfactory at any range. The load seemed to give fair velocity, but shot very irregularly. At 100 yards, shooting in the prone position with a sand bag rest. using a Remington Lee sporting rifle, .32 Winchester Special cartridge, telescope sights, many shots that were held for bullseyes struck in the six or even five or four ring of the 100-yard Standard American target. I was unable to find the cause of the poor shooting with this powder and therefore abandoned the load.
My next experiments were with Sharpshooter smokeless. I tried 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16-grain charges of this powder with the bullet used in the preceding trials. The 13 and 14-grain loads gave very good results from 50 to 150 yards, and sometimes did well at 200 yards, but was generally unsatisfactory at 200 yards. At 50 and 100 yards, with this load, shooting in the prone position with a rest, I found it possible to keep ten shots in the bullseye of the Standard American target for the respective distances.
As I was not fully satisfied with the Sharpshooter load, I next tried Du Pont Smokeless Rifle No. 1 in charges from 16 to 19 grains, with the 170grain No. 321232 bullet.
The best load that I found is 18 grains Du Pont Smokeless Rifle No. 1 and the above bullet. It is certainly a fine, accurate shooting load for the .32 Winchester Special. The gas formed from this powder does not appear to be so very hot as that produced by the Laflin & Rand powders; therefore, a softer bullet can be used and fine shooting obtained. I first tried the 80-10-10 alloy, and the 86-7-7; then bullets 1 part tin, 10 of lead, 1 to 13, 1 to 15, and 1 to 16, all of which shot fine. There was but little difference in the shooting of the 1 to 10, 1 to 13, 1 to 15, and the 86-7-7 bullets. The load shoots close at 50 to 250 or 300 yards; the velocity is good and the trajectory low.
At 50 yards, shooting in the prone position with rest, using this load, it was easy to place ten shots in the bull of the Standard American 50—yard target, and I could often place the ten shots in the nine ring of this target at this distance. At 100 and 200 yards this load will place ten shot groups in the nine ring of the target for these ranges, and a good portion of the ten shots will be in the ten ring. At 300 yards, under favorable weather conditions, I have frequently placed ten-shot groups in the bull of the 200-yard Standard American target, when shooting in the prone position with a rest. The only objection to this load is the high cost of the Du Pont No. 1 Smokeless Rifle powder.
Therefore, I endeavored to find a cheaper powder that would shoot as accurately as the Du Pont No. 1 Rifle Smokeless, and the fine shooting obtained with Hazard Blue Ribbon smokeless in the Krag rifle induced me to try it in the .32 Winchester Special.
After trying various charges of Blue Ribbon smokeless I have found that the best results were obtained with 17 grains weight of that powder, with 9 grains of the cereal cream of wheat over the powder, and the 170-grain No. 321232 bullet, cast from Dr, Hudson's 86-7-7 alloy, and lubricated with Kephart‘s lubricant. While this combination does not give as close groups as obtained with the Du Pont No. 1 Smokeless Rifle, it will shoot close enough to place ten-shot strings in the bull of the 50 and l00-yard Standard American targets at those ranges, shooting from a rest, or in the prone position. At 200 yards it will shoot ten shot groups in a six-inch ring, when there is not too much wind; but wind seems to affect the bullet greatly at 200 yards or more. I have tried this load on woodchucks and find it shoots close enough to use in such hunting, and it kills well if placed in the right spot.
However, for woodchucks I found a better killing load by using a hollow point. I50-grain No. 321265 bullet, cast from 1 to 10 lead and tin, or the 86-7-7 alloy. The hollow point, even in these hard bullets, greatly increases the killing power and with this load a woodchuck hit in most any part of his anatomy is at once put out of business. I think this load would be effective on deer at ranges up to 150 yards, possibly farther.
Another load that gave excellent shooting is 18 or 19 grains of Hazard No. 1 Smokeless Rifle powder and the 170-grain No. 321232 bullet or the I50-grain No. 321265 bullet cast from 1 to 16 lead and tin, or harder. This load gave me even better results than the Du Pont No. 1 Rifle Smokeless load; but it costs the same as Du Pont, and cannot be obtained outside of the large cities. The gas from this powder seems to be cooler than that produced by any other smokeless powder that I have yet tried, and I believe this is one of the reasons why it shoots so well.
Briefly, the results of my experience thus far show that the best load I have found is the Hazard No. 1 Smokeless Rifle powder and the bullets above named. The second best results were obtained with Du Pont No. 1 Smokeless Rifle powder and the same bullets. The third best load is the Hazard Blue Ribbon smokeless, 17 grains weight (40 grains bulk) of powder with 9 or 10 grains bulk of cream of wheat and No. 321232 bullet, 170 grains, or No. 321265 bullet, 150 grains, cast from the 86-7-7 alloy.
The Hazard No. 1 and Du Pont N0. 1 Smokeless Rifle cost about twice as much per load as the Blue Ribbon smokeless load. The latter will shoot as close as most men can hold, and will be found satisfactory for woodchuck hunting and similar game at distances up to 200 yards. I believe it would prove all right for deer also; but I cannot state from experience, as I have not had a chance to try it on deer.
In these trials I have used two different rifles for the .32 Winchester Special cartridge—my own Remington-Lee sporting rifle, twenty-eight-inch barrel, Mogg 6 power telescope sight on the side and Lyman sights on the barrel; and a Winchester repeater owned by a friend, twenty-six-inch barrel, half magazine, open sights. The trials were made first with my own rifle and later verified with the Winchester repeater, careful record being made of each experiment. I believe the three loads here recommended are about as good as any we can have, except by the use of the now copper base bullets recently brought out by the Ideal Mfg. CO., for the .30-30, .303, .32-40 high power, and .32 Winchester Special rifles.
These copper base bullets with a proper charge of Lightning smokeless will, doubtless, prove superior to the loads here given; but, of course, it will entail extra labor to make these new soft point, copper base bullets. However, they may shoot enough better to pay for the extra trouble. But if the rifleman does not wish to go to the expense of getting new molds for the copper base bullets and soft tips and to put in the extra labor necessary to make such bullets, he will find, probably, that some of the loads here recommended will suit him.
N. H. R
‘We understand that the manufacture of Hazard No. 1 Smokeless Rifle powder hits been discontinued, though orders may still be filled from stock on hand.
LOADS FOR THE 32-40.
Recreation, vol 20, No. 3 March, 1904 - page 226
https://books.google.com/books?id=ZeifAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA226&lpg=PA226&dq=32-40+321,232&source=bl&ots=hpdjvDJDMC&sig=6hfvmkGqfYok6UlWwCKOYcZZuEw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=c6iQVefwF4SzoQSv2qGICQ&ved=0CE8Q6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=32-40%20321%2C232&f=false
Would say to S. B. that I have a 32-40, with nickel steel barrel. I think it is about as near an all around rifle as there is on the market. It is a matter of choice between that and the 38-55 with nickel steel barrel.
The velocity of the 32-40 is about 1,400 feet a second at muzzle, with black powder; with high pressure smokeless, about 2,050 feet. The 32-40 high pressure is a little more powerful than the 30-30. about the same as the Savage .303 and the 32 Winchester special, and about £J as powerful as the 30-40. It is as accurate as any cartridge, whether black or smokeless. The Savage rifle is made for the 32-40-165. The other 32-40s mentioned are practically out of use.
I use Laflin & Rand's Sharpshooter smokeless. Twelve grains by weight will give the same power as 40 grains black and costs about the same. This may be used with lead bullet. For high power load with metal cased bullet use 20 to 23 grains of the same powder, giving velocities from 1,925 to 2,050 feet. For the miniature, I use the 99-grain sharp pointed bullet, of No. 31,949 in Ideal Hand Book, and 5 or 6 grains of any shot gun smokeless. This does not tear small game. Use short range shells with groove.- For the medium load, 12 grains, I use Ideal bullet No. 321,232. It will seat with regular 32-40 tool and has a groove for shell to crimp into. Make bullets 1 part tin to 16 or 18 parts lead.
The butt stock is a matter of choice: I prefer the shot gun butt for a hunting rifle. Do not use wadding or any method of filling the shell in the medium loads; leave the powder loose in the shell. Never allow bullet to rest on smokeless powder in shell. If black powder is desired for miniature loads, 13 to 15 grains is correct. These loads are all accurate and cheap. Always use great care in cleaning any rifle after using smokeless powder with metal cased bullets. Ernest A. Dunn, Boston, Mass.