32 Win Special?

[Canuck Bob]

I am laid up with some health issues and am daydreaming about my next rifle.

The 30-30 seems like a great cast bullet rifle and offers a tinkerers dream. however the lure of unusual calibers interests me. The 32 Win special in a Winchester 64 would be of interest. The long barreled pistol grip levers are my favorite Winchesters.

The 32 seems to offer a lot for a CB shooter. Classic rifle with a long necked case and gentle twist in the barrel. One of the best things about CB rifles is that the bullet is designed for the rifle so odd calibers aren't the issue it can be for jacketed bullets (read 303 Brit here!). The 32 Special is hardly rare but still unusual enough to be different.

Anyone care to comment?

[dnepr]

I think that a 32 win special would be a great cast boolit rifle , and some of them seem to go for a fairly reasonably price on the exchange forun at CGN , I will probably buy one if I came across one at a rasonable price .
funny how us canucks always use the .303 british as a yard stick to comare to , I do the same all the time ,
I hope you feel better soon, good luck with the hunt for your new rifle

[kampfkubel]

Not that this is completely relevant to this thread.....but, by coincidence, my favorite load for my 8mm Mauser is basically a 32 Win. Spl load. I use a bullet designed for the 32 Win Spl, resized and paper-patched.....loaded over a charge that essentially duplicates the book recipe for this cartridge, using a 170 grain bullet. The only difference, besides the PP, is that I use cotton filler to take up the extra space in the (larger) 8mm case.

This load works perfectly in my rifle and has even taken a couple of whitetails. no muss, no fuss. I really knew nothing at all about the 32 Win. Special before I worked up this load. I used 32 WS data from the load manuals to develop it, as well. Now, I have a special place in my heart for the 32. It never took off, like it's parent ,the 30/30, but it has given me a better appreciation of many of the older cartridges than I ever had before.

[felix]

A job well done! ... felix

[bandmiller2]

I have a nice pre 64 win 32 spec. its accurate with cast.I have a 32 spec. RCBS 170gr flat nose mold that is a perfect fit.I have always read that if a 32 special has good sharp rifling they'll shoot, if worn or cleaning rod damanged it won't be accurate.Old wives tail??Frank C.

[Char-Gar]

I have a Winchester 94 (1959 vintage) carbine in 32 W.S. and it is one fine shooting rifle with cast bullets. Everything you have read and heard about these being great cast bullet rifles is true!

[Canuck Bob]

I'm toying with moving my 444 on. I will never use it again for big game and it is a dandy hunter. It looks like I could make a deal for a pre-64 94 that would work.

I am attached to the old 444 but a 32 Special really meets my current direction. Levers and cast for me. I have a nice milsurp for bolt work and must keep my safe from overflowing.

I have never owned a Winchester 94 and would prefer the 64 but the jump in price tends to be substantial. It seems a little odd to be a lever man for my shooting life and never owning a 94 Winnie, it is the standard working carbine for many. The Marlin 32 Specials seem a lot scarcer here. I do love the early Marlins.

[45-70 Chevroner]

Canuck Bob: If you would like to see some great info on the 32 WS. Check out "google.com" type in 32 Winchester Special, click on the first item 32 Winchester Special Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. Go down to References- click on #6 What makes it special. This is a very good artical about the 32 WS.

[Canuck Bob]

Canuck Bob: If you would like to see some great info on the 32 WS. Check out "google.com" type in 32 Winchester Special, click on the first item 32 Winchester Special Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. Go down to References- click on #6 What makes it special. This is a very good artical about the 32 WS.

Thanks 45-70 I'll link up now.

[jh45gun]

I killed my first buck with a borrowed 32 special but balistically they are a twin to the 30/30 or close enough it does not matter maybe the 32 has a slight edge. plus the 30/30 gives you a lot more bullet choices both in cast and condom for loading choices.

[7x57]

I am a fan of the 32 Special. I also like to have some thing a little different, and it gives you a good excuse to get another gun. I haven't done a whole lot of casting for full power loads in rifles, but the first time I tried it was with the .32 and it was an instant success. I used the RCBS 170gr bullet and TAC powder which gave me accuracy equaling my jacketed loads. My next goal is to take a deer with one of my own cast loads. Another plus with the .32 is that it seems generally they sell for a little less money than a similar gun in 30-30, even though they are less common.

Here are a couple of my favorite 94's in .32 Special, a rifle made in 1908 and a carbine from 1937.

[bob208]

i have more 94 winchesters in .32 ws then any other cal. i even have a rifle with the special .32 smokless sight. and a carbine marked u.s. property.

[Canuck Bob]

I think that a 32 win special would be a great cast boolit rifle , and some of them seem to go for a fairly reasonably price on the exchange forun at CGN , I will probably buy one if I came across one at a rasonable price .
funny how us canucks always use the .303 british as a yard stick to comare to , I do the same all the time ,
I hope you feel better soon, good luck with the hunt for your new rifle

Doesn't everyone use the 303 Brit as the high power standard? I believe it has piled up more animals globally than any other, from rabbits (me) to elephants (not me). I read somewhere some Yanks use the 30-06 as a dandy measuring stick but it has no rim! Where would you put your jacknife when things get sticky?

[Multigunner]

Doesn't everyone use the 303 Brit as the high power standard? I believe it has piled up more animals globally than any other, from rabbits (me) to elephants (not me). I read somewhere some Yanks use the 30-06 as a dandy measuring stick but it has no rim! Where would you put your jacknife when things get sticky?

I had to pry a stuck case out by using the screwdriver blade of an old army pocket knife. That is an advantage of the Enfield rear locking action. The breech is easy to get to.

The .32 Special was marketed as being better suited for handloaders. The slow twist is easier on cast lead boolits, and the cartridge is more efficient with a wider range of propellents than the .30-30 was at the time.
There were many a .30-30 rifle damaged by handloads in those days, due to the smokeless powders available to reloaders being of widely varying quality even within lots. One might work up a nice safe load and the same weight charge from another can of the same powder could blow the gun up.

The .32 Special could be loaded using black powder, which was far more stable in hot climates and less prone to degradation from moist air.
The .30-30 could be loaded using BP and cast bullets, but results were less than optimal due to the smaller bore and faster twist.

[Canuck Bob]

I had to pry a stuck case out by using the screwdriver blade of an old army pocket knife. That is an advantage of the Enfield rear locking action. The breech is easy to get to.

I did the same after borrowing my uncle's Enfield to shoot some corroded ammo he I found in the barn. They were all off to town for some groceries. I actually used my jacknife to pry things open. First time I admitted it though!

This is looking like a real plan after this thread and some others on Paco's and the Marlin sites. I am moving to cast shooting in a big way. It just seems sensible to stick with cartridges that suit cast performance. I can play with my 303 at the upper ranges and PP and my loafing rifles are 32-20 and maybe 30-30 or 32 Special (I loaf in bear country a lot). One thing is clear, the 30-30 is a fine choice as well. For cast shooting the 32 is a little finer. I picture 180-190 gr GC bullets at 2000 fps and a lighter PB at 1500 for off season work.

Marlins don't seem available up here as readily as Winchester 32 Specials. The 64 model will set me back $700-$800 or a good condition shooter (apparently some of these are made out of solid gold). $500 gets a decent pre-94 in 32 carbine. I think the carbine and spend the extra on a top notch tang or receiver sight might be the answer.

[Bret4207]

Don't discount the older Marlins in 32 Special either. I had a dandy Sporting Carbine I left get away. Dumb!

[Canuck Bob]

Don't discount the older Marlins in 32 Special either. I had a dandy Sporting Carbine I left get away. Dumb!

I'm just not finding any Marlins yet. Might just be a little glitch in the on-line site that most Canadians go to for buying and selling. Winchesters are always well represented but no Marlin 32 Specials.

I own a 444 and have used it since the early 70s. So Marlins are just as functional and as appropriate as Winchesters for me. They, the 336 style at least, are also far superior in field stripping and cleaning features to any other lever of my acquaintance..

[358 Win]

Here's my four .32 Win Specials. Two Win Model 94's and two 336SC's. Love em all and shoot
the RCBS 08-170FNGC bullet. Easiet caliber for me to shoot cast bullets. No fuss, no muss, just shot great from the git go.
358 Win

[Canuck Bob]

I had no idea how popular these 32 Specials are. that is another fine collection. I sure like those Marlins. I confirmed they have the same 1-16 twist and owners love em.

[northmn]

The 32 Special should have been more than it is. It will deliver slightly more power than a 30-30 in handloads. It came out, probably using left over 32-40 barrels and 1-16" twists. Had it been loaded and used with 190-200 grain bullets it would have made a real reputation for itself. Kind of like the 303 Savage. Instead they left it as a glorified 30-30 and no one could really appreciate any differences. I ahe always thought it would be a fun rifle to play with, but my 30-30 does very well for my uses. I also have a 303 Lee Enfield my father bought me for my first deer rifle when you could mail order rifles. With 200+ grain cast bullets one can come close to duplicating the old Kynock 215 grain load that made them effective world wide.

DP