Have You Slugged Your Marlin Chambered In 32 Win Spl?

[Ranch Dog]

If so, I would sure appreciate your input by selecting the caliber that is closest to your results. I would also appreciate if you could post the model (A, AD, C, RC, SC, or SD) and barrel type (Ballard or Micro-Groove) in text below. Thanks in advance for the information.

I've started shooting my 336RC with a Ballard rifled barrel and it is another great Marlin. It does have a very tight bore, .3168"!

[444Hal]

Haven't been able to "slug" anything.

Couldn't get one of those "Slug Your Own" kits online all winter.

[cobbmtmac]

Ranch Dog,

I have 2 Marlin 32 Specials, Model 336A's with 24" ballard barrels, short mags. both are .318 using my Starret Dial Indicater, I was shocked:shock: . One is 1949 and the other is 1953. They are both in great condition.

I acquired them over the past few months. I really wanted one to go with my 30-30 & 35 Rem. in the same configureation, they are 1949 & 1951. I felt I paid on the high side for the first one, then low and behold I was able to almost steel the second one. One will probably be for Sale down the road, but I first want to play with them.

I have a .321 sizing die coming, I plan to shorten the cases and still try to use my RCBS 32-170 F, Mould . Boolits will not chamber using my .323 die and seating at standard length.

So any ideas:idea: on combinations (dies/mould)s are welcome.

[6pt-sika]

At the moment I have 3 Marlin's in 32 Special . My first is a Model 1936 in the rifle configuration . My second is a 1950 vintage 336SC and my latest is an 1893 also in rifle configuration that was made about 1910 .

when I got the first one I bought the RCBS 170 grain GC mould and got a .323" die . I have since gotten a few more dies that are suitable for this cartridge . However they all get run thru the .323" die .

I've not had any major problems with this setup . But bear in mind I'm casting from straight WW's . So they may be soft enough that its not an issue for being a bit oversized .

I will say however that I have started sizing my 30-30 bullets in a .312" die also and with no ill effects .

Incidently I've been sizing for my 32-40 in the same .323" die also [smilie=1:

[6pt-sika]

Ranch Dog,

I have 2 Marlin 32 Specials, Model 336A's with 24" ballard barrels, short mags. One is 1949 and the other is 1953. They are both in great condition.

One will probably be for Sale down the road, but I first want to play with them.

.


Send me a PM when you get ready to sell one , we might be able to do buisness .

I've had my eyes open for a decent 336A in 32 that wasn't drilled and tapped for scope bases . Also kinda lookin for a nice 1893 that is 26" octagon in good shape .
My present 1893 in 32 Special is not in the best shape and has a round barrel .

Incidently using the RCBS bullet sized in the .323" die about 4 years ago in the 336SC . I killed a average sized whitetail doe at about 50 yards , she ran about 25 yards and rolled over :drinks:

[pumpguy]

I might be interested in one of those 336s if 6pt ends up not wanting it first. You could send me a PM too.

[Dr. A]

Hey Micheal.

My groove size of my 336A is just shy of .319 and the bore size is about .3166 or so. I put down the .317 above for your information. The only other one I have any experience with is Pumpguys, which does not shoot the 170gr. RCBS sized .321 accurately. Mine is ballard rifled made in 1955, and I believe his was made in 68 or 69 (microgroove). His keyholed, and I'm guessing that he needs it sized at .323. I've seen two cast bullet shooters from this last weekend that said the older 32's had bores in the .318 range (Winchester). They must have gotten bigger later on.

[Ranch Dog]

Haven't been able to "slug" anything.

Couldn't get one of those "Slug Your Own" kits online all winter.

You really don't need a "kit" to do this work. For the 32 Win Spl all you need is a 1/4 oz lead "egg" fishing sinker, a wood dowel, and a tack hammer. An egg sinker will have a hole completely through it, this will prevent the slug from "springing" back once it passes through the barrel and it will provide a very true measurement of the smallest diameter encountered in your barrel. The sinkers and dowel will cost you less than $2.

With the gun barrel lightly oiled and held vertical, I tap the egg sinker into into the barrel with the tack hammer. Once in the barrel the back side of the sinker will flatten against the muzzle, it takes just a few light strokes with the hammer. I take a jacketed bullet that is under caliber and tap the sinker into the barrel. A "donut" of lead will be left around the jacketed bullet. From there, I punch it through the barrel with the wood dowel of appropriate size. On the hammering end of the wood dowel, I slip a cartridge case over the end to keep it from splintering.

It is best to check the measurements with a micrometer but if all you have is your reloading bench's caliper, that will work as this isn't rocket science. Here are some pictures...

[BruceB]

Ol' Gringo (who seems to have dropped from sight many months ago) and I both own Marlin Model 36 rifles (NOT 336) made in 1947.

Our rifles both slugged around the .318" mark, and when O.G. contacted Marlin, they indicated that they had indeed been making the .32s at that dimension. More troubling is the fact that the twist rate is 1 in 10", NOT the much-ballyhooed 1 in 16" which is reputed to be so wonderful for cast bullets in the .32 Special. You fellers with a later-vintage rifle might want to check your barrel's twist rate, and I'd sure like to hear what you find.

As Sundog remarked, what we really have is ""fat .30-30s". I have had some chamber-interference problems with the RCBS bullet, just as Onceabull and Mac have mentioned. It does accept the Hornady .32-170, and shoots them VERY accurately. I still have a lot of work to do with this rifle and cartridge...it's just a question of finding the time.

[felix]

It seems to me that Marlin got a 'holt' of a bunch of German takeoff 8mm barrels for an especially great price. The barrels were swapped out for larger diameter 8mm barrels which measured more closely to 8mm, such as 323. They, the Germans, did this before WWII, and after WWI, right? ... felix

[cobbmtmac]

Bruce B,:coffee:
Good to hear from you on this subject, Knowing that things could be hectic with the changes that have happened with NCBS-007, I really did not want to bother you. Now that you have spoken, my two 32 Specials twist are 1-in-16.

I am looking forward to seeing you in late May and hope we have some time to catch up on what can be done. Of course I hope that I have conquered enough of this issue to at least report some success.

I know about the time problem, but have decided that due to the nature of our collective problem, I am going to make this a lower priority. So I will very likely have both of my rifles with me when we meet in the big "W"in May:Fire:

Thanks!

[onceabull]

I had thought to help B.I.L. by giving him a option to try in those two 32 sp.336-A'S..Sooo ,Shipped him my Lyman 321427,then found another one with NvCurmudgeons friend from Or. for myself..Hadn't tried that first one(Big Mistake) ,as this AM Cobbmtmac reports it throws boolits 0.326,and even after the big squeeze through .321 sizer,with his alloy it's .3215 and chambers only with force at well short of Max oal...Hoping to find a use for these in either the 32 remmie, or the Win Mdl.64.. Has anyone run any brand of recently made factory j-word ammo in one of those .318 rifles ?? I'm thinking that those bullets are not real close to making .321....????? :twisted: Onceabull

[onceabull]

Just because It's been a while, I trolled through some of commercial cast boolit makers sites. AND FOUND THIS @ Wayne Doudna's (www.customcastbullets.com (http://www.customcastbullets.com)).. .318 160 gr F.N.,from an LBT mould...fttt,I've seen comments that Mr.Doudna will send boolits unsized,unlubed on req.. Possible solution for some of the really tightly bored 32 Sp. Might load with inverted GC,or homade base protection and get decent accuracy for nearly full power loads in that cal.... Onceabull

[cobbmtmac]

6 pt-sika..........You Have A PM

[johnly]

My vote was for a 336A with Ballard rifling. It's a 1948 producton.

John

[Garth Dial]

Mine is a Model 1893 with a 30" barrel and full-length magazine. The barrel is original Marlin with all the markings, but is not marked as to caliber! The groove diameter is about 0.3174"

[crazy mark]

Mine is a ballard rifled RC made in 1952. It's .318+ and I size my boolits to .321 with no issues. Mark

[Jon K]

Didn't vote...cause I didn't see .326 on the list.
1893 octagon rifle circa 1902. :popcorn:

Jon

[Suo Gan]

Didn't vote...cause I didn't see .326 on the list.
1893 octagon rifle circa 1902. :popcorn:

Jon

I think he went with .323" a while back.

[Nobade]

I voted .316" but it's actually .314". 336A, from 1957. ballard rifling. I shoot .314" bullets paper patched to .325" in it with great results.

The poll said bore diameter, not groove diameter. Are some of these responses getting the two confused?

-Nobade

[TXGunNut]

I think he went with .323" a while back.

Yes, he did.