Luck of the draw!! 32 Winchester Special

[Terryfromok]

Hi all,
You could have knocked me over with a feather on this one. We had the drawing to distribute my dad's firearms on Christmas Eve day. I ended up with my grandfather's (on my dad's side) Winchester Model 94 in 32 Winchester Special. It has a, I believe, marble's tang sight, and the canvas case. It's appears to be in great shape. I drooled over that rifle since I was a kid (I'm sixty now). It's serial number is in the 1310xxxx range. I have a few boxes of empty brass along with 3 boxes of factory ammunition. I bought the RCBS 170g FP bullet mold, a .323 sizer, and gas checks.
I'll give the barrel a good scrubbing and slug it just for information sake. Is there anything else I need to tip the scales in my favor in a cast boolet load. I have IMR 4895, 4064, H335, red dot, unique powders on hand.

More information:

I slugged the barrel and it measured 0.321 0.3215

Here are some pictures

183950183951183947183948

Wish me luck.

Terryfromok

[tim338]

Good luck and what a score. Those are great cast bullet shooters.

[Dan Cash]

Congratulations. I think the 4895 and 4064 will work for your cast though I have never used them in this caliber. Reloader 7 and Reloader 15 are superior propellants for full house loads in the .30-30/.32 Spl.

[Scharfschuetze]

Wow! What a great way for you to remember you Grandfather and Father.

Your serial number makes it a Pre-War Winchester, but not by much. Without doing any research, I'd guess the late 1930s.

I also have a 32 Special, but in the rifle version of the Model 94s action: the Model 64. Mine was made just after yours.

It's a great cast bullet calibre and it's 1 in 16" rifling twist lends itself very well to cast bullets.

Let's see a photo when you get a chance.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
That will be a life time treasure to enjoy and pass on ! My first center fire was a 32 win Special. What a sweet caliber !
Mike in Peru

[runfiverun]

your 4895 should do well.
I'm using a bit too much 4198 in mine it doesn't need to go that fast.

[jtaylor1960]

The 32 Special is one of my favorite calibers.Most of mine shoot cast bullets very well with full power loads.Any of the powders you listed should work well.You might try the Ranch Dog mold as it shoots better in my guns than the RCBS mold.I'm sure you will enjoy that rifle.

[bruce drake]

I use a Lyman 323470 Round Nose 165gr gas-checked Loverin mold for my 32 Win Spl Model 94. With IMR 4895 - 32gr gets me 2100fps. Take a couple of grains off and start from there.

[Hick]

Great draw! I've found good loads using W748, IMR4064, A2460 and H380 for higher velocities, also IMR3031 and H4198. For low velocity cast loads 700x, W231 and HP-38 do good. I cast an Ideal 321427 (~135 grains) and a Lee 324-175 and they both do great. If you decide to try anything jacketed try the Hornady FTX-- the pointed bullet with a plastic tip to allow use in a magazine. They're pricey but shoot nice.

[Mossy Oak]

Bitter sweet I'm sure, and a great way to keep those memories alive.
Joe

[pietro]

I ended up with my grandfather's (on my dad's side) Winchester Model 94 in 32 Winchester Special serial number is in the 1310xxxx range.




Good luck - You have one of the last 1,000 (or less) Model 94's made immediately before WWII. (regular production stopped for WWII somewhere in the SN 1,310,000 range)

FWIW, Winchester still made some Model 94's during WWII, but for the US military & some private guard organizations (state police, prison guards, etc, etc) only, before resuming regular Model 94 production at the end of WWII in the SN 3,350,000 = My bad, typo - I should have typed SN 1,350,000 range.


.

[richhodg66]

It's a very good cast bullet hunting cartridge. Easy to get good results from. Mine is a 1949 vintage Marlin pawn shop rescue. Took some work, but looks decent and shoots well now. I use the old Ideal 321232 for plinking and a NOE 180 grain flat nose for hunting, both shoot well. Your RCBS bullet ought to be just as good.

[rintinglen]

Pietro, check your typing. I think you meant to type 1,350,000. ;)To my knowledge, there are no gaps in the Model 94 Serial Numbers.

[358 Win]

Shot my first deer (a 7 point buck) with a Win 94 from 1949 ambered to .32 Win Special when I was 12 years old. Now at age 65 I own four of them. Another Win 94 from 1968 and two Marlin 336SC's, from 1951 and 1957. All my .32 Specials have ballard rifling and absolutely love my cast bullet loads ranging in velocity from 1650 fps to 2325 fps with the 180 grain bullets from my RCBS 08-170 and my Ranch Dog C323-170. I love a slow walk in the woods with any of my .32 Specials knowing that any task at hand can be done with no muss or fuss with my cast boolet loads.

358 Win

[pietro]

[
Pietro, check your typing. I think you meant to type 1,350,000. ;)To my knowledge, there are no gaps in the Model 94 Serial Numbers.


Thanks, it was a typo.... (doh).

Apologies................
.

[oscarflytyer]

Have a '52 refurb'd '94 in 32 WS. Not loaded for it yet, but have the RCBS 32-170 mold as well. I expect the same basic loads/powders I am using for my 30-30 to work (or at least be a great starting point) for the 32. RL-7 and BL-C(2). Would also look at H-335 and IMR 4064.

[MNruss]

Good luck - You have one of the last 1,000 (or less) Model 94's made immediately before WWII. (regular production stopped for WWII somewhere in the SN 1,310,000 range)

FWIW, Winchester still made some Model 94's during WWII, but for the US military & some private guard organizations (state police, prison guards, etc, etc) only, before resuming regular Model 94 production at the end of WWII in the SN 3,350,000 range.


.

This is the gap referred to - you're showing TWO MILLION and forty thousand in these years.
40,000 is the correct figure for these years, meaning no significant gap in the numbering, although there may be a gap in the data.
Serial number 3.35 million would be late 60's or so.

Regards

Russ

[pietro]

40,000 is the correct figure for these years,




It was a typo - apologies................

.

[Scharfschuetze]

I often suffer the same malady Pietro. I just call it my dyslexic typing.

Thanks for the update on those pre and post serial numbers.

[Sam Casey]

Nice rifle with great family history; congrats!

[Char-Gar]

You have a very fine rifle. It will shot cast bullets at full factory velocity with sterling accuracy. I have a 1959 Winchester 94 Carbine in that caliber. I use the RCBS 170 FNGC as well. Upon suggestion from a friend, I tried that bullet on top of 30/H335 and first time on the bench it turned in five shot one hold groups at 50 yards and 2 MOA groups at 100 yards. I have not tried any other power or charge, as I don't see that improving much if any.

[skeettx]

Yeee Hawww, what a family treasure
Enjoy it, shoot it ALOT and have fun with it
Mike

[trapperP]

I also have an 1894 in 32Win Spec but mine is a SRC. Odd little rifle that I do know a little bit about. I bought it from an estate and was told it had been in the family for years. It came from upstate New York and I thought that an odd home for a SRC. The lady I picked it up from explained that all the meat the family ate during the Great Depression was shot with this rifle, explaining the notches in the butt plate as 7 one side for bear and 26 on other for deer, IIRC. My question was why in the world would anyone sell such a treasure and she said no one still alive had any interest in it. It had musket type sights as well as a tang sight. My oldest brother had the same gun but in a rifle, not a carbine. I offered to cut the cards with him, high card would get the others gun for exactly what we paid for them, he refused, knowing that I knew he paid $29 for his in a pawn shop! Would still liked to have had both of them hanging in a rack!

[jbutts6785]

My 50s vintage 94 shoots very nicely with the RCBS bullet and 4895. I haven't tried 4064, but imagine it would do well.

[OverMax]

32 special you say. Great caliber. Has better stats at all ranges than either the 30-30 or 35 Remington. So that makes it the better big game harvester than either two previously mentioned. Enjoy the luck you just experienced. Yes sir. Grandpa is smiling down at yaw.

[OlDeuce]

Has anyone loaded Black ???This was Winchesters Change over caliber !! It could do rather well! :-) I have a a 32Ws in a Rifle and in a SRC..! Did have a 20'' carbine Takedown and like a fQQl I sold it ! :-(

Ol Deuce
187114

[Pistolero49]

Terryfromok,
What a beauty and treasure!

[Valley Forge]

Ol' Deuce - I think my heart just skipped a beat when I saw that photo of the takedown.