Curious questions about vintage Ammo for 32 Win/Spl

So I ended up with my first lever action in a center fire rifle cartridge. I got a 1894 Winchester in 32 Winchester Special. Ran the serial #and it came up made in 1929 . I’m really excited to try it out and I found the only 2 boxes of 32 WinSpl within an hrs drive of me . Remington Kleanbore from at least the 70’s very possibly earlier than that . So 1st question, what is this stuff worth ? 2 full boxes of 20 rounds each . If this is actually worth something to somebody I would prefer they get it , or if it’s not worth more than what I can order 2 new manufactured boxes ($65.00-$80.00 a box) then should I just shoot them and actually have some brass to reload with a proper headstamp rather than the 30-30 cases I’m planning on ordering and fire forming . I plan on this being strictly a cast shooter and the barrel is spectacularly clean (really rather not have to clean copper out from these 2 boxes . So look at the pics and give me some of the wealth of knowledge amonst the cast breatheren. Thanks in advance for any and all opinions and any knowledgeable advice. Attachment 307797

Attachment 307799. It’s only allowing me to load 1 pic per post, I’m probly too ignurnt to accomplish since this is 1st time attempting to attach a pic. Lemme know whatcha think . Again thank you

I’d shoot the stuff, myself. The ammunition is still commercially available and that ammo is not all that old. Finding the collector that would offer you the big bucks would likely be more difficult than finding the ammo was. Do you want to shoot your rifle or enter the arcane universe of cartridge collecting? You could store the boxes away for sometime way into the future, and wait for the WTB ads.

Or, if you really think you can find a buyer someday, start accumulating .30-30 shells off the ground at your local range. You can size and fireform them to .32 Spl with no problems. 9 gr Unique, some Cream of Wheat to fill the shell and a plug of wax will give you all the .32 Spl you need.

You could even offer the excess shells you make to the guy who sells for $65-80/box of 20 at half price. :mrgreen:

Shoot it, I remember shooting that stuff growing up. Have shot new military ammo that was that had head stamps from 1946, also reloads from the 1960's with out any ill effects.

My early 1921? Marlin 93 loves cast :)

I'd shoot it. Then mabve save the boxes just for the novelty of them.

As an avid ammo collector I say, Shoot it.

Thanks guys that’s kinda what I figured but wanted to ask just in case they were something rare and special. Gunbroker is where those exorbitant prices on 20 round boxes. My understanding is that they haven’t been in production since well before the COOVE. I went in knowing I wasn’t gonna be buying any , and that I needed to fireform 30-30 cases and casting up a pot load of boolits lube , load , and lever/fire . I appreciate the input , I’ll probably go fire a few at the range and order some brass . I’ve got probably 30 cases of range pickup 30-30 , if I could just remember where I stored them . I turned 50 yesterday and my hearing and eyes started fading in my 40’s and what’s left of my mush up stairs can’t remember what I had for breakfast .

You don’t need to fireform 30-30 into 32 Spec. Just resize the cases with 32 Spec dies and load it with 32 cal bullets and shoot them.

What garandsrus said! The difference between 30-30 and 32WS is so small. I actually started loading my 32WS using 30-30 cases that I just sized up in a 32WS die, then, later, when I found lots of 32WS cases I sized that same batch of 30-30 cases back to 30-30 and they are still going strong (20 reloads and one annealing later)

I have rifles chambered in both 30-30 and 32Win. I tryed loading a few 32 with 30-30 brass and couldn't tell the difference with visual inspection. It was to easy to mistake one from the other. I bought brass with the proper headstamp to avoid mix up.
I'd shoot them and watch for more when they turn up for sale.

Bill

I just did a check on the star-line website and 32 Winchester special brass is listed as back order. $133.00 for 250. I'd place an order and sell what I didn't want.

Bill

I would pull them down and save components. You said you did not want to clean copper out. Stuff that old-it's a real crap shoot if it's any good. I've shot that vintage or older, sometimes if gets very verticle stringy. You never know just how its been sitting over the past 70 years. May be fine, maybe real hot like an attic. You can buy that same stuff, 170gn COR-LOKT for about $1.20 a round. It not a huge deal either way.

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Originally Posted by Hick

What garandsrus said! The difference between 30-30 and 32WS is so small. I actually started loading my 32WS using 30-30 cases that I just sized up in a 32WS die, then, later, when I found lots of 32WS cases I sized that same batch of 30-30 cases back to 30-30 and they are still going strong (20 reloads and one annealing later)

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Agreed.

I just ran some measurements of neck diameters:

1. New Starline .30-30 brass (not neck expanded) 0.326" - 0.328"

2. Fired Winchester .30-30 brass - 0.334"

3. Winchester .30-30 brass opened up (for this test) then reformed to .32 Special and in Lyman die without neck expander, 0.334"

4. Reformed brass neck expanded with Lyman 32M die 0.335" behind the flare.

Once fired brass would be almost ready to go unaltered provided the .30-30 chamber was tighter than your .32 Special chamber. New brass will need neck expansion of upwards of .010", so use plenty of inside neck lube (a ring of anhydrous lanolin on the inside of the case mouth).

Much appreciated. I bought a set of RCBS die’s from Midway on birthday pricing and waiting for the brown truck to stop and drop . Got the Lee fcd . Yes I agree 308 to 321 isn’t much difference just mouthed off the 1st thing through my mind . I’ve got one Lyman mold , a 180grain and gonna look @ accurate molds and looked at NOE and MP-molds . NOE has several designs and MP only shows one design. The barrel is spotless this thing has been sitting a long time. The factory rear ladder sight was packed with fuz and dust bunnies as well as the hammer and around all the the furniture seems where wood meets metal . Thanks for all the in put I won’t be out to shoot it this week , all the temps have dropped below deep freeze . Isn’t going to get above 34*and lows will be in the teens . That will give me some time to cast a couple hundred boolits and work up a load . Maybe 2 a lite plinking load with 5-10 grains of Reddot and a hunting load In the 1800-2000 fps range.

look at the 8mm molds they are .323

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Originally Posted by bronte454

Remington Kleanbore from at least the 70’s very possibly earlier than that.
Attachment 307797

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FWIW, that box graphic was used by Remington from 1946 until 1960.

Jim

The flatnose 32 bullets from 165 to 200 grains all work well in my 4 Marlin 32 Specials. I size to .323 and get excellent accuracy. Most used bullets is 185 grain flat nose gas check from Matt's Bullet's. Using 5744 groups stay under 4" at 200 yards, using a 4-16 Simmons scope. My Starline brass in .32 Special has a rim thicker (.058) than the R-P and W-W brass (.054-055), better for headspace. SAAMI rim thickness spec is .063max to .053 min