Well, they're out there...…
FWIW, I recently sold a .30-30 Winchester 94 Antique (model), made ca.1967, for $300 - but the case colors were very much faded & the forend wood had a small/short crack.
.
Printable View
I sold a 94 30-30 to a friend for under $300, but he was a friend. Very good condition w a Williams receiver sight on it.
Post 64 model 94s are $400+ around here. Pre 64 model 94s are $600+. Based on good condition for both figures. You can get a 94 for $300 if you are in the right place at the right time- which I never am.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
I have 3 Marlin 336's in 32 Special, all will stay under 1 1/2 at 100 yards with 170 Speer or Hornady AND with Matt's Bullets 185gr .323. I don't think the factories have the same accuracy standard for some of the lever gun ammunition compared to the 243 and such. I have not tried any of recent manufacture, 'the seasonal special runs'. The 32 Special may be the best of cartridges when it comes to accurate, pleasant shooting cast bullet cartridges. A 200 gr NEI .323 cast by BULLshop over 16gr of 5744 gives me 2.5" 10 shot groups at 200 yards.
Years ago my friend had a Winny 32 sp. It wasn't that accurate, but better than bball sized groups. He was after minute of whitetail (4") at a hundred. His bore was oversized. He found some bigger bullets, can't remember if cast or j, but it then became a decent shooter. He moved away years ago. Check your bore size. It was a really slick smooth action but I've never had a Winny lever. You might Google 32 win special and find info on oversized bores.
For william l evans
I have several scopes with 14-20 top power that I use for load development, then I will put a lighter scope or receiver sights on them after finding the 'optimal load. You can't determine a rifle's accuracy with poor sights. A receiver sight with an aperture front like the Lyman 17A can come very very close if a scope cannot be easily mounted. Another step is tuning the trigger, a crisp 2.5 to 3lbs can make a great difference in group size, just check what the benchrest folk use.
Keep it.
32 special is very versatile cartridge. One of the few calibers that can shoot Wheel weight cast_ paper patched soft cast_G/checked & jacketed all equally well. It is a close_ & mid range shooter. No promise of clover leaf groupings at 100 yards. Just the promise to punch 5/16th size holes in a 10" paper plate at 100. Its a dandy for White Tail. Light weight carbine having a magazine that accommodates its shooters experience or not. Bullet expands fully. Dumps all its energy that many modern cartridges can't match. (pass thru's galore ) I like my 32 Specials. Their a fun gun to take~plinking. Especially so if the shooter is a home-reloader. There are cartridges that are just cartridges. 32 special on the other hand is always a challenge to its shooters.
Experiment a little. My 1949 vintage carbine, with a good receiver sight, will keep five 170 grain Hornady flat points under two inches at 100 yards. Not blazing, but 36.0 grains of WW748 gets me 1923fps. I'm keeping it.
If it is a .32 Winchester Special it is a pre-1964 because no .32s were made after that. Around here a .32 Spl. sells for about $100 less than a .30-30 of similar vintage and condition, about $450 vs. $550. They are good guns, but factory jacketed ammo does not have a great reputation for accuracy anbd it is expensive! Cast is best. Common .30-30 brass necked up is fine.
Do a pound cast of your chamber neck and origin of rifling and use the largest bullet diameter which chambers easily. IGNORE the groove diameter of your barrel, fit bullets for safe neck-release clearance. Accurate 32-175M is good choice with 30 grains of IMR4895, IMR4064, RL15 or Varget with 50-50 COWW and plumber's lead with 2% tin added.
In most guns size to .323." With correct loads you should get under 4-inch groups at 100 yards with simple open sights. A Lyman peep will shave an inch or more off of that.
Attachment 259632
Winchester made 32 Spl's in the Wranglers for a few years doing the 80's, I had one.
As a general rule the 32 special is a great cast bullet gun.I have several and most will shoot cast better than jacketed bullets even with high velocity hunting loads.Don't be too quick to give up on your gun.
Since the twist rate in a Win 94 is different between the 30 wcf and the 32 special. The 32 is capable of showing reasonable accuracy w/ B-P use. 30 wcf is suggested to use Smokeless powder >only.
Funny about the difference in locations. The 32 Specials I have seen go about $1-200 higher than 30-30's. Think its is regional. I rarely see a Marlin on the used rack but Winchester's pretty often. Saw some chronograph results with factory ammo and the 32 Special was a little slower with the 170 grain than the 170 30-30. Handloading the 32 Special with a 20" barrel can usually slightly outdo the 30-30 with the 26" barrels.
DEP
I am looking for a FN GC bullet for my 1942 Win 32 SPL.
Suggestions appreciated.
$0.50/bullet for Horn 32005 is a bit rich for me, but they do shoot great.
The RCBS 32-170-FN was designed for the 32 Win Special. Drops 180-185gr cast from hunting type alloys like 50/50. Sizing .323 is a good place to start.
Attachment 305147
Keep it. You won't find another as nice.
RCBS notes this as a 0.321" diameter bullet.
That does not seem to jibe with what I've read?
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010269536/