I wonder if I copied that ad and sent it in to Winchester if I could get a free copy of that 1903 catalog like the ad says?
There's probably no one at Winchester that knows what a 32 Special is. The ad says they can furnish rifles in this caliber. Doc
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." Thomas Jefferson, 1776
I too have both & decided to use the .32 Sp. on a hunt in Florida in October. I grew up hunting with a .22 RF rifle & 12G. shotgun but shot my first "rifle" deer with a borrowed 94 in .32 Sp. This was about 1960 when the 30-30, .32 Sp. & .300 Savage were the calibers to argue about. I used mine to shoot 3 hogs with the biggest being better than 250lbs. The old .32 Sp. still works.
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Have come across two Pre-64 Winchester 94 carbines. Both are in mechanically sound condition but are aesthetically rough. Both have been used by the same hunter since they were new.
One is in 30 WCF (30-30) and the other is in 32 Winchester Special.
There's a ton of ammo for both -- all in 170 grain.
How many years will I have to hunt with both before figuring out which one is the better deer rifle ?
Would ask the original owner but he passed away before the rifles came to my attention.
The last 32 Specials that I have seen didnt stay around long, one was a rough looking Marlin Model 36, the other was a pre-64 Model 94 that looked like it had just been taken out of the box.
Well with the .32 not commonly found anymore we don't have to worry too much about which of these two cartridges is better. We are freed up to agonize instead over such important things as the vast differences between the .270 and .30-06!
At least there is SOME difference there. Ain't enough distance between the .30-30 and the .32 Special to even stick a feeler gauge in there.
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They are balistic twins in every respect..The ammo for the 32 might be bit harder to come by and it has been said the 32 will shoot out a barrel quicker then the 30-30, but I don't see any reason for that to hold water...
I'd pick the 30-30 because its a more popular round, ammo is everywhere in the world, but if I ran across a good 32 Special then I would not hesitate to buy it..
I can't believe that Hornaday is making a LEVERevolution load for the 32 Special. They must figure there are enough of them out there that they can make a buck. Doc
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." Thomas Jefferson, 1776
The .32 spl is more rare than the .30-30 and that's why I'd buy it. .30-30's are ubiquitous and boringly regular. I find it more and more interesting to hunt with rare and uncommon cartridges. That's why my last build was a .257 Roberts, and my current one is a .260 AR variant. It's more fun hunting with something nobody else has. Performance wise, the slight edge goes to the .32, but basically inconsequential to whatever you shoot with it.
My .32 is a 1933 Model 64 carbine I bought from my FIL. I don't think I own a .30-30, but who knows what lurks in the back of the safe these days.
Fast Ed
Last edited by Fast_Ed; 01/12/09.
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Here it is 2009 and we're still discussing (on the internet, no less) the old .30-30 vs. .32 Special question. For sure, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
I bought a .32 Special last summer. I'd just gotten rid of my last 30-30 because I couldn't hit anything with it. I meant to get another 30-30 because I like having one around. I got the gun home and discovered it was a .32! I like it though and have no plans to get rid of it. I'm still looking for a 30-30.
There's an article on the 32 Special in Rifle Shooter March/April 2008 issue, by Terry Wieland. Said there's been a startling amount of renewed interest in the caliber ever since LeverEvolution ammo came about, lots of demand at Hornady for it. Apparently sales for .35 Remington ammo wildly exceeded their expectations. So Hornady also is adding the 32 to the line.
Bit of history: First produced in 1902. Lots of theories as to why, but no paperwork survives, no real answers.
Continued by Win. until 1973. Also offered in Marlin 1893s and 336s until mid '60s.
Says if only 20% of Winchester's production of 3.5 million of the '94 went to the 32, that's still a lot of 32 Specials out there...not to mention Marlins.
Author ran 5 rounds of LeverEvolution 32 Special 165 gr through his 26" barreled 1894, averaged 2,374 fps. With iron sights, groups tightened from previous average of 2.5" to under 2".
Whichever you decide on, you're going to have some decent ammo to use in it. LeverEvolution made a serious hunting rifle outta my Marlin 30.30, I can't imagine using anything else in it.
LeverEvolution made a serious hunting rifle outta my Marlin 30.30, I can't imagine using anything else in it.
ZI'm assuming you are speaking in terms of increased velocity/flatter trajectory. Have you actually chronographed this ammo out of your Marlin? Have you shot any side-by-side comparisons of this ammo vs. what you had been using, out at the distances at which you now feel your rifle is effective at? I've got to say, I'm a little skeptical of how much more effective this will make the typical 18 or 20 inch barrelled, lever-action .30-30 or .32 Special carbine.
