Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors 32 Winchester Special

I am not a Winchester guy...for no reason other than when I started out, they were pretty pricey for a kid! I have nothing against them...I prefer Savage 99's, but Winchesters are neat.
I own a Model 100 pre-64 .308, but I am afraid to mention it in front of Loggah and Jed 1899 as they have shown GREAT disdain for the rifle!!!!

I am very intrigued by the 32 Winchester Special cartridge and in a model 94 or 64 for a rifle.

OK Winchester Men...what say you about the Winchester 32 Special cartridge in that rifle combo?

John,Well its a totally unnecessary cartridge !!!!! a 30-30 does everything as well as a 32 special , both shoot a 170 gr bullet ,i have no idea why Winchester ever developed it!! Don

Does the 30-30 have any edge or vice versus? Maybe they were bored!!!!!

The .32 WIN Special was developed wayyyyyyyy back when a lot of shooters were still using black powder.The larger bore did not foul as quick.Nowadays it is largely eclipsed by the venerable 30-30.Despite Loggah's unresearched downgrade,it will do a few things the 30-30 will not do.
There are still a lot of shooter's who swear by the cartridge and use it quite effectively.If you will google the caliber you will find out a LOT.

Stan in SC

Stash in SC....thanks for the reply! I did google some, but I love to here opinions of guys like you who I can communicate directly with. Keep it coming!

Saw a Marlin 336A in 32WS recently.

Hey Stan the 32 special came out in 1902 so the it would convince the old blackpowder guys it was the latest and greatist!!! just because i didn't feel like typing about it all night dont mean i dont know anything about it !!!!

Theres more then a few 32 specials in this group

Good grief Loggah!

I shoulda been a LOGGAH!

I have a mess of .32 spls. as well and even though I'm not against them, I will say that I wish every one of them was a .25/35, .32/40 or .38/55. I wouldn't doubt Don feels the same way about his .32 spls. I hunted deer for years with a M94 carbine in .32 spl. with an early Leupold scout style scope in Leupold detacho mounts. I was very successful with it but I'm sure had it been chambered in .30/30, I would have done equally well. The .32 spl. really had no good reason for existing, much like the .32 Remington had no reason to be brought out.

Here's a couple pictures of the '94 .32 spl. I have in "Scout" mode. Also pictured is a Remington M600 .308 and a custom Mauser .458 American (.458 x 2") also in Scout mode:

Fatjack - check out the new thread I started on factory recoil pads - and you will see some more .32 specials

just a thought.... if you're interested in the caliber buy yourself one. Maybe there are a ton of reasons why the 30-30 is more practical but here is my two cents. Around here the .32's seem to bring less money. I've seen more than a few nice 94s get passed over because they weren't a 38-55 or 30-30. If you really want a 32, could be an opportunity to pick up a nice rifle for less money and it will do anything a lever gun is supposed to do.

I would agree with that. I suppose all of the .32 specials I own were priced less than what they would have been had they been in .25/35, .32/40 or .38/55. Caliber is only one reason to buy a gun. Like most collectors, I prefer some calibers over others but it is not the only deciding factor. For example, I am thrilled to own my .32 spl. SRC with a factory recoil pad and other special order features. It would be even sweeter in one of the calibes I mentioned above, but it is still plenty sweet the way it is

I have too many rifles if that (is possible)in similar calibers

Believe it or not Winchester chambered a few M54 bolt actions
in .32WS. Hate to see what one runs for, even a beater.

Loggah, can we see the rifle 3rd from the left with the nice wood and octagon barrel?

I really like the .32 WS and I'd pick it anytime over the .30-30. However, I shoot a lot of cast bullets and the 1-16" rate of twist in the .32 WS, same as in the .32-40, has an edge over the .30-30's 1 in 12" twist for shooting lead at 2000 fps and more. With Lyman's old #321297 the old .32 WS is a real performer. My .32's are both Winchesters from 1949, one 94 carbine and one Model 64. Yes, I like them enough that one wasn't enough. Shoot sharp, Mike

On excruciating rare occasion, one can also find a M54 in .25/35, .32/40 and .38/55

the .32 WS sorta reminds me of say, a .308 Norma Mag. Not something you would have custom built, but if you find a nice gun at a good price, it's a perfectly usable caliber.