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I may have something to add here.
The 32 WS is, to my knowledge, the only "Special" that Winchester ever released. It is a true crossover cartridge, capable with both Black and Smokeless. In smokeless guise, it developed a reputation of having more knockdown power than the 30 WCF. In black guise, it was effective for taking most game on the hoof. In the early 20th century, black was still going strong, while smokeless was still in its infancy, and generally unavailable in any other form besides loaded ammunition. A crossover cartridge made a lot of sense, and for those who enjoy shooting black today, it still makes sense.
Out of a strong 24" barrel, the 32 WS achieves a solid 2400 fps with a 170 Speer FP, not much in todays world of ultra-mags., but quite capable inside 200 yards nonetheless. Blacl loads generated around 1500 fps, certainly respectable ballistics.
Most critics, like gunwriter Rick Hacker, think the 32 WS should be put to bed-forever. Yet this ignores one simple fact, the 32 WS is perhaps more powerful than the 30 WCF, and the 30 WCF has established itself as a very effective cartridge, so why not find room for another effective cartridge, one with history, a unique pedigree, and a joy to shoot?
My dream gun is a 64 in 32 WS, with factory sling swivels and the bolt peep. I absolutely love the bolt peep! I've never found one, but perhaps someday she'll find her way to me, and we'll hunt together in these mountains of the Southwest.

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Originally Posted by croldfort
It is my understanding that lots of folks in the north country favored the .32 Spec over the .30-30 for bear/moose. Probably not that much difference, but it made sales.
Well, it's every bit as valid a preference as 8mm Mauser is vs .30-06 Springfield, i.e., it makes slightly bigger holes. Probably nearly negligible difference in actual performance, though.

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UPDATE!
I couldn't resist. I got a pre-64 model 94 enroute chambered in....wait for it.....You guessed it, .32 Winchester Special!

I will be looking for born on date when it arrives!


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Originally Posted by fatjack34
UPDATE!
I couldn't resist. I got a pre-64 model 94 enroute chambered in....wait for it.....You guessed it, .32 Winchester Special!

I will be looking for born on date when it arrives!
Congrats. I have a pre-war 94 carbine in .32 Win Special myself. It's identical to the one I used to admire as a kid in the den of the father of a friend of mine. When I'd go to stay with them for a weekend, I'd love to go in there with my friend and handle that beautiful pre-war Winchester 94. His dad would just have it leaning on a piece of furniture or laying across his desk. He had a gun case filled (but for one empty spot) with lots of old classics (doubles, and such), but that 94 was always out. I guess he liked to handle it as much as I did.

When his dad died, many years later, I waited what I thought was an appropriate length of time, and asked him what happened to that rifle in the hopes of making an offer for it. He told me I was too late, that his mom already had it auctioned off. That's what I get for trying to wait a decent period of time after his death, out of respect, to inquire. Anyway, many years after that, I came across it's virtual double and immediately picked it up. Practically brand new in appearance, just like Mr. Brown's. Hell, for all I know, it's the very same gun.

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At the time of it's introduction smokeless powders were not available to handloaders universally. Reloaders had to continue using black powder for the most part. An exception may have been gents like Whelen who had access to armoury supplies of smokeless. The 32 Special with it's 1/16 twist was the better ticket for black powder than the 30WCF and black powder complimented the very basic reloading tools commonly available. Think of the old tong type reloaders used without scales and sometimes without any form of measure being at hand. Fill the case by eyeball to the point a compressed load was certain and call it good sort of thing. I have a 1949 M64, 32Sp. which is a great cast bullet shooter and can get more velocity from a given alloy than I can with a 30WCF with maintained accuracy.

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32 Special just makes things dead.

Dead is dead. There are no degrees of dead. Twist, velocity, muzzle energy, grain of bullet, etc., etc., etc.

You get shot with a 32 special you are going to be dead. What else is there?


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Originally Posted by 99guy
32 Special just makes things dead.

Dead is dead. There are no degrees of dead. Twist, velocity, muzzle energy, grain of bullet, etc., etc., etc.

You get shot with a 32 special you are going to be dead. What else is there?


GAAAAAAAAAADDDDDAAAAAMN~!!! I love it when I hear talk like that!


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It always amazes me how the wrong answer becomes right just because enough people say so, soon becoming the lore of the land!

However, the truth (despite lore) still is: In 1905, when the .32 Special became a production gun, no one was still shooting black powder in anything but fireworks! They were using .32-20 bullets to reload smokeless .32 Special though!

Lyman mold number 21297 was the foremost mold for reloading of the .32-40 in matches and also, being the same caliber, it could produce a 170 grain bullet for the .32 Special, what a coincidence? However so many people then were trying to shoot .318 (8mmJS) bullets in the .32 WS with black powder, that it never caught on that it was the same caliber diameter as the .32-20!

Now a hundred years later and people still have not caught on that smokeless powder and Lyman #21297 will shoot really well in a hard cast (1 in 16 barrel twist) in the .32 Special.

However, I guess that we will (in the year 2112) still be reading about how the .32 Special was designed to be shot with black powder, despite the FACT that no one still used black powder even in 1905 when the .32 Winchester Special was invented!


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Originally Posted by fatjack34
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?



I have one from 1904 chambered thusly. Inherited it. I killed a doe with it on it's 100th birthday; factory ammo worked great!


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That settles it.

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Originally Posted by 99guy
32 Special just makes things dead.

Dead is dead. There are no degrees of dead. Twist, velocity, muzzle energy, grain of bullet, etc., etc., etc.

You get shot with a 32 special you are going to be dead. What else is there?


LOL...I was actually shot with one in a hunting accident way back in 1973....Didn't kill me but made me awful miserable !

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Glad you survived - that is a helluva way to get introduced to a cartridge!


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Originally Posted by linemountain
Originally Posted by 99guy
32 Special just makes things dead.

Dead is dead. There are no degrees of dead. Twist, velocity, muzzle energy, grain of bullet, etc., etc., etc.

You get shot with a 32 special you are going to be dead. What else is there?


LOL...I was actually shot with one in a hunting accident way back in 1973....Didn't kill me but made me awful miserable !
Holy smoke linemountain, that is taking field tests a bit far!

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I love my 1958-built 94 .32 WIN not just because it was my first big-game rifle, but it is beautiful to view and handle, and it is not just another 30-30.

I have in fact, reloaded it with blackpowder. Incredible the reduction in performance compared to smokeless, and a mess to clean up of course. But oh, the satisfaction of all that smoke!

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Should you "need" probably the rarest factory made 32 Win.Special---- call the Cabela's Gun Library in Boise,Id. Remington-Lee in Orig.Stock..still there last week,Ask if over $ 2 K...I thought my Rem-Lee in 30/30 was rare enuff,but doubt if they every made ten in 32 Sp...Idabull

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I had a Remington-Lee in .30/40 and one in .38/55. They have always held some appeal to me. There was a minty one in .405 on auction a couple years ago - RIA I think and I really drooled over that one. I had looked at the pictures of the .32 spl. Cabela's had - something was wrong with the stock IIRC.



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I have 2 pre war 84 in 32WS. I also have 3 94's in 30/30. But the 32's hold a special place for me and are the lever actions I reach for when I want to shoot my lever actions. Both of my grandfathers hunted 32's their entire lives and took countless deer and elk with them. My Dad and Mom as well as their siblings hunted with and shot their first big game with those same 32's. Because of the nostalgia associated with that caliber in the Winchester 94 I have a real soft spot for it.


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I had several relatives (including myself) hunt with .32 specials when I was younger. No one was interested in hunting with a .30-30. Yes, I have a special spot too.



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My first post here. I had a Winchester Model 94 Saddle Ring Carbine in 32 WS that was build in 1922. About 3 years ago, that gun along with about 30 other rifles, assault rifles, shotguns and handguns were stolen, along with the safe they were in. Sad day as that Winchester belonged to my Granfather, who received it as a gift from one of the many men he helped who worked at a local CCC camp during the Great Depression. It had two notches on the forgrip for two Michigan state champion bucks it shot.

About a year ago, I cam across a new Model 94 (full rifle) in an Angle Eject model (I can attach a scope) - in 32 Winchester Special. It was new in box, though it was build in 1982. It's a great rifle, but I've yet to find scope rings that fit the top of the rifle properly.

This buck was shot at 270 yards from an upright sitting position and no rifle sling.
[Linked Image]

I love the 32WS cartridge and I'm more of the opinion that the rifle cartridge was designed purely for an improvement over the 30-30 toward a higher muzzle velocity and flatter trajectory. See this article here. http://www.levergun.com/articles/special.htm

You definately feel the extra muzzle velocity over the 30-30 and I have the ruptured capilaries in my shoulder to prove it! After shooting a box of ammo, I'm whimpering prior to pulling the tringger in anticipation of the punishment!

Last edited by TexasMoose; 05/18/12.
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