Home Forums Lever Action Central Marlin 336 Lever Actions 336RC .32 Win. Spl.

A few months ago a co-worker at the Gun Shop I work at bought a 336RC in .32 Spl. out of our local Trader paper. He told me he was going to look at it but I figured it would be well used. He brought it in the next day and it was near mint, at least a strong 95%. He's a chronic gun swapper so I told him if he wanted to part with it I wanted first dibs. Well, he brought it back to work today and it came home with me. I needed this like a hole in the head because I have a cherry 94 in .32 Spl. but I wanted the Marlin so I could have a scoped .32. It is a '58-'59 vintage {"S" prefix} and as I said it is VERY clean. I paid him $300 for it which probably isn't a steal but I've seen very few Marlins in .32 Spl. and I've seen a few on Gun Broker for upwards of $400-$500. I'll stick a vintage Weaver on it and put it back in action.

A vintage K2.5 or K4 would look mighty handsome on there and should work well for quick pokes at deer too. I'm happy with the Hornady 170gr flatpoints in my old M94 32 Special.

Know what you mean about buying something that "you don't really need". After several attempts at ignoring it, I finally lugged an old M336SC home some years ago, from a local gunshop. I swear that thing called out to me everytime I went in the place.
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Dube, those sporting carbines are sweeeet levers. I got a 95% 32 special for $ 140.00. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

SCGunNut;

Congratulations, and that's a sweet deal on the .32 (not as good as that steal birddog got, but good nonetheless). I second the Weaver K2.5 or K4 suggestion. Either one with a post-and-crosshair reticle would be perfect, IMHO.

How's the ammo selection on the .32 Special down there? If needed, I can check some of the Mom & Pops 'round here and see what can be found.

I've got plenty of ammo {already had the 94} and work in a gun shop so fodder is not a problem. Thanx for the offer though. Still undecided about scopes. I've got a Weaver 1.5-4.5x on a Savage 24 .357 Max/20 ga so I may rob it or I've got a 3x Weaver on a 1907 Winchester .351 so I may snatch it off. Been looking at old Lyman scopes on Ebay so may try to get one of those if I can find one that's in decent shape with duplex or Post & Crosshairs.

Pick up one the fleabay post-and-crosshair Weaver K-series scopes, and send it to Weaver Scope Repair, or contact them directly and tell them that you want one, restored, with the p-&-c reticle. The ability to get them repaired and restored trumps the Lymans, regardless of how good the Lymans were/are.

BTW - how do you like the .351SL?

>>BTW - how do you like the .351SL?

Well, it's probably one of the most useless rifles in my battery. I'm just a sucker for obscure/obsolete cartridges. I've carried it in the deer woods a few times when I knew I wouldn't have to shoot much past 30 yards and have carried it as a 2nd rifle in the stand where space allowed but have never shot anything with it. I'd really get a kick out of shooting a deer with it but I ceratainly don't consider it a real deer rifle. I've often dreamed about going on a cougar hunt with dogs and have long thought the .351 would be what I'd carry. I'm down to a box and a half of late production ammo so don't shoot it much. I'll eventually have to spring for dies and start loading for it. Bertram offers brass but it's pricey for 20 rounds. I saw that Jamison {new company?} lists .351 brass as well for less. BTW, I had a .401 WSL but it was stolen back in 2000. Have a sh*tload of ammo, brass, bullets and the dies for it so am going to try to replace it this year.

I'll keep an eye out for ammo... I think I saw some recently.

Back aroound 1948 there was an article in the American Rifleman that did a statistical study of deer kills with the .30-30 and .32 Special. The conclusion was that the .32 killed, get this, 40% better than the .30-30. At least that is my recollection. Is anyone else enough of an antiquairian to remember that article?

Reminds me of the official deer lore I grew up with. My dad and his brothers (all born 1920 and earlier), maintained that the 32 Spl. had a "louder crack" than the 30-30. Therefore they reasoned it must be more powerful.

Bought my first deer rifle when I was 18, a very old M94SRC in 32 Spl. When one of my uncles eyeballed it the first time we hunted together, he asked me why I'd gotten one in that chambering, when 30-30 ammo was cheaper.

Told him 'cause it has a louder crack, natcherly.

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Dube, my first gun to carry on the first day was also a 32 Special. I bet PA has the highest total of 32s in the country. When I was a kid ,everybody carried a 32. I always ask at the gunshops that I go in if they still sell lots of 32 special ammo, and the answer is always a big YES.