Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors 32 Winchester Special

I've been in the fight to get this forum here for years. Glad we got it. I'm a huge Winchester fan.

Did the Savage fans lose their exclusive Savage 99 forum?

The Savage Collector's forum is going strong Now Winchester collector's have an exclusive forum as well. There are several of us who, "cross over" and might well be viewed as double agents by some :0

Hi:
I have a 1894 in 32 Special with a Lyman tang sight and this gun is very accurate. I believe that Ken Waters when developing loads for the 32 Special for his "Pet Loads" publication found his 32 Special to be very accurate. I have talk to others that have 32 Specials and they also have found this caliber to be accurate. I think if you purchase one you may be surprised at the accuracy.

Been a lot of deer and bear killed in the last 110 years with 32 specials. Killed a few with it myself.

Is a man carrying a 30-30 a better or smarter hunter than a man carrying the same rifle in 32? It's like saying the 303 Savage isn't as good as the 30-30 Win. They all 3 are the same damn thing as far as anything being shot at with them is concerned.

Come on.

Don't understand the hate.

I wouldn't kick a nice .32 M94 out of bed for eating crackers, but given a choice I would go for a .30/30 or .303 Savage if for no other reason than better bullet selection, especially when it comes to molds for casting your own.

Can .32 Winchester Special rifle owners use .32 caliber handgun bullets for loading up some plinking ammo?

No. .32 pistol bullets at .311-.313" are a lot smaller than .32 Spl. bullets at .321". Lyman/Ideal made moulds for lightweight .32 Spl bullets many years ago, but are pretty scarce today and collectors items in their own wright.

Here's some interesting information on the .32 Special:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.32_Winchester_Special

http://www.levergun.com/articles/special.htm

Blacktail53, That levergun.com article is excellent, thanks for the link.

It became a matter of physics some time back for the 32, but it has to do with the twist in the barrel at 1 in 6 versus 1 in 9. Theory is, the less twist in the 32 WS produces more delivered power to the target than the 30-30. So, this is clearly the ONLY advantage of the 32WS. Have traded for and owned several 32's and really prefer the good old 30-30. Values for the collector are higher because of this mental block against the shell size only.

Just an Old Cowvoy here in Texas

i traded for a win 94 in 32 special back in the 70's. it killed deer and hogs just fine shooting 170gr factory loads. wanted to try others, so i sold it.

Texas1894 - Welcome to the fire! We can always use another old Cowboy around here.

I've had my 32Spl 1894 rifle (26" octagon made in 1907) since a friend of my Dad's gave it to me while I was in HS ('66). Killed all kinds of stuff with it. The 32 does everything the 30-30 will. Learned reloading with a Lee Loader on the kitchen table.

Wasn't the original rate of twist for the .32 Special 1-in-16"? Did Winchester ever change the twist of the .32 Special to 1-in-12", like the .30/30?

Jocko, I looked in the 1968 Winchester Western Catalog; .32 Win Spec listed as a right hand twist of 1 turn in 16". Looks like the twist stayed the same throughout production.

Yah, I have a 1972 Shooters' Bible that states the same 1-in-16" twist rate. The reason I posed the question is because I seem to remember a run of Model 94 Wranglers, or Wrangler IIs, that were chambered in .32 Special and had a 1-in-12" twist, but I have no documentation to prove it.

I feel just the other way the 30 30 can't do anything the 32 Special can't and is unnecessary.

Well the 30-30 was proven years before the 32 special was drempt up !! Marlin was using it before winchester even chambered it. Don

I'm perfectly happy that "Necessary" has nothing to do with it...
If we weeded out all the unnecessary rounds, it would be a pretty boring sport....

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.