.32 Winchester Special

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Carlsen Highway
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.32 Winchester Special

Post by Carlsen Highway »

Some quick questions boys, I am in the middle of buying a nice pre'64 Winchester 94 in .32 Special and I am trying to figure out how to shoot it once I get it, and so am doing some quick thinking on teh back of a mental envelope

Factory ammo is about non existant here, and reloading dies scarce. I am think that if I load it with blackpowder like they did in 1903 then I might be able to get away without sizing the cases. Can I seat bullet using an 8mm Mauser seating die?
Then I am thinking, if the bullet is a slip fit into the unsized case onto a full load of BP, I dont need a bullet seater, but I need to crimp it - can I crimp the bullet using a .30-30 Lee CD, or will it be too big to fit, or can I crimp it with an 8mm Mauser Lee CD? (that will be too long right its got to crimp right in the right place, can it be shimmed or something.)
I am thinking I can fireform .30-30 brass to .32 Special by loading it with some unique, and some toiletpaper or wax or soap plug and shooting it

I have now found some Hornady 170 grain interlock .32 bullets, to get started but I will have to shoot cast in this I think with my BP loadings, so can anyone recommend a 175 grain mold for the .32 Special, I like Accurate Molds, does anyone recommend a good mold from them thats suitable?

I have read that 8x57 American ammo (referred to Winchester) were loading their 8x57 with .321 round nose bullets otherwise used in the .32 Special. (in consideration of the downloading for the old .318 Mauser bores) If that is true I could cannablise Winchester 8x57 ammo for their bullets.
These are my thoughts on this matter.

Imagine you were on an island in the middle of the Pacific, and the Great Depression was on. That''s what Im dealing with.
Last edited by Carlsen Highway on Thu Jan 11, 2018 2:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
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6pt-sika
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Re: .32 Winchester Special

Post by 6pt-sika »

There's nothing wrong with the RCBS 32-170 GC mold I've shot a veritable pile of them in two of the 32 Specials I had over the years . If you can find one the Lyman 321297 is a good mold also GC and finally the Ranch Dog 323-170GC was a pretty decent mold . Possibly NOE might make a rendition of the Ranch Dog mold .
Parkers , Mannlicher Schoenauer’s , 6.5mm's and my family in the Philippines !
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6pt-sika
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Re: .32 Winchester Special

Post by 6pt-sika »

I wouldn't load BP in the gun I'd be thinking more AA 5744 or one of the other smokeless powders . It's been my finding that 20-22 grains of 5744 works pretty well in a 30-30 or 32 Special .
Parkers , Mannlicher Schoenauer’s , 6.5mm's and my family in the Philippines !
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6pt-sika
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Re: .32 Winchester Special

Post by 6pt-sika »

As to loading all I ever used to load 32 Special was a set of the RCBS 32 Special "Cowboy" dies .
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6pt-sika
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Re: .32 Winchester Special

Post by 6pt-sika »

One final thing , in all the Marlin 32 Special rifles I owned I always sized my cast bullets in a .323" die , used the same for a friends 94 WIN . The alloy I use or used was straight air cooled wheel weights and it's fine an admirable job killing deerin the 30-30 , 32 Specialand 35 REM as well as a boat load of other lever action cartridges .
Parkers , Mannlicher Schoenauer’s , 6.5mm's and my family in the Philippines !
Tanqueray
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Re: .32 Winchester Special

Post by Tanqueray »

I already did some of the homework CH... the only off the shelf mold is the RCBS 170. There are about 4 mold designs in the accurate molds catalogue listed as specifically for the 32WS, ranging from 160gr to 195gr or so, although I’m sure you’ve already seen that.
As far as factory ammo goes, surprisingly there are a few places here stocking the federal powershok, I think serious shooters and gun city, who also have brass. Gun City prices weren’t too bad, considering they’re usually exorbitant.
Lee also make a sizing die in .323, which I think is about your only option if you need to size your cast bullets and don’t have a Lyman or RCBS sizer.
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earlmck
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Re: .32 Winchester Special

Post by earlmck »

I don't know if it is universally true, but my Lee 30/30 FCD does work to put a "factory crimp" on my 32 Special loads. And I'm sure the 8mm seating die would do the seating for you but you wouldn't get a crimp unless you ground off about 1/4" of die. I'd guess the 8mm size die won't squeeze down far enough (because of thinner brass in the 32 Special) to use as a neck sizer, but you should certainly try it to see for sure. If that works you are in business for anything you want to load. And if you pick up a 30/30 size die cheap somewhere you could cut off the top of the die at the upper shoulder area to use as a "body die" if the cases start getting a bit hard to chamber after a few shots.

If you can get Lee dies for it the Lee expander rod has a long enough taper to make your 32 Special from 30/30 cases by sizing without mucking up the neck like would happen with expander buttons that other brands use. Although the Hornady expander looks to me like it might work OK also.
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Carlsen Highway
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Re: .32 Winchester Special

Post by Carlsen Highway »

Thanks Earl, thats very interesting. I reckon I could make it work.
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Carlsen Highway
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Re: .32 Winchester Special

Post by Carlsen Highway »

Tanqueray wrote: Thu Jan 11, 2018 3:33 am I already did some of the homework CH... the only off the shelf mold is the RCBS 170. There are about 4 mold designs in the accurate molds catalogue listed as specifically for the 32WS, ranging from 160gr to 195gr or so, although I’m sure you’ve already seen that.
As far as factory ammo goes, surprisingly there are a few places here stocking the federal powershok, I think serious shooters and gun city, who also have brass. Gun City prices weren’t too bad, considering they’re usually exorbitant.
Lee also make a sizing die in .323, which I think is about your only option if you need to size your cast bullets and don’t have a Lyman or RCBS sizer.
Good work!
I have found one box of Hornady at the moment. I never tried Gun City, usually avoid the place so I never even thought of it.

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Tanqueray
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Re: .32 Winchester Special

Post by Tanqueray »

Carlsen Highway wrote: Thu Jan 11, 2018 5:26 pm
Tanqueray wrote: Thu Jan 11, 2018 3:33 am I already did some of the homework CH... the only off the shelf mold is the RCBS 170. There are about 4 mold designs in the accurate molds catalogue listed as specifically for the 32WS, ranging from 160gr to 195gr or so, although I’m sure you’ve already seen that.
As far as factory ammo goes, surprisingly there are a few places here stocking the federal powershok, I think serious shooters and gun city, who also have brass. Gun City prices weren’t too bad, considering they’re usually exorbitant.
Lee also make a sizing die in .323, which I think is about your only option if you need to size your cast bullets and don’t have a Lyman or RCBS sizer.
Good work!
I have found one box of Hornady at the moment. I never tried Gun City, usually avoid the place so I never even thought of it.

This is all your fault, you realise that...
Haha, if I hadn’t told you about it I probably would’ve bought it, same with that 1895. I think it’s a mutually beneficial thing we’ve got going on here!
I remebered earlier today that Akaroa1 on the huntingand shooting forum has an early 1894 in 32WS if I remember rightly, and I believe he casts for it too, so he way be able to help you out.
I’m potentially buying an 1892 rifle (you know the one), so may do a brownells order if you wanted to share postage. If I do buy it I’ll go in on some Swiss BP with you too, if that offer is still open.
More meplat, more better.
Chuck 100 yd
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Re: .32 Winchester Special

Post by Chuck 100 yd »

If you load bullets much heavier than 170 gr. The rifle won't fully stabilize them unless you are pushing them to near max.
Velocity. I found that out playing with my Win. 94 .32 Sp. You won't get enough velocity out of BP. I like 5744 also.
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