OK, I just talked myself into a project.

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piller
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OK, I just talked myself into a project.

Post by piller »

I just talked myself into finding a used .30-30, preferably a Winchester, and converting it into a .32 Special. I do not have a Winchester, nor do I have a .32 Special. The reason I am thinking of converting a .30-30 is that they are common enough to find for a reasonable price and the .32s are harder to find. I have decided to rebarrel it, so a bad barrel is of no consequence.

How difficult would such a project be? My skills are on the low end of the scale where gunsmithing is concerned. I can take my Marlin apart to mostly individual components and reassemble it without difficulty. I am aware that the Winchester 94 is more difficult. All advice is welcome.
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OldWin
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Re: OK, I just talked myself into a project.

Post by OldWin »

Winchester is actually chambering the 32WS again.
That said, I'd rather an older version. Unless you hunger for the actual project, it would be much cheaper and easier to buy an original 32. I don't know about your locale, but around here, they are fairly common.
As for the work, it's just a barrel swap. However, it would be easier to find a 20" 32 carbine than just a barrel for one.
"Oh bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round.
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marlinman93
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Re: OK, I just talked myself into a project.

Post by marlinman93 »

It's usually not a case of just buying a barrel in .32 Win. Spl. and screwing it on. Of course you'd need a barrel vise and action wrench. Then the knowledge of how to not just disassemble a 1894 Win., but how to remove the barrel without torquing and destroying the frame. Then how to install the new barrel and check, and adjust headspace.
You'd be money and time far ahead to simply search for a WIn. '94 in .32 Special and save yourself a huge amount of time and money.
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Pete44ru
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Re: OK, I just talked myself into a project.

Post by Pete44ru »

.

I can appreciate the desire to mess around & change the barrel - but since you also need to buy the basic rifle, why not just buy one in .32WS ?

There are plenty of post-64 samples in .32WS for only a very few dollars than a .30-30 - like this one: https://www.gunbroker.com/item/822005290

Several years ago, I was able to buy a high-grade .32WS Model 94 for a fairly low price because it was a post-64 commemorative (a Canadian RR Centennial)


Image


Since it was already factory-prepped, I threw a receiver peepsight on it and was GTG.

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Marvin S
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Re: OK, I just talked myself into a project.

Post by Marvin S »

Don’t over look the model 64 Win in 32spl.
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AJMD429
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Re: OK, I just talked myself into a project.

Post by AJMD429 »

I think I'd only do it IF:

a) I already had a 30-30 donor gun, or
b) I knew of a 30-30 with lousy barrel that would therefore be for sale cheap, AND
c) my gunsmithing skills were pretty good.

"C" rules it out for me (although I did turn my Marlin 1894 from 44 Mag to 45 Colt 8) ), but if A or B were true I might see if a gunsmith would do it for me.

I once thought about looking for a 32 Special, but stumbled across a 35 Remington first, and so that is my 'bigger than 30-30 and smaller than 375 Win' cartridge.
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Ray
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Re: OK, I just talked myself into a project.

Post by Ray »

Like I put on the .32 page,

New ones......

https://www.wholesalehunter.com/Product ... rce=A10003

old ones.....

https://www.kitterytradingpost.com/new- ... Winchester

and guy who bores 25-35 and 30-30 to .32 and larger......

http://35caliber.com/
m.A.g.a. !
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fordwannabe
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Re: OK, I just talked myself into a project.

Post by fordwannabe »

In August I bought a primo 1951 model 94 in 32WS from the Hamburg Cabela’s for $425.
a Pennsylvanian who has been accused of clinging to my religion and my guns......Good assessment skills.
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