Pre-64 Winchester 94 in 32 Special

D

Deaf Smith

New member
Well at the local pawnshop there was this Pre-64 Winchester 94 in .32 Special.

Not great looking but quite functional. $300 plus tax. Bore looks good.

Slapped some lay-a-way on it.

Now reloading the .32 Special. Are there any bullets other than 170 grain made? Will 7.92 Mauser slugs work?

I'm thinking of LeverRevolution power and I presume 30/30 brass just necked up works.

Thanks,

Deaf
 
T

ThomasT

New member
At Midway they show 3 bullet choices in .321 for the 32 special. All 170gr. there is one .323 8mm bullet that might work but it is also a 170gr bullet so nothing gained. If you wanted something heavier than 170gr you may look into a lead bullet mold with GC.

https://www.midwayusa.com/32-special-321/br?cid=9020

I can't help with the brass question but I bet it would work. It would sure be cheap and easy if it did.
 
4

44 AMP

Staff
170gr flat nose (or RN) with cannelure .321" are the only ones you'll find commonly available. I don't know if Hornady makes LeverRevolution for the .32 Special.

8mm Mauser bullets are .323" None that I know of are really suitable for the tube magazine, though a blunt RN should be ok. Nearly all 8mm slugs are pointed or actual spritzers, and totally unsuited for tube magazines such as your Winchester uses.

.30-30 brass necked up will work. Cases may come out a few thousandths shorter than max spec, but that hurts nothing, as it headspaces on the case rim.

However, its a poor idea, IF you have a .30-30 or there's any chance at all that your .32 ammo in .30-30 headstamped brass could wind up in someone else's hands, who would think its still .30-30.

Unless you think its a collectible piece, you might consider having it rebarreled to .30-30. convenience vs cost, of course, but if you keep the original barrel, you could always have it restored if desirable.

.32 Special ammo is "seasonal", meaning the ammo makers don't produce it constantly. When inventory stocks reach a certain low point, the take the tooling out of storage and set up a production run. When they finish the tooling goes back in storage. Its not a high demand round, so this only happens every few years.
 
E

eastbank

New member
once fired brass is available at gun shows, yard sales and flea markets.the only new brass i have bought in years is 260 rem and 35 whelen, even my 300bk was reformed once fired 223 cases. pick up 100 cases and you will be good to go hunting for 50 years if you reload, the 170gr bullet at 2200 fps is a good killer.(for me thats been a must since 1958). eastbank.
 
S

Strafer Gott

New member
I routinely find bullets for my uncommon levers at Sportsman's Warehouse.
Either Speer or Sierra for flat points( 30-30,356 win, 375 win, or Hornady for the Leverevolution types for 30-30 and 307 win. I've already had two posts removed for talking about what can be made from .30-30 or .308 brass, so I'll leave that alone. My personal .32 Special is a 1907 octagon bbl rifle cut back to 21". Sure wish I could get that five inches back( sort of like prostate removal surgery, well maybe not quite five) or maybe even more, but it was probably a 26" to start with. Mine has the tang sight for black powder loads. I'd try that, but I'm afraid clean-up with a model 94 is too much pita.
 
O

Old Stony

New member
Just shoot it with the 170's and enjoy. I shot one for years with cast 170's and it shot just fine. Really neat caliber in my opinion.
 
S

shootbrownelk

New member
My Winchester .32 Special gets Hornady lever revolution ammo....when I can find it. I also have some old Winchester silver tips along with some Remmy CoreLokts. I need to get some dies for it. Hornady sells the Leverevolution bullets separately.
 
D

Deaf Smith

New member
Hmmmm ... 8mm (7.92).

A woodleigh 196 Grain Bonded Weldcore Round Nose Soft! (recommended that this bullet be fired in a load with an impact velocity no greater than 2700 fps and no less than 1900 fps. ) 100 yards the .32 WS drops to 1921 fps or so... not a good one.

And Norma Alaska Bullets 8mm (323 Diameter) 196 Grain Soft Point! (no idea what it's working impact velocity range is so I'll pass on this one.)

BUT there is a Lapua Naturalis Bullets 8mm (323 Diameter) 181 Grain Round Nose Lead-Free (they say it works perfectly within terminal velocities of 1600 fps - 3300 fps. ) The 32 WS at 200 yards for a 170 is about 1626 fps. Now using LeverRevolution power I think one could keep a 181 gr round nose to at least 1650. Might be an alternative!

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1...eter-181-grain-round-nose-lead-free-box-of-50

Might be a good way to get more power out of the old .32 Winchester Special!

Deaf
 
S

salvadore

Moderator
I know all my cast 8mm bullets work in my 32 spec. Bullets from a store, is that something new? Oh yeah, I picked up some of 30/30 brass someone had left on the ground and ran them thru my 32 dies, no sweat.
 
S

Sure Shot Mc Gee

New member
There were at one time at least 6 different grain weight cast molds made or engraved by either Lyman or Ideal that could be shot from the 32 special. The 1-16 slower twist of the 32 special actually likes lighter weight bullets verses heavier than 180 gr. cast.

FYI_I won/bought a 321297 mold off Ebay quite some time ago. The EBay seller to my surprise was gracious to send me two molds to try. The one I purposely bid & won and a 321427 Ideal which is a 134 gr. g/c RN. The little 134 gr. bullet I suspect was primarily made for 32-20 use. Although it shoots just fine out of my Special when sitting atop of a light targeting charge.

Tip: If intending to shoot cast lead? your rifle will shoot its best with .323 or .324 diameter cast.
As for powder preference. I found AA-2230 to give the best grouping of the many powders I tried.

Congratulations on the 32s purchase. Its a dandy cartridge.
 
T

Tinbucket

New member
Pre 64 94 in .32 special

I have not loaded any as I have a ton of .32 special lodded from back when.
That FTX with the polymer tip so you don't set any off in the magazine tube seems like a good bullet. Over the last several years that type bullet has gotten good reviews, for flatter trajectory.
I will be trying some.
 
S

salvadore

Moderator
SS, I don't think a mold that starts 321xxx was designed for the 32/20. Like SS said the .324 sizer works well. I haven't tried AA2230, but surprisingly (to me) Bl C2 gives me great accuracy in a post war '94 and 1800+fps out of a 16" barrel. A Gooding gunsmith did an excellent job on that. The 32 spec. is a great cast bullet shooter.
 
T

T. O'Heir

New member
Choice is 165 FTX's or 170 JFP's from Hornady. 170's from Speer. No .321" bullets from either Sierra or Nosler. Montana Bullets probably does a cast .321" though.
A proper 8mm Mauser jacketed bullet is too big. A .32-20 is way too small at .312".
 
M

Mike Irwin

Staff
Come to think of it, I don't recall ever seeing anything other than 170-gr. bullets loaded in the .32 Special.

I went back to the IAI site and looked at a couple of the old ammo catalogs they have there, and was only able to find 165 (EARLY Peters) and 170 gr. loadings.
 
M

Mike Irwin

Staff
The 1923 Remington catalog shows only 170-gr. standard loadings and a Hi Speed loading (never knew they had one for the .32) using a 100-gr. bullet.
 
F

FrankenMauser

New member
Though I don't recall if a single one of them is anything but a Spitzer, all factory ammo, except for Federal, that I used in 8x57mm had undersized bullets. Occasionally, the bullets are available as components or overruns/seconds.
I swear some one offered at least on 170 gr FP load, but I'm not sure. (Maybe it was a .32 WS bullet.) Anyway...

Rather than .323", everything measured .319" to .321". (Federal was always .323".)

Remington's various Core-Lokts (if they've even made any in the last few years) actually offer a small variety and can be found in .318" (component/factory), .321" (factory/overrun), and .323" (component).

I think the undersized bullets are yet another 'lawyer feature', designed to be combined with the neutered SAAMI MAP, to prevent catastrophic failure when some one sticks ".323-only" loads in a .318" bore.
 
S

Sure Shot Mc Gee

New member
SS, I don't think a mold that starts 321xxx was designed for the 32/20.
Click to expand...
Your correct sir. Went and looked up the little cast in my 3rd edition cast bullet catalog of Lymans. What I found. It appears the 321427s primary application was for the 32 special and no other 32. Little 137 gr cast whistles along pretty good out a Specials barrel at 1700 with pistol propellants.
Anywho appreciate the heads up correction to my thread salvadore. :eek:
 
S

salvadore

Moderator
SS, own various 32 shooters and am awash in molds. You are correct about the lighter cast bullets work best in the specials. Haven't tried anything in the 130 range but have a Lyman lovern and accurate designs in the 160 range that are Cracker Jack bullets. Anyway, nice to meet another 32 spec. fan.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top