32 Winchester Special

[Betterinthebush]

You can’t post a picture of a cool sculpture like that and not give the story!! That looks amazing…

Ed Z

Thank you.

My wife has an eye for art and can just “see” things. We were walking on the beach in Seal Rock Oregon when she spotted this piece of driftwood. It was very old and salt laden from Lord knows how many years in the ocean and asked me to carry it back to the truck, she said she had saw something in it she wanted to do. We hauled it home to North Dakota and I forgot about it.

Two years later a box showed up Christmas week. She drug it into a spare bedroom and said “it’s your Christmas. Don’t peek”. We never exchanged gifts and I was embarrassed. When I opened it I remembered that day on the beach together and carrying it back. It was the most beautiful gift ever.

Turns out, she knew an artist in Portland that works with wood. At the time he was 80+ years old, a great hunter and avid collector of M94’s. She boxed and sent it off to him.

She loves the story of this rifle and wanted to display the family history prominently within a piece of art. She thinks rifles are art and the story is art, so.. there you go.

My apologies for the thread derail.

 

[ActionBob]

I have my Grandfather's M94 in 32 Winchester Special. Shot my first few whitetails with it when I was a teenager. Open sighted of course.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

Not to throw a skunk in the room, but did I read that the twist rate was slow on the 32 and it lost accuracy potential too soon as a result? (Or is there a 32 Rem, don't remember) Granted we shouldn't believe all that we read.

I read about that in the Speer reloading manual, allegedly a rumor developed that 32 WS rifles would wear out a lot quicker than their 30–30 counterparts. The Speer technicians measured the bullets used in factory ammunition from the period and found they were .318 as opposed to .321.
I have no firsthand experience on the matter so take it as you will.

 

[MS 9x56]

Thank you.

My wife has an eye for art and can just “see” things. We were walking on the beach in Seal Rock Oregon when she spotted this piece of driftwood. It was very old and salt laden from Lord knows how many years in the ocean and asked me to carry it back to the truck, she said she had saw something in it she wanted to do. We hauled it home to North Dakota and I forgot about it.

Two years later a box showed up Christmas week. She drug it into a spare bedroom and said “it’s your Christmas. Don’t peek”. We never exchanged gifts and I was embarrassed. When I opened it I remembered that day on the beach together and carrying it back. It was the most beautiful gift ever.

Turns out, she knew an artist in Portland that works with wood. At the time he was 80+ years old, a great hunter and avid collector of M94’s. She boxed and sent it off to him.

She loves the story of this rifle and wanted to display the family history prominently within a piece of art. She thinks rifles are art and the story is art, so.. there you go.

My apologies for the thread derail.

No apologies needed, these are the stories that make this the best hunting site on the internet. Famous gun, art and love story all rolled into one. Thank you for sharing.

 

[buffybr]

I didn't grow up in a hunting family so I didn't go on my first big game hunt until I was in college back in 1965. One of my roommates was from NW Colorado and he invited me to go there for my first deer hunt.

He loaned me a Win 94 in .32 Spl and I shot a spike muley buck with it. Back at college we cut up that buck and enjoyed eating him over the winter. I proudly hunt those spike antlers on the wall of my bedroom and it became the start of my present 80 taxidermied mounts trophy collection.

 

[steve white]

I read about that in the Speer reloading manual, allegedly a rumor developed that 32 WS rifles would wear out a lot quicker than their 30–30 counterparts. The Speer technicians measured the bullets used in factory ammunition from the period and found they were .318 as opposed to .321.
I have no firsthand experience on the matter so take it as you will.

I looked, and by golly you're right, it was in the Speer manual! So the .318 thing was the cause of the rumor and folks that actually own a 32 are probably doing just fine?

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I looked, and by golly you're right, it was in the Speer manual! So the .318 thing was the cause of the rumor and folks that actually own a 32 are probably doing just fine?

I hope so.

 

[7x57Joe]

Wyatt, I'd suggest slugging the bore to know exactly what the diameter is. Dog gone it, now I'm lusting for a .32 Special to shoot cast bullets in!

 

[Wade J VanGinkel]

I have two, a very early octagon rifle my dad was still hunting with up until a couple years ago. And a pre 64 carbine that has taken at least one elk.
Picture of my dad the last time he was successful with it a number of years ago.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

Wyatt, I'd suggest slugging the bore to know exactly what the diameter is. Dog gone it, now I'm lusting for a .32 Special to shoot cast bullets in!

I will definitely slug it before I order molds and sizing dies. Bullet fitment is critical with cast.

 

[CJNJ]

The 300 savage is an interesting one for sure.

That's my rifle! Have it in a takedown. Grandfather carried it all his hunting life and I hunted deer with it last year. I think they made the Model 99 in 32 Winchester too?

 

[MS 9x56]

That's my rifle! Have it in a takedown. Grandfather carried it all his hunting life and I hunted deer with it last year. I think they made the Model 99 in 32 Winchester too?

Yes it was chambered in 32-40 and 32 Winchester special.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

Got the rifle home today. Soon as my reloading supplies come I’ll try it out.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I got to fire the rifle today. I worked up a load with the 170 Interlock over H4895. 32.5 grains gives me 2151 over the chronograph with a fairly low SD.
I only had 25 yards of range but I think it will be accurate enough. The three closest together were with the 32.5 grain load freehand.

 

[Wyatt Smith]