June - July 1999 Volume 34, Number
3 ISSN: 0017-7393 Number 199
On the
cover... This issue is only available on CD-ROM.RCBS Cowboy Dies are designed specifically for cast bullets in a variety of older rifle
and sixgun cartridges. Photo by Gerald Hudson. Mule deer photo by John R. Ford. Purchase the CD-ROM here
There
are more than a few cartridges whose reason for
being has, from time to time, been called into
question. Usually there is a simple explanation for
their existence, even if the logic might seem a bit
weak to some folks. Then too, hindsight allows us to
see how some ideas lead nowhere, while that was
definitely not the case when the round was proposed.
Of course, there is always a possibility the
application for which a new cartridge is intended
might simply disappear. Shooters would then abandon
it wholesale.This
month's cartridge contains elements of all the above
scenarios. What's more, it never gained a following or stood
out for any particular task. The result is that few riflemen
under the age of 50 even know it exists. What is this round?
The .32 Winchester Special.
As with other cartridges that fall into the obsolete
category, there is a fair amount of suspect information
regarding its history. We will attempt to dispel this by
referring directly to Winchester catalogs whenever possible.
One such point of contention is as basic as the date of
introduction. That's easy to take care of. In Winchester's
catalog No. 68 dated January 1902, we find the first mention
of the cartridge in the Model 1894 lever-gun section. One
full page is dedicated to describing the round's attributes.
This makes interesting reading considering the .32 Special's
status (or lack thereof) today. As we go through part of
this, keep in mind the smokeless-powder-only .30 Winchester
(.30-30) and .25-35 Winchester had been available in the
Model 94 rifle since August 1895.
Catalog No. 68 states: "The .32 Winchester Special
Cartridge is offered to meet the demand of many sportsmen
for a smokeless powder cartridge of larger caliber than the
.30 Winchester and yet not so powerful as the .30 U.S. Army
[.30-40 Krag], and which could be reloaded with black powder
and give satisfactory results. The .32 Winchester Special
Cartridge meets all these requirements. Loaded with
smokeless powder and a 165 grain bullet, it has a muzzle
velocity of 2057 foot seconds, thereby generating a muzzle
energy of 1550 foot pounds."
A bit farther on the catalog informs us that, "With a
charge of 40 grains of black powder, the .32 Winchester
Special develops a velocity of 1385 foot seconds, which
makes it a powerful black powder cartridge."
The foregoing two paragraphs say a lot about the .32
Special. They also give an insight into hunter attitudes and
hunting conditions of the period. When this is combined with
the ballistics of other cartridges of the time, the .32
Special is suddenly illuminated in a new and unexpected
light.
Winchester first speaks of a "demand" by
sportsmen for a smokeless cartridge larger than .30 caliber
but less powerful than the .30-40 Krag. At the time the Krag
pushed a 220-grain bullet at about 2,000 fps. Energy figured
to about 1,950 foot-pounds (ft-lbs). Few hunters today would
consider such a figure even adequate, let alone ask for a
round developing less energy! Remember, however, this was
1902. Things were a bit different then.
First off, except for very rare exceptions, telescopic
sights were simply not used by hunters. The most popular
hunting rifle in America was then the lever gun. Even tang
and aperture sights were rather rare due to their cost. What
all this means is that at the time of the .32 Special's
introduction, shots at common big game animals like deer,
moose, bear and wild boar were close, usually 50 to 125
yards because of coarse iron sights. Forests of the
Northeast U.S. and Canada as well as much of the West also
kept range down because it's pretty hard to shoot an animal
at 200 yards if the hunter can only see 100.
Another interesting aspect of this business of range is
that a lot of animals, perhaps most, were simply targets of
opportunity. While looking for stray cattle, collecting
firewood, cutting timber or just going from place to place
game could be encountered. In such instances distance to
target could be very short indeed. These animals were shot
when possible because the meat was a welcome addition to
many diets, and the price was right! Hammering a deer, for
example, at 75 yards with a thin-jacketed 220-grain
softpoint from a .30-40 Krag would result in more than a
little ruined meat. Hunters of the time often complained
about the new cartridges in this regard. They would be
appalled at the destructive nature of today's hunting
cartridges.
The .32 Special produced about 20 percent less energy than
the Krag. Muzzle energy of the .30-30 at the time was about
1,280 ft-lbs, giving the .32 Special some 20 percent edge.
Such difference would definitely be enough to notice. The
second part of Winchester's description of the .32 Special
refers to handloading with black powder. So loaded the new
round was supposed to launch a 165-grain bullet at 1,385 fps
- exactly the same ballistics as the .32-40 Winchester. Yet
WRA did not load the .32 Special with black powder. What was
going on?
One can only surmise that handloading was more common at
the time than might be expected. Just why is hard to say. It
is difficult to imagine an ordinary hunter firing more than
30 rounds a year at big game. Handloading this small number
of cartridges would hardly pay. Nevertheless, early
smokeless compounds were dangerous in unskilled hands, and
makers discouraged individuals from using them. Black powder
was the only game in town for the moment. [In the early days
of smokeless powders, ammunition manufacturers were using
mercuric primers, which when fired with smokeless powders,
caused the case to become brittle and unsuitable for
reloading. The same mer- curic primers used with black
powder did not affect brass, and cases fired with black
powder could be reloaded safely. Hence, the .32 Special was
developed to be reloaded with black powder just before the
non-mercuric primers (H-48) became available. - Editor]
Winchester was right about one thing though. Thirty-two
caliber is about the smallest that can be used
satisfactorily with black powder without having to clean the
bore after each shot to maintain accuracy. The .32-40 was
known for its target precision, so Winchester was probably
hoping some of that reputation would rub off on the .32
Special.
Those who are tempted to criticize the black powder
handloading angle should look at earlier Winchester
catalogs. In 1899 they began carrying the statement, "Black
powder cartridges cannot be used in the .25-35 or .30
caliber Model 1894 rifles." Obviously one's fingers
won't fall off if the old black propellant is poured into
those two cartridge cases. Velocity, how-ever, would be much
lower than with smokeless, and that would drop energy -
probably to 800 ft-lbs or less. Neither round's reputation
would be enhanced by such performance. Realizing this,
Winchester probably decided to produce a cartridge that
could be loaded with black powder, if the owner wished, or
used with more powerful smokeless factory rounds. Rifling
twist was also made one in 16 inches in deference to
black-powder fouling. It would be interesting to discover
how many .32 Specials Winchester and Marlin sold in those
early years.
Design of the .32 Special is pretty straightforward - it is
merely a .30-30 necked up to use .321-inch bullets. This
diameter is also employed by the .32-40, as is the 16-inch
twist. The cartridge name comes from bullet diameter rather
than caliber. A true .32 caliber would have a .328-inch
bullet.
Early ammunition was loaded with but one bullet weight, 165
grains, in either softpoint or full patch design. Muzzle
speed was given as 2,057 fps. Midrange trajectory was 1.2
inches at 100 yards, 5.9 inches at 200 yards and 16.4 inches
at the 300-yard mark. Bullet weight was increased to 170
grains in 1904; muzzle velocity became 2,050 fps. This was
increased to 2,112 fps in 1910.
Smokeless powder development eventually allowed muzzle
velocity to increase to 2,260 fps prior to World War II.
When sighted at 100 yards, drop at 200 was 7.5 inches; at
300 paces it was 28 inches. Maximum for the .32 Special with
its iron sights was about 200 yards. Around this time
Winchester offered a 110-grain hollowpoint starting at 2,630
fps, apparently a varmint-type loading. It didn't last long.
By 1961 Winchester loaded a 170-grain softpoint and
Silvertip at 2,280 fps from the muzzle. Energy was 1,960
ft-lbs, decreasing to 960 at 200 yards. The Silvertip was
dropped in 1998, but the softpoint remains. Remington also
sells a 170-grain Core-Lokt softpoint today and Federal a
170-grain Hi-Shok softpoint. Both are listed at the industry
standard of 2,250 fps muzzle velocity. Dominion of Canada
also made .32 Specials as did U.S. Cartridge Co., Peters and
Union Metallic Cartridge.
The .32 Winchester Special is a cartridge like the .25-35
Winchester in that it's hard to understand why factory
ammunition is still made. Despite the fact Marlin also
offered rifles for many years, the overwhelming popularity
of the .30-30 meant the number sold had to be low.
Suitability of handloading with black powder would have been
important for a few years, but the justification for doing
so died quickly as improved smokeless powders were
developed. The round was more powerful than the .30-30 early
on, yet this advantage dwindled over the years as the .30
was speeded up by new powders. The .32 Winchester Special
didn't receive the same treatment. I guess we will just have
to go on wondering.
There
are more than a few cartridges whose reason for
being has, from time to time, been called into
question. Usually there is a simple explanation for
their existence, even if the logic might seem a bit
weak to some folks. Then too, hindsight allows us to
see how some ideas lead nowhere, while that was
definitely not the case when the round was proposed.
Of course, there is always a possibility the
application for which a new cartridge is intended
might simply disappear. Shooters would then abandon
it wholesale.This
month's cartridge contains elements of all the above
scenarios. What's more, it never gained a following or stood
out for any particular task. The result is that few riflemen
under the age of 50 even know it exists. What is this round?
The .32 Winchester Special.
