Loading the .32 Win special

I've had the same thoughts when a 32 special showed up at a local pawnshop. Speer makes a flat nose .321" 170 grain bullet. Hornady makes both a flat-nose and FTX bullets for it also. What I had decided to do was to cast bullets for it. But when I went to get it, it was gone.

Federal, Winchester, and Remington all still have factory ammo for it. RCBS makes a 170 Grain gas check mold for it. New brass is available from Hornady and Winchester, but could probably be reformed from 30-30 or something else. If you already have 30-30, I'd be hesitant to have loads around with the wrong headstamp on them.

Components are a little harder to find than for the 30-30, but they're still out there.

I'd go for it.

Matt

Brass (sorta) :

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/711066/winchester-reloading-brass-25-35-wcf-box-of-50

It might be too much working on the neck to go from .257" to .321" ID, but the headstamp wouldn't lead to load in the wrong rifle. Unless you have a 25-35. And it's in stock.

Matt

They have been around for close to 100 years. Will they be here for 5 or 10 more? Who knows and right now I am hoping I am! I have two from the early 50's. One is a Marlin and the other my fathers first rifle a Winchester from 1949. I like them both and reload for both all the time. You mentioned good condition and the right price. If I found that combination I could fit another in my life.

According to Lyman Cast Bullets the case is a 30-30 necked up to .321. RCBS die #32-170-FN sized to .321 with gas checks. Powders are Red Dot, Unique, SR-7625, SR-4759, IMR-4895. The rifle has been on my wish list.

Midway shows them ready to ship.
http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/383491

30-30's brass will work fine for 32 Sp. I have been loading 32 Sp since 1968 at that time the only lead bullets were my own hand cast and Crisco lubed, jacked bullets were available from several big name makers. Today I am shooting Beartooth Bullets 170 LFNGC. These are Lead Flat Nose Gas Check sized to .323" setting over top of a full charge of WW748. Barrel slugs .321 Never shows signs of high pressure and very accurate, 1000's of rounds fired. Big fan of LEE "Factory Crimp Die". Have fun, contact me if you have problems.

Be VERY careful with any .32 Winchester Special cartridge made from .30-30 brass, lest it find its way into a .30-30.
Plenty of the older .30-30s have chambers worn enough to accept the case with a .321" bullet in the case mouth.
The consequences of sending a .32-caliber bullet down a .30-caliber bore are never good.
The first cartridge I ever reloaded, about 1970, was a .32 Winchester Special in a Lee Loader, for the Winchester Model 94 my Dad bought new in 1941.
I still have that rifle, and plenty of cartridges (factory and reloads) for it.
A fine cartridge for deer and black bear.
If you use cases that have 30-30 headstamped on the base, you need to make them immediately recognizable to you and others. I'd suggest you degrease the loaded cartridges with a little lighter fluid on a rag, then use a black or red indelible marker to write 32 WS prominently along the side of the case.
You'll have to rewrite this after each reloading, as resizing and passes through other dies will likely remove it, but it's a small price to pay for being safe.
Mark the box prominently, too.
A year ago, I saw .32 WS empty brass, made by Winchester, regularly at gun stores in Salt Lake City. Of course, that was before the hoarding mania struck. I'm unsure if it's so readily available now, which forces you to use .30-30 brass.
Incidentally, the best powder I've found for the .32 WS and jacketed bullets, for hunting loads, is still IMR3031. I tried others but they weren't as accurate, so I returned to IMR3031.
Besides, its scent of ether brings back some fond memories of my first reloading experiences.