To rebarrel or reload...

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Andrew S

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I have a 1956 Winchester 94 in .32 Win Special and it is an absolute pain to find ammmunition for it. Even when I do pick up a few boxes at the gun shows I pay $15 a box. So the way I see it I can either rebarrel the rifle or get the equipment and learn to reload.

Can anyone educate me on the cost of doing each and maybe offer some input on what you would do?
 
Reload. That's a special rifle you have. If you want one in a more available caliber, just buy another one chambered for something common like .30-30, .44 magnum, etc.

You can get into reloading for a few hundred bucks or less by buying a single stage press kit from someone like RCBS or Lee. You need the press, scales, a set of dies and a shell holder for the cartridge you want to reload, a good loading manual, and a few other little things. Be forewarned -- reloading is addictive, and you may find that you enjoy it as much or more than shooting. Many guys have starting reloading to feed their shooting habit, and wound up shooting to feed their reloading habit.
 
I personally would reload, it's cheap and easy, but I already load for a dozen calibers so adding another would not be that big of a deal for me... You can reload on the cheap and probably make your own 32-20 Win for about 12cents/ea, plus less than $100 to start if you do one of the Lee Anniversary kits and RGB dies, purchased through www.midwayusa.com I highly recommend Lee reloading stuff and Midway - I think they are great value for the money - but some people like better stuff and pay accordingly. The 'Lee or not Lee' topic is probably the equivalent to the '.223 or not 233' topic for the reloading forum.

Midway is also a good source of bullets.

OTOH, nobody 'saves' money reloading. I spent about $600 a year on ammo before I started reloading and when I checked what I spent last year, I found I spent almost exactly the same on components. What reloading did allow me to do was (1) Shoot my MAS49/56 a lot more; (2) Tune loads for much better accuracy for a 308 Spanish Mauser and a 30-06 Ruger M77; (3) Shoot my Garand a heck of a lot more; and (4) Make beaucoup the ammo for my nephews to go shooting with me...
 
jaimeshawn said:
OTOH, nobody 'saves' money reloading.
Click to expand...

That depends. You can certainly reload a lot of calibers for a lot less than it costs to buy factory loads. If you shoot a lot, already, that will save you a ton of money. I compete in cowboy action shooting, for example. I can reload 44-40 for CAS for a heck of a lot less than I can buy it. My savings run from $5-10/box, depending on whether you are comparing to factory new loads or commercial reloads.

I think what you're suggesting, though, is that once you start reloading you may tend to shoot a lot more, thus eating up your savings. That is often the case. Your cost per round goes down, but you end up shooting a lot more rounds, so the total cost comes out the same.
 
Reload!! A pre-64 Winny '94 in .32 Special is something else, different and out of the ordinary. It is probably worth a little bit of money if it is in decent shape. Besides, for the cost of a rebarrel job you'd be money ahead to pick up a second rifle in a more common caliber, like a .30-30 Winny '94. Used lever guns are about $200-300 apiece in these parts. Pretty economical as far as I'm concerned.

You will and won't save money reloading. You will save money on ammo. You will probably end up spending just as much on ammo, but shooting quite a bit more. Once you get into the hobby, if you really get into it, you will sink that saved money into new little pieces of equipment. Look on the bright side though; you derive a practical benefit from reloading, and that is knowing more about your firearms and ammo than you ever thought possible. :cool:
 
So reloading it is.

I dont mind spending the same amount of money I just have a hard time shooting 75 cent/rd ammo. The whole point of this is so I can shoot the rifle more.

So I will need a Lee's reloading kit
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=820810


Can you link everything else I will need? There seems to be all different types of dies. The kit also mentions I will need a case length gauge and shellholder. I would like to make an order of everything I will need to start once I get the package.
 
For a die set these are a good value: http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=293613

Honestly, I wouldn't get too carried away on fancy, expensive dies and bushing sets and blah blah blah. I've loaded thousands of .223 Remington on LEE equipment, which would really burn the guys I've beat with it (the ammo that is)! ;) At any rate, that lever-gun will need to be full-length resized, instructions for which are included with the die set. You will need to lube the cases, otherwise they stick in that steel die and tear. There is no shortcut for this in rifle rounds, sadly.

The only other thing you need is a set of calipers. Dial, digital or other. As long as you can record the length of your loaded rounds and your fired cases, you are golden.

Add powder (I know my father uses Winchester 748 in his .30-30; I doubt the powder selection between .30-30 and .32 Win Special is much different) and bullets and that is all I can think of for right now. Good luck and be careful!
 
All You have to do is full lenght resize 30-30 brass in .32 Special dies. I 'd not skimp, I'd go with Redding dies..........Essex County
 
Essex County said:
All You have to do is full lenght resize 30-30 brass in .32 Special dies. I 'd not skimp, I'd go with Redding dies..........Essex County
Click to expand...

Have you used the Lee dies as well as the Redding dies? If so what influanced your opinion?
 
I have a 1950 '94 like yours, and I regularly get ammo for closer to $10 or $11 per 20 rounds. And at our local gun show they're $9-10 per 20.
Check this page
http://www.outdoormarksman.com/product_info.php?cPath=65_63_98&products_id=8104
they show none available, but will get some especially if you contact them.
I've also picked up .264(also rare and expensive) for $18 per 20.
The .32 is a wonderful caliber that was put out shortly after the1894's intro to accomodate folks who wanted to use black powder as well
 
I'd go for option C.

I'd sell that rifle to some collector who really thinks that a Winchester 94 in that caliber is "something special," and sell it for a real collector's price, and then use that cash to buy something else that wasn't so hard to get ammo for.

But then again, that's just me.

hillbilly
 
Midway and Graf had proper headstamped brass in 32 spcl the last time I looked, I bought 50 pc late last summer from Graf as I remember. Hornady has a good 170gr 32 cal FP bullet and IMR 3031 is a good powder choice in this cartridge.

I`ve my grandfathers old `30s vintage M94 that he, my dad, my youngest brother, and I, all dropped our first whitetails with. It`s a good 150 yd deer round and the rifle is a dream to carry. Don`t rebarrel, you will regret it at some point in time.

To get started on a bare bones set up you`ll need a GOOD MANUAL, two isn`t too many to have! The manuals will tell you what you need and how to use the tools. You shouldn`t start until you have a good idea of what you`re doing, why, and how to accomplish it. The books will explain the steps and better ones will have good photos to help. I like the Lyman or Speer for beginers.

Tools needed..................

press
dies
shellholder
scale
powder funnel
dipper of some type to ladle powder on the scale pan ( a spoon will do in a pinch)
caliper to measure cases and COL
loading block
lube and pad
case trimmer (Lee makes a cheap easy to use tool)
chamfer tool

Be sure to record all data you use and anything pertaining to the loads you assemble. If you want to repete the load at a later date, or have trouble with them, in either case, it is a lot easier if you have good records to look back on.

Other tools are helpful and make the job go much faster and easier but these few are a must and will load a cartridge for you to get you started. I`m sure as you get started you`ll be adding more to your list, the ammo savings gets spent fast as one progresses.
:evil: :evil:
 
Reload by all means, especially if you like to shoot a lot or would like to be able to shoot a lot more. Costs about the same to get started as a rebarrel job probably and you will have the rifle plus the reloading equipment.
 
I'd reload. But if you're like me you won't save money because you'll start buying guns with hard to find ammo just so you can reload for them too.
 
definately

reload. that is a rare cartridge, think of the value it will have someday on I have this old gun, in the hands of one of your grandkids!!!
 
Another vote for reloading. All my reloading equipment has been bought and paid for for quite some time now. It is cheaper to reload depending on caliber, but I think I can even reload .30-30 a little cheaper maybe. 7.62x39, forget it, but I still have dies and reload for it because I have a special hunting load for it. Besides, I never buy a rifle without buying dies if I don't have the caliber.

It'd be blastfamy to rebarrel that .32! You can load some good ammo and get into it cheap by sticking to Lee stuff if you don't wanna spend an arm and a leg. It's not the best built stuff, the presses and such, but it gets you into your caliber cheap and if you're not loading a bunch of ammo, your Lee stuff will last a long time. Actually, the O press and dies are decent!

Heck, if you got handguns you need to be reloading them, too, and you can really save some money on handgun ammo, especially if you cast. I just loaded a box of .45 tonight for about $3 worth of non-reusable components. I cast the bullets. That compares to 15 or so at Walmart for a box.

Before you rebarrel that rifle, sell it to someone who would appreciate a classic, then pick up a .30-30 at any gun show.
 
Reloading is Good.

Separate story: I have an old Model 94 (made in 1902) that came back from Mexico. .25-35. Big problem: I and three gunsmiths couldn't get the blockage out of the barrel. It was like somebody had stuck an arc-welding rod up the barrel and run the amps way up and hit the switch.

I picked up a good used Type 2 .30-30 barrel at a gunshow for $35. The sights are different, and I still need a Type 2 barrel band, but it shoots, and shoot just fine.

Your rifle is already a Type 2, and changing barrels is real easy if you have some wooden blocks and a decent bench vise.
 
If you really like the rifle, the dollar advantage goes to reloading. You'll spend less on setup and a few components (bullets, powder, primers.....you HAVE been saving your brass, right?:evil: ). Besides, it's something to do during the long months of January, February, and March.

If you're lukewarm on the rifle, sell it and buy what suits you better. I will caution you on that option. The .32 won't be easy to replace if you have seller's remorse.
 
My library shows Hodgdon, Speer and Lyman manuals have data for the .32 win. special.Speer manual case history says this cartridge was made to fill a hand loading niche.Go for it.
 
runninmike:

Thanks for the link. Thats cheaper than I have seen it at the gun shows here.

hillbilly said:
I'd go for option C.

I'd sell that rifle to some collector who really thinks that a Winchester 94 in that caliber is "something special," and sell it for a real collector's price, and then use that cash to buy something else that wasn't so hard to get ammo for.

But then again, that's just me.

hillbilly
Click to expand...


This was my dad's rifle and means a lot to me. Dont think I will ever sell it.



Thanks for all of the help guys.
 
You betcha!
I love my .32ws, and you know if you still have trouble getting ammo or don't want to send off for it, you can easily sell the .32 and pick up a '94 in .30wcf(.30-30)-there are literally millions of them around, ballistically a twin to the .32ws and ammo is everywhere at even much cheaper cost.
Personally-you should keep the .32 and get a companion in .30-.30 to keep the .32ws company!
Best-MC
 
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