The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The North Corral > Curios and Relics

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old September 11, 2008, 12:55 AM   #1
458winshooter
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 16, 2008
Location: Transplanted to Ridgeland,SC
Posts: 606
Marlin 32 H.P.S.

I was just over on gunbroker and ran across a Marlin 1893. It was chambered in 32 H.P.S.I am not familiar with that so does anybody have anything they can share on it?I tried to google but didn't get much.Thanks.
458winshooter is offline  
Old September 11, 2008, 02:11 PM   #2
James K
Member In Memoriam
 
Join Date: March 17, 1999
Posts: 24,383
IIRC, the .32 H.P.S. (.32 High Power Special) was simply the .32 Winchester Special when used by competitors who didn't want to put "Winchester" on their guns. AFAIK, the cartridge is still available, though not common.

Jim
James K is offline  
Old September 11, 2008, 02:32 PM   #3
Rampant_Colt
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 17, 2006
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 1,478
GREAT find!



or it could possibly be 32/20?

the .32 Winchester Special that Jim Keenan's referring to looks exactly like a 30/30, and has identical ballistics

IIRC, the 30/30 and .32 Special were available in 1894

I personlly think the rifle in question's a 32/20
__________________
member of an elite paramilitary organization: Eagle Scouts
Rampant_Colt is offline  
Old September 11, 2008, 02:59 PM   #4
Jim Watson
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 25, 2001
Location: Alabama
Posts: 18,486
No.
Marlin 1893 is the long action suitable for .32-40, .38-55, .30-30 and .32 Special.
If it were a .32-20 it would be a model 1894.
Jim Watson is offline  
Old September 11, 2008, 03:37 PM   #5
Rampant_Colt
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 17, 2006
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 1,478
Jim Watson is correct.

That rifle is chamered for .32 Winchester Special [see above photo]

http://www.gunsamerica.com/976993599...arlin_1893.htm
what a sweet rifle!


happy bidding!
__________________
member of an elite paramilitary organization: Eagle Scouts
Rampant_Colt is offline  
Old September 11, 2008, 08:33 PM   #6
458winshooter
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 16, 2008
Location: Transplanted to Ridgeland,SC
Posts: 606
32 win

Thanks to all of you for your responses.Now if I can justify it to my wife and bid on it!I just picked up a NIB 1895 45-70 last week.
458winshooter is offline  
Old September 11, 2008, 10:02 PM   #7
Rampant_Colt
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 17, 2006
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 1,478
Heads-up!

I was reading Cartridges of the World and saw that the Marlin M93 was also chambered for the 32/40 cartridge


click on pic for full-size image:


I suggest asking the auctioneer or rifle owner what the proper caliber is
__________________
member of an elite paramilitary organization: Eagle Scouts
Rampant_Colt is offline  
Old September 12, 2008, 12:43 PM   #8
James K
Member In Memoriam
 
Join Date: March 17, 1999
Posts: 24,383
The .32-40 never had the word "Special" attached to it. IIRC the Marlins in that caliber were marked simply ".32-40".

Also, while the .32 Special looks like the .30 Winchester Center Fire (.30-30), they are separate cartridges and are not interchangeable. The .32 Special came about because many shooters and hunters liked the .32 caliber. Ballistically nearly identical to the .30-30, it also allowed Winchester to use the same drilling and rifling tooling they used for the .32-20 (.32 Winchester Center Fire) but for a more powerful cartridge. As the .30-30 gained wide acceptance, the .32 Special declined, though many old timers swore it was a lot more powerful than the .30-30.

Jim
James K is offline  
Old September 29, 2008, 01:00 PM   #9
Dave Gafvert
Member
 
Join Date: August 23, 2008
Posts: 18
Marlin 32 spl, loading dies and bullets

Hi. I sold my 1893 Marlin and still have a as new set of RCBS dies, 3 boxes of
unopened 170 grn Hornady bullets (300). and some cases. Let me know if you
would be interested in them. all for 60.00. Cheers Dave
Dave Gafvert is offline  
Old October 19, 2008, 07:24 AM   #10
Arquebus
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 1, 2008
Location: Inland NW
Posts: 116
Jim Keenan said:
Quote:
The .32 Special came about because many shooters and hunters liked the .32 caliber. Ballistically nearly identical to the .30-30, it also allowed Winchester to use the same drilling and rifling tooling they used for the .32-20 (.32 Winchester Center Fire) but for a more powerful cartridge.
Don't think that's quite right. The .32/20 uses a .312" bullet whereas the .32 Special uses a .321". The usual story concerning the .32 Special, & it may be just an urban legend, is that folks were trying, unsuccesfully, to reload their .30/30 cases with blackpowder as reloading with smokeless was still a new development. Apparently Winchester marketed the .32 Special as being suitable for reloading with BP due to its slightly larger bore diameter & slower rifling twist rate.
Arquebus is offline  
Old October 19, 2008, 08:08 AM   #11
Jim Watson
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 25, 2001
Location: Alabama
Posts: 18,486
20, 40, what's the difference?

The .32 Winchester Special amounts to the .32-40 barrel specs and the .30-30 bottleneck chamber. No relation to the .32-20.

The part about factory loads with smokeless and reload with black is, if an urban legend, a very well entrenched one. I have an article where the writer tried it. He was disappointed with the performance when loaded with "fresh" components, but then he found a can of pre WW I DuPont black powder. Loaded with that, his .32 W.S. shot at higher velocity with less fouling and better accuracy, making it a worthwhile proposition for the handloader at the turn of the previous century.
Jim Watson is offline  
Old October 21, 2008, 02:59 PM   #12
James K
Member In Memoriam
 
Join Date: March 17, 1999
Posts: 24,383
Hi, Arquebus and Jim,

My goof on the bit about the .32-20. I plead guilty to passing on a myth I read somewhere without checking it. But it was no myth that many old timers did consider the .32 Special to be a lot more powerful than the .30-30; I knew some of them and there was no way to convince them otherwise.

Jim
James K is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:32 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.06851 seconds with 10 queries