32 special

[bedbugbilly]

Deerhunt - one thing you might do is to use Wikipedia.

Google something like "Winchester 32 Specuak Cartridge Wikipedia", Winchester 32 WCF Wikipedia" etc.

For pistol - to learn the history of the "38" - Google "38 Soecial Cartridge Wikipedia".

Those Googles will usually provide you with a picture of the cartridge, the dimemsions of the bullet, casing, overall length, etc.

As an example - If you Google fir the "38 Soecial" - you'll find out that the "parent cartridge" for that one is "38 Colt Long". Then Google for the "38 Colt Long" and you'll find that the "parent cartridge" for that one is the "38 Colt Short" - which came about for the cap and ball pistol conversions such as the Richard & Mason Conversion for the 1851 Colt Revolver.

There is also an excellent book - I believe it is "Cartridges of the World" - can probably get it off of Amazon - that will give you a good history on the cartridges and what they are.

Not to confuse you - but as mentioned, the 30-30 and 32 Special are rifle cartridges. If, when the time comes, you get a 1873 Single Action Army - Pietta, Uberti, etc. make excellent "copies" or "clones". They are available in such cartridges as 357, 44, 45 Colt, 32-20 (32 WCF - Winchester Center Fire), 38-40 and 44-40, etc. Yes, these are "pistol cartridges" but reproduction lever action rifles are also available in the same cartridges - in other words, you use the pistol cartridge in the lever action rifle. That does give you the opportunity to use the same cartridge in your pistol and rifle as well.

It can be a little confusing, but read and study and you'll be able to learn a lot about the various cartridges and the firearms they can and can't be used in.

And, also realize that a lot of folks have a pistol and rifle chambered in two different cartridges. I have two 30-30 rifles - a Winchester 94 and a vintage Marlin. I love reloading the 30-30 - I cast my own lead boolits and reload for it. I also have a number of pistols but the Single Action Army is my favorite. I have a 357 Uberti "Bisley" and I cast and reload 38 Colt Short, 38 Colt Long, 38 Special and 357 Magnum for that pistol because all four of those cartridges can be fired from a 357 Magnum. I also have a Uberti 45 Colt "Cattleman" that I love and I cast and reload for it - both the 45 Colt (Colt Long) as well as the 45 Schofield Cartridge ( a shorter version of the 45 Colt that was designed to be shot in the Smith & Wesson Schofield revolvers) - both an be shot in a pistol chambered for 45 Colt.

Good luck to you on your "journey" as you will learn a lot of information and history as well that will provide you with a lifetime of enjoyment. I was like you - I started shooting and hunting when I was very young - I shot black powder rifles and pistols starting when I was about 12 and have enjoyed shooting for over 50 years now. I built my first muzzleloading rifle when I was 12 and in those days, we didn't have a lot of "reproduction" parts - I used parts and pieces from original "junker guns" that were safe to use and carved the full stock out of a plank of hard maple. Be safe and enjoy!

 

[Mike Irwin]

"FWIW, other Winchester literature contemporary with that ad recommends ordinary folks do NOT attempt reloading with smokeless powder. I've seen it, though I have no way of putting on the web. (sorry)"


The oldest reloading manual for smokeless powder cartridges I know of was printed by Ideal in 1904 for the .30-40 Krag round.

Cornell Publications offers a reprint: http://www.cornellpubs.com/old-guns/item_desc.php?item_id=390


Ideal was, by far, the largest supplier of components and information to shooters, and was one of the earliest vendors of smokeless powders. I just don't know when they started offering smokeless reloading information.

You have to remember, though, at this time Winchester wasn't offering powder for sale - smokeless OR black. They did offer components, but their primary desire was to sell loaded ammunition.

I have no doubt that they were also erring on the side of caution because of the newness of the smokeless powder technology and the general unfamiliarity of shooters with it.

 

[DWFan]

In strong revolvers and lever actions, the .32-20 can be loaded to almost .30 Carbine levels. Having said that, it isn't a cartridge for beginners. Factory ammo is geared for cowboy shooting and it isn't the easiest cartridge to reload because of thin brass.
As mentioned, the .32 Win Special is a rifle round.
The OP is better off saving his money for a revolver/rifle combo in .357 Magnum.

 

[walks with gun]

Deerhunt, check into ammo prices and availability in your area before buying a 32 win. Not as common as they once were and you can just about buy three boxes of 30-30's for the price of one box of .32's. Otherwise a fine rifle. my old 32 I inherited from my grandfather has taken it's fair share of deer over the last 110 years.

 

[44 AMP]

You have to remember, though, at this time Winchester wasn't offering powder for sale - smokeless OR black. They did offer components, but their primary desire was to sell loaded ammunition.

I agree, other than I would phrase it as "their primary desire was to sell their rifles" or "their firearms". Ammo, simply followed naturally, as, in those days (rifle) ammo was virtually proprietary. Not 100%, of course, but nearly so. That situation changed over time, as well, for most cartridges. There are still some rounds today, "modern" rounds that have never been made by anyone other than their originator. I can think of a couple of Remington rounds that fit that bill, right off the top of my head. I'm sure there are others as well.

I have no doubt that they were also erring on the side of caution because of the newness of the smokeless powder technology and the general unfamiliarity of shooters with it.

I'm sure this is also true, and would add that a lot of the advice, warnings, and recommendations found in advertising and other literature up through the WWII era contain language and phrasing that would not be acceptable today, and possibly not legal today, as well.

It was common for each maker to boast about their products. Today, if you make a claim about your product, you'd better be able to back it up with facts. Back then, they seldom had to.

I'm still amused by late 1930s ads for the .357 Magnum, where they recommended the round only "for men of exceptional physique".

Winchester "discouraging" reloading with smokeless powder was a way encourage the to sale of the reloadable with black powder .32 Special. A (eventually failed) market ploy, nothing else.

They were different times, for sure.

 

[Mike Irwin]

"Today, if you make a claim about your product, you'd better be able to back it up with facts. Back then, they seldom had to."

You mean like... Glock Perfection?

No, advertising has a certain amount of leeway. Consumers are more discerning, perhaps, but they're really no more intelligent than they were in 1905.

Hyperbole is still a time tested and honored component of advertising.


"I agree, other than I would phrase it as "their primary desire was to sell their rifles" or "their firearms"."

Balderdash. Winchester didn't give a crap about selling rifles. They wanted to sell hardware.

Oddly enough, though, that's not as strange as it sounds... LC Smith, the owner of the shotgun company, was more interested in selling.... typewriters. Most of the profit from firearms went into developing and marketing the typewriters.