What caliber is this?

[Grant 14]

A friend showed me his grandfathers old Marlin lever action. Very nice old gun but he has never found ammo for it. The barrel shows "32 HSP", maybe it was "32 HPS" I cant remember which, but it did not look like it had been re-marked.

I have never seen that (either way) marking before.

Any ideas???

 

[Oliver Sudden]

The Marlin would be a 32/40 Winchester cartridge. They wouldn’t mark them with Winchester name so 32 HSP .

 

[Grant 14]

Thanks, I will tell the owner. At least 32-40 is sometimes available. I have looked at a few Marlins but never noticed an unfamiliar marking before. It will soon go to the 4th generation of ownership in the family.
Grant.

 

[BillM]

Not 32-40. Marlin 32 HPS (High Power Special) is Winchester 32 Special.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Bill nailed it.

I've not see a Marlin marked that for YEARS.

I get the impression that they only used that marking before World War II.


The big question is, which Marlin model is it?

An 1893 would be something of a rarity in that chambering.

 

[paknheat]

Bill beat me to it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Oliver Sudden]

I stand corrected.

 

[Grant 14]

I will let my friend know. It is an old high end gun. Nice grade of wood with checkering that shows lots of hunting time and it is a takedown. A real classic. I am not sure of the actual model. Thanks for the help.

 

[bedbugbilly]

The 32 Winchester Special cartridge was created by them in 1901 to use in their Model 94s chambered in that cartridge. It was one of the few bottlenecks that was designed to also be reloaded ny owners using cast bullets and black powder. Easily done if you owned one of the Ideal tong tools that also had the mold or you vote could also buy a Winchester bullet mold to cast with. If anyone tries reloading the Winchester 32 Spl. with cast and BP, just remember to use a BP lube to keep the fouling soft and like all BP cartridge loads, it needs to be a compressed load with no air space in the casing.

Just as an added note - many of the old Ideal reloading tong will be double stamped - one for the Winchester name for the cartridge (WCF - Winchester Center Fire) and one for Marlin's name for the same cartridge - for the above reasons already stated.

 

[Mike Irwin]

The .32 Winchester Center Fire is not the same cartridge as the .32 Winchester Special.

The .32 WCF's more common name these days is the .32-20. It's shorter and a lot less powerful than the .32 Special.

Ideal Tong Tools would most likely be marked .32 WS.