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Catpop
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Sure would like pic of that caution on the barrel
32-40
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Catpop
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Where was the smokeless proof located and what did it look like? Just curiousI had a smokeless proofed Marlin Model 93 in 32-40 and fooled with it alot in the 1980s . It really liked the old pope style 165 grain bullet from Lyman molds and I used light loads of RL7 powder with it for around 1400 FPS out of the 24" octagonal barrel. I sold the rifle to a collector 5 years ago for $1000 . Marlin should reintroduce the Model 93 in the new .350 LegacyView attachment 826552
Gordon
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On the side of barrel and as remember it said " special smokeless steel"
Rbstuartjr
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I’ve got 3 boxes of that John Wayne ammo to go with my 1916 version of the 1894 32-40 rifle. I did have 4 boxes but I shot all of one. I now load my own instead of shooting up the rest of my JW stash. I’ll try to get up pictures of mine later. It’s one of my favorite rifles to shoot. Accurate and soft shooting with 170gn lead bullets.
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Catpop
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Rbstuartjr and others,
Are you making your brass from another case like 30-30, 32 special or 38-55?
Just curious?
I once ordered some reloads from old western scrounger only to find they were loaded in 30-30 cases. Boy was I disappointed! But they shot fine! But I sure wanted those 32-40 cases some kinda bad!
Now I’m just saving the once fired 30-30 cases I can find that mic over 2.050.
I got a batch of 30-30 packed in 34-0-0 right now hoping they will grow .010 by the time I need them!
Are you making your brass from another case like 30-30, 32 special or 38-55?
Just curious?
I once ordered some reloads from old western scrounger only to find they were loaded in 30-30 cases. Boy was I disappointed! But they shot fine! But I sure wanted those 32-40 cases some kinda bad!
Now I’m just saving the once fired 30-30 cases I can find that mic over 2.050.
I got a batch of 30-30 packed in 34-0-0 right now hoping they will grow .010 by the time I need them!
slicksleeve
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Catpop
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Here’s your photo blown up for all to see. I’d read about that caution, but never seen one in real life! Thanks for sharing with us!!!!26” barrel?
I love that tang sight! Wish mine had one!
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Gordon
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That is where it had "Special Smokeless Steel "in same script
slicksleeve
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I looked for one for a long time. Bought it used off of Gunbroker. It fits the factory drilled and tapped holes in the tang. When I took the screws out of the tang to mount it, I don't think they had ever been removed. Its a Marbles brand. The bolt will touch it when the lever moves all the way to full stroke. I think its a 26 inch barrel. Longest lever action I've got anyway. Drat now you got me doubtin'. Gotta go measure it now.
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Catpop
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Slick sleeve,
Thanks for rear sight info- Marbles!
Yeah mines kinda long too!
Matter of fact mines so long I had to buy a hunting license in the next county just to be legal!
Thanks for rear sight info- Marbles!
Yeah mines kinda long too!
Matter of fact mines so long I had to buy a hunting license in the next county just to be legal!
Gordon
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NIGHTLORD40K
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Interesting!
This '94 left New Haven in 1913 and just bears a simple .32-40 stamp with nothing on the side of the barrel:
My buddy found it in his father-in-law's attic in pretty sorry shape. No one still living knows any back story on it, unfortunately. Its scheduled for a full restoration after a few other projects Ive got lined up. Hes trading me an equally rough M1906 .22 in exchange for the labor.
forward observer
Member
I'm curious as to why Winchester made 32-40 ammo with John Wayne's picture on the box. He never carried any lever guns in any of his movies from 1939's Stagecoach to 1969's True Grit other than the Winchester model 92 and 32-40 was never chambered in that model. Reportedly, Wayne's movie model 92's were chambered in 44-40. They chambered the model 92 in 32-20, but not 32-40 and Wayne never carried a model 94 nor any Marlin in any of westerns that I am aware of. Of course most of his westerns were set in time frames at least 10 years before the model 92 even existed so I guess it doesn't matter much. Wayne's movies never let historical facts get in the way of a good yarn.
Take "the searchers" for example. It's set in Texas about 3 years after the civil war or 1868 to be more precise--yet Wayne carries his 1873 SAA and an 1892 Winchester through the whole movie. He might as well had a 42 gigawatt plasma blaster. The curious want to know.
Cheers
Take "the searchers" for example. It's set in Texas about 3 years after the civil war or 1868 to be more precise--yet Wayne carries his 1873 SAA and an 1892 Winchester through the whole movie. He might as well had a 42 gigawatt plasma blaster. The curious want to know.
Cheers
Gordon
Member
Thats a Winchester 94, not the Marlin 93 , which we were discussing . Funny thing the Marlin 93 was very popular in 32-40 . As were Remington Target rolling blocks and the Winchester Falling block. I once had an older friend than me who had a Winchester Schuetzen type single shot in 32-40 with a A. O. Zischang barrel that out shot bench rest telescopic target rifles at up to 300 yards up until World War 2 . He had a Room full of trophies and swore the weird practice of breach seating a .32 paper patched bullet on a wadded case of black powder could not be beat . I guess some old timers here might still remember that stuff. Anyway the 32-40 was highly regarded and was one of the most fun guns for me in 80s and 90s when want to play nostalgia . I matched up my Marlin 93 with my old Army Special 32-20 in fun outings to the Swiss Rifle club where I was an associate member.Interesting!
This '94 left New Haven in 1913 and just bears a simple .32-40 stamp with nothing on the side of the barrel:
View attachment 826761
View attachment 826762
My buddy found it in his father-in-law's attic in pretty sorry shape. No one still living knows any back story on it, unfortunately. Its scheduled for a full restoration after a few other projects Ive got lined up. Hes trading me an equally rough M1906 .22 in exchange for the labor.
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Catpop
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That’s a very good question!I'm curious as to why Winchester made 32-40 ammo with John Wayne's picture on the box. He never carried any lever guns in any of his movies from 1939's Stagecoach to 1969's True Grit other than the Winchester model 92 and 32-40 was never chambered in that model. Reportedly, Wayne's movie model 92's were chambered in 44-40. They chambered the model 92 in 32-20, but not 32-40 and Wayne never carried a model 94 nor any Marlin in any of westerns that I am aware of. Of course most of his westerns were set in time frames at least 10 years before the model 92 even existed so I guess it doesn't matter much. Wayne's movies never let historical facts get in the way of a good yarn.
Take "the searchers" for example. It's set in Texas about 3 years after the civil war or 1868 to be more precise--yet Wayne carries his 1873 SAA and an 1892 Winchester through the whole movie. He might as well had a 42 gigawatt plasma blaster. The curious want to know.
Cheers
Maybe someone here can shed light on what association John Wayne had with the 32-40 cartridge and the Winchester 94 of same caliber?
Gordon
Member
Winchester did not make Model 1892 s during the John Wayne surge of interest after his death, so they released John Wayne 1894 Model
Commemoratives in the historic and very popular 32-40 along with the branded ammo. They were in a couple grades and the first time Winchester made the big loop "Wrangler" configuration.
Gordon
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And in 2007 Winchester did produce a 1892 in 44-40 to honor the hundred birthday of John Wayne !
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Catpop
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Knowing that some commercially reloaded 32-40 cartridges use 30-30 cases I decided to conduct a little experiment! I noticed when trimming some resized 30-30 cases for a friend the other day that some required much more trimming than others.
So I saved all that measured over 2.050 untrimmed.
I then resized some in my 32-40 dies.
The result was cases now measuring 2.075.
True it is not 2.130, but it is .045 closer and only .055 short of factory 32-40 brass.
Good news to those struggling to find 32-40 brass for their old rifles!
.455_Hunter
Member
It's my understanding that Wayne kept a .32-40 round in one gun belt cartridge loop as a reference for remaining ammo to honor a similar technique used in the real West.
NIGHTLORD40K
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So Ive been talking to my buddy about finding a .30-30 barrel for his '94 takedown, given the dimensional differences Im wondering if there may be more needed for the conversion? Are the rim diameters the same?
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Catpop
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Rim diameter is same for 30-30, 32 win spc, 32-40, and 38-55.
Hopefully not to convert from 32-40 to 30-30?
Hopefully not to convert from 32-40 to 30-30?
NIGHTLORD40K
Member
Thats the idea- if the only difference is the barrel, then there should be no permanent changes necessary.....
He just wants to able to shoot it with commonly available ammo.
.455_Hunter
Member
Looking for more info this evening, it seems the the round in question was typically a .45-70, NOT a .32-40. So much for my theory.
rondaxe
Member
I've got 5 boxes of those, only four are full, and they have $17.00 price stickers on them. I bought them in the mid 80's. My great grandfather had a model 94 made in 1912, half octagon barrel. It got passed down to me, and I run a few bullets through it every year. Half inch high and just a smidge to the left at 50 yds. If you go to the reloading forum on here and do a search, I think "Does anybody reload the 32-40" you'll find a couple of recipes from the late RC Model on the thread. I almost think in the movie Rooster Cogburn John Wayne tells a story about facing the Ned Pepper Gang head on while shooting a colt in one hand and whirling his 32-40 in the other, I could be remembering that wrong though.
209jones
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Last run of brass for 32-40 was around 2010-2012 or so. Don't know if WW will do them again or not. They were apparently doing them about every 10 yrs or so after they quit building ammo. Still popular with shooters in the ASSRA Schuetzen matches, which Coors sponsored up to 1993. I just sold mine last year. Some of the old Pope/ Zischang/Stevens/Win/Ballard guns can bring 5 figure prices these days. Think Browning did a run of 1885's in the 80's in 32-40, those and the JW 1894's were the last ones as far as I know. One of the beauties of breech seating is a person can use and load 1 pc of brass till it won't hold primers anymore, it never gets sized. I had 200-300 loads on 100 pcs of brass, still good to go.
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