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32 Winchester Special Ammo For Sale

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Initially designed for use in the Winchester Model 94 Rifle, the .32 Winchester Special is likely the only cartridge that was marketed to handloaders. This round is also ideal for hunting medium-sized game, as it is similar in performance to the .30-30 Winchester. Learn More

History of 32 Winchester Special Ammo

Winchester designed the .32 Winchester Special rifle cartridge in 1901, and explained their rationale for developing this cartridge in their 1916 catalog:

"The .32 Winchester Special cartridge, which we have perfected, is offered to meet the demand of many sportsmen for a smokeless powder cartridge of larger caliber than the .30 Winchester and yet not so powerful as the .30 Army."

(".30 Winchester" is now known as the .30-30, and ".30 Army" is the original name for the .30-40 Krag.) What Winchester failed to mention is that the .32 Special only improved muzzle velocity by about ten percent over the .30 Winchester. It is worth noting, however, that the .32 Special shoots flatter at distances greater than 200 yards, and retains slightly more energy.

The .32 Winchester Special case uses a necked-up .30-30 Winchester. Bullet diameter is 0.321" and the bullets commonly weigh between 165 and 170 grains, muzzle velocities range between 2,280 and 2,400 feet per second, and muzzle energies range between 1,900 and more than 2,100 foot pounds. The bullets are mostly manufactured in various soft point configurations, including Remington’s Core-Lokt bullets and Federal’s Power-Shok bullets. The two rifles most commonly found that fire the .32 Special are the Winchester Model 94 and the Marlin 1892, both well known lever action rifles.

32 Special vs. 30-30

A primary difference between the .32 Special and the .30-30 has to do with the ratio of rifle twist in the barrels of the respective guns. The ratio of rifle twist in the .30-30 is 1:12, and the ratio of rifle twist in the .32 Special is 1:16. Winchester used this rifle twist ratio in their marketing efforts, explaining that this would reduce powder fouling for those who desired to reload their own ammunition. However, many firearms historians are perplexed by the notion that Winchester would build a cartridge to specifically encourage reloading.

While the answer to questions like these may be lost to time, it is fascinating to speculate just how these developments came about. The .32 Special has a loyal group of supporters still, sufficient enough that at least three major manufacturers still produce the cartridge. And it seems that it will still be in production for many years to come.

32 Winchester Special Ballistics: Chart of Average 32 Winchester Special Ballistics

Note: This information comes from the manufacturer and is for informational purposes only. The actual ballistics obtained with your firearm can vary considerably from the advertised ballistics. Also, ballistics can vary from lot to lot with the same brand and type load.

32 Winchester Special Bullet WEIGHT Muzzle VELOCITY (fps) Muzzle ENERGY (ft. lbs.) TRAJECTORY (in.)
  Muzzle 100 yds. 200 yds. 300 yds. 400 yds. Muzzle 100 yds. 200 yds. 300 yds. 400 yds. 100 yds. 200 yds. 300 yds. 400 yds.
165 Grain 2410 2145 1897 1669 n/a 2128 1685 1318 1020 n/a 2 0 -13 -19.9
170 Grain 2250 1921 1626 1372 1175 1911 1393 998 710 521 2.5 -3.5 -22.9 0
Molly Carter
Written by
Molly Carter