.32 Winchester Special
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| .32 Winchester Special | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type | Rifle | |
| Place of origin |  United States |
|
| Production history | ||
| Designer | Winchester | |
| Designed | 1895 | |
| Manufacturer | Winchester | |
| Specifications | ||
| Case type | Rimmed, bottleneck | |
| Bullet diameter | .321 in (8.2 mm) | |
| Neck diameter | .343 in (8.7 mm) | |
| Shoulder diameter | .401 in (10.2 mm) | |
| Base diameter | .422 in (10.7 mm) | |
| Rim diameter | .506 in (12.9 mm) | |
| Rim thickness | .063 in (1.6 mm) | |
| Case length | 2.040 in (51.8 mm) | |
| Overall length | 2.565 in (65.2 mm) | |
| Rifling twist | 16 | |
| Primer type | Federal 210 | |
| Ballistic performance | ||
| Bullet weight/type | Velocity | Energy |
| 170 gr (11 g) JFP | 2,283 ft/s (696 m/s) | 1,968 ft·lbf (2,668 J) |
| Source: Hodgdon[1] | ||
The .32 Winchester Special is a rimmed cartridge created in 1895 for use in the Winchester Model 94 lever-action rifle. [2] It is similar in name to the .32 WCF and .32-20 Winchester cartridges, but cannot be interchanged since it does not share the same dimensions.
Contents |
[edit] History
This cartridge is one of two based on the 30-30 case that came out in 1895 and differ only in bullet diameter. It was intended from the beginning for being able to use cheaper black-powder reloading. Winchester used a relatively slow 1 and 16 twist (vs 1 in 10 to 1 in 12 with 30-30 which was never designed for black powder usage) because it was said to foul less when black powder was used. The down side of this is that when the bore gets a little worn with slower twist, accuracy can suffer a lot. Winchester's goal was to create a new cartridge for sportsmen who wanted something more powerful than the .30 WCF and that could use smokeless or black powder and yet without the recoil of the .30 Army.[2][3] This new cartridge only enjoyed moderate success, and remain hampered by the small selection of available bullets in the .321 size.[2] Shooters can generally find a wide selection of bullet types and weights for the .30-30, while the .32 WS generally only comes in 170 grain (11.02g) bullets.
[edit] Performance
Ballistics are similar to the .30-30, but the larger diameter bullet of .321 in (8.15 mm) vs .308 for 30-30 and will make a somewhat larger hole, while the same weight in .30 caliber would have a larger sectional density, and generally greater penetration.[4] According to the original Winchester, the .32 WS has about 5-10% more energy than the .30-30 at point blank ranges and less at longer ranges due to increased ballistic bullet drag due to increased diameter and reduced sectional density.[5]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ ".32 Winchester Special (rifle) data" from Hodgdon
- ^ a b c Hornady (2003). Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading, 6th Edition, vol I, Grand Island, NE, USA: Hornady Mfg Co, 488,489.
- ^ Barnes, Frank C. [1965] (2006). in Skinner, Stan: Cartridges of the World, 11th Edition, Iola, WI, USA: Gun Digest Books, 72. ISBN 0-89689-297-2.
- ^ "The .32 Winchester Special" by Chuck Hawks
- ^ "WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL?" by M.L. McPherson at Levergun.com
