Is it safe to use .32 special ammunition in a Winchester 94 marked for 32-40 WCF?

Question

My grandfather just organized his rifle collection and I noticed a 94 winchester rifle that looks to be in good working order. I would hopefully like to fire it once in a while, but 32-40 ammunition seems to be in very short supply. I am not sure what the serial number is at this time.

Answer 1

Save your life and dont do it.  32 special is actually a 30/30 necked up to 321 or 323.  The shoulder on a 32/40   is not the same so it will not headspace properly.

Answer 2

Here is 1 source for .32-40...

It is NOT interchangeable with .32 Win Special

http://www.loadxammo.com/

Answer 3

No.  The .32-40 is a black powder load and a rifle designated .32-40 WCF may not have the structural integrity to handle smokeless powder ammunition.  The .32 Special is essentially a necked-up .30-30.  To prevent anyone from mistakenly loading .32 Special ammo in a .32-40 the neck casings are different with the black powder round being tapered (more of a straight design) and the .32 Special being more of a bottle-neck design liked the modern .30-30 Winchester.  If you must shoot your grandfather's .32-40 find the black powder .32-40 WCF rounds.  Check the link posted above by another poster for the proper ammo.

H

Answer 4

As stated above they are totally different rounds, do not interchange them. Also depending on when your 1894 was made it may be advisable to shoot cast bullets only. The early barrels were not designed for jacketed rounds in the 32-40. Look for the "special smokeless steel" mark on the barrel or a variation of it. Jacketed rounds will cause premature wear in the softer blackpowder steels.

Contrary to popular belief the 1894 was not introduced as a smokeless powder rifle. It was first offered in 32-40 and 38-55 blackpowder rounds in 1894 and the smokeless 30-30 came out about a year later.

Answer 5

Some very good answers so far.  I have a Win '94 .32/40.  The bore diameters (.321) and twist rates (1 in 16") are identical with the .32 Spl.  However, as stated before, the .32 Spl. is a bottleneck cartridge whereas the .32/40 is a straight taper cartridge.  If you attempt to use .32 Spl. in your .32/40 you will have an immediate and dangerous jam.  In one sense the .32 Spl. is an "improved" .32/40.

I have used .30/30 cases to form into .32/40 and reloaded successfully.  Using .32 Spl. cases should be even easier.  Simply run through a full-length resizing die.

The .32/40 is a mild and accurate shooter.  I remember listening to some old timers swear by their .32/40's for deer hunting in Pennsylvania.

Answer 6

Data is a little sketchy by now, but if memory serves (and it might not), the 32 WS was intended originally for initial factory loads using smokeless powder, and the original rifles supplied with a slower than the 1 in 16 twist eventually used, so that folks could reload with black powder if they wanted to. As people ran out of black powder, or the inclination to use it, the factory rifling specs were upgraded for specific use of smokeless powder, as the initial "slow rifling twist" plan had become an Albatross on gun sales, after having temporarily been a selling point. Better check me on this. Regards, Larry.

Answer 7

No

Answer 8

Get a new gun, I think a Ozzi would be satisfactory

Answer 9

If it is a 32 special, 30-30 ammo is interchangable. I have one.

Answer 10

No, that is a different ccaliber. .32 is the caliber and 40 is the grains in voulme of black powder for which the shell was orginally made. The .32 special is a modern varient and asimliar to putting a .357 Magnum into .38 Special, in other  wordsbad explosoin likely to occur. the 32-40 WCF is and Old school caliber, plus 94's aren't made anymore so for the sake of the rifle and my passion for guns to be pryed from my cold dead hands don't try it. The 32-40 is designed to shoot with black powder loads unless made after 1906 or there abouts only stick with black powder loads in 32-40WCF.  Oh and send your serail number back to the factory to see if they kept recorsd when yours might have been made very gun manufactor should be able to trace the year if not the month and day it was made depending on the record keeping skills, this way you could know if you can use modern smokeless rounds in it.

Answer 11

32 Special is not interchangeable with 32-40 or 30-30

Answer 12

Though some of the dimensions are similar, the 32 Special has a distinct bottleneck configuration, where 32-40 Ballard/Winchester is a tapered straight case. You could probably reform some brass without too much trouble, and loading data is available.