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My favorite cartridge to shoot is the 32-40 Win in my carbine and rifle. I went out to the range with a box of new ammo, and several boxes of reloads. After shooting and loading failures, I measures the good and the bad. The good was the factory loads ( Imperial ) and the reloads by Larry Shennum, our friend and perfectionist. The gun show bought cartridges varied in length.
It appears 2 1/2” length is the maximum that will cycle up from the magazine into the breach. Anything else, mostly 2 5/8 to 2 3/4” all will not cycle up from magazine, getting caught on carrier position at the magazine.
Adding to the issue, an old time collector gave me a bag of 32-40’s that are very old, from various manufactures, that ate are 2 1/2” , but also many the longer 2/3/4”. Some reloads, some manufacture made.
I separated them all, and ask this question: Were the longer loads made for the 1885 single shot or Ballard rifles ?
I have several manufactures of reload, but mostly factory loads of the longer cartridges, and many different manufactures. REM -USC, Peters, USC, W.R.A. Co. And Winchester HV and more.
Any comments on the long rounds appreciated, and opinions on collector desirability. I also have a lot of casings of those manufactures and some are “necked” and some not.
What the heck do I have ?
Bill
Who knows for sure what you have. The 32-40 was not a Winchester designed cartridge and was used by many target shooters. The data I have for a Winchester 32-40 is 2 1/2″ OAL. When first loading I always make a test round to make sure it will cycle through the action. I doubt that Winchester made any 32-40 any differently for the 1885. I would not shoot someone else’s reloads. Pull the bullet, dump out the powder, use your own powder and re seat the bullet. In fact you can do this to all of the longer cartridges. I hesitate to say, just seat the bullet deeper. You don’t want to end up with compressed loads of unknown powder.
The specs for the 32-40 Ballard/Marlin is the same 2-1/2″. The 32-40 Bullard, not Ballard, is a necked cartridge but the case is a little shorter than the Win case.
November 7, 2015
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The cast bullet load I’m working on for the 32-40 measures 2.590” but it’s a flat point design. I always use a moderate crimp for lever guns and I almost never shoot anyone else’s reloads, especially from a mixed bag. 32-40 brass is a bit hard to come by, I’d consider pulling the bullets and powder if the cases look good. I suspect the long and/or un-crimped rounds were loaded for a single shot that did not require a crimp. Factory ammo will nearly always be crimped.
Just realized I’m working with a single shot. 
That makes my OAL data pretty much useless, sorry.
Mike
Thanks for the input. Any collector value for individual rounds of a specific manufacturer ? Not the reloads.
Maybe someone has a box to fill out.
Bill
Bill,
In the past I started to reload with correct 32-40 brass but was using bullets designed for the 32 Winchester Special. When seating the bullet to the cannelure I found the OAL was to long. I don’t remember the exact dimensions but they were just slightly longer and would not cycle. I had to change to a different bullet to get the correct OAL. Maybe the bullet could be causing the difference in the reloads you have.
Nick
“…using bullets designed for the 32 Winchester Special.”
You can add a cannelure to .32 WS bullets to adjust for the proper .32-40 length.
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