Anyone ever heard of a .32-70 made by Winchester? I never had but ran across a reference today in a February, 1956 Guns magazine article. Here’s an online link:
https://gunsmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/G0256.pdf
Page 42 is where you will find the reference.
It’s embedded in an article on the, “The Interchangeable .40-70’s” – which, in itself is fun to read. The premise of the article is what would happen back in the day (this 1956 article speculates, “say 75 years ago” (1881?) if someone walked into a store and requested, “A box of .40-70’s, Please.” The article goes on to state, “there has never been a, ‘caliber” with more non-interchangeable cartridges to its credit than the .40-70.” This reminds me of the other recent thread we have going where various similar .40 caliber cartridges are referenced. There’s discussion of the 70 grain powder designation (and actual charge in different cartridges). The whole point of referencing the Winchester .32-70 was to use it as an example of the smallest caliber cartridge that used a 70 grain powder charge.
Very fun.
I love the “My favorite Gun” article from the Governor of Texas! I doubt many politicians today would endorse such an article.
Interesting that the article doesn’t say if its the Rimmed or Rimless version of the cartridge.
https://www.cartridgecollector.net/32-70-usn-rimless
https://www.cartridgecollector.net/32-70-usn-rimmed
.236 US Navy cartridges are hard enough to come by, I don’t care to imagine how expensive a box of either one of these would go.
Sincerely,
Maverick
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
https://winchestercollector.org/forum/winchester-research-surveys/winchester-reloading-tool-survey/
November 7, 2015

Awesome link, Steve. Got waylaid by Askins’ article on superposed shotguns and will probably read most of the magazine. Today’s gun rag writers need to read this magazine!
Mike
TXGunNut said
Awesome link, Steve. Got waylaid by Askins’ article on superposed shotguns and will probably read most of the magazine. Today’s gun rag writers need to read this magazine!
Mike
I got waylaid with several of the other articles as well! Another example of how the past is so much better than what we have now.
On the .32-70, I strongly suspect Winchester would have built up a cartridge testing rifle on a M1885 action?
Maverick said
I love the “My favorite Gun” article from the Governor of Texas! I doubt many politicians today would endorse such an article.
Interesting that the article doesn’t say if its the Rimmed or Rimless version of the cartridge.
https://www.cartridgecollector.net/32-70-usn-rimless
https://www.cartridgecollector.net/32-70-usn-rimmed
.236 US Navy cartridges are hard enough to come by, I don’t care to imagine how expensive a box of either one of these would go.
Sincerely,
Maverick
I have a couple of Winchester Lee Navy’s. The ammo is hard to find and it runs about $30 per cartridge. The original stripper clips are worth close to $200. The original clips have an 1895 Patent Date on them. If you want a box of ammo it comes in 2 different boxes. You can get it with 20 rounds in a 2 piece box or you can get it in a box that has 20 rounds that are in stripper clips. I bid $800 for a partial box with the clips and didn’t come close. Some rounds were made with a rim but I don’t think these were ever used in production?
1 Guest(s)
