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I have been looking at the Magazine archives with Interest. The WACA membership is a good deal. The summer 1981 issue has an article by Lewis Yearout on the first 32 spcl being a” deluxe , Date of production Nov 20 1902 ser # 83653″ this is a very low # for this date. I know the Receiver must have been sitting in the Custom shop for some time. I have a 94 , ser # applied Mar 11 1902 being 141477 . that is quite a difference , (58000 + whatever production for 8 more months.) Just wondering if this much discrepancy in ser #’s is common ? Bert ?
Phil
My 1903 vintage M1894 # 175601, was in the whse. 3-18-1903 and not shipped until 8-16-1904. Not a deluxe, but a takedown with very pretty wood. I guess no one wanted a takedown 32 Special so it sat. Not to unusual, I have a little later part rd. 30 caliber that sat in the whse. for 5 1/2 years. Big Larry
Phil,
Lewis Yearout was not correct concerning serial number 83653 being the “first” Model 1894 is 32 Winchester Special. That honor belongs to serial number 107731, a Sporting Rifle, which was received in the warehouse on 10/5/1901. The first 32 Carbine was serial number 142889, received in the warehouse on 5/10/1902.
In regards to serial number 83653, it went through the Polishing Room in February of 1900. The earliest serial number that was assembled as a 32 WS was 10675 (a Sporting Rifle), received in the warehouse on 8/23/1902. The first serial number for a Carbine was 22967, received in the warehouse on 8/27/1902.
As you can see, the serial number sequence for the Model 1894 was all over the map in the early production years.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Interesting Thanks Bert and Big Larry. The ser#s on my guns are sequential by date and generally were shipped out fairly quickly . Because they are mostly standard rifles
Phil
If I remember correctly, Russ Day at one time owned the very first 1894 in 32 WS. It was a test rifle built to test the 32 WS ctg. I don’t have the SN, possibly Russ might remember it.
Mike,
Russ did once own it, and it was a standard Sporting rifle, serial number 107731. I had my hands on that rifle at the Big Reno show several years ago.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Bert,
What is the earliest model 1885 in .32 W.S. that you know of?
Sincerely,
Maverick
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
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Brady,
Serial number 87516 was the “first” Model 1885 in 32 WS by serial number, and it was received in the warehouse on 11/9/1904.
Serial number 94997 was the “first” Model 1885 in 32 WS by date, and it was received in the warehouse on 6/8/1903.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
So I take it then that in Frank C. Barnes’ “Cartridges of the World” book is wrong in stating that the .32 Winchester Special was introduced in “1895“? Or at least that’s from one the lists that I have and going from memory. I’ll have to double check through my latest edition of Cartridges of the World when I get a chance.
Surely It didn’t take 6 years for Winchester to Tool-Up machinery after inventing the cartridge. I take it this is some kind of clerical error on Barnes’ part. I noticed he was incorrect about the .50-110 & .50-100-450 cartridges in previous editions. I think that has been corrected in the latest edition, if I remember correctly.
What year do catalogs have .32 Winchester Special being introduced?
Sincerely,
Maverick
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
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If C.O.W. lists the 32 Winchester Special as being introduced in “1895”, they have a serious clerical issue. I suspect that they got it confused with the 30 WCF and 25-35 WCF, which were introduced in 1895.
The 32 Winchester Special was introduced in the June 1902 Catalog No. 69. As with most things, the catalogs almost always trailed the actual event.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
The first Marlin Model 1893 in .32 H.P.S. (.32 Spl) is serial number 240266, and was shipped May 8, 1902. Marlin was right in sync with Winchester on getting a rifle out in the same caliber. It sure was interesting times back in the early days of gun manufacturing.
I’m currently in the process of writing something about a 32WS rifle I have, the previous owner and some history of the 32WS cartridge itself for The Winchester Collector. Actually went out and shot my first hand loads with the .321″ Hornady FTX bullet 1/2 an hour ago. Accuracy looks like it will be superb for an open sight rifle.
I’ve been getting some good help from Bert H. and some other WACA members on the research. That’s why I was looking for the 1902 catalog info. Winchester dedicated a page to promote the caliber in the Model 1894 for awhile. Looking at the cartridge in the context of when it was introduced and what was available then is interesting to me. Like you say Road King, it was an interesting time. There are a whole pile of smokeless cartridges that were introduced in the 1890s-early 1900s. 32WS fared pretty well considering how many guns were chambered for it.
Brad
COW latest edition has .32 WS as introduced in 1902. I must of gotten that 1895 date from an much older edition or from another source or something.
Sincerely,
Maverick
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
https://winchestercollector.org/forum/winchester-research-surveys/winchester-reloading-tool-survey/
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