Winchester Collector - Forum: Winchester Rifles

steve004 on An old wivestail???

Mon, 04 May 2026 23:00:54 +0000

I'm remembering the early Winchester promotional material (which must have had something to do with the development of the .32 W.S.). I recall verbiage to the effect of the .32 W.S. being an improvement over the .30 WCF and basically getting about half way there to the .30-40 Krag power level. Now this seemed to not work out to be true, but I think it was the company line.

Bert H. on An old wivestail???

Mon, 04 May 2026 19:25:06 +0000

Zebulon said
Bert, when you write that "the 32 caliber" was "long known -- for its inherent accuracy", may I assume you were referring to a specific cartridge, the 32-40, because it was long used in target competition and accordingly got a lot of accuracy development like the 38 Special and 45 Auto pistol cartridges?

Yes, I was referring to the 32-40 Ballard cartridge, which was adopted by Winchester in the year 1885 for the Single Shot rifle, and then in November 1894 for the Model 1894.

Bert

Zebulon on An old wivestail???

Mon, 04 May 2026 17:15:54 +0000

Bert, when you write that "the 32 caliber" was "long known -- for its inherent accuracy", may I assume you were referring to a specific cartridge, the 32-40, because it was long used in target competition and accordingly got a lot of accuracy development like the 38 Special and 45 Auto pistol.cartridges?

MidwestCrisis on An old wivestail???

Mon, 04 May 2026 17:09:07 +0000

How about the 35 cals? Isn’t this around the same time 1910 to 1930 or so. When Winchester was rapidly developing new calibers and Remington UMC would immediately come out with something similar, just rimless or whatever?

Steven Gabrielli on An old wivestail???

Mon, 04 May 2026 09:38:23 +0000

Bert H. said
We do not refer to them as "old Wives' Tails" on a gun forum... "wives" (women) seldom if ever talk about old guns except to tell us to stop buying them!
Instead, the term "urban myth" is a lot more befitting.
My understanding is that the 32 Winchester Special was developed as an improvement (replacement) for the older 32-40 black powder cartridge. The .32 caliber was long known and recognized for its inherent accuracy, but it had not yet been loaded to its potential. The 32 W.S. cartridge was considerably and ballistically more potent than the older 32-40 cartridge. Even in its smokeless W.H.V. factory loading, the 32-40 was nowhere near the potency of the 32 W.S. The attached picture is a scanned copy of the April 1905 Winchester catalog.

Bert

This too. Back in the day a lot of people wanted to continue firing cast BP loads and the .32 barrels were a bit better, until they corroded from lack of cleaning.

Steven Gabrielli on An old wivestail???

Mon, 04 May 2026 09:32:56 +0000

This-

“Any real difference is in the skills and mind of the shooter and the situation at hand.
I'd choose the 32 Spl. over the 30-30 for the same reason I chose the 270 over the 30-06................"The Road Less Traveled"...........Everyone I know has a 30-06. so whats to compare?‘’

And the .32WS is still here.

Cliff on A Conservation Story

Mon, 04 May 2026 00:41:27 +0000

Agreed.

MidwestCrisis on A Conservation Story

Mon, 04 May 2026 00:34:11 +0000

With the rest of the parts surviving. I would exercise patience, and wait for the new barrel. But that’s just me. I have no idea what you know or your practical experience. I would hazard a guess, best case you’ll have a shotgun. Worst case you’ll lose a functional rifle you put some work in that’s also sentimental. Then you can put it in the corner of your barn and wait for someone to take it from you. Just my opinion. You do you.

Cliff on A Conservation Story

Mon, 04 May 2026 00:20:01 +0000

Ive actually got this one straight enough to shoot right now. There is still a slight 'S" curve in it but, I wouldnt be afraid to shoot it. Im sure accuracy and velocity would suffer though. The bore aint bad but it aint good either. I can wait on a barrel 🙂

TXGunNut on An old wivestail???

Mon, 04 May 2026 00:01:26 +0000

I believe the 32WS is indeed an improvement on the 32-40 and the stories we hear about the 32WS as an effort to appease the BP shooters with a somewhat slower twist rate are interesting but I've always wondered about the success of that idea. The assertion that the 32WS is superior to the 30WCF is a fun way to see how much our friends know about either cartridge. I've never gotten useful firearms advice from an old wife.

Mike

TXGunNut on A Conservation Story

Sun, 03 May 2026 23:46:01 +0000

I believe MidwestCrisis is correct. A curved barrel might work, a sharply bent barrel will have a restriction that will dramatically raise pressures, likely even after attempted straightening. I would advise slugging it to confirm but you would need a flexible rod to drive that slug. A bore scope may be helpful, maybe not. I like the replacement barrel idea.

Mike

MidwestCrisis on A Conservation Story

Sun, 03 May 2026 23:02:51 +0000

You’re talking about this device that the nazis came up with toward the end of the war for inner city fighting. I believe I’ve seen one for the k98 that had a mirror mounted to it for sighting. The history channel stuff is crap. On you tube, look up demolition ranch and his last video on shooting through pipes. He did it several times and I’d say perfected the test. That barrel seems to have a kink, that I’d expect would explode the barrel.

after posting a Nazi rifle. I feel the need to say hail Winchester. The 95 in 30-06 would have defeated the Huns.

Jeremy P on Model 94 30-30

Sun, 03 May 2026 22:27:45 +0000

That's it then, for some reason I thought that happened 10-20 years earlier.

450 Fuller on An old wivestail???

Sun, 03 May 2026 21:43:01 +0000

Bert:

For reasons unknown, the 32WS attachment is not loading/appearing-at least for me.

Regatds;

Ridge M.

Bert H. on An old wivestail???

Sun, 03 May 2026 21:29:02 +0000

We do not refer to them as "old Wives' Tails" on a gun forum... "wives" (women) seldom if ever talk about old guns except to tell us to stop buying them!

Instead, the term "urban myth" is a lot more befitting.

My understanding is that the 32 Winchester Special was developed as an improvement (replacement) for the older 32-40 black powder cartridge. The .32 caliber was long known and recognized for its inherent accuracy, but it had not yet been loaded to its potential. The 32 W.S. cartridge was considerably and ballistically more potent than the older 32-40 cartridge. Even in its smokeless W.H.V. factory loading, the 32-40 was nowhere near the potency of the 32 W.S. The attached picture is a scanned copy of the April 1905 Winchester catalog.

Bert