Marlin 1894CL 32-2-

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  • Last Post 23 May 2011
Pete Voss posted this 18 October 2010

I bought one of these the other day. It had been gathering dust in a shop for at least six months. I've been looking for one in 38/357 but now that I have dies and a mould for my S&W M&P in 32-20 this gun seemed like a natural. It has a Redfield receiver sight to boot. The mould I bought is the RCBS 98g SWC. I will load this bullet for the Marlin as soon as my backordered brass from Buffalo Arms arrives--should I also be planning on shooting a heavier bullet?

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Mnshooter posted this 23 May 2011

Another point brought out at one time on this site was that game mainly may have been shot through the shoulders. Befroe refridgeration and higher velocities I tend to believe that may have been true. When I have shot deer through the shoulders with a cast bullet, I do not get the waste and bloodshot meat one gets from a HV jacketed bullet. They also go down on the hit. A hotter loaded 32-20 would likely break down at least a smaller deer at a little over 100 pounds handily. The depression age hunters I used to talk to liked to neck shoot them where they would break the neck or cut the jugular. Drawback was that if they hit high all they would get is muscle.

DP

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salvadore posted this 20 May 2011

I get excellent accuracy in my 94CL with jacketed and cast GC lymans...311316? I think is the #, @ around 1800fps. New or trimmed brass is a must for mine.

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Mnshooter posted this 22 April 2011

I just bought a Marlin 94CL in a Ducks Unlimited version. I already had a Lee 120 grain 30 cal mold and the bullets drop at about 123 grains and a touch over 312. It is a gas check but I do not use them as I only drive the bullets at about 1450 with a bunch of AA1680 that I also had on hand and was not using. While accurate I think 2400 might give it an edge. I do not hot rod it much as I have a 30-30. One comment I heard about the 32-20 was that it was definitely a better deer rifle than the 25-20. Mostly I have seen the disputes over deer arise from a poorly hit one. Most deer will run about 50 yards or less when lung shot and drop. That is with a 270, 06, 30-30 or whatever. I have a little experience on that line. Gut shot ones and brisket shot ones go a ways and get driven to the other shooters while being tracked. I have even seen a couple shot high through the front leg only go a short ways and bleed out. As to Water's claim that the 300 Savage is a bench mark, I will not argue with that as it does give one good range. I have had some experience with both it and a 303 British which are about the same thing. My son and daughter have used those calibers with good results.

DP

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Canuck Bob posted this 27 October 2010

I purchased Waters' Pet Loads yesterday and was delighted to find the article regarding the above discussion.  We have lots of Crown forest here so I do not shoot or hunt in the farming communities.  I have witnessed disputes over wounded game shot by one party and then killed by another shortly after. 

It is a joy to read Waters' book.  The chapter on the 300 Savage is interesting.  He claims the 300 Savage is the benchmark to use for a deer rifle.  It is his ideal choice.  The comment was developed from an article were he notes this to set the baseline for reduced loads for large capacity cases handloaded for deer.

 

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6pt-sika posted this 26 October 2010

Canuck Bob wrote: I read an interesting discussion regarding the changes in hunting and how it affects the use of older cartridges.  In todays field if one doesn't anchor thier quarry there is a good chance someone else will harvest the animal after it runs a bit.

I've hunted a number of places in the USA and many were on public land . And “so far” I've not run into any game stealing !

However what you say I believe to be true in some places !

Mostly where I hunt here in VA is either my own property or that of friends . So if any game stealing were to occur those folks would be trespassing . And I would not hesitate to call the authorities !

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Canuck Bob posted this 26 October 2010

I read an interesting discussion regarding the changes in hunting and how it affects the use of older cartridges.  In todays field if one doesn't anchor thier quarry there is a good chance someone else will harvest the animal after it runs a bit.

I know when I was a kid the 30-30 was used regularly on big bull moose in the north.  It was pretty common to place a killing shot and sit awhile so the animal would lie down.  Try that today in a crowded deer area and all you will find is a gut pile!  Todays game is much more wary and hunter wise.  Also head shots were more common back then, antlers made a terrible soup.

Personally I consider the 32-20 an adequate witetail deer cartridge, 30-30 as ideal and plenty adequate for a big muley, and 303 Brit a little stout.  Also the 30-30 is an adequate bigger game cartridge, the 303 Brit is excellent and the 30-06 is almost perfect.  I also consider a .45 patched ball as adequate and a .54 patched ball from a flintlock as downright deadly.

 

 

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gregg posted this 26 October 2010

Thank you bsdger45. Very interresting.

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bsdger45 posted this 25 October 2010

The information most requested for the 32-20 was with reference to relaoding and bullet selection and/or casting. The 270 was new at the time, the DCM had sold Labels, Krags, and the US government got stuck with large quantities of 7.62 Russian rifles (USA made) when the Czar fell. These were sold off cheaply. High velocity was in vogue so 32-20 bullets were loaded in the 30/06 and 7.62 Russian at extremely high speeds. Used win 1892 rifles run about $22, $10 gets a 7.62 Russian rifle

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gregg posted this 25 October 2010

Ranch Dog wrote: bsdger45 wrote: I am currently reading 1926 American Rifleman magazines. They were published twice a month back then and the 32-20 was incredibly popular. The “Dope Bag” questions were answered by the trio of Major Townsend Whelen, Major J.S. Hatcher, and Capt. Chas. Askins. Many questions about 32-20.

Are these question in relation to reloading, use as a hunting rifle? Just curious, as in 80 years it has just about disappeared.

 

You told of the good job the 32wcf did on the bob cat. Others talked of even taking  deer. (I  know we are not hot on that but it did and does)  We who love the old ones. Us who knows what killed a deer in 1795 or 1895 works just as well now.I think we like it. Hand that soft spoken lite rifle to  most anyone out there they will go oh ? What is it? ????Well that is nice and hand it right back to ya.  Most don't see the charm? They don't see the nice take it hunting rifle . They want the ear splittings  flat shooting tac rife with the promised of 500 yd kill ??Even if they don't shoot over 10 rounds a year? I don't know ??How could such a nice round all but die?? And if rifles sold well Marlin and others would be makeing tons of them. They don't??:thinking:

 

 

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Ranch Dog posted this 25 October 2010

bsdger45 wrote: I am currently reading 1926 American Rifleman magazines. They were published twice a month back then and the 32-20 was incredibly popular. The “Dope Bag” questions were answered by the trio of Major Townsend Whelen, Major J.S. Hatcher, and Capt. Chas. Askins. Many questions about 32-20.

Are these question in relation to reloading, use as a hunting rifle? Just curious, as in 80 years it has just about disappeared.

 

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Ed Harris posted this 25 October 2010

The 1964 book being out of print for many years, copyright is probably no longer an issue, but it may take some research to confirm.

No problem using bullets up to 130 grains in the Ruger SRM. Heavier won't stabilize unless you exceed factory poressures, but the Ruger is up to it if you are cautious.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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bsdger45 posted this 24 October 2010

I am currently reading 1926 American Rifleman magazines. They were published twice a month back then and the 32-20 was incredibly popular. The “Dope Bag” questions were answered by the trio of Major Townsend Whelen, Major J.S. Hatcher, and Capt. Chas. Askins. Many questions about 32-20.

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gregg posted this 24 October 2010

Just a thought> have had some luck with the Lee 115 gr RF. Soup can as called on one forum.

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hunterspistol posted this 23 October 2010

      Your mold selection, and consequently bullet style, has a lots of room for different weights.  The 98 grain is more than likely light, and the Lyman 008 that's 115 grain will probably fill the bill.  There are also many 115-130 grain Lymans in 32 out there.  A guy just can't go wrong with 32-20. 

Ron

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6pt-sika posted this 23 October 2010

Ed Harris wrote: I know an ole boy in West Virginia who still hunts deer with a .32-20 in an original Winchester Model 1873.  Same charge works fine with 115-gr. flatnosed lead also. NOT suitable for use in revolvers, due to unburned powder. But a good rifle load.

Brian Pearce wrote an article in Handloader a few years back about loading for the 32-20 in both rifles and revolvers .

He had one load that intrested me quite a bit when I still had several Marlin 32-20's . He used a Lyman 311316 which is almost the same thing as the RD 313-115GC . ANyway he used a stout load of H-110 that was “supposed” to chronograph about 2000 from a 24” Winchester Model 1892 . I tried the load in one of my newer Marlin 1894L's with a 22” barrel and also in a circa 1906 Marlin 1894 with a 26” barrel . Both shot the bullet well enough at 50 yards to kill a deer and I had all intentions of trying to do just that . But as things change so did my priorities and I sold ALL my 32-20's before I could give this load a try on a Virginia whitetail .

Incidently when I was trying Mr. Pearce's hot load with the 311316 I also tried it with the RD 115 grainer and as expected it also shot well enough for deer with open sights at 50 yards .

While I am not advocating the 32-20 as a general purpose deer rifle , I think in the correct hands it'll do the job nicely inside 75 yards provided the shooter uses some discretion .

Rememeber the Jordan buck that “was” the worlds record whitetail for a number of years was killed with a 25-20 ! Granted he shot it something like half a dozen times .>

Over the last 10 years I've used a number of old “obsolete” cartridges with cast bullets to kill deer . Within reason they'll all do the job . ;)

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Ranch Dog posted this 23 October 2010

Not sure about the SSM, Mr. Harris would probably know.

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Ranch Dog posted this 23 October 2010

Deleted, double post.

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tturner53 posted this 22 October 2010

Another good one, 'The Deer Pasture'. I don't recall the author's name, but it's worth finding. Any reason I couldn't shoot that RD bullet in my Ruger SSM? I'm becoming a tumble lube fan and really like the RD designs. Suits my style and they go along well with Ed's recomendations on a lot of stuff, easy does it kind of thing. I've been using the Lee TL314-90-SWC and SR4756 in the little Ruger with good accuracy and also in the 7.62x54r M/N over a little Bullseye. Very surprising accuracy at 25 yds. The extra weight and flat point of the RD bullet would be better for hunting I think, and for knocking down silhouettes at 50 yds. with the Ruger. The club where I shoot in cb silhouette matches just uses heavy steel plate rectangles for that leg, railroad track bases I think.

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Ranch Dog posted this 22 October 2010

Ed Harris wrote: Ranch Dog

Could you maybe scan some portions of "Deer Hunting Stories” by Lewey Michmeruizen which would make interesting reading into .pdf so they could maybe be reprinted in The Fouling Shot. The only copy I found used on Amazon.com the guy wanted $65 for.... 

Is there any issue with copyrights? I don't mind doing it but I wouldn't want the CBA in the dog house over it.

I paid $1.50 for it back in '64!

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gregg posted this 22 October 2010

bsdger45 wrote: When I bought my 1894CL 32WCF, new, in the 1980s,the chamber was badly chattered, the fired cased looking as a polygon. Returned it to Marlin for a replacement barrel, but no, they polished out the chamber so that the empties were larger polygons. I took it apart and set the barrel and everything else back 1/2 inch to fix the problem. Although I haven't read of others reporting this condition, I doubt that my rifle was the only one to have this malady.

John

Two years ago I bought a 1894CL 32WCF for my 55yr birthday . Had a messed up barrel and was double feeding. Sent it in and it came back new barrel and after very few rounds started double feeding again and sent it back . Works fine now. Just love the darn thing. This is just a note Marlin does goof up at times but will make it good.

Well on secound thought they did you no favor.:shock:.>

It's all to bad . Great rifles.

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