Loading the 32 WSL (Winchester M1905 rifle)
The Winchester self-loading series M1903, M1905, M1907 and M1910 is a good example of a straight blowback design that outgrew its niche. A low power rimfire cartridge like the 22 Auto can be made to fit in a light, handy rifle. However, as the power level is scaled up, the weight of the rifle rises, as inertia of the bolt is all the “locks” the rifle and this is proportional to the power of the cartridge.
The article is about the 32 WSL and out of the entire WSL series it is my favorite. While neither a powerhouse, nor a target round, it seems to catch the flavor of an era.
The 32 WSL cartridge has ballistics close to the 32-40 Win, which was considered a reasonable deer cartridge before the advent of the more powerful smokeless cartridges like the 30-30 or 32 Special. What the M1905 lacked in power it made up for by being light, handy and offering five shots as fast as you could pull the trigger.
Loading
With the exception of the M1907 (351) and M1910 (401) the first two centrefire rounds have been given scant attention. The only book that devoted much time to them was a softcover, “The Forgotten Winchesters” by John Henwood (published 1995). While not common, it is worth your time to find a used copy as a reference.
The 32 WSL has a very limited case volume and by comparison the 351 WSL looks enormous and this extra case volume provides more flexibility with powder selection. With the diminutive 32, powders need to be compact to get enough energy into the case.
* Based on 182 GC lead bullet, COAL 1.89”
This means that powders like A5744, which has the right burning rate is too bulky to work. While IMR 4227 is the standard for duplicating factory loads, spherical powders are better suited to the limited case capacity. A1680 is slower than IMR 4227 but provided ideal results balancing pressure and energy.
As for the others in the WSL series, brass for the 32 is from one of three sources. Original brass is at least 70 years old, as manufacture was discontinued 1957. As noted in other articles on the WSL family, if you come across balloon head cases, they should be set aside and not used. The second option is to use 30 carbine, although the rim may not be large enough to be consistently captured by the extractor. The final option is to use Bertram brass, which has the right dimensions and headstamp.
Since the 32 WSL uses the same bullet diameter as the 32-40 or 32 Special, finding bullets is quite easy. If jacketed bullets are used, it is critical that factory velocities are matched to ensure that the bullet does not lodge in the barrel. Cast bullets, even those with gas-checks, are much less prone to sticking in the bore.
I have used Lyman 321297 (listed as 172 gr), which with the gas-check and lube weighs in at 182 gr. This is heavier than the 165 gr factory bullet. Since these rifles tend to have rougher bores due to their early introduction and exposure to corrosive primers, a gas-check tends to minimize leading. Another option is Lyman’s mould (321298) gives a flat base bullet weighing 151 gr. Neither of these moulds is currently in production but enough were made that they can be found used. However, if you have a 165 gr mould meant for the 32-40 Win, the bullet can be used, although it will need to be crimped well below the crimping groove to get the right overall length.
The listed velocity for the 32 WSL is 1390 fps with a 165 gr bullet. Remington factory ammo that was chronographed measured an average of 1270 fps using a LabRadar unit. I did not have any Winchester ammunition to allow a comparison to Remington. This does give a range that the handloader should aim to mimic.
All of the loads listed used new Bertram brass along with CCI 400 (SR) primers. The test M1905 was made in 1907 and saw years of corrosive primers, which not only affected the barrel but also the chamber. This is a common problem with the 32 WSL. As a result, the chamber is quite rough and some loads did not extract and required a tap on the charging rod to free them up for manual ejection. In a rifle with a better chamber, I would expect any load with the exception of the red ones, to eject without a problem. Loads in the two tables use the same coding:
No color ejected consistently
Purple ejected partially or inconsistently
Yellow did not eject but were easy to manually eject
Red did not eject and required a tap to free the case
It is important to keep the cases at 1.28”, so that the brass does not intrude into the barrel. If it does, it can result in higher chamber pressure and the brass sticking in the rifle. The cast bullets were seated to a cartridge overall length (COAL) of 1.89”, while the jacketed bullet had a COAL of 1.88”. The factory rounds were 1.87” long.
While IMR 4227 has been the standard for the WSL series, it would appear that H110 is a solid choice for the 32 WSL. Even with the rough chamber, it gave loads that ejected around 1200 fps. A1680 was another good option and while it did not eject as regularly at higher velocities, in a gun with a better chamber it would be a top shooter. Lil’Gun behaved oddly, since the velocity gain going from 8.0 to 8.5 was marginal but from 8.5 to 9.0 it showed a large jump. This was not a “one off”, since that series was shot repeatedly and it gave the same pattern.
As mentioned before, the chamber of the rifle is rough, failure to eject is likely related to that. However, the red coded loads, which required a tap (small rubber mallet) to free the cases, is more likely related to excessive pressure. Looking at the previous table, this was mainly a problem with IMR 4227. It could be that in a rifle with a smoother chamber, case sticking with 4227 would not be a problem but it does suggest even in this instance, stress on the action would be more with 4227.
The powder that impressed the most was the fine grained, clean burning (and lower cost) A1680, when coupled with cast bullets. H110 was a close second.
As expected, with jacketed bullets, velocities were lower and depending on the powder and the amount, it was on the order of 150 fps slower once you get to the +1000 fps range. Jacketed bullets are harder to engrave and the extra work to do this means that the velocities will be less, although not the pressures. The more sustained pressure, allows for higher velocities before there are extraction issues.
Jacketed bullets need to be driven fast enough that they do not lodge in the bore. A reasonable rule of thumb is to stay above 750 fps to minimize this risk. Consequently, IMR 4227 should not be loaded below 10.0 gr where a second shot, with a plugged, would damage the gun and/or the shooter.
In terms of powder choice, Lil’Gun worked well but A1680 provided reliable extraction even at higher velocities. Even when matching listed factory velocities, A1680 cycled perfectly, which suggests that the slower burning rate was well suited to the jacketed bullet. While it would have been possible to add additional A1680, there is no reason for straining the rifle/brass by going above 15.0 gr. A side benefit is that with a 100% load density, A1680 aids in preventing the bullet from being seated more deeply as the action cycles.
At 50 yards, using open sights, the following groups were achieved. A younger set of eyes would likely reduce the stringing but even considering that, the groups were reasonable.
It is hard to say which was a winner since both cast and jacketed bullets provided acceptable accuracy, depending on the load. The Hornady bullet coupled with A1680 provided the best accuracy and matched the nominal factory velocity. A similar loading with A1680 and the cast bullet was not far off in terms of accuracy or speed. The one powder that did not shoot well was IMR 4227, at least in this rifle.
Summary
Finding dies for the 32 WSL can be a challenge and neither a target nor a hunting cartridge it is but, nonetheless, shooting it brings back memories of a former era. An era where government was less intrusive and firearms were viewed very much as an everyday item and not something that were frightening. Make the time to enjoy this easy handling rifle and a cartridge of a simpler time. With no recoil and a retro look, the gun is simply fun to shoot. A range of powders allow the handloader to replicate factory ammo.
Reloading Resources
Dies
CH Tool and Die (https://chtoolanddie.com/) all WSL calibres
RCBS formerly made this die set, SKU #56337 (32 WSL)
Brass
Beaks and Brass can supply 32 WSL cases
Bullets
0.321”, 170 gr jacketed bullets from Higginson (https://www.higginsonpowders.com)
Beaks and Brass can supply 0.321” gas-check, cast bullets
Lyman moulds 319247, 165 gr flat base (32-40 Win) or 321297, 181 gr gas-check (32 Win Spl.)
321298, 151 gr flat base (out of production)
Disclaimer
All loads mentioned in this article were safe in the author’s rifle. However, since it is impossible to know the condition of other rifles and loading techniques, no warranty of suitability is implied or expressed and use of this data is solely at the risk of the user.