We shot the Marlin .32 Magnum this morning with three different handloads.
All three loads used Federal brass, Winchester small pistol primers with the bullets seated to 1.330” and 4.4 grains of Alliant Unique. We shot these at 30 yards using the buckhorn rear sight.
We measured the groups using Greg Mushials Target Tool in RCBS Load. This feature takes a lot of the guess work out of working with targets.
The 85 grain Hornady JHP got 1,267 fps with an E of 145 and SD of 58 fps. The five shot group measures 1.21” center to center.

The 90 grain Sierra JHC got 1,218 fps with an E of 202 and SD of 67 fps. This load had one high velocity and one low velocity round so I shot 7 rounds into the group. The total of 7 shots measure 1.066”.

The 100 grain Speer JHP got 1,236 fps with an E of 17 and SD of 8 fps. The five shot group measures 1.056”.


EDIT] MyME formula says 338 ft pds of ME. Of interest, this load works up to 43% efficient by Ken Howell's formula. Anything above 30% is a pretty efficient load.
The most powerful "normal" .32 Magnum 100 grain load I am aware of is the C. E. Harris load for the Ruger Single Six, 5.0 grains of Winchester 231 for 1264 fps from a 6.5" barrel, this load giving 354 ftlbs of ME by my formula. This load is listed as around 40,200 PSI. This is a warm load but not a "special". The "specials" for the heavy frame guns are HARD on brass.
My experience says that anything between 1200 and 1300 fps will give you reasonable brass life with no sticky extraction. I am talking about The Rgr SSX, SP 101, and heavier guns. The S&W J Frames are at their best, in my opinion, when held to 1200 fps and less with the 100 grain bullets.
There is an Accurate Arms load of 6.0 grains of No. 7 and the 100 grain JHP from Hornady. This is a good load but in my guns will not equal the Ed Harris load for velocity or accuracy.]EDIT


The rifle has freed up quite a bit with the working of the action and firing 100 rounds.
The 20” octagon barrel allows the rifle to be held steady when shooting off hand. The magazine loads quite easily and with the small .32 H&R Magnum case loading through the magazine tube slot does not seem unnatural. We only loaded five rounds in the magazine at a time but the rifle fed the three slightly different bullet profiles smoothly, extracted them without difficulty and ejects the empty cases about two feet out to the right side of the rifle.
It looks like I may be able to shoot into a 3” group at fifty yards with the buckhorn sight. If that is the case I’ll be happy until I can install a receiver sight. This is one of the new Marlins which sadly, is not, drilled on the left side for a Lyman receiver sight. The Lyman receiver sight is very useful to the small game hunter as it is easier to make quick elevation adjustments than is the case with the Williams receiver sight. Elevation adjustments on the Lyman receiver sight are accomplished with a coin or screw driver. The Williams receiver sight requires two different screw drivers to adjust elevation due to the slide lock screw and smaller elevation adjust screw. For a big game rifle this is not a serious problem. For a small game rifle using flat nose bullets it is necessary to adjust elevation when taking the occasional long range shot. You cannot “hold over” with a receiver sight and the lack of screw holes on the left side of the receiver on this Marlin rifle is a significant oversight on the part of the manufacturer.

These few drawbacks aside I am quite pleased with the rifle. I believe it will be quite a little hunting rifle. We intend to compare it directly with the Marlin 1894CL .32-20 rifle and this should make for an interesting comparison.
We look forward to hearing from anyone else shooting the .32 Magnum Marlin.

Thanks for the good report. Can you edit your ME for the 100gr bullet?

CD

CD
If you are looking for heavy hitters within "reasonable" pressure limits for the heavy frame guns it is hard to beat 5.0 grains of Alliant Unique and the NEI 100 grain SWC bullet. In my 6.5" Rgr Bisley this load gives me 1303 fps on hot days with about 376 ftlbs of ME. On a winters day the same load in the same handgun will give about 1265 fps for 354 ftlbsME. 7.0 grains of Alliant 2400 or 5.0 grains of 800X will run 50 to 75 fps slower.
4.5 grains of Alliant Unique in the 6.5" Bisley will drive the Lyman 311008 to 1215 fps and 375 ftlbsME. If you are looking for a load to bring porcupine out of a tree this one or the same bullet ahead of 9.8 grains of Hodgdon 110 will do the job.
These loads are not for the light frame guns but the brass falls out of our 4" S&W M-16. The Ruger handguns have rougher chambers and if they are not polished will begin to isplay anular rings in the brass at thiss point. There is a good Tech Note on Beartooth on how to polish Ruger chambers.

William, I noticed on the new Ruger website they have discontinued the SP100 in .32 Magnum. I fear this cartridge is going the way of the Dodo bird. I got a hankering for a .32 revolver, may need to grab up one while the getting is good.

Do you have any idea how many Marlin has sold?

Do you have any idea how many Marlin has sold?


No idea at all but it cannot be many. First the rifle is expensive for a small game and cowboy shooting rifle. Second, when you feel how rough this rifle is you will stop and give serious thought about paying $600.00 for it.

Those two negatives aside I am very excited about the rifle. Its no secret I enjoy the writings og Gen. MeGee, Ellis Lea, C. E. Harris, Francis Sell and a few other "Small Game" hunters. The Marlin, Stevens, Remingtons, the two Winchesters etc. are some of my favorite "little" rifles. I get to shoot the small rifles at critters a lot more often than I shoot my big game rifles.

Back to the Marlin, I dont know if they are serialized in with other 1894's or not. Ours is s/n 942068xx. I had expected to see a letter prefix on the Cowboy Model.

If you can get your hands on a Ruger Bisley in .32 Magnum or a S&W M-631 4" Kit Gun, dont let go. Two fine hanguns.

Take a look at Ken Waters Pet Loads article and C. E. Harris article in the 1995 Gun Digets on "The Perfect Kitgun".
Also look for the Wayne Blackwell article and the several small mentions of the .32 Magnum by Ross Seyfried.

Despite all of my playing with powders and bullets I could probably settle on 800X or H-110 and the Lyman 311008 for most of my shooting. If I wanted higher velocity any of the 100 grain lead SWC bullets would do fine.

Could you believe that 100 grain Speer JHP going through three layers of steel belted tire at 100 yards?

Someday I'll post a picture of my Hunting Uncles old Model 92 .25-20. This rifle is WORN OUT from feeding their family and fellow miners. It rode many miles under the wagon seat - and bears the scars of such travel!

William,

There's an article about the Marlin .32 H&R MagnumCowboy in the May/June issue of "Shoot!" magazine. Haven't read it yet, but there seems a good bit of information.

Lobo in West Virginia

Marlin .32 H&R MagnumCowboy in the May/June issue of "Shoot!" magazine.

Lobo,

I'll check it out at the news stand. I have seen the magazine but have not looked at it very much.

Hey William,

A go to load for me has been 11gr. of Lil Gun with the Hornady 85gr. bullet. Great target load, but a little harsh on the varmints.

Also, I was in on the 120gr. Cast round flat nose developed over on Cast Boolets for the 32-20. It throws the bullet right at .314 and I size it the same. This bullet over 4.5gr. of 800X is darned near as good as it gets for this little gun. Unique gives good groups, but can't beat the 800X in my gun. I borrowed this from Ken Waters.

Dr. A

Like you I have found 800X to be the most accurate powder across the board in all of our .32 Magnum handguns. This followed closely by Hodgdon 110. With 90 or 100 grain bullets we use 9.8 grains in the lighter frame gun and 10.0 in the heavy frame guns. I have found that Lil' Gun is replacing H-110 in all of of my loading. In every caliber Lil' Gun seems to provide just a little more velocity, uniformity and accuracy.

My 1894CL .32-20 seems to like heavier bullets, it shoots the Lyman 311008 very well.

Edit]Dr. A
What sight are you using on your .32 Magnum?
I believe Marlin made an error when they discontinued drilling the screws on the left side of the receiver for the Lyman receiver sight.
Certainly the new Williams receiver sight with the base set up to attach at the rear scope mount base holes is a less than satisfactory solution. The sight requires the use of the hammer extension. The Marlin hammer extension damages the hammer and will, in time, accelerate off the hammer or break.
I have looked at the pictures on the Marlin Owners Forum of the Williams Guide receiver sight attached in two ways. The first with its tail hanging over the rear of the receiver and the second with the sight moved forward. The problem is the Guide receiver sight is still pretty slow to adjust for elevation.
I may just remove the buckhorn sight and install a Marbles flattop folding open rear sight with windage adjust and a Sourdough front sight.

William, I believe that you can get any of the Williams FP sights with target knobs. I had wanted one myself but was too impatient to wait for it. I also leave the set screws and the gib screw barely snug so that I can adjust the sight without loosening them.

Ken,

We use the Williams on several rifles. My wife has one on her M-39M that I added target knobs to. The Williams is a pretty good sight for on the range or for rifles we dont adjust the sights on very often. I tried leaving the lock screw set to cause a light drag but not tight. It didnt realy work very well for me and I ended up losing the screw? Here is a picture of the Marlin M-39A with the Williams, a picture of the new Williams for the Marlins that are not drilled - you can see how far back the sight sets on the reciever. I'll take a picture of our .25-20 with the Lyman sight to show the difference. The Lyman is a little easier for a hunter to adjust in the field. A forum member has suggested I make an aluminum mounting block for the Marlin that will allow me to attach the Lyman sight to the block. Its a good idea and if properly done will not add a lot of weight or bulk to the rifle. If I can get an adapter plate hacksawed out in a few days I'll post a picture of it.
I am also hunting for a picture of a M-94 Marlin with the new Williams attached to show the overhang of the reciever.

I removed the other pictures and adding these.

Pic 541a & 543a shows the M-39, 25-20 and 32-20 from left to right. The Williams sight is pretty bulky for the .22 rifle and target knobs add to the bulk.
The Lyman sight is a bit easier to use in the field for elevation adjustments.

Pic 547a gives a better view of the side view.

Pic 559a shows how the Williams sight sets a little further back than the Lyman. The new Williams will set even further back forcing the use of the hammer extension.

ReEdit] I forgot to mention the last picture. It shows how I lost the lock screw from the Model 39 sight by leaving it loose enough to cause just a slight drag.

I finally got the cartridge overall length worked out. My rifle does not like the factory ammunition COAL of 1.330" Loaded to a COAL of 1.3450" the rifle feeds the rounds like they were greased.

I cannot live with the new Williams reciever sight mounting to the rear scope mount holes so I am looking at the XS peep sight (a copy of Francis Sell's Cascade Snap Shooter from the looks of it).
This sight with a .600" Sourdough front should work well.
Now that the rifle is smoother and feeding well it sure is a lot of fun.

I have the XS sight and have used it on my 1894CB .44 magnum and 1894CL. It works well but is aggravating to use for target shooting. I plan to put it back on the .44 before deer season.

I have got to ask the obvious question: why don't you just get the .32 drilled and tapped for the Lyman sight?


I hate to admit this but it wasn't until this thread that I checked my 1894CB (1998 manufacture) and realized it is drilled and tapped for the side mount sight.

[QUOTE=KenK]
I have got to ask the obvious question: why don't you just get the .32 drilled and tapped for the Lyman sight?
QUOTE]


I thought about it a lot. When I was a kid Winchester had stopped drilling the Model 94 for reciever sights - for a short period of time. These days rifles from that period bring a bit of a premium if they have not been drilled and tapped for the sight.
As a pre-teenager I watched while several of these rifles were drilled and tapped.

Recently I drilled and tapped a 1948 production Model 94 for a Lyman No. 2 tang sight. I thought quite awhile before I put the drill to that tang. I'd like to think a little while before I take the drill to this one too. Just to be sure I am thinking straight!

I ordered the XS sight this afternoon. I would sure like to a picture of the new Williams sight on a Model '94 Marlin

If you want better resolution or another angle I can email them to you.

The picture with my hand has the hammer at half cock. I don't use the extension for target shooting.

Excellent! I appreciate it, thank you.

The picture with your thmb was exactly what I wanted to see.

Why did Marlin do this? They could not be saving $2.00 per rifle.

William, the top mount Williams sight is 1.550" from the center line of the forward mounting hole to the rear of the aperture.

As near as I could guesstimate, based on the picture you posted of the Lyman sight, if you mounted the Williams in the two front holes on top of the receiver, it would only be about 5/8" further forward than is the Lyman sight.

William,

There's an article about the Marlin .32 H&R MagnumCowboy in the May/June issue of "Shoot!" magazine. Haven't read it yet, but there seems a good bit of information.

Lobo in West Virginia


Got the magazine today. The pictures sure look good. Will read it tomorrow. Thanks for the heads up on this. I dont normaly look at this magazine.

William,

Glad to have been a help. I pick up a CAS magazine two or three times a year, kind of on a whim. I'd been looking through this copy the day before reading your post!!

All the best......

Lobo in West Virginia

Lobo,

I enjoyed the article on the .32 Marlins. We have both, our .32-20 is one of the first run CL’s and has “Ballard“rifling. I must admit I know very little about Cowboy Shooting. I did go to CAS City and downloaded the rules just for fun.

More important than the .32 Marlin article is the very interesting article on lead bullet hardness “Buzzing Bees or Mushrooms.” This is a very interesting article on bullet hardness and steel targets. If you have seen any of my comments on lead hardness over the years you will remember I seldom shoot any bullet harder than 18 Bhn. Most of my bullets measure between 12 and 14 Bhn. I shoot soft bullets because I find I can fill the throat of various rifles and handguns with bullets cast from various bullet molds and this gives me better accuracy with very few leading type problems from “untuned” firearms. My soft bullets tend to kill varmint type critters quicker than hard cast bullets. Marshals LBT type bullets with their wide meplats work a little differently and will leave good entrance and exit wounds at a higher Bhn. Marshall offers Beartooth bullets at 8 bhn if desired.
Anyone shooting swinging targets should read this interesting article and give consideration to bullet hardness.

I mounted the XS rear sight and the Marbles Sourdough front sight on the .32 Magnum today.
The first picture show an air gap as the extreme rear of the receiver seems to drop away from the level plane. A straight edge on the receiver roof shows the same slight air gap. The sight is a good rigid mount on the receiver. The rear pin just entering the rear scope mount hole with just under an interference fit.
I guess this is how it is supposed to look.

The XS sight is held on with one screw. This will be okay for the .32 Magnum. Anyone have any experience with this sight installed on a .44 Magnum or .444 Marlin?

The sight comes naturally to the eye. I think it will work fine.
The original Marlin bead front sight was .502” high. I installed a .600” sourdough. This should make up for the higher rear sight. The sourdough fits more flush to the barrel flat and looks a little better in this respect than the original sight.

In most, light the Sourdough looks like a flat top post sight to me. In certain light the dull gold insert shows up very well. For my old eyes it is the correct width - .088” wide. Younger eyes might want to thin the blade a little.

I shot several hundred rounds through my .44 magnum with the XS sight and had no problems.

The XS sight certainly seems to be a good one. When I settle on a hunting load for this rifle I should be very happy.
I have adjusted it for 50 yards and am working with different loads and bullet weights to see if there is a combination that will give me "minute of racoon" between 25 and 75 yards.
It looks like the Lyman 311008 with either Hodgdon 110 or Lil' Gun is going to do the deed.
If I can also have a load with the 90 grain Sierra to use with the same sight setting I will have it made.
I am working in the 1250 to 1350 fps velocity range. I prefer to stay under 1300 fps as my cast bullets seem to penetrate deeper between 1250 and 1300 fps.