TFB Armorer’s Bench: Converting 30-30 Win to 32-40 Win
Welcome everyone to the TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I decided to showcase a recent experiment, converting 30-30 Win to 32-40 Win. I have heard that folks have done this or at the least attempted it but I have always been unsure. Let’s dive into it and see if converting 30-30 Win to 32-40 Win works out!
Reloading @ TFB:
TFB Armorer’s Bench: New Tools I Saw at SHOT 2024 TFB Armorer’s Bench: Using an M1 Carbine Bolt Disassembly Tool TFB Armorer’s Bench: Using The Wheeler AR Receiver Lapping Tool TFB Armorer’s Bench: Closer Look – Wheeler AR Armorer’s Ultra Kit TFB Armorer’s Bench: Techniques and Types – Punches
TFB Armorer’s Bench: Converting 30-30 Win to 32-40 Win
Here, we at TFB hope to inform, entertain, and even inspire any would-be gunsmith or armorer out there. Ideally, with the information I provide and with the help of our sponsors, you can have some useful knowledge pertaining to the conservation and improvement of firearms technology while at the same time sharing experiences and teaching each other new tips and tricks along the way in the comments. Digging deep into what it is to be an armorer or gunsmith has significance but what is important is what those people do to show they’ve earned that title. I am happy to share my experiences and knowledge and hope it is informative!
Make your personal safety a priority:
Practice proper gun safety. Always make sure before the firearm hits your bench that it is unloaded and safe to be handled.Wear the proper safety equipment. The main one would be safety glasses (decent ones) since parts are often under spring tension and you may work with high RPM tools. Other honorable mentions would be latex gloves or a respirator when working with potentially harmful solvents and oils. Also hearing protection when working with loud machinery or test-firing firearms.Modifications, alterations, and customizations will void your firearm’s warranty 9.5 times out of 10. Please take that into consideration before attempting any at-home gunsmithing.If you are unsure about proper safety practices, disassembly procedures, or warranty standards, stop, put down the tools, and consult a competent gunsmith.
Opening Warning: Converting 30-30 Win to 32-40 Win
As a bit of an opening warning, I should mention that my method requires some basic reloading equipment and expertise. Beyond that and more importantly, this is not supposed to be a tutorial. It will not include specific load data (although I will say I used regular 32-40 load data). Any real-world testing I did was in very small batches with light loads and a handy chronograph.
Why Make 32-40 Win Out of 30-30 Win?
Making new ammunition out of a different cartridge is nothing new. People have been doing it for decades. Why though? There are two main reasons. 1. The ammo you seek is no longer made and is hard to find. 2. The ammo you seek is expensive and can be made from cheaper brass, in the case of good old 32-40 Winchester it’s both.
For the 32-40 there is an additional 3rd reason. I have some 32-40 brass (also hard to find). The 32-40 is a straight-walled tapered cartridge if that makes sense. Its taper and thin case make it hard to reload. During the sizing operation and the bullet seating operation, the cases are prone to “pop-canning” where they crinkle and collapse. It breaks your heart when that brass is so hard to get.
The last production run of 32-40 that I know of would have been the Winchester John Wayne Commemorative stuff from the early 1980s. This was after The Duke passed and Winchester decided to roll out a limited run of Winchester 94 rifles and ammo to go with them. I remember buying a box off the internet about a decade ago for my grandfather (this ammo is for his 1905 Win 94). It was ~ $70 a box then. Now I have seen them at prices more like $170. Understandable given the ammo and the commemorative nature.
Sizing 30-30 Win Into 32-40 Win
As I mentioned you need to have some reloading know-how as well as equipment. I have a LEE 32-40 2-die set. Strictly talking 30-30 it’s straightforward (pun intended). I put it through the sizing die like anything else. BUT it’s tough.
When you press it into the sizing die it’s reforming and overcoming the shouldered case of 30-30. I had to use case lube or grease (more than regular reloading operations call for) and go very slow. Once it gets past the shoulder it’s smooth sailing.
Annealing Brass Cases: Converting 30-30 Win to 32-40 Win
Is annealing brass a necessary operation? I don’t know, man nor am I super concerned with it (I reload in small batches and/or pretty odd stuff) but I do want the brass that I convert to last and be easier to load. I know that annealing can help with that so that is what I did. This can serve as a quick “how to anneal on the cheap” sort of example.
I wet-tumble my brass so this works out in my order of operations perfectly. My sized and decapped cases get subjected to a propane torch flame by hand. I hold it by the base and rotate it back and forth so the flame covers what was once the neck area evenly. As soon as I start to feel the heat get uncomfortable in my fingers I drop it into my tumbler full of water (for example I just used something clear).
This should soften things up just enough so that nothing goes wrong during seating and everything should be a little more malleable when firing.
Case Mouths & Bullet Seating: Converting 30-30 Win to 32-40 Win
So, the 32-40 die set I have does not come with any case mouth flaring die of any sort and the sizing die does not have it built in. For a thin-walled tapered cartridge that is prone to getting crushed, this makes it a potential nightmare. Keeping this in mind I used an oversized tapered punch and gave it a shove and twist and the case mouth flared out great.
As far as seating the bullet goes I rolled with seating these until the case was in the proper cannelure area. I ignored C.O.A.L (cartridge overall length) so long as these did not hit less than the minimum of 2.4”. I ignored it because 30-30 is actually shorter than 32-40 by around 0.091” and I have seen a lot of variation in my 30-30 brass.
Does it Work?: Converting 30-30 Win to 32-40 Win
It works far better than I would have dreamed. The velocities chronographed are basically in the same general ballpark. The only noticeable hiccup is the chambering. 30-30 rims seem to be thicker than 32-40 even though many schematics I have seen denoted the same .063” thickness. Beyond that some that I loaded and seated developed odd ribs, bulges, or bumps from the case preparing to crush. Nothing significant or dangerous. Always very slight. But they are enough where the case will reform as it gets shoved into the chamber by the bolt. Long story short, they work very well, and in my opinion, it is a sustainable solution for the lack of modern 32-40. Do I recommend anyone else do it? Nope. But it does work.