The .32-40 Ballard (also called .32-40 Winchester) is an American
rifle
A rifle is a long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting, with a barrel that has a helical pattern of grooves ( rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus on accuracy, rifles are typically designed to be held with ...
cartridge
Cartridge may refer to:
Objects
* Cartridge (firearms), a type of modern ammunition
* ROM cartridge, a removable component in an electronic device
* Cartridge (respirator), a type of filter used in respirators
Other uses
* Cartridge (surname) Ca ...
.
Description
Introduced in 1884, the .32-40 was developed as a
black powder
Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). Th ...
match-grade
Match grade frequently refers to quality firearm parts and ammunition that are suitable for a competitive match. Sometimes it also refers to other devices and parts that are made with high precision in mind.
Description
In firearms, the term is ...
round for the
Ballard single-shot
Union Hill Nos. 8 and 9 target rifles. Using a bullet and of
black powder
Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). Th ...
(muzzle velocity , muzzle energy ), the factory load gained a reputation for fine accuracy, with a midrange trajectory of at .
[Barnes, p.47.] It was available in
Winchester
Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...
and
Marlin
Marlins are fish from the family Istiophoridae, which includes about 10 species. A marlin has an elongated body, a spear-like snout or bill, and a long, rigid dorsal fin which extends forward to form a crest. Its common name is thought to deri ...
lever-action
The toggle-link action used in the iconic Winchester Model 1873 rifle, one of the most famous lever-action firearms
Lever-action is a type of action for repeating firearms that uses a manually operated cocking handle located around the trigger g ...
rifles beginning in 1886.
It and the .38-55 were chambered for the Model 1894 Winchester when it came out in 1894. It stopped being a factory chambering around 1940.
It can be used for varmint and predator hunting, including coyotes and wolves. H. V. Stent has said that for a time the .32-40 and .38-55 were considered by some hunters to be usable for moose and elk at woods ranges, but sales of the Model 1894 in 30 WCF (.30-30), a cartridge introduced a year later, soon outpaced the two because of its higher speed, higher energy, and flatter trajectory.
More recently, the .32-40 in a Model 1894 built in 1905 was successfully used by John Royer, from Pennsylvania, to show that it can still be used on whitetail deer at close range. He wanted to keep the shot within 75 yards. The range at which the .32-40 is suitable for deer is a matter of debate. Its common muzzle energy of <800 ft-lb is equal only to current 150 and 170 grain flat- or round-nose loadings of the .30-30 (in a 20-in barrel) at about 200 yards, which is often considered to be the maximum range of the .30-30.
[Grits Gresham, "The .30/30," ''Sports Afield'' August 1980. Gresham says PMC tested the MV of its 150- and 170 grain .30-30 loads from a Model 94 carbine, which resulted in a reading of just under 2000 fps, resulting in about 800 fpe at 200 yards.] However, it has been said that in a modern rifle it can be loaded to equal the .30-30 up to .
The .32-40 also served as the basis for Harry Pope's
wildcat
The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while the ...
.33-40.
See also
*
8 mm caliber
This is a list of firearm cartridges which have bullets in the caliber range.
*''Length'' refers to the empty cartridge case length
*''OAL'' refers to the overall length of the loaded cartridge
All measurements are in mm (in)
Pistol cartridg ...
*
List of cartridges by caliber
Calibers in the size range of (mm, inches):
* 2 mm (.079+ caliber)
* 3 mm (.118+ caliber)
* 4 mm (.157+ caliber)
* 5 mm (.197+ caliber)
* 6 mm (.236+ caliber)
* 7 mm (.276+ caliber)
* 8 mm (.315+ caliber)
*9 mm (.354+ caliber)
* 10 mm (.394+ ca ...
*
List of rifle cartridges
List of rifle cartridges, by primer type, calibre and name.
File:Cartridge Sample 2.jpg, 350px, From left to right: 1 .17 HM2,2 .17 HMR, 2.5 .17 wsm, 3 .22LR, 4 .22 WMR, 5 .17/23 SMc, 6 5mm/35 SMc, 7 .22 Hornet, 8 .223 Remington, 9 .223 WSSM ...
References
Sources
*Barnes, Frank C., ed. by John T. Amber. ''Cartridges of the World'' (Northfield, IL: DBI Books, 1972),
Pistol and rifle cartridges
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