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:

1. Practice proper gun safety. Always make sure before the firearm hits your bench that it is unloaded and safe to be handled.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

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.