Old top break .32 S&W Long

[mac266]

I bought one of these maybe three or four years ago and have only fired a box of rounds through it. Ammo is far, far too expensive for this pocket pistol. So, I bought a Lee mould and some dies recently (from this very forum!) which are on their way.

So, I've read that these top break revolvers are much weaker than their full frame counterparts, and that makes logical sense to me. One of my reloading manuals specifically says the data is NOT to be used in top break revolvers. My Hornady manual doesn't address the issue at all, leading me to believe the lowest loads will probably be safe.

What do you think? Pick the absolute lowest load in the manual and stay there? I'm not making a self defense gun here, just trying to make the old girl go "bang" again.

[John Allen]

I have not played with the one I got yet but I was going to start with a real light load of bullseye or just go with blackpowder.

[Bret4207]

Could you describe the gun a bit more? It makes a diff it's a 32 S+W or 32 S+W Long, brand, etc.

[Hickory]

What do you think? Pick the absolute lowest load in the manual and stay there?

Reloading is a lot like backpacking.
You wouldn't put a 60lb backpack on a 6year old. Don't over load it.
If you want more power and higher velocity use a bigger gun.

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

Some manuals say to use only "starting loads" in top-break revolvers.

[John Allen]

I have the smith 1 1/2 32sw not the long. I will probably go with blackpowder myself as I do not mind the cleanup it does not take that long and I love the smoke.

[NoZombies]

Assuming the gun is in good shape, locks up tight, times correctly etc. a load of 1.5 grains of bullseye under an 80-90 grain lead RN or SWC bullet in the .32 S&W long should be within reason for the design of the gun.

If the gun is in fact a .32 S&W (not the long version) reduce that load to 1.0 grain even in the short case.

[gwpercle]

When dealing with the old top break Smith and Wessons it makes a big difference as to what year the gun was manufactured. After a certian year, which varies from model to model and its specific serial number, they were made and proofed for smokeless powder loads. Prior to that it was low pressure black powder loads only. The top breaks were made during a transition from black to smokeless. Some further research needs to be done to see if yours is suitable for smokeless. To be on the safe side you could reload a few with black powder and see how they do. I see where you have fired a box of ammo through it allready, if nothing happened you are lucky, just possibly it was made for smokeless but don't press you luck with out checking the guns date of manufacture.
The reloading manuals are not going to be of much help. Every one I have looked at says not to fire these loads in top breaks so we have to just go out on a limb and come up with our own top break data. I have a 38 S&W top break , but have discovered it was made for smokeless so I have used data for starting loads.
Gary

[dtknowles]

I have 5 top break Smith and Wesson revolvers and have used starting loads from Lyman handbooks in them without damage. I would be very careful with revolvers from some of the other manufacturers from the black powder and smokeless powder transition era.

Tim

[a.squibload]

Only know what I have read, top-break was a great design but the steels of the era
were not what we have now. Complaint was that they would wear out, get sloppy.
That might also translate to less ability to withstand pressure?
Heed above advice, do some research.
I like 'em, I have a modern top-break 22, wish more models of new manufacture were available.

[Mk42gunner]

Could you describe the gun a bit more? It makes a diff it's a 32 S+W or 32 S+W Long, brand, etc.

Once again, I have to agree with Bret. In addition, I would ask about condition. There is a big difference between say a solidly patinaed (read fully rusted) gun from Howard Arms, and an as NIB Smith & Wesson.

Robert

[Dale53]

I would like to second the suggestion to use black powder. I have shot my share of black powder in revolvers and it really isn't a problem. You DO have to clean the same day, but with a proper black powder solvent it isn't much worse than cleaning a smokeless gun.

I clean my black powder cartridge guns with home made Friendship Speed Juice and then follow up with Ed's Red. Three days later I clean again with Ed's Red. My .45 Colt Ruger Bisley Vaquero has had hundreds of black powder rounds through it without issue. It looks as good as the day it was purchased. Use 3F, load it full so that the bullet compresses the powder about 1/16" when seated. Use a good black powder lube (I use a home made lube, also, Emmert's which is 50% pure natural beeswax, 40% Crisco, and 10% Canola oil). After using Emmert's for years I modified it for longer storage after the bullets are lubed by replacing the Canola Oil with Lanolin. It makes a wonderful pan lube. If the bullet is the correct size for the revolver and cast of 30-1 Lead/Tin you will have no leading.

It makes a very practical revolver load.

Good luck with your new toy!

Dale53

[Wayne Smith]

I have a H&R topbreak in 32 S&W (short). I load 1.2gr Bullseye over a buckshot. It's a fun little gun and load.

[mac266]

This gun is an H&R, and as the title of the thread says it's a .32 S&W Long (I can't believe half of you missed that in the title!). As to condition, it has almost all of the nickel finish intact, locks up nicely, etc. As far as antique guns go it's in great shape. I think I'll grab the starting load from the manual and stay there. There is no need to "work up" a load for this gun; it just has to push that little pill out the end of a rather short barrel.

[Old Dawg]

I have a H&R topbreak in 32 S&W (short). I load 1.2gr Bullseye over a buckshot. It's a fun little gun and load.


When you put the powder over the buckshot how do you keep it from falling out.

[woody1]

When you put the powder over the buckshot how do you keep it from falling out.

Wondered that myself but I knew what he meant. Hope you didn't sign up just to hard time us. Regards, Woody

[rintinglen]

H&R guns made after about 1903 were intended for use with smokeless powder. The fact that it is a 32 S&W long inclines me to believe that your gun is probably OK with smokeless.

[bhn22]

The main issue is strength. The old top breaks were mostly made from wrought iron and had no heat treating. I'd stick to whatever loads they used when they were made.

[Bret4207]

This gun is an H&R, and as the title of the thread says it's a .32 S&W Long (I can't believe half of you missed that in the title!). As to condition, it has almost all of the nickel finish intact, locks up nicely, etc. As far as antique guns go it's in great shape. I think I'll grab the starting load from the manual and stay there. There is no need to "work up" a load for this gun; it just has to push that little pill out the end of a rather short barrel.

Nope, didn't miss it. The question is are there any markings on it indicating 32 S+W Long or are you just going by the cartridge fitting? An H+R is less suspect than some others, but some of the older hardware store type top break 32's and 38's would take longer cartridges simply because the chambers were bored straight through. Kind of like the old Colts in 38 Long that will take 357 mag brass! If the gun is marked for 32 S+W Long or if you see a definite end to the chambering int he cylinder then that helps date the gun since the 32 S+W Long didn't come out until 1896 or 98 and was loaded with smokeless shortly after it's introduction. That doesn't mean your gun is for sure a smokeless design, but it helps. Pics would help a little, but the basic design of the break open H+R dates from the early 1880's and continued on to the 1920's or 30's.

IME using the 32 S+W and Long in Iver Johnsons and Meridians I've found that the Hornady swaged 90 GR SWC does fine in all of them with charges of BE as low as 1.0 gr (or even lower) in S+W brass. In the Long brass the charge usually doesn't have to be upped unless you have a generous chamber in which case sooting can be a issue and another tenth of a grain or so can help with that. Lyman had a 77 gr RN (can't recall the number) that could work and so can their 80 gr, which I think is 311227. When you get up into the heavier boolits like the 311008 they often shoot well but way high. Black powder is certainly an option.