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Thread: 32 Colt Police Positive

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub
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    32 Colt Police Positive

    I have a Colt 32 Police Positive revolver. I understand 32 Long and Short will work well in this gun. I also understand the SW 32 is a different caliber and will not work in my pistol.

    However, will 32 Colt New Police Positive ammo work in my Police Positive revolver? Thanks for any thoughts in advance.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    I've seen Police positive revolvers in both .32 colt, and in .32 Colt New Police. .32 New Police was a cartridge that colt 'invented' so that they wouldn't have the put the name of a competitor on their guns, and the .32 NP cartridge is dimensionally and balistically interchangeable with the .32 S&W long. If a gun is chambered for the .32 new police cartridge, using .32 S&W long is 100% acceptable. The only difference at the time from a practical standpoint was that the S&W cartridge was factory loaded with a RN bullet, and the .32 NP cartridge was loaded with a FN bullet.

    If the gun you have is in fact chambered for .32 colt (long or short) there is no other interchangeable CF ammo.
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  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by NoZombies View Post
    I've seen Police positive revolvers in both .32 colt, and in .32 Colt New Police. .32 New Police was a cartridge that colt 'invented' so that they wouldn't have the put the name of a competitor on their guns, and the .32 NP cartridge is dimensionally and balistically interchangeable with the .32 S&W long. If a gun is chambered for the .32 new police cartridge, using .32 S&W long is 100% acceptable. The only difference at the time from a practical standpoint was that the S&W cartridge was factory loaded with a RN bullet, and the .32 NP cartridge was loaded with a FN bullet.

    If the gun you have is in fact chambered for .32 colt (long or short) there is no other interchangeable CF ammo.
    Most helpful NoZombies. I felt like you what stated was the case, you just confirmed my research.

  4. #4
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    I once owned a Police Positive .32 Colt New Police and .32 S&W long is all I ever shot in it. Such a neat revolver.

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    If your Colt is the Police Positive with the Colt Positive Lock, and has the 1905 patent date on the barrel, it is chambered for the .32 Colt New Police, which is dimensionally interchangible with the .32 S&W Long.

    If your Colt is the earlier New Police or New Pocket model, NOT having the 1905 patent date on the barrel, then it is chambered for the .32 Long Colt.
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  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    What EXACTLY does the caliber say on the barrel. If it says .32 NP or .32 Police, it is the same as the S&W Long/Short version. There are several other stamps for .32LC. One is .32 (that is all). Another is .32 Colt. I believe I have seen a few other stamps, but cannot remember them now. These will NOT work with .32 S&W Short or Long.

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master
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    If your model is the 32 Long iteration, the shorter 32 Smith and Wesson cartridges will work and shoot reasonably well, but in both my own Colt PP and Smith Regulation Police the 32 Smith and Wesson factory load has an annoying tendency to lead up the front end of the chamber before the leade. Handloads are not much better in this regard when the short cases are used.

    This has relegated the use of the short cases to infrequent use as I dislike scrubbing lead out of cylinders. The use of an oversized brush with Chore Boy copper strips entwined is needed, and life is too short for much of that.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Harry O View Post
    What EXACTLY does the caliber say on the barrel. If it says .32 NP or .32 Police, it is the same as the S&W Long/Short version. There are several other stamps for .32LC. One is .32 (that is all). Another is .32 Colt. I believe I have seen a few other stamps, but cannot remember them now. These will NOT work with .32 S&W Short or Long.

    The barrel states POLICE POSITIVE 32 POLICE CTG

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by mullthing View Post
    The barrel states POLICE POSITIVE 32 POLICE CTG
    Good news. You can fire the .32 S&W long or short cartridges in that gun, as it was chambered for them.
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  10. #10
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    Click image for larger version. 

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    Quote Originally Posted by NoZombies View Post
    Good news. You can fire the .32 S&W long or short cartridges in that gun, as it was chambered for them.
    Not what I expected to hear, but can I fire the New Police Positive brass I just purchased on this site? Here's why I asking. Just received the brass today and brass seems to be tab big larger than what I should chamber. Now I do not know if brass is simply too large or once I resize the brass I'm good to go.

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    Click image for larger version. 

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ID:	220281Pic of ammo and brass I'm referring to are attached.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    I would imagine the brass was fired in a generous chamber, and once properly resized, it should be good to go.
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  13. #13
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    And, I'm trying to avoid dies and other components for a 32 Colt Long or Short. The 32 S&W are easily located whereas the 32 Colt's not so easy.

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    If you have .32 ACP dies, they will work for. 32 S&W Long or Colt New Police with the correct shell holder.
    Accurate 31-105T is same shape as original New Police and .32 WCF bullets with double crimp groove. Seat out long using rear crimp groove with 2.2-2.3 grains of Bullseye for .32 Colt New Police, or seat deeper and crimp in front crimp groove in .32-20 brass with 3.4-3.5 grains of Bullseye for the .32-20 Police Positive and S&W Hand Ejector. Cast bullets 1:30 tin-lead and size .314"

    Attachment 220300Attachment 220301
    Last edited by Outpost75; 05-12-2018 at 11:14 AM.
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  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by mullthing View Post
    And, I'm trying to avoid dies and other components for a 32 Colt Long or Short. The 32 S&W are easily located whereas the 32 Colt's not so easy.
    Correct, the .32 colt dies are harder to find and generally expensive when you do. Standard .32 S&W Long dies will suffice, as will dies for .32 H&R magnum, and most dies for .327 magnum (just a longer version of the case). Almost any bullet between 75 and 115 grains and sized roughly .313 should do well in the gun, though for most of the old Colt's I've messed with, a 90-100 grain bullet seems to shoot to the sights better than the lighter or heavier options.
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  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by NoZombies View Post
    Correct, the .32 colt dies are harder to find and generally expensive when you do. Standard .32 S&W Long dies will suffice, as will dies for .32 H&R magnum, and most dies for .327 magnum (just a longer version of the case). Almost any bullet between 75 and 115 grains and sized roughly .313 should do well in the gun, though for most of the old Colt's I've messed with, a 90-100 grain bullet seems to shoot to the sights better than the lighter or heavier options.
    I've never shot this .32 as it's a family gun and is in very nice shape. I load for rifles often, but never pistols so I assume the principals are the same. Your comments are most welcome and overly helpful.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master Guesser's Avatar
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    My Colt revolvers chambered for 32 Colt, L & S, are marked 32 Colt and the other is marked 32 D.A.. The D.A. is a Transition model from New Pocket to Pocket Positive, it is labeled with both logos, consequently it is known as a "transition Model. Colt last chambered anything 32 Colt, L & S, during WW I. After WW I all Colts in 32 Police and 32 New Police would accept 32 S&W, L & S.
    My 32 Colt revolvers date to 1907 and 1910

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by mullthing View Post
    I've never shot this .32 as it's a family gun and is in very nice shape. I load for rifles often, but never pistols so I assume the principals are the same. Your comments are most welcome and overly helpful.
    If you’ve ever loaded any metallic cartridges, you will find the 32 S&W Long (or whatever it’s called on your cases) to be the easiest thing to load you’ve ever experienced. Other than finding components and a set of dies, the only “problem,” if there is one, will be getting fumble fingered with the little components. I really like my Lyman TruLine Jr for these little guys... the proportion and scale seem to be just right.

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  19. #19
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    I would not say in my case, that it is the easiest thing to load. But, I am used to loading 44 Special and 38 Special. When you get down to 32 S&W Long and Bullseye powder - 2 - 2.2 grains just dusts the pan. I found myself using my powder trickler in conjunction with my powder measure all the time; as it is tough to get the exact measure otherwise. On the other hand Trail Boss does help, and when the case is filled with Trail Boss to just beneath the bottom of the bullet when seated = 2 grains of Trail Boss' I get an average of 680 fps with a 4" S&W Hand Ejector.

  20. #20
    Boolit Grand Master Tatume's Avatar
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    The Colt and S&W versions differed in bullet style, but are interchangeable.

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