Yep, the 32 long is one of the "funest " revolvers ever made, glad I bought mine when they were orphans. My son just bought a S&W 32 L Hand Ejector that has a beautiful re-nick job on it that is tight as a new one for $200, out the door of a local pawn shop. I has a slight bit of logo loss due to exuberant buffing but it is a super shooter. The 32's can still be had around here pretty reasonably but the 32/20's are getting close to model 19 prices if they are in good condition.
IT AINT what ya shoot--its how ya shoot it. NONE of us are as smart as ALL of us!
It is my favorite round to shoot. Very accurate and easy on the wallet. I have carried them for self defense in the past as well..
You can miss fast & you can miss a lot, but only hits count.
I sure am enjoying the 32 long. It's my absolute favorite plinking load.
.32 S&W
Good one.
As long as one reloads, 32 revolver rounds sure are cheap. I used to have a 32 detective special that I referred to a ladies training gun. Then I realized casting a 105 grain 38 bullet and loading it at 700 FPS simulated 32 S&W long performance. I do shoot 32 revolver rounds into my 22 bullet stop with no issues, so that’s an advantage.
The .32 S&W Long is a great round, would love to see it come back. I really the .32 S&W Long's bottom feeder cousin, the .32 Auto. I squirt 78 grain Accurate boolits at 850 fps out of my Kel-Tecs, basically duplicating it's performance in a very compact package.
Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.
When you get full up on those puny little ole revolvers in Virginia, send a few on to Arkansas. We'uns have the same problem here in Arkansas that y'all have with giant Grizzle Bears. That's what the 50 cal boomers are for ain't it? Seriously the 32S&W Long is one of the most fun, most accurate calibers I have found.Originally Posted by Green Frog
Why in the world would anyone want such a small diameter, puny round when 50 caliber super blasters are out there? Are you people crazy? Just send all those 32s to me for proper disposal so you can make room for more of those real he-man guns!
Froggie
Britons shall never be slaves.
Once I get my 4" barrel adjustable sighted kit gun built in 32 S&W L or H&R I should be able to let the others go on down the road... unless I come up with another project I just can't live without.Then you'll just have to wait a while longer!
Froggie
"It aint easy being green!"
Found a nice little I.N.I Tiger recently in 32 S&W Long. I already had an Accurate 31-087T that is perfect for it, as cast with LLA. The old used Lee dies work, neck sizing only. Got some Redding steel dies coming with a profile taper crimp die to do a better job.
I have an abundance of what I call "mid-caliber" handguns, both rollers and sliders. The two most germane to this thread are my S&W Model 16-4 x 6" and a Ruger SP-101 x 4.2" in 327 Federal.
Both acquisitions are best thought of as "arranged marriages". I would have been perfectly happy with a 32 S&W Long Target Masterpiece or Officer's Model with 6" barrel, or a 4" Regulation Police or Police Positive in that same caliber. All of those are scarce and expensive, so I settled for "what worked" rather than waiting a lifetime for a Holy Grail.
It's funny how well some of those arranged marriages worked out back in The Old Days, and I must say I have been pleased with both of these revolvers. The S&W is--plainly stated--the most accurate revolver I have ever owned. It dotes upon the RCBS #32-98-SWC sized at .314" from 700-1200 FPS. Most of my loads run in the 900-950 FPS ballpark, kind of a "32 SWL +P". I use full-length 32 H&R Magnum brass in this one; I hate cleaning the crud out of chambers created by short cases in long chambers. Yeah, I know--First World Problem.
The SP-101 is a nice little Kit Gun On Steroids. Is it a pristine Police Positive? Nope--the D/A trigger stroke was god-awful when new, S/A isn't bad, and the D/A is starting to relax a bit. I have a Wolff spring kit for it, once I lose patience with the action's recalcitrance. It's not a Colt of a S&W--but a RegPol or PolPos can't manage 46K PSI loads either. There IS that. And like the Model 16, the RCBS bullets shoot very well at 900-1000 FPS and are not the eardrum drills that factory ammo has shown itself to be. Here again, I use 327 brass to keep chambers tidy.
I don't paint bullets. I like Black Rifle Coffee. Sacred cows are always fair game. California is to the United States what Syria is to Russia and North Korea is to China/South Korea/Japan--a Hermit Kingdom detached from the real world and led by delusional maniacs, an economic and social basket case sustained by "foreign" aid so as to not lose military bases.
Like mine, a Model 631.Once I get my 4" barrel adjustable sighted kit gun built in 32 S&W L or H&R I should be able to let the others go on down the road... unless I come up with another project I just can't live without.
Froggie
Britons shall never be slaves.
ive had 32 Sws 32 mags 3220s and to be honest never saw what all the hoopla was about. Give me a good smith 15 in 38 special anyday over any 32. Brass is still everywhere even ammo is cheap. Ive got exactly one left a 32 mag single six 4 5/8s and I don't remember when the last time is shot it was. But id bet ive shot 10k of 38s specials since that 32 has seen the light of day.
LLoyd....Keith always said that .32's were harder to get good grouping from, tougher to work up a good load etc. than any of the larger calibers....pretty much my experience as well...but lately I've been tinkering with .32 Long and .32 H&R in a pair of Ruger Single Sixes, a S&W M16-4, and a ~1920 Colt Police Positive with excellent results...surprised the heck out of me.
RCBS' 32-98 SWC & Accurate Mold's 31-100R both turned out excellent bullets...and as easy to cast as any .38 from my mold cabinet...every bit as accurate too. The Colt, in particular, has become my dog walker gun...20 oz. loaded...and recently accounted for a wayward opossum that was tangling with my pointer pup.
Just sayin' those .32's grow on you...especially the light weights like the Single Sixes & the early Colt/S&W's...giving pretty good smack with a LSWC...and, at 100 grains per bullet, you get a whole slew of them from a pound of wheel weights.
I've enjoyed your posts over the years, BTW...Best regards, Rod
Lloyd- I gave up on the 32 years ago for pretty much the reasons you speak of; 38 Special is just FAR, FAR more common.
However, now that I'm older, I'm remembering some of the attraction to the 32 S&W Long / 32 H&R Mag. There is a bit of a "fun factor" to those cartridges (particularly the 32 S&W Long). When I was playing with the 32's I wasn't casting and all of my bullets were "store bought". Now that I'm casting, I see the advantage of less lead per round in addition to the economical use of small powder charges.
I have no illusions about the performance of the 32 caliber cartridges. I'm never going to abandon the 38 Special, but if I find a revolver chambered in 32 at the right price, I think there may be room in the safe for it.
Last edited by Petrol & Powder; 02-09-2020 at 06:44 PM.
Now that my thinking has evolved to where I kinda like the idea of the ROUND, I'm kinda wishing someone would make a GUN I'd like it in.
I can water down loads in .38 or .357 brass and not quibble over the extra couple grains of powder. The lead I use for that kind of load is nearly free so the savings there is "meh".
Thing is, most of the launch platforms seem to be .38-based, so you're really not getting smaller and lighter with the smaller round.
Now if someone were to make an upscaled Winchester 1890 pump gun in .32SWL, I might get slightly excited. . .
WWJMBD?
In the Land of Oz, we cast with wheel weight and 2% Tin, Man.
Oh my! Or think how many .32 ACPs you could cram in an Assault Bunny Gun like that!
The ENEMY is listening.
HE wants to know what YOU know.
Keep it to yourself.
Paul Kersey used a .32...
Well. . .here's the conundrum: That it will have a full-length magazine tube is a given. Do you shorten the barrel for convenience with a suppressor, or leave it long and let the chips fall?
Now heres a question for the more knowlegeable .32ers: is the semi-rimmed .32 auto shootable in .32 revolvers (or this hypothetical .32SWL Winchester) or is the headspacing nowhere close? The thing I love about the Winchester 1890(variants)/1906/62A is the ability to shoot all the lengths of .22 rimfire. That kind of plug-and-play in a reloadable .32 would be. . .entertaining. . .
WWJMBD?
In the Land of Oz, we cast with wheel weight and 2% Tin, Man.
Leave the barrel long and you probably don't need the suppressor. The .32 ACP rim is thinner, so headspacing isn't as positive, but with a properly fitted extractor which is under tension, it would probably hold the thinner rim against the boltface, but still have enough play to snap over the thicker .32 S&W and S&W Long rims.
The ENEMY is listening.
HE wants to know what YOU know.
Keep it to yourself.
If you are a true believer in the Zen of the Thirty Two, no explanation is necessary; to the non-believer, no explanation is possible.
As for the little 32 ACP round, it exists in that Twilight Zone that is neither fully rimmed nor truly rimless, neither high pressure nor truly low pressure, neither hot enough to inspire hairy chested men nor mild enough to be able to be ignored by skilled shootists. This leaves the afficianado either wondering why he should own and shoot it or just ignoring the stats and enjoying the versatile little round. As soon as I get a round tuit I want to experiment with another high quality pistol chambered in 32 ACP by the likes of Browning or perhaps FEG. I really need another project to occupy my time.
Froggie
"It aint easy being green!"
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