Scored a S&W 32 Today!

[Gtek]

S&W 32 Long HE 3 1/4" Pre-War 513XXX Round with not correct grips but had Regulation Police flat bottoms with Patent date and is a very nice set. Slick and smooth bore and cylinders, .006" Barrel/Cyl and a crisp SA 3.7 lb trigger, maybe an 80 on finish but tight. Could not walk away from it, only set it down long enough to get the wallet out. Crazy how this gun thing goes sometimes, Christmas time something steers me into the 32 thing. Start reading up on a Rook rifle done by and spoke with the kind Meister on here, reading reading, start buying brass, LEE mold, have picked out donor barrel, dig out the NEF to try it on and moving that project along, then relative hands me an IJ 55 Cadet and now this one. If this is indeed a trend, hoping the next one has a longer tube. Sometimes I can step over it and sometimes I step right into it, but today felt good!

[Tracy]

Sounds like a great score! I find it difficult to pass up a nice .32 as well.

[Green Frog]

Pictures, we need pictures!

You are right on the edge of a slippery slope, so slap on your skis, grab your ski poles, and enjoy the ride!! the serial number makes yours late enough to have the best heat treating etc that was available prior to WW II. Congratulations.

Froggie

[tward]

32’s are so addicting! I have a Colt 32 colt new police, and a H&R 732. I liked these so much I put lowball bids on a S&W Hand Ejector and a Colt police positive special in 32-20 and won both. Good thing I handload and cast bullets because we all know you save a lot of money there! Tim

[rintinglen]

I have a neat, nickeled 1924-ish gun and a 1904 gun that has seen better days but still locks up tight. Apparently, sights for revolvers weren't invented until after World War One I won't say you can shave with that older gun's front sight, but you could probably gut a fish. The older one is the second pic.
Attachment 301295
The stocks that came on the newer gun were pretty beat up. so I stuck a set of Pachmayrs that I had laying around on it.

[Gtek]

I have been a hoarder of all things firearm since the seventies and are kind of okay on most components. Last fall watching the discussions on how 22 LR was almost back to a dime a squeeze, woo-hoo! 7,000 divided by 2.5 max more like 2, primers probably at .02 cents or so, enough lead for sure and the cost of the therapeutic time that I enjoy and relax in the 32 Long started looking pretty good for now. I will admit I still have a bad taste in my mouth from a chain of events with S&W on a new purchase in the eighties and then to their knees move for Clinton in the nineties solidifying the sentiment. But I do enjoy the little collection and it looks real good sitting in there with his Model 10 cousins, yes I am weak but they are cool.

[pworley1]

Congratulations!

[Thumbcocker]

Nice scarf. Enjoy and post a range report.

[shooting on a shoestring]

Oh good for you!
3&1/4” is my favorite length for the 32 HE’s. But I’m not a snob. I’ll buy, shoot, enjoy any of them.

I hope you have a good wadcutter mould. The 32 SWL seems to be SOOooo good with wadcutters. They smack critters hard, make pretty holes in pop cans, water bottles and paper targets.

Glad you got a shooter. The primo collector’s are cool, but the shooter grade guns are the fun ones!

[shooting on a shoestring]

Not the OP, but while we’re waiting on his pics, here’s a couple of mine.

[Gtek]

I knew a four inch sitting next to three and a quarter looked great, VERY NICE pair there! It puzzles me how after a lifetime of shooting and all the disciplines I went ALL crazy in over the decades and I find myself wanting to play with things like this and my black powder stuff now. I have the LEE SWC and have been searching around looking for others. Pinned the cylinder today and it shows a really really tight .315". And one other little thing appeared today playing, side loading of the ejector rod the cylinder will slip past stop. Straight away or little pressure the other way and no problem, I have to try to make it do it but it did it.

[shooting on a shoestring]

Pistols in 32 and Black Powder guns are signs of maturity. Glad you made it.

0.315” is a good number. I have a few at that dimension and I size 0.316” for them. I also have some that have 0.313” throats and size 0.314” for them. The old guns I don’t cut. But the new ones routinely get their throats reamed and honed. My new ones tend to be the big 32’s.

There’s just something satisfying about plinking with an old 32 and a pocket full ammo. It’s like walking with an old dog. Comfortable.

[Green Frog]

Went back and reread your original post, and the description of the grips has me confused. All of the pre-War I frame revolvers have round butt grip frames, even the Regulation Police version with square bottom grips. The RPs will have a little notch or relief cut on the back strap and the serial number will be located on the front strap, but the bottom of the grip frame is still “round”. If the revolver is truly a round butt, the serial number will be on the bottom of the grip frame. Which describes yours? Again, pictures would be helpful; we like pictures!

Froggie

[Gtek]

Yes you are correct. This one had a set of RP's on it and although they were a real close fit on front and rear contours they really did not fill those bottoms out of round frame front and rear. I have a set of Diamond J's that fit perfect and just need a bottom trim. I don't know if this is sacrilege to the S&W universe but the correct grips would appear to be made from unobtanium and if found big $$$. I have looked all over trying to confirm correct grip style and I think silver medallion, arched border with diamond is close? The arch to straight in checker border top and bottom is another time line break question like maybe following front of ejector rod Pre/Post?

[tward]

Great looking 32’s guys! Thanks for sharing. Tim

[azrednek]

Way back in the early 80s. An elderly man shooting 32 revolvers was so impressive he drew a crowd, myself included around his shooting bench. The shooter was a retired horse and cattle vet. He had several 32 S&W and Colts. According to the young guy with him. The vet accumulated many guns from farmers and ranchers as payment for his services when they were short on cash.

[ABJ]

Nice, now we need a range report and load data for our 32 fix.
Just in the last couple of wks I was able to acquire a Colt P. postive, 4 inch and a Ruger Bisley 32 H&R new model but with the old model fixed rear sight. The Ruger is the only one I have shot so far. 2.5 grs of tight group under a Lyman 115 flat nose is the best so far. I will probably start the Colt with the same boolit and 2.5 Unique. Good find and keep us posted. I fear we are the last of the 32 folks willing to preserve and keep the 32 alive.
Tony

[Gtek]

If anybody knows of or has or seen a set of the factory black grips for a round butt (real ones), please let me know. Thanks!