Smith and Wesson Hand Ejector, 2nd

[mcdaniel.mac]

Tell me a tale gents, of the S&W HE in .32? I see one posted local to me in rough condition but it looks shootable. The listing says .32 Winchester and .32-20 but as I recall those two are not compatible. I'm assuming it's a .32-20 and not a .32 LC or similar. If so, what can I expect out of it as a shooter and backpack gun? For an asking price of $300 (very worn finish) can I reasonably expect a mechanically sound gun, or is this likely to be a wall hanger or expensive project? What can I expect from .32-20 out of a 5" barrel?

[Outpost75]

214560

My five-inch Colt Police Positive Special was made in 1924 and has a 0.005 cylinder gap. The pooled average of seven different samples of factory .32-20 loads was 814 fps. This defines a sensible velocity limit for these old guns when assembling revolver loads using fast-burning powders like Bullseye.

Current production 100-grain lead .32-20 ammo from Remington and Winchester ranged from 714-780 fps. This is little different than expected results firing .32 S&W Long 98-grain lead factory ammo from a revolver of similar barrel length. The highest velocity I recorded among .32-20 factory loads fired in my 5” Colt was 898 fps from the last of my pre-WW2 100-grain lead Rem-UMC Kleanbore “dogbone” box. Peters 100-grain softpoints gave 870 fps. WRA lead loads gave 854 fps.

214564

My most accurate revolver loads use the Accurate 31-105T bullet cast 1:30 tin-lead and sized .314" with 3.4 grains of Bullseye for 798 fps, approximating factory lead load velocity and shooting to point of aim with the fixed sights.

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I use the same load in my pre-1918 S&W 1905 Hand Ejector and in my 1920 Savage Sporter.

Most .32-20 revolvers are either already or nearing 100 years old. Hand loads approaching 900 fps with 100 grain bullets and 850 fps with 115 grain bullets are safe maximums for the Colt Police Positive Special, Army Special and early S&W .32-20 Hand Ejectors. Heat treated S&W Hand Ejectors made after 1918 (starting with serial #81287) and smokeless-frame Colt Single Actions may be cautiously loaded to about 20,000 psi, approximating the velocity of .32 H&R Magnum factory loads, about 1000-1080 fps with 100 grain bullets from a 5” barrel.

While Waters and others have published .32-20 revolver loads lots hotter than these, such loads will shoot the older guns loose and turn a classic American small game gun into an expensive paper weight. Save your "hot" loads for use in a modern Ruger.

[9.3X62AL]

Oh, yes.......I have 3 examples of 32/20 revolvers in the safe, and wish I had the 4th one back (Colt Police Positive Special x 4"). They are all a shooter's delight. As Outpost counseled above, resist the urge to hot-rod the caliber--most of the existing examples today are approaching or have exceeded the century-old mark. A 100 grain bullet starting life at 950 FPS--or a 115-120 grainer at 850-875 FPS--can do a great deal of good work without straining the platform OR costing much money for fuel & lead.

My go-to powder in this application has been the now-discontinued IMR "SR-4756". I have run some loads using a couple different bullets ranging from 95-120 grains atop Herco powder, and it shows promise in this assignment using small pistol primers. My next stunt work will involve a comparison of small pistol primers to the Remington #6-1/2 primer in 32/20 revolver ammunition. In smaller-capacity rifles (22 Hornet, 25/20 WCF, 30 Carbine, 32/20 high-velocity) the #6-1/2 primers show an immediate improvement in accuracy. I want to see if the squirrelly wide swings in velocity sometimes seen in 32/20 revolvers dissipate or disappear using the #6-1/2 primers. Ken Waters commented upon these anomalies in his "Pet Loads" column many years ago in Handloader, which might be the best printed source for data on the caliber when used in a revolver.

[dubber123]

If indeed it is a 32 WCF, (32-20), they can be made to shoot well. I have a pair, but only one has been worked with much as of yet. The finish is basically non existent, and the bore and crown were horrible when I received it. (late night auction purchase). I touched up the crown, and firelapped the badly pitted bore. It will now hold 3" at 50 yards from the bench. Not stellar, but respectable. One in better condition I would expect more of.

I have 4 or 5, 32 cal S&W's, and .314" seems to be the common cylinder throat diameter. If it prints to the sights, I can highly recommend the RCBS 98 grain SWC.