.32 suprise

[Thumbcocker]

Took the little 31-1 to the range. Shot it at 25 yards from a Weaver stance. Load was RCBS 98 swc over a powder charge I didn't write down. 6 o'clock hold on the bull. Yeah I know 1/2 the shots missed the bull and 2 missed the plate. Lot of glare this afternoon and dust in the air and probably an aftershock from the Tennessee earthquake but still pretty good for a small gun with small fixed sights.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181216/8401354668a4f165709a41e60935c7fa.jpg

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[birch]

That is a sweet little revolver! ......and one dandy group. I bought a bunch of brass, dies and a mould from a gun show about a year ago. I am still waiting for the Smith revolver to accompany the goodies!! .32 is a sweet little cartridge. Congratulations.

[Green Frog]

For years the small frame S&W 32s were the "red headed step child" of the revolver world. Now they have been discovered and their popularity (and prices) are going through a major upswing. I'm kinda wishing I had kept the 4" Model 30 I sold off to buy my current Baby Chief, but I still have 4 I-frame 32s, so I don't guess I should complain. My favorite, which sees duty for EDC, is a 1949 vintage Transitional Model with 2" barrel and original round butt grips. It has always just felt right to me, and performs accordingly whenever I shoot it. I thought I was overpaying for it to the extreme when I paid $350 out the gunshow door for it about 7-8 years ago, but I actually "bought it about 6 months early." ;)

The longer barrel pre-War RPs are fun as well... especially the one Target Model I managed to find. Yep, those little S&W 32s are definitely a hoot to shoot! :Fire: Remember to really get the most out of them, you need to put the most into them... RELOAD! I'm loving me some 95 grain LSWCs over light loads of Bullseye. Ten or twenty pounds of lead and a pound or two of powder go a LOOOOOONNGG way! :mrgreen:

Froggie

[Thumbcocker]

I have a 4" flat latch model 31 that seems to be sighted at 50 feet. It groups well at 25 yards just about 8" high. The 31-1 seems to be sighted for 25 yards. I love the 4" one but I am still trying to get it to shoot to sights.

[rking22]

I like those grips! I also have a M31-1, it's a 4 inch and seems to be zeroed at 25. Picked up a 3 inch Rossi 69 (j frame clone) to keep it company. They make great woods walking guns, plenty of power for pinecones and accurate enough to be fun. I am sure both are more accurate than me, when I miss it's on me not the gun. Nice shooting, by the way:cbpour:

[Thumbcocker]

Grips are Altamont. I couldn't do anything with the tiny originals.

[GhostHawk]

Lovely little revolver, wish I had one like it!

I get by with my H&R 732 2.5" double action in .32sw long and the Ruger New Model Single Six in .32H&R Mag. (She likes to be refered to as "her Royal Majesty" but after a good cylinder of .32sw longs she'll accept "Princess".

Don't know why it took me so long to catch the .32 bug, I love em.
Plus they are darn thrifty on both powder and lead.

[Dale53]

I’ve had my share of fun with the little .32’s, too ( as the Green Frog can attest:-P).

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/Dale53/DalesPistolsRevolvers4Selects-0330.jpg (http://s269.photobucket.com/user/Dale53/media/DalesPistolsRevolvers4Selects-0330.jpg.html)

My treasured S&W Model 631

FWIW
Dale53

[Green Frog]

I’ve had my share of fun with the little .32’s, too ( as the Green Frog can attest:-P).

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/Dale53/DalesPistolsRevolvers4Selects-0330.jpg (http://s269.photobucket.com/user/Dale53/media/DalesPistolsRevolvers4Selects-0330.jpg.html)

My treasured S&W Model 631

FWIW
Dale53

That’s sure an ugly gun, Dale53. I know a guy in VA who would reluctantly take it off your hands for what you paid for it so you won’t feel so bad about making such a terrible faux pas. Of course I (I mean “he” ;) ) would immediately change out the grips by Goodyear. Don’t thank me, that’s what friends are for! :bigsmyl2:

Your Friendly Frog

[RJM52]

Froggy...since you like stainless you probably would not be interested in the .32 I picked up last week...

232211

...naw didn't think so....

[one-eyed fat man]

The .32 S&W long is a accurate cartridge and pleasant to shoot. At one time it was considered suitable for police work. A Colt Pocket Positive from 1938. Colt called the cartridge .32 Police. The Smith & Wesson "I" frame Hand Ejector is from 1952. The same revolver with a square butt Smith sold as the "Regulation Police." The large frame, 6 shot Iver Johnson dates to 1928.

The RCBS Mold 32-098-SWC mould produces a bullet that resembles the old flat nosed Colt New Police bullet. Mine drop around 100 grains and I size them to .314. Loaded over 2.2 grains of Bullseye they have proven accurate in all three revolvers.

232212232213232214

[Mk42gunner]

The little I frames in .32 S&W Long sure are fun, although the sights on the Hand Ejectors are getting pretty hard for me to see now. I wish I had discovered them in my twenty's instead of late forty's, I do miss being able to focus on individual striations on the front sight.

The small cylinders don't instill much confidence for hot rodding, so I picked a decent load from Glen Fryxell's article http://www.lasc.us/FryxellThe32S-WLong.htm and stick with it for the .32 S&W Long.

The worst thing I can say about my first I frame is that it likes the Ideal 313445 that is a PITA to cast with.

Always willing to give an unwanted .32 a home,

Robert

[EMC45]

My 2 HE Smiths do better with the heavier 3118, but the Models 30, 31 do great with the Lee 93gr. SWC and the RCBS 32-098. All over Bullseye.

[Outpost75]

Here are a few more:

232223232224

[Petrol & Powder]

I played with the 32's years ago and now wish I had held onto them. The dies, brass and guns all went to fund something I just had to have at the time and now I can't recall what that was.
The 32 S&W Long is a great cartridge in terms of potential accuracy and economy. The 32 H&R magnum is an excellent small game cartridge.

[shooting on a shoestring]

I have a 2” S&W Flat Latch J Frame that shot disappointingly high with 100 and 105 grain boolets. Got a mould from Accurate 31-088, an 88 gr wadcutter, shoots to the sights now. Boolit weight makes a big difference in the 32s, at least the short ones.

Mine is in good shape and has the lightest single action trigger of any of my Smiths. A sweetheart to shoot. It has some pitting on the cylinder from where it laid a few decades in someone’s sock drawer. It occasionally rides in my pocket for real world duty...on days I’m optimistic...and pretty sure I won’t see anybody...

[EMC45]

The .32 S&W long is a accurate cartridge and pleasant to shoot. At one time it was considered suitable for police work. A Colt Pocket Positive from 1938. Colt called the cartridge .32 Police. The Smith & Wesson "I" frame Hand Ejector is from 1952. The same revolver with a square butt Smith sold as the "Regulation Police." The large frame, 6 shot Iver Johnson dates to 1928.

The RCBS Mold 32-098-SWC mould produces a bullet that resembles the old flat nosed Colt New Police bullet. Mine drop around 100 grains and I size them to .314. Loaded over 2.2 grains of Bullseye they have proven accurate in all three revolvers.

232212232213232214



I have the twin brother to the one in the middle.

[Green Frog]

The little I frames in .32 S&W Long sure are fun, although the sights on the Hand Ejectors are getting pretty hard for me to see now. I wish I had discovered them in my twenty's instead of late forty's, I do miss being able to focus on individual striations on the front sight.

The small cylinders don't instill much confidence for hot rodding, so I picked a decent load from Glen Fryxell's article http://www.lasc.us/FryxellThe32S-WLong.htm and stick with it for the .32 S&W Long.

The worst thing I can say about my first I frame is that it likes the Ideal 313445 that is a PITA to cast with.

Always willing to give an unwanted .32 a home,

Robert

OK, I have to ask, Robert... what makes your 313445 "a PITA to cast with"? I've got old Ideal moulds in single and double cavity in that number and they are pretty easy for me. Are you having sticking problems, failure to fill out properly, wrinkled bullets, or what? As you say, the little I-frames really seem to like those bullets, and light loads of Bullseye make them work pretty accurate as well.

Froggie

[Green Frog]

Froggy...since you like stainless you probably would not be interested in the .32 I picked up last week...

232211

...naw didn't think so....

I bought one just like it but with a 6” barrel and helped my dad buy both a 4” & a 6” when they first came out, but this was all before my tastes in fine revolvers matured and they all got sold at a small profit. The total we got for all three probably wouldn’t buy back one of them today. :-(

Froggie

[rking22]

My 31-1 and a few friends in 32
232488
Would love to find a K frame too, someday!

[Green Frog]

STOP!! I CAN'T STAND IT!!

I had promised myself that I had made up or purchased all of the 32s I could possibly want or need and then you guys start in with all of this madness. OK, now I have to take one of my pre-War RPs with 6" non-original barrel, replace the barrel with a 4" and add a set of post War micro adjustable rear sights... my dream 32 Kit Gun... and it's all you guys' fault, all your fault! Please, somebody stage an intervention, I'm weakening!

Maybe I could find a rich patron who would be excited about having some great ideas like these and would like to support them with large numbers of dollar$$$...

Froggie

[Green Frog]

OK, nobody stepped up to intervene, so it looks like I’m going to be moving forward. :roll:

I was looking for something else yesterday and found a J-frame adjustable rear sight that I stashed away several years ago for a rainy day. I examined the underside and was reminded of the difference in how the elevation screw works and immediately consulted with my California e-friend and S&W gunsmithing guru about how it needed to be set up. It actually looks like if and when I get to the well equipped machine shop I hope to use, the actual machine work will be simpler than that for a K-frame. :)

The barrels I am seeing so far are NOS pre-War stock that have excellent bores but are totally unfinished (read “rough as a cob”) on the outside. If I can’t find something more suitable, I’ll have to spend (or pay for) a lot of polishing time. :???: The only advantage of this would be a “clean” barrel I could have engraved to suit. ;)

As mentioned previously, I’m expecting to use as my donor gun a rebarreled 1920s vintage Regulation Police Model I picked up cheap at a local auction several years ago. On the plus side of the ledger, it is already a good shooter grade gun with good action, most of its blue (no pitting) and a very nice set of original RP grips like I like them. The 6” barrel is good, but is not original and Bubba cut the notch for the extractor rod knob poorly by hand... it won’t be a big loss! [smilie=l:

So there you have it, my “Christmas present” to myself. Since I already have the donor gun and adjustable sights in hand, I only have one major part to find, and the actual gunsmithing should be pretty straightforward. Hopefully I’ll be able to open a new thread to show off the finished product in a few months. Stay tuned! :coffeecom

Froggie

[Thumbcocker]

I have a 4" stainless .22 kit gun that really wants to be a .32 long. Reassignment surgery is a possibility. Keep us posted.

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[Outpost75]

More .32 Porn

232740232741232742232743

[Green Frog]

I have a 4" stainless .22 kit gun that really wants to be a .32 long. Reassignment surgery is a possibility. Keep us posted.

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You are in luck, Thumbcocker. You can go over to the S&W Forum and seek out my e-friend Jebus35745. He did exactly what you propose a few years ago, only using a blue K-22 instead of a stainless J-frame. Like my Project 616, his work on this and another custom 32 revolver was done by Andy Horvath of LaGrange, OH. The only fly in the ointment is that Andy used the late Jim DuBell of Washington for all of his barrel rebores... I don't know whether he has established a new pipeline yet. Other than that, your job would actually be more simple than either of my previous builds in 32. You would be using the original barrel (no fitting required) and already have adjustable sights. Boring out the chambers is a straightforward job, and Andy seems to know how to do the sex change from rim- to centerfire with minimum muss and fuss.

Of course I would be remiss to not mention that what you will end up with is a Model 631 (except in 32 S&W instead of H&R) which you can see pictured in Dale53's post above (12/16.) So before you commit to spend the money, you might look around and see what it will cost for the conversion vs buying a factory original. It may be prohibitively expensive to buy a Model 631, but then again you may find it more economical to buy a sibling for your Model 63... then you would have two desirable S&W revolvers! :mrgreen: I'm stuck with doing a full build to get the combination of adjustable sights and barrel length I want, since like the Project 616, S&W never built exactly what I want. Then again, I had my recreation of a Model 16-3 built because the originals are so expensive and hard to find... you may find this to be the case with your 63 to 631 project.

Froggie

[Thumbcocker]

Looks like 631's go for 4 figures[emoji50]

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[Green Frog]

Looks like 631's go for 4 figures[emoji50]

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Have you priced Model 63s lately? When I am considering a project as we are discussing here, I look at the cost of the donor gun and figure that into the overall cost of the project. I'm seeing Model 63s pushing the low 4 figure range around here, so if you could put a few hundred with it and swap for a factory Model 631, the result would be the gun you desire, factory built, and probably more likely to hold its value... of course this would involve finding a 631! The conversion you propose will run you approximately $500 as a WAG, so if your donor gun is valued at, say, $900 on top of that... just doing a little ciphering here. :coffeecom

Froggie