The .32 S&W Long as a man-stopper

[EMC45]

I believe this would make a great "new shooter" load and gun combo.

[EMC45]

I think it will do.

[Catshooter]

That's cute as hell EMC.


Cat

[EMC45]

I am fond of it.

[EMC45]

The hammer had about 1/4 inch nipped off the spur, the trigger has had the serrations on the face ground off and polished. The grips were oversized for a square butt J frame. I cut them down for a RB J frame. This is an I frame so they are a little proud on the butt. Don't bother me none. It shoots very well. Even with the bulge in the barrel. This is definitely not a collector's piece so I took my liberties to do the abovementioned mods to it. It was frosty and dull in the finish so I took some Flitz to it and got it looking better. The Tuff Products Speed Strips work great. 18 rounds of .32 S&W-L will deter someone/thing quite nicely....Pretty sure.

[Char-Gar]

I didn't take the effort to read all the pages of replies and this has probably said over and over, but "32 Long" and "man stopper" should not be used in the same sentence.

[Bret4207]

Nice piece EMC. I'm still looking for a 30 or 31 or 631. Everything I find is either busted up, priced like it's made of gold or both.

[EMC45]

Thanks guys! I bought this pistol from a member here for $140. What a fine fellow.

[koyote]

Wow, this has been a read. I'm a fan of some oddball caliber choices and ahve been looking for a good S&W .32SWL for a while. But I carry .44 special --- yet another bulldog owner, and one of a few .32ACP pistols. Out in the desert I'll often carry the .38 K frame since the 6 inch barrel is a useful thing if you run across one of any number of varmints in the high desert or basin.

I've been looking to get a decent .32SWL revolver for a while for - my son, my wife, reloading cost savings, and for a trail gun.

Lovely thread, and my wife has shot the .32 and agrees that it's a great starter level caliber, powerful enough to do a job, but not like what she experiences shooting my bulldog!

[Dannix]

I don't understand the "starter level caliber" statements. Could you guys enlighten me? We're all reloaders here and can make .357Mag cat sneeze loads, for example, as the situation may require.

[Molly]

I don't understand the "starter level caliber" statements. Could you guys enlighten me? We're all reloaders here and can make .357Mag cat sneeze loads, for example, as the situation may require.

I think the idea is that a beginner wouldn't be traumatized by the ferocious recoil and muzzle blast from a 32 as he (or she) might from a 357 or a 44. You're right about reloaders being able to make any kind of load they want, but very few beginning shooters are reloaders.

Speaking of cat sneezes, while I will confess to some previously noted interest in hot .32 loads, you might be interested in something on the other end of the scale: Take a .32 Short case, size and prime it. Then insert a soft plastic bead (8mm diameter) and push it down tight. Belling the case helps, but may make it harder to chamber, depending on your expander and your chambers. No powder, and of course, zero recoil, but the primer will put the plastic bead through two layers of hard cardboard at close range. It would make the .32 revolver into a genuine 'mouse stopper' if you're plauged with them. Don't know how far it will imbed in flesh or eyeballs, but it won't bounce off like you might think it will. Treat it accordingly. But you can use these for practice while the wife is in the next room.

Another word of caution: DO NOT use the beads generally sold in hobby stores for making kids jewelry!! At least, not until you confirm what they are made of. Most of them are GLASS, which will not do the bore of your gun much good. Try to cut a bead with your knife. If it won't cut, keep looking. If worst comes to worst, get a 5/16" wooden dowel and cut it into quarter inch lengths. It's a lot more trouble, but cheaper, and works pretty well too.

[koyote]

I don't understand the "starter level caliber" statements. Could you guys enlighten me? We're all reloaders here and can make .357Mag cat sneeze loads, for example, as the situation may require.

There's more to it than just recoil, as well.

While a .357 large framed revolver can shoot a light .38 load, there's of size, weight, and manipulation to consider.

The few .32s I've fired have been german or H&R 4 inch revolvers, except the one target K frame a friend had (wish I had that) and they are lighter and easier to use at first than a full sized revolver.

And there's a few simple mechanical facts- what it takes to move an 85 grain projectile to a 7 to 15 yard target accurately and what it takes to push 140 grains are just... different. I can't imagine the difference bothering me,but using the "9 year old boy" or "4 foot 11 50 year old woman with no handgun experience at all" examples, the difference can be important. ANd the "work up" path for increasing the loads is there, along with the utility of what is, after all, significantly more than packing a bearcat.

[Dale53]

NOTICE!
I got a phone call from Molly this evening. His computer crashed and he stated it would be about two weeks before he would be back up and running. He will not be able to answer any emails until then.

Please be patient...

Dale53

[dualsport]

There is an interesting article in the old "The Cast Bullet", the former name of 'The Fouling Shot' magazine, published by the Cast Bullet Association. In issue No. 108, March-April 1994. "Round Balls in the .32 S&W' by Michael Gordon. It's a fun read and gives his simple method of using .315 round balls for gallery type loads. If you don't have a copy of that one, you can get it on CD from the CBA, something like about 100 issues for very low dough. Hundreds of cb articles, keep you up at night reading for days. I'm going to try some round balls in my Ruger SSM.

[Char-Gar]

There is nothing like a good 38 Special to teach a fellow the ropes. We have been loading a 000 buckshot (.360) in these behind a pip-squeak powder charge for generations. Makes a great load for bull frogs, bunnies and drink cans.

[Bret4207]

There's also the size of the platform to consider. A J frame or I frame 32 is a lot easier for a small woman or kid to hold out at arms length than a N frame or one of those ridiculous 500's.

[dualsport]

I will agree with Charger about the .38 Sp. pretty good all arounder for sure, but this is a .32 thing. I dearly love my Ruger SSM, got it last year in a gun shop in Oroville, Ca. for $250, like new in box and all, adj. sights too. I waited many many years for that deal. No doubt loaded with warm .32 S&W loads it'd be a game changer in my favor. Don't they always say 'it's where you hit 'em, not what with'? In my dreams Ruger comes out with a .38 Sp. on the Single Six frame, just like my SSM only more clout. Maybe a 5 shot?

[Molly]

Fellows, I think it's well past the point that ordinary courtesy dictates an explanation of the delays in our promised testing. Dale53 and I both have huge storage bags full of drained and rinsed beverage containers. We also have good supplies of ammo. What we DON"T have is dry ground.

I was listening to the weatherman last night. He reported that we have already had more than twice as much rain as the 'normal' month of April. We're only about 1.5 inches from setting a new record for the wettest April in history. Then he went on to forecast a solid week of rain, with accumulations of 3 to 4 more inches and widespread flooding. To be followed on it's heels by yet another storm front whose rainfall potential they aren't ready to reveal.

I live in a condo, and my lawn mowing is done professionally by guys on riding mowers. they cut our lawn grass yesterday. Even the riding mowers were sinking in the muck! Can you imagine driving a full size vehicle out on the range? We WILL do the testing, but it may not be until August or September before things dry out enough to permit it.

[EMC45]

I will help in testing any way I can if that is ok? Just let me know the parameters of the tests. I have the chronograph and a few molds and plenty of powder/primers. Will keep accurate data on all aspects. Just let me know.

[revolvergeek]

Actually, I wouldn't mind having one handy for a fight. But it would be a lot heavier to carry than, as Jim Croce says, "a 32 gun in his pocket for fun".

'And a razor in his shoe'!



Just picked up this little fellow today and will be hunting a .32 long reloading setup and some reproduction grips soon (yes, one of the previous owners actually GLUED those on ! ).