Converting S&W 30-1 to 32 H&R

[rintinglen]

Back in June I managed to snag a brand new 432 Ultimate Carry for a shade over 700 OTD but have also been wanting to do this H&R "upgrade" to my 31-1 for some time now. Problem is, the 31-1 is in super nice condition and I just can't bring myself to molest the original cylinder. Not being a gunsmith, it would be nice to find a nice used cylinder (and yoke) that wouldn't require timing, then it would be a no-brainer to ream it to 32 H&R and I'd have a "convertible".

My experience with attempting drop-in cylinder swaps has been very much hit or miss. I have one Ruger Service 6 38 that would not accommodate a swap with a .357 cylinder; I tried it on a parts-build S&W and it failed. But my Ruger Speed 6 has the 357 cylinder/crane assy. and functions perfectly. Shoot the 31-1 a bit and then you won't feel bad about modifying it.

It is much more common to require timing adjustments. My S&W 544 44 Spl cylinder required a lot of (expensive) work to get it to work.

[rintinglen]

Just finished a Colt Police Positive Special conversion. To convert one of these, You have to make sure it is the long cylinder Police Positive Special, not the shorter cylinder Police Positive, but it is no different than doing a Smith 30-1. Except that you can get HKS speed loaders that fit the Smith. The 32 K models "almost" fit the Colt. This particular gun dates to 1950 and looks like it was made yesterday. It came with the cheesy plastic "Coltwood" grips, but I had a set of the long frame grips from Thailand and slapped them on for a much better feel.

[Thumbcocker]

Pics please.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[Outpost75]

My experience with attempting drop-in cylinder swaps has been very much hit or miss. I have one Ruger Service 6 38 that would not accommodate a swap with a .357 cylinder; I tried it on a parts-build S&W and it failed. But my Ruger Speed 6 has the 357 cylinder/crane assy. and functions perfectly. Shoot the 31-1 a bit and then you won't feel bad about modifying it.

It is much more common to require timing adjustments. My S&W 544 44 Spl cylinder required a lot of (expensive) work to get it to work.

He has a nice condition, salvaged 30-1 cylinder and yoke assembly on the way from a cut up evidence gun. Hope it works with little gunsmithing.

[rintinglen]

Pics please.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Still having problems importing pics from my camera. Hopefully, MY Computer Geek SIL can talk me through it this weekend. It is very aggravating. Up until July, I had no problems. Then I was laid up for about 6 weeks and I didn't try to post anything. Since then, I can't get my D drive to recognize my input. Very perplexing.

[LeadHead72]

He has a nice condition, salvaged 30-1 cylinder and yoke assembly on the way from a cut up evidence gun. Hope it works with little gunsmithing.

Tracking shows that it's waiting at home in my mailbox. Due to my plans to FINALLY get into a tree stand for archery season tomorrow morning I'm not sure how soon I'll be able to play with it, though. The rut is on and there are deer to chase.

[rintinglen]

He has a nice condition, salvaged 30-1 cylinder and yoke assembly on the way from a cut up evidence gun. Hope it works with little gunsmithing.

I'll cross my fingers for him. IME, It's about a 50-50 shot., but with a Smith, he can keep the old crane and extractor and just swap the cylinders with a pretty fair chance of success. A trip to https://www.triggershims.com/ for some J-frame cylinder shim advice may be in order, should end shake or head space problems raise their ugly heads.

[Gtek]

I just received another envelope from him, very, very helpful and an easy purchase. Highly recommend his product!

[rintinglen]

Lets try this: Colt Police Positive Special 32 H&R conversion. This is 1950 gun--3 years older than me.


Yeah , that's the ticket. But what a pain in the neck. I have to use my phone for the picture, then e-mail it to myself as an attachment, then copy and download the picture, THEN I can up load it here.

Here's a Photo of my Colt Cobra along with my 30-1 snubbie.

[LeadHead72]

Well, after getting all my chores done I finally got a chance to open my package from Outpost75 tonight. The cylinder and yoke are in very nice condition, so I removed the original from my 31-1 and installed the "new" one. Apparently this transaction was my lucky roll of the dice because--while I am not a gunsmith--everything certainly appears to be a simply perfect functional fit. Timing and lockup are spot-on, just like it was custom-fit! The cylinder/barrel gap appears to be only a couple thousandths, but my feeler gauge wasn't close by and that is just an estimate from eyeballing it. In theory it's possible that powder residue could build up and cause the cylinder to drag, but then again, maybe not. Even the rounded/contoured front of the yoke match-fits the frame, with just a small gap where the flat edge above it mates against the frame. Sort of "Ruger'ish", if you get my drift, but I'm pretty sure I've seen just as bad (or even worse) of a fit with newer production guns just as they come from the factory.
Overall I'm very pleased with the outcome so far. One of these days when the right opportunity for a reamer comes along I'll have to try my hand at chamber lengthening.
Thank you again, Charles!

[Outpost75]

Am absolutely delighted it will work for you. Would be great if B-C gap was at min. Pass 0.003 / Hold 0.004, but if as tight as 0.002 I would try it anyway. Clean shooting load will work and the higher velocity is a bonus.

[Green Frog]

Sometimes things just serendipitously fall into place. Congratulations, and by all means enjoy your “new” 32 H&R chambered Model 30-1. Try to avoid the temptation to make a “real” magnum out of it and stay in the H&R specs or just a smidge above, and you will, as Mr Spock would say, “live long and prosper.”
I personally love me some loads made with a 105 gr SWC over an appropriate charge of HP38. They’re pleasant to shoot and gentle on your revolver.
Regards,
Froggie

[LeadHead72]

Sometimes things just serendipitously fall into place. Congratulations, and by all means enjoy your “new” 32 H&R chambered Model 30-1. Try to avoid the temptation to make a “real” magnum out of it and stay in the H&R specs or just a smidge above, and you will, as Mr Spock would say, “live long and prosper.”
I personally love me some loads made with a 105 gr SWC over an appropriate charge of HP38. They’re pleasant to shoot and gentle on your revolver.
Regards,
Froggie

Aside from some extra-warm .45 Colt loads in my Rugers I am not typically one who tries to redline my ammo with my foot to the firewall, especially with smaller calibers. That's the job of the .454 Casull and the .460 S&W whenever big/loud booms are needed.
A while back I picked up a Lyman 313492 which is a 93gr full WC and that would seem like a worthy candidate for a model 31 Magnum. One of these days I also need to find a nice RCBS 32-98-SWC (like the one I sold a few years ago, not owning a .32 at that time) which should also do very nicely.

[Green Frog]

I’ll look around and see what I “inherited” from my buddy Dale53 when he had to quit reloading. That 313492 is a great mould and I fully expect it to do very well for you in target loads.

In addition, there are a bunch of SWCs in the 95-105 gr range, and while I’ve heard lots of loaders express a favorite, I’ve never seen one that was really bad! The Lyman 313445 has worked pretty well for me and for one of my friends… for others, not so much.

Do you have a 3118 to cast the classic design left over from the 32-20? If your cylinder is long enough to accept them in the H&R case, they would make good rounds for occasional serious use. When I first started loading 32s, that was a “must have” for me., but 115 gr may be too much for the 30-1. I’ve even used it in 32 S&W L though.

Froggie

[rintinglen]

NOE makes a clone of the Excellent RCBS 32-98 SWC, which is dandy since RCBS never got on track with a 4 cavity mold. It is the 315-102-SWC-AZ4, and is just about perfect for the 32 S&W long and the 32 H&R, it is a little too long for the Single 7 327's, though. If I Had a "616" like the Froggie one, I would use a lot of them. Right now, Al only has the 2 cavity molds in stock.

MP Molds makes the 314-640 100 grain hollowpoint which is another excellent mold.

[Green Frog]

Yeah Glen, if you’re gonna wander off into custom moulds and 327s, you open Pandora’s box! While Project 616 was being built I had a chance to get into a group buy for what was billed as a 3118 copy. Mine came out at .314” diameter and 125 gr weight. It might work in some 32 H&R loadings, like for the S&W Mod 16-4, but it would be brutal in a J frame, even if the COAL could be made to work.

I think LeadHead72 is right on the money with 95-105 gr bullets in the H&R. I wondered why my friends and correspondents like beagle, Dale53, and Outpost75 seemed so tied up with those weights, but now I know… that’s what works! The Goldilocks bullet for the H&R is one in that range over a midrange to moderately warm charge of something like 231 or HP38 (same thing) or even Bullseye. The round never should have had “magnum” attached to its name. It’s a pleasant, mild shooter that one can enjoy all day long. LH75, I foresee a fun ride for you. Enjoy.

Froggie

[Mk42gunner]

I tried the group buy 314-120 boolit (122 in my alloy) in my Ruger SSM in .32 H&R. It shot some of the tightest groups I have ever fired, however it also had a point of impact that was several inches above point of aim at twenty five yards with the rear sight bottomed out. IIRC it would have taken about a 1/8" taller front sight to zero the load I was using.

I stopped trying when I realized that if I needed that much power from my .32, I should just use a moderate load from one of the .357's that reside here.

I never tired it in any of my .32 S&W Longs because they are all fixed sight guns, and a couple are old I frames that I really don't want to damage with warm loads.

Bottom line, I have since settled for the RCBS SWC, although I am still sort of looking for a .32 WC to play with.

I also agree that the H&R round should never have had the magnum word associated with it. Moderate or Special would have been a lot more appropriate.

Robert

[LeadHead72]

Do you have a 3118 to cast the classic design left over from the 32-20? If your cylinder is long enough to accept them in the H&R case, they would make good rounds for occasional serious use. When I first started loading 32s, that was a “must have” for me., but 115 gr may be too much for the 30-1. I’ve even used it in 32 S&W L though.

Froggie

No, that's been on my watch list for quite a while, now. From time to time I've picked up some others, though, and do have a 311316 and a NOE 311-115-FN which are a little heavier than I particularly planned for H&R. Figured they'd be good for the .327, though. Now that you mention the 313445 I recall picking one of those up in a batch of moulds a guy sold me last year. Sure looks cute, and would probably be perfect for this gun.
Just realized that I do have a RCBS 32-84-WC but am not sure how much data would be out there for the H&R.

[MT Gianni]

No, that's been on my watch list for quite a while, now. From time to time I've picked up some others, though, and do have a 311316 and a NOE 311-115-FN which are a little heavier than I particularly planned for H&R. Figured they'd be good for the .327, though. Now that you mention the 313445 I recall picking one of those up in a batch of moulds a guy sold me last year. Sure looks cute, and would probably be perfect for this gun.
Just realized that I do have a RCBS 32-84-WC but am not sure how much data would be out there for the H&R.

Starting loads for the 84 ge WC and the 94 gr should be similar.

[rintinglen]

I've added a few to the herd since I took this photo, but all of these work in the 32 H&R.
L-R: Lyman 311-316 118 grain, MP 314-640 100 Gr, NEI 315-100 100 gr, RCBS 32-98 WC 98 gr, SAECO 321 95 gr, Ideal 311-8 115 gr, RCBS 32-98 SWC. I am currently working with an Hornady swaged boolit clone made by Arsenal that shows promise. I have a 311-419, and 311-245 as well as a 32-85 RN RCBS, and I bet If I go through my stuff I might turn up another couple.