.32 S&W Long Fans?

[ThomasT]

NoZombies color me green with envy. I like the rifle. Too bad you are so far away. I bet you and I would have a blast with our 32 stuff.

My holy grail gun to get is a S&W 631 32 mag. I will find one someday for a doable price. I see them from time to time but can't justify the $900 or so that some folks want. Besides, I hate the idea of the search being over.

 

[NoZombies]

Ratshooter; You're right, I'm sure we'd have a ball shooting our various .32's together!

The rifle is a joy to shoot at small game and targets, but being a single shot, and having a very tight chamber, it can be a bit finicky at times. Not that I'm complaining. I've shot several groups under 1/4" at 25 yards, and a number under 1/2" at 50 with the gun, it wont do that every time, with every load, but it does consistently enough to tell me it's not just a fluke. I intend to re-throat the barrel to allow the use of longer bullets, as currently it has a very short throat, and doesn't allow me to use all of my revolver loads in it. With a longer throat, I plan to see how well a 140 grain bullet would do at about 700 FPS.

The Smith 631 is a very nice gun, and I've wanted one for quite a while too. One of these days maybe I'll find one, in the mean time, the SS Taurus 74 fills the role nicely, and without me worrying about it getting scratched

My Holy grail gun is one that has never been made. I really really want a K-32 (model 16) in stainless steel. S&W never saw clear to make one, so one of these days I will do it myself. Sorry, make that, one of these decades... Ah well... One can have dreams... right?

 

[NoZombies]

Well, I walked into one of my favorite gun shops today, and about fell over myself getting them to sell me the little Ruger Super Single Six in .32 H&R. 4 and 5/8" barrel with adjustable sights.

I'm sure I need it. Or at least, I'm sure that's how I'll justify the purchase to my wife anyways. I guess it's time to sell another non-32 to pay for it

 

[bangaway]

NoZombies

You were very lucky to find a ruger adjustable site single six in .32 mag let alone a 4 and 5/8 barrel. Congrats !!! Have you fired it yet? Hit anything? Do you hunt anything in Fl. that this gun can/will bee used for? Maybe if you let your wife hold/fire the gun you will get to keep it. Watch it so she lets you hold it. Have fun and bangaway.

 

[EMC45]

My bunch...(SP101 is Mag)

 

[ThomasT]

Well I was looking on GB and guess what what I found. A nice 32 smith & wesson snubby.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=239751345

While I was looking I thought it might be fun to bid. So I did. And won. Oh Boy, Oh Boy Oh Boy!!! A new gun coming. I haven't bought a new gun in like 3 weeks! Man I like 32s!

 

[NoZombies]

I haven't shot the little ruger yet, it's sitting at the gun shop waiting for me to go pick it up right now, maybe next week if I have time.

They tell me that some squirrels are out in the swamps west of here, but I just moved here not long ago, so I haven't found a hunting spot yet. I'll start looking in August.

EMC and Ratshooter, those are some nice guns! I don't have a snubby in .32 yet... I suppose I'll need to get one soon, won't I?

A few of my .32's: (the taurus in the middle is a mag)

 

[NoZombies]

I thought I would revive this old thread again, as there are more folks out there who are fans of the .32, and I'm sure, even more that would be if they ever got to shoot a good accurate .32 revolver.

Below is a photo of most of the .32 bullets that I cast, they represent a good cross-section of what's available as molds go, but there are far more molds out there that can be found if you're patient (or rich) enough. There are several designs still in production that aren't in my collection of molds, and several of my molds are custom pieces or long obsolete designs.

I have loaded all of these (except the hollow base for the .32 LC) in the .32 S&W long case with mixed, but mostly good, results.



From left to right:

Specialty:
1. R. Hoch 80 grain nose pour hollow base designed for the .32 long colt .2 .313" round ball

Wadcutters:
3. RCBS 84 grain WC 4. Custom 88 grain DEWC 5. Lee 85 grain TL DEWC 6. Lyman 313492

Semi-Wadcutters:
7. Lyman 313445 8. Lee 90 grain TL SWC 9. Lyman 313631 GC SWC 10. Custom made 110 grain SWC

Flat Points:
11. RCBS 98 grain "SWC" 12. Lyman 311008 115 grain RNFP 13. Ideal 31133 105 grain HP

Round /Pointed Noses:
14. Lyman 311252 15. Lee 100 grain .311 RN 16. NEI 308-108 (weighs 118 grains from my mold and alloy) This is almost identical to the lyman 311359 bullet 17. Lyman 311410

 

[GEM]

Saw one of those little SW's at the gun show last weekend. Mid $450 - cute but it's my economy. Sigh.

 

[ThomasT]

NoZombies I shot the 32 snubby I posted earlier that I won of GB about a week ago. What a neat little gun to shoot. I even shot out to about 55 yards and was surprised how well I scared the rocks on the side of the stock pond. I am a reinvigorated 32 fan.

Those are nice bullets you have cast up. I wish Lee would make the 32 WC mold again. That hollow point is a nice bullet also. I guess you cast those one at a time.

I did pick up a S&W model 631 about a month ago. That was my #1 gun to get. Now I have to find a new quest.

 

[igousigloo]

I have a Taurus 327 MAG. 2" And I love it. I was shooting bowling pins tonight with 32 acp loads.

 

[bangaway]

NoZombies

What 140 gr. boolit are you going to try? Is this the 311410 mould? Have fun and bangaway

 

[Onward Allusion]

igousigloo
I have a Taurus 327 MAG. 2" And I love it. I was shooting bowling pins tonight with 32 acp loads.

How does shooting 32ACP out of a 327 Fed Mag work for you? I've been thinking about doing the same 'cause the 327 could more than handle a 32 ACP load and it's a little cheaper than 32 S&W Longs. Any problems making that long of a jump from cylinder to barrel?

 

[bangaway]

NoZombies

Have you tried a 45 gr. wc mould? Accurate molds makes a bulet called .31 airgun in 45 grain. It might be useful to load two at a time in .32 longs. Remington loaded two roundballs in .38 spec. and 357 mag ammo as SD. Would make a real whimpy load or a fast load with one head.

 

[bangaway]

Saw a H&R model 586 in .32 mag at pawn shop. It sported a six inch heavy bbl and adj. sites. Anyone shoot this? How well does it shoot? Have fun and bangaway.

 

[NoZombies]

Ratshooter;

It's good to hear that your snubby has done so well, it's surprising how well even little guns can shoot the little cartridge, isn't it? And Congrats on the acquisition of the 631, I've been looking for one of those myself for a long time, but it always seems that my finances, and my opportunities never quite match up. I hope it shoots for you as well as you've imagined it would in all the time you've been looking for it!

The Lee DEWC bullet has proven accurate in my guns, but I've never been too fond of the TL system for whatever reason. the custom DEWC next to it comes from a 4 cavity mold instead of a 2, and so it's been seeing more use lately. The HP is indeed a one at a time affair, thankfully though, the mold casts and drops beautifully, so I've got a supply of about 1000 of them sitting waiting for lube and loading.

Bangaway;

The Lyman 311410 I have weighs about 130 grains from WW, and has done surprisingly well from some of my guns (and managed to keyhole completely from others) I've thought about getting another mold in the same weight range with a different nose and body profile, but haven't yet.

The .313 round balls weigh about 40 grains a piece, and I've double loaded them in the long case. I don't know how well they would do for SD, but they are great fun for plinking. The only complaint I have about them is that the mold is a single cavity. I assume the little WC from accurate molds would do something similar. Check out their .31-105 grain Keith style SWC as well. Tom drew that one up for me, although my finances have precluded me buying one.

I haven't shot the H&R 586, but as a rule, if I can afford a .32 that has adjustable sights, I'll usually try to get it. The H&R's are what the .32 magnum was designed for, and should only be kept to the SAAMI spec pressures for that round, but for shooting loads within the book for .32 magnum, I would bet it would be a neat gun.

 

[Stainz]

I added the new 2" 632-2 in .327 Magnum, middle below, to my collection last month. I borrowed the '60 Pro' wood grips from my 5" 63:



Sadly, it shoots 2.5" low with my leftover 94gr LRNFP .32 S&WL - at 7 yd! Lower with Fed 85gr SP & Hydra Shok .327M's alike! Still, the S&WL homebrews were easily adapted for - at 12yd - and hit the SPC targets 100%. I bought a box of 115gr Speer Gold Dots in .327M to try - we'll see if they hit closer.

My local pusher has an NEF 73 in .32 H&RM - I hought it might be 'fun' - once I get past it's nasty trigger. 3" fixed sight - chunky, but good shape - $200. Not much available locally in .32 S&WL - especially with adjustable sights.

Stainz

Addendum: My target has been paper plates with a 1.75" circle centered. Changed to a 'combat' sighting from the 6 o'clock usual sighting. I placed the front Tritium 'Night Sight' over the circle, centered between the rear NS's. The 85 gr SP Fed .327 Magnums were still low ~ 1.5" - the new 115gr Speer .327 Magnum Gold Dots were in the lower half of the circle - at 7 yd handheld. My 96gr LRNFP hit a bit lower, but close enough to easily ping the SPC targets at 12yd.

 

[GCBurner]

Saw a H&R model 586 in .32 mag at pawn shop. It sported a six inch heavy bbl and adj. sites. Anyone shoot this? How well does it shoot? Have fun and bangaway.

I wouldn't mind finding a 586 in .32 H&R Magnum, if it's priced right. I have a H&R "Sidekick", made before they renamed it the "Guardian", in regular .32 S&W Long, and even with the 2 1/2" snubby barrel, it shoots pretty accurately.

 

[ThomasT]

NoZombies I understand about the finances for buying the 631. I found the on GB and Auction Arms from time to time but they were priced in the $900 range. I could pay it but couldn't justify the price.

I joined the S&W forum just to see if I could find one there at a better price. I did. Someone was selling one for $650 including shipping. I sent him a PM right then. It was $20 transfer on my end. So for 670 I have I gun I have wanted for many years.

As for the tumble lube bullets they are a little strange but work just Lee said they would. All but three of my HG molds are tumble lube. I used to shoot falling plate matches back in the early 90s and I sure won a lot of trophies with the TL 148gr WC bullet. I only use Rooster Jacket for a lube now. That stuff is great.

 

[NoZombies]

Ratshooter, That's a great deal on that 631! I had someone offer one to me last month for $200 more than that, and honestly, if I could have swung it, I would have. For now the little Taurus will have to fill that gap.

I have to admit that tumble lubing works, I think for me the real thing is the handling characteristics of it that bug me. Since starting to mix the Liquid Alox with mineral spirits and JPW the handling has gotten a lot better, so now I don't mind as much. I haven't tried the Rooster Jacket, based on your recommendation though, I'll have to give it a shot. If you'd like to borrow that .32 TL mold for a while, let me know. I need to put a care package together for you sometime soon anyways, and I could put that in there.

 

[ThomasT]

NoZombies thats a really nice offer. I may even take you up on it since its getting cool enough to do a casting run. I do have about 800 Hornaday wc bullets on hand. And give the Rooster Jacket a try.

This seems like it might be the same lube that Hornaday lubes their knurled lead bullets with. It dries in half the time of the Lee Alox. It isn't tacky and doesn't leave a cloud of smoke when shot. I like it so much I cleaned all my Alox coated lead bullets off and relubed them with rooster jacket. After they are lubed I sprinkle some of the Midway motor mica on them and roll them around on the tub a little. If you try this stuff I bet you dont use alox ever again.

I even over lubed the factory coating on my speer 158gr hollow point lead bullets because I like a hot load for these since they are what I carry in my snubby. No leading at all so far.

By the way, what is JPW?

 

[A Pause for the Coz]

Ok I guess I will chime in on this. Since I am a closet .32 lover and all.
I have a H&R model 732 that I have had for a few years. For the longest time I just shot .32 shorts in it. because it said 32 S&W on the barrel. Finally got around to Googling it found out its chambered for S&W longs. So started reloading for it in that caliber. Shoots good too.
Has been the wifes bedside gun.
I finally felt guilty about her using it for self defense and upgraded her armory this year.

This summer I got her a Taurus revolver in .327 fed mag.
That way I could still use all the .32 stuff I have and add the bad guy stop power of the 327.
Was a good choice. I would not feel under gunned at all taking it out of the night stand if needed. Made her up a nice 327 load 2400 behind 85 gr XTP, Good stuff.
I shoot allot of H&R mags through it. 115 gr ahead of Unique.
Most accurate 2in snubbie I have ever shot.

 

[ThomasT]

Glad you chimed in Pause. I seldom load absolute full power 32 mags so haven't seen the need for a 327. I do keep a S&W 431PD in my nightstand drawer. Its loaded with Hornaday WC loads getting right at 900fps from that short barrel. Love the gun. It only weighs about 16oz loaded. I don't feel the least bit undergonned either. Especially since there is a model 15 and a mini-14 real close by.

If you could post a pic of your 732 I'd sure like to see it.

NZ I called Lee Precision to see if they had a 32 WC mold laying around. They didn't and have no plans to make any more of the molds. You can get one as a custom order. I believe they get around a hundred bucks for a custom mold. I can buy lots of precast for that much moolah.

 

[A Pause for the Coz]

I will post a pic of the 732 tomorrow.

I would say about 80% of the shooting I have done with the 327 is using the H&R cases.
Mostly shoot cast at steel.
But I found I could not get the right load I wanted for the XTP out of that case.
Honestly though I am sure I could make em hotter to shoot out of the 327. But why when I can just load a good upper mid range load in the 327 case and get the same thing.

That XTP load I cronoed at right about 1400 fps. I can live ( literally)with that.

BTW I really really want a lever gun chambered in .327 Mag. I mean I really want one. Oh and a Ruger Black hawk in .327 Ahhhhhh it never ends!!!!!

 

[NoZombies]

Yeah, the list of .32's that I would like is quite a bit longer than the list of them that I can afford

Ratshooter, I had to buy mine from England, and it's pretty well worn, but it does the trick. It is too bad Lee wont make the mold again, I'd love to have a 6 cavity.