32 s&w long ?

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cfullgraf said:
I think 32 S&WL could have been the reloadable 22RF if it had been promoted better back in the day. Oh, well.

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I agree. I had wanted to put together a single shot rifle in .32 S&W Long for small game hunting, but centerfires are not legal for small game in PA.

It makes a wonderful revolver cartridge, though. It's just a joy to shoot. I have an H&R 733, Ruger Single Six in .32 H&R, and a S&W Model 632 Airweight in .32 H&R. With .32 Longs recoil isn't much more than a .22 with HV rounds, but with a bullet that weighs more than twice as much and is significantly larger in diameter.

Something like a Colt Baby Dragoon in .32 S&W Long would super cool.
 
".32 Longs recoil isn't much more than a .22 with HV rounds, but with a bullet that weighs more than twice as much and is significantly larger in diameter."


100% agree. 32 caliber revolvers are very underrated, IMHO.

I have a chamber insert with a 4" or so barrel that lets you shoot 32 S&W long out of a single-shot shotgun (12 or 20 gauge, I misremember).

My single-shot shotguns don't have real sights, but if they did it would be fun to see how accurate that insert could be.
 
K2yajT7.jpg
One of my favorite revolvers, a Colt Detective Special in .32 S&W Long. Accurate enough to make decent groups at 25 yards, low recoil. Handloads can be a LOT more powerful than factory fodder, and use better bullet shapes as well. I've tested some loads with 90gr. reversed hollow-base wadcutters loaded over 4.3gr. of Unique, and expansion is impressive but they fall short on penetration. Fired through four layers of denim into Clear ballistics 10% ordinance gel they tend to penetrate 9-10", which would certainly be adequate for most canines.
WD9y9EC.jpg
Expansion to around .50 in gel; pretty impressive!
NOTE: This is an SAAMI max-pressure load, and should be used only in quality firearms in good condition. It is prudent to start 10% low and work up.
 
I would like to see S&W bring back the model 12 in .32 H&R magnum, with a 4 inch barrel and adjustable sights. The model 12 was a model 10, but with an aluminum frame instead of a steel frame. It weighed about 8 ounces less.
If they made it, even with the aluminum frame, it should be strong enough for the little .32 magnum and with a 4 inch barrel, give good ballistic performance with light recoil.

Jim
 
ThomasT said:
I would like to see S&W bring back about anything in 32 caliber. My wish would be the J-Frame Airweights with 3-4" barrels and adjustable sights for a nice, light weight trail gun or SD gun with the 3" barrel. But I suspect you and I are both dreaming.
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Yes like the full lug Model 60 in Stainless. Maybe even a Scandium framed full lug gun with titanium cylinder and adjustables - Tritium, fiber optic rod or McGivern gold bead......I'm not picky.


6 shot .32 magnum of course.
 
EMC45 said:
Yes like the full lug Model 60 in Stainless. Maybe even a Scandium framed full lug gun with titanium cylinder and adjustables - Tritium, fiber optic rod or McGivern gold bead......I'm not picky.


6 shot .32 magnum of course.
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I have a model 36-6 38 Special with full lug and adjustable sights and it is indeed a great trail gun. And from what I have read S&W only made 615 of these guns. I didn't get the box and docs just the pistola but what a cool little gun it is. Its light on the belt so easy to have with you unnoticed until you need it. Its one I am really glad I found. And a hot 38 is about all the recoil I want in this gun.

The same gun in 32 mag would be just peachy. I do have a 431PD in 32 mag. Thats why I want the same gun with a longer barrel and adjustable sights. I already know what the potential for a gun like this would be.
 
Dave Markowitz said:
I agree. I had wanted to put together a single shot rifle in .32 S&W Long for small game hunting, but centerfires are not legal for small game in PA.

It makes a wonderful revolver cartridge, though. It's just a joy to shoot. I have an H&R 733, Ruger Single Six in .32 H&R, and a S&W Model 632 Airweight in .32 H&R. With .32 Longs recoil isn't much more than a .22 with HV rounds, but with a bullet that weighs more than twice as much and is significantly larger in diameter.

Something like a Colt Baby Dragoon in .32 S&W Long would super cool.
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You may find this article interesting if you like the idea of a 32 caliber small game rifle. A single shot in 32 long or 32 mag would be a great revisit of the old Rook & Rabbit rifles used over in England for pest control. I have sent Henry a couple of emails asking for a single shot in 32 mag. As soon as Buds gets more of the 357 single shots in stock I am buying one.

https://www.hensleygibbs.com/edharris/articles/32calsmallgamerifles.htm
 
While we are dreaming, here is what I would like to see from S&W:

K-Frame
Stainless
3" Barrel
Fixed Sights (I would also purchase the same with adjustable sights, but preference is fixed for carry).
.327 Fed Magnum, which would allow the whole range of .32 to be used.
7 or 8 shots (8 would probably be pushing it in a K-frame cylinder, but....)
 
MacAR said:
Dang it! Now I want a rook rifle! Pity my state doesn't permit centerfire rifles for small game hunting outside of rifle season. Still, I'd be all over a Henry in 32.

Mac
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You don't have to hunt with it to have fun. I had a Marlin 32 mag I never hunted with but it sure was fun to just plink with. I made some low power loads with 76gr lead bullets that chronoed 930fps and they were as quiet as CB22 rounds. Those were a hoot to shoot.
 
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ThomasT said:
You don't have to hunt with it to have fun. I had a Marlin 32 mag I never hunted with but it sure was fun to just plink with. I made some low power loads with 76gr lead bullets that chronoed 930fps and they were as quiet as CB22 rounds. Those were a hoot to shoot.
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Very true, but I think a nice little lightweight "rook rifle" would make a crackerjack squirrel hunting gun. Plenty of range, power, and accuracy to do all you need on critters up to 'yote size.

Mac
 
MacAR said:
Very true, but I think a nice little lightweight "rook rifle" would make a crackerjack squirrel hunting gun. Plenty of range, power, and accuracy to do all you need on critters up to 'yote size.

Mac
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I get it. I have an article in an old Guns Digest by a fellow named Collin Greenwood and he wrote about reloading for his various R&R rifles. Every time I read that article over I get on a R&R rifle kick. There is a poster on here who has shown his R&R rifle collection but I'm not sure who it was. 35 Whelen maybe. Who ever it was lives in the Houston area IIRC.

Thats why I want the Henry single shot 357 rifle. Its the closest thing to an American Rook & Rabbit rifle I know of. At one time Rossi made a single shot 357 but by the time I heard about them they had been dropped. H&R/NEF could have built a really good R&R rifle and actually did but good luck finding one now. They had a 22" barreled 357 with open sights. I should have sent in my 223 and had the 357 barrel added to it. They is a youtube video of a guy shooting one with light lead bullet loads and you can't even hear it go off hardly.
 
ThomasT said:
H&R/NEF could have built a really good R&R rifle and actually did but good luck finding one now. They had a 22" barreled 357 with open sights.
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I have one of those. It's been reamed to .357Maximum. With heavy .357 Max loads it'll keep up with a .35 Rem pretty easily. With light .38 Long Colt loads it'll punch paper - thin paper - with hardly any noise. Recoil? Nah. I put one of their "Survivor" stock sets on it and converted the ejector to an extractor. It's a sweet rig!
 
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