Tell me about the 32 S&W Long Cartridge

[fulloflead]

I have the opportunity to get an old S&W Model 30 snubby in 32 S&W Long in a trade for a gun that I don't really want that's worth about the same. I'm thinking about doing it because I'm a S&W collector and it's kind of an oddball, but I don't know a thing about the cartridge.

Does it have any practical use anymore?
Would it make a fair defense cartridge in a pinch?
Would it make for interesting reloading?

 

[BudthePrez]

32 S&W is a mild cartridge the 32 S&W long is still use by some 3 gun Bullseye shooters for the centerfire match most often loaded with HBWC seated to case length nice mild paper punch in a semiauto [1.2 gr bullseye works for me in the longs] the 32 S&W won't take that kind of power.
So much for self defense use.
The 32 H&R Mag is a longer version which has a decent application for small game and defense but would be much hotter than the chambering for your gun.
Still fun to shoot not much different from a 22 LR in noise great for paper punching or introducing a newbie to shooting.

 

[Old Fuff]

The .32 S&W Long is a very accurate cartridge out to about 50 yards. This, and its light recoil make it fun to shoot. It is adequate for self-defense in the hands of a decent shot. If you hand load you can duplicate the performance of the .32 Magnum in a late model gun. The round is downloaded by most commercial producers because of the large number of questionable quality top-break revolvers that are still in circulation.

The model 30 is descended from the pre-war 1903 Hand Ejector model, and by the time it arrived (1957 through 1976) the day of .32 revolvers was pretty well passed. As a consequence not many were made. In excellent or better condition it has a potential collector’s value that may increase in the future. If the terms were right I’d suggest you pick it up.

 

[BluesBear]

A modern .32 S&W Long revolver with a good handload can far exceed anything the .32 ACP can do. And we all know there are a lot of people who carry the .32 ACP for protection.

From the turn of the Century until WWI there were more Police Departments carrying the .32 S&W Long than the .38 Special.

 

[fulloflead]

Wow. This is all really helpful, you guys. I'm glad I asked. Thanks a lot.

 

[LiquidTension]

I've got a Mod 31 (3" J-frame S&WL). It shoots great. The recoil is closer to a .22 than a .38, it's pretty accurate out to 50 yards, and it just looks nice. IMO it is a good gun for a recoil sensitive person to carry because it's better than nothing and might actually see some range time.

 

[280PLUS]

Side notes:

.32 H&R mag cartridge should be too long for any gun that shoots .32 S&W or .32 S&W Long and not fit completely in the chamber.

You can fire both .32 S&W and .32 S&W Long out of a revolver chambered for .32 Mag. You can also shoot .32 ACP out of it but I think it requires moon clips.

I was using .32 S&W Long in my lightweight snubbie to accomodate the range I was shooting it at and found that after about 50 rounds the shorter round fouled enough extra length of the chamber so that I couldn't get my carry (Mag) loads back in. And required much soaking and scrubbing to get it clean enough for the Mag loads to slide in and out properly once again.

The .32 Long was a much milder round than .32 Mag in the lightweight snubbie.

Because of the limited demand for all 3 of those revolver rounds they tend to be a little more pricey.

Georgia Arms makes a much better .32 Mag round than Federal. Do a search and they should come right up.

IIRC Eisenhower carried a .32 But I'm not sure if it was the short or long cartridge.

 

[cookekdjr]

I have a .32 long S&W revolver I'm selling. If anyone is interested, send me a pm. BTW, the above posters are right: Recoil is very low, accuracy is excellent. BTW, Aguilla makes affordable ammo for the gun (approx $8 per box of 50).
-David

 

[BluesBear]

A trick I learned years and years (and years) ago.

Take a fired case (in this case a .32 H&R Magnum).
Chambfer the INSIDE if the case mouth. If you reload then slightly sxpand the case mouth until it just barely slided inside the chamber with a minimum of force.

Use this case to remove fouling caused by shooting shorter ammo.
Most of the fouling is a combination of bullet lubricant and powder. The combination results in a waxy mud that seem to take forever to remove with a brush but will easily scrape out.

This method works great be it in a .32, .38/.357, .44, or .45. Just use the longest cartridge the gun is chambered for.

It's easy.
It's fast.
It's cheap.



-----------------------

I used to be cheap, easy and fast.
Now I'm just cheap and easy.

 

[mec]

Here's a link to something related.
http://www.gunblast.com/Cumpston_32Colt.htm

 

[Gordon]

Blues Bear: thats a REALLY cool tip! Thanks
I have a soft spot for the .32S&W Long: My dad was a very competitive NRA bullseye shoot from about 1953 on. He shot a Colt Officers Model Match in .22 & .38 and a King Gun Works (the OLD one) 1911 .45. When I came of age (18) he gave me the OMM .22 with which I competed in College and local matches at Ft Monmouth NJ. When I went into the Army I recieved the .38 OMM (and later the 1911) and he bought a new , from what today is called the Custom Shop, 'short action' .32 long Officer's model match! He competed with this gun well into his 60's ( in the 1970's) and called it his "cheat gun" . Today it is a safe queen even though it is good and used, last ime I shot it 15years or so ago, it cut ragged groups at 25 yards with Lapua Match ammo. I rarely shoot the other Officer's Model Match guns, but yes the .32 is markedly more accurate.!
I also have a nice 4" model 30 for which I worked up quite a nice 115grain cast bullet load with a little too much (a little over published loads , but seems mild) Win 231 for my wifes use. However that pristine stag gripped gun with which she shot an Opposum and a couple racoons with, is retired to the collection as she likes K frame .38's better!

 

[Gordon]

I forgot the gun I shot the most .32 S&W longs in; not a revolver BUT the Stevens Favorite was converted from .32 rimfire to .32 S&Wlong in a beautiful way! I like to shoot .32 S&W in this old girl, it is airgun loud with the 24" barrel and the Tang sight lets me smack things a pretty good distance-ain't no CB cap for sure!

 

[Old Fuff]

The .32 H&R Magnum was developed by Harrington & Richardson, and by magnum standards is very much on the moderate side because the revolvers for which it was intended are on the lightweight side, both is size and material. Consequently I doubt that your load in a S&W model 30, which has a larger cylinder made from better material, is excessive.

I am sometime ammused by those that find the .32 ACP to be acceptable for back-up or personal protection, but not the .32 S&W Long. In any case it is unfortunate that this interesting target and plinking cartridge is overlooked so often by so many.

 

[Wil Terry]

THE .32 S&W LONG IS THE MOST DELIGHTFUL OF SMALL BORE RELOADABLE PISTOL CARTRIDGES.

With my handloaded ammunition it is accurate as all gitout, powerful beyond expectations, and an utter delight as a small game cartridge. It is also the perfect reloadable plinking cartridge.
I shoot the .32LONG in 2", 4", and 6" S&W sixguns. All three will take the X out of the X-ring including the 2" which is a M30 like the one you mentioned.
The .32LONG shoots just as well out of my .32MAGNUM sixguns and is the ideal sub-load for 32MAG sixguns.
There ain't no flies in the .32LONG's ointment!!!

 

[BluesBear]

I hope it ain't a THR Member...

Whoever loaded the three cartridges on the left side of that photo sure needs to learn how to adjust a crimp die!

 

[280PLUS]

more sidenotes...

FYI - .32 Mag - According to my conversations with the Georgia Arms people theirs is loaded to the maximum allowable for the older steel guns and they will not load it any hotter for the newer guns because someone will invariably stick one in an older gun and blow themselves up. Hence causing their insurance premiums to rise exponentially.

Theirs is a 100 gr SJHP that we clocked only one of coming out of my 1 7/8" barrel at 977 FPS at 15 ft from the muzzle.

They claim 1100 FPS out of a 7" barrel

and yes MANY THANX to bluesbear for the tip!

 

[mec]

duplicate post - deleted

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[mec]

" I hope it ain't a THR Member...

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Whoever loaded the three cartridges on the left side of that photo sure needs to learn how to adjust a crimp die!"

Gee! An expert has detected a flaw in my reloading techinique!

Funny thing though, the Wadcutter so loaded- just enough crimp to remove the case bell had an extreme spread of only 26 fps with it's best load. Same spread with a meister cast wadcutter - 27 fps.

The 3118 bullet stayed inside of 31 fps with its most consistent load and the Meister round nose did 17 with its most favored charge.

The factory loaded Aguilla 98 grain rn cut a spread of 28 fps from a Colt and 33fps from a Smith 31 while the remington rn did 32 and 12 respectively.

Always happy to receive criticism from an expert.

 

[scbair]

Mec, two things I've learned in over 30 years of handloading:

1) If it looks funny, but works well, I don't complain.


2) Those rounds DO look funny !

'Course, I'm no expert . . .

 

[mec]

Crimp, in and of itself can be a funny subject. Very seldom do you see any discussion of precise gradations of crimp or the exact placement of crimp within the established crimp groove. Some handbook references give Cartridge Overall Length for specified bullets but we are often left to our own devices for COL with other bullets.

Back before the internet, a lot of us were handicapped by having to get our reloading instructions from Loading Manuals or neighbors who, hopefully had read Loading Manuals. Here is what the Speer #3 from 1959 says about

SEATING FOR REVOLVERS
"Cartridges loaded for match shooting need not have the case mouth crimped into the bullet at all. On the contrary, it is a pretty well established fact that better accuracy will be the result if the bullets are held only by the tension of the case.

Heavy loads and heavy recoiling revolvers however, require that the bullets be held very securely in the cases and a very heavy crimp is therefore, necessary...."

The .32s loads using bullets that are seated fairly deep in the case- such as the heavy 3118 bullet and wadcutters obtain good burn characteristics due to case tension and only a very light crimp. Those .32 loads using bullets with only a relatively small portion within the case do often require a heavy crimp for a uniform burn. This is true even with fast burning powders such as bullseye. The extreme illustration of this is the use of a .31-32 caliber buckshot/ball in the .32 cases. Even with bullseye and an attempt at a crimp, velocities are quite erratic.

 

[Stainz]

I cannot find a decent new .32 H&R locally. The only one I have found, admittedly a pocket CCW, has smitten me - a S&W 432PD. S&W just recently added them, and their hammer sibling 431PD, to their web site under recent goodies. It is a hammerless black Al J-frame/blued cylinder six-holer weighing ~ 11 oz - and $339 new locally, the same as a 642 & 637. The Ruger SS & SSS .32's are gone - as is that neat BHG version my local pusher had last year... all gone from the '05 catalog, too. That pricey Davidson's 'Exclusive' version, a convertible including a .32-20 cylinder, also appears to be gone. The only .32 Ruger now lists are the 3" & 4" SP-101's, but my dealer said his sources don't have them.

Just over a year ago I gave away a large bag (>1,000) of spent .32 H&R cases, reasoning that .38's would be my 'miniature' caliber (I started with .45 Colt...). I saw several very nice I-frames a year or two back - and marvelled at their low price ($150-$200 then... try to find one today!). I'll keep looking...

Oh yeah, you want weird looking reloads? Try my 1895 Nagant revolver (7.62x38r) homebrews... I load Meister DEWC 100gr .312" lead over 2.5gr TiteGroup in a modified .32-20 case. The Starline cases were trimmed .024" in rim diameter, .010" in rim thickness, and re-sized in an M1 Carbine carbide (Lee) die before loading and crimping with .32-20 dies. The bullet seats within the case by ~.2", the open end slightly crimped. The longer original Russian ammo looks even funnier. They will chamber and fire .32 S&WL's, but the soft Magtech's I used bulged and split. I have heard that the .32 H&R's are more stout mechanically, and are actually suggested by some importers. Hmmm, I guess I already have a couple of .32's... and, they are seven shooters... too bad about that 20+ lb DA trigger!

Stainz

 

[mec]

those double ended meisters are good bullets. It sounds like you have re-created the gas seal cartridge. Is that right?

 

[280PLUS]

My .32 H&R snubbie is a S&W Model 332

Just FYI

I have to go to their site now and look at these new goodies



Back already. Didn't even know I was gone, did ya?

Apparently the models 331 and 332 have morphed into the 431PD and 432PD

They don't show the 331/332 at all anymore. The newer versions have different sights and the black finish instead of the original gray finish. I don't see much else different between the two.

My 332 weighs in at 14 Oz. loaded. I do love it...

 

[Stainz]

MEC,

The modified .32-20 cases are too short to gas seal like the original cartridges do. The Ruskie target ammo, and the pricey Fiocchi rounds, when loaded stand proud of the concave cylinder exits and go inside the inverted, ie, convex, 'forcing cone' at the barrel's end. My rounds don't make it that far... the Meisters are crimped on the top ring (double-ended!), leaving a small bit of lead proud of the case - but still below the cylinder exits. I have not seen any escaping gases/smoke from the cylinder non-gap while others are shooting my reloads, however. My 2.5gr of TiteGroup still won't break 700 fps... more work (Ugh, more powder!) is required there, I suppose.

I was at the range earlier today. I was amazed that my .32-ish Nagant loads were knocking the plates down, something my SS's .22 WMR wouldn't do (40gr @ 1,400 fps measured). The most fun is letting newbies 'experience' the Nagant... amidst repeated assurances that it really is a DA - just keep squeezing (20+ lb triggers are normal)!

I was going by my pusher today, but thought better... if he still has the 432, I may just have to take it home with me. Of course, it doesn't come with a seven shot cylinder, holster, cleaning rod, screwdriver, and cool umbilical cord, a la the Nagants.

Stainz

 

[mec]

The one time I fired a Nagant, we didn't clock the rounds. Shot it single action at 20 yards off hand and it made a 4" group about 6" high. I seem to recall from something I read that the true gas seal rounds may not have been going any or much faster than yours. Could be that the way it closes up the gap seals things off pretty well.

Interesting revolvers and I understand the Russians considered them extra reliable.