Took the .32 plunge yesterday.

[cal44mag]

For a while I carried a 31-1 most days.

I used the Buffalo Bore 32 S&W Long 100gr wadcutters as carry ammo, and the BB 115gr RNFP as reloads.

Shown in the picture: Recently I switched it for a 431PD in 32 H&R Magnum.

Still have the 31-1.

 

[TTv2]

For a while I carried a 31-1 most days.

I used the Buffalo Bore 32 S&W Long 100gr wadcutters as carry ammo, and the BB 115gr RNFP as reloads.

Shown in the picture: Recently I switched it for a 431PD in 32 H&R Magnum.

Still have the 31-1.

Good ammo choices.

 

[ThomasT]

When I ordered bullets, I thought the .32ACP seemed too small and light. I have 500 .313 98 grain wadcutters on the way!

Good call. The 32ACP bullets are way too small. I have a box of them and they drop right through the cylinder. They're just great in a 32ACP pistol of course. And like another said I get my best accuracy from the bullets in the 100gr range. I have two bullet molds both from Lee. A round nose 100gr bullet and the 94gr SWC bullet. Both shoot well in my guns. I wish Lee still offered the WC mold they use to make. Plus there are several bullet makers that offer lead bullets from 76 to 115 grains in weight. But your fixed sights are regulated for bullets that weigh around 100grs.

 

[Dframe]

That's a beautiful revolver. I don't often shoot 32 but have always enjoyed that couple I own. I know everyone will be surprised but they're both Colts

 

[TTv2]

Good call. The 32ACP bullets are way too small. I have a box of them and they drop right through the cylinder. They're just great in a 32ACP pistol of course. And like another said I get my best accuracy from the bullets in the 100gr range. I have two bullet molds both from Lee. A round nose 100gr bullet and the 94gr SWC bullet. Both shoot well in my guns. I wish Lee still offered the WC mold they use to make. Plus there are several bullet makers that offer lead bullets from 76 to 115 grains in weight. But your fixed sights are regulated for bullets that weigh around 100grs.

My Heritage .32 shoots .32 ACP just as accurately as it shoots any of my reloads with a .313 diameter. I don't think a smaller throat in a revolver is necessary for jacketed bullets diameters. The bullets will still hit the lands, the lands will twist the bullets... it's just that the grooves won't be filled and the powder burn won't be as consistent from shot to shot.

But, because we're dealing with multiple chambers in a revolver, there's no guarantee that all the throats in each chamber, or each chamber, will be the same size.

I will concur that with the 100 grain weight for .32's... I have yet to see any other size or weight bullet that is MORE accurate than the 100's are.

 

[OneFreeTexan]

I’m curious,,,TTv2 about your comment:


But, because we're dealing with multiple chambers in a revolver, there's no guarantee that all the throats in each chamber, or each chamber, will be the same size.

Is this a common occurrence? tha chambers in a revolver are often different sizes?

 

[ThomasT]

My Heritage .32 shoots .32 ACP just as accurately as it shoots any of my reloads with a .313 diameter. I don't think a smaller throat in a revolver is necessary for jacketed bullets diameters. The bullets will still hit the lands, the lands will twist the bullets... it's just that the grooves won't be filled and the powder burn won't be as consistent from shot to shot.

Striving for consistency should be job one when it comes to ammo. Just because an undersized bullet still engages the lands doesn't mean it will give you the best performance you can get from your gun. One of the main purposes of the throat to bullet fit is to make sure the bullet starts straight down the barrel. If the udersized 32ACP loads shoot as accurately as your 32 revolver loads it makes me wonder what your best groups are? The first 32 Long I shot was in a model 31-1 with a 4" barrel my dad gave me. All I had were 32acp loads. It set them off and made a pleasing boom but it wasn't accurate at all. I borrowed a set of 32 long dies from my uncle and loaded proper ammo with bullets that fit the throats and was very happy with how well that gun shot. And it started me down the road on a love affair with 32 caliber revolvers.

But, because we're dealing with multiple chambers in a revolver, there's no guarantee that all the throats in each chamber, or each chamber, will be the same size.

That will for the most part depend on the quality of the gun. I just for another poster here miked the cylinder throats on my S&W model 28 and the six throats were within .0002 of each other. Do a search of my post and I added pictures in that post. But even if the throats on your gun aren't that close as long as the bullets doesn't drop through the cylinder but are stopped at the throats you should get decent accuracy.

 

[BullRunBear]

I picked up a Ruger Single-Six in 32 mag a couple of years ago and the 32s, both magnums and longs, have become one of my favorite calibers. They are comfortable to shoot, accurate as all get out, and cheap and easy to reload. It's a nice combination. I bet double action shooting with those 98 grain WCs is sweet.

Jeff

 

[AirForceShooter]

Keep it away from the women in your life.
They love .32's.

You know it's going to become your favorite gun

AFS

 

[bannockburn]

BullRunBear

I had both a Single Six and a Bisley Single Six in .32 H&R Magnum when the guns and the cartridge were still relatively new on the market. They were both fine guns though at the time I had quite a bit of difficulty finding ammo for them. I eventually traded them off but if I were doing it again I would go with a new Single Seven in .327 Magnum.

 

[LoneGoose]

BullRunBear

if I were doing it again I would go with a new Single Seven in .327 Magnum.

I recently got a Single Seven in .327 Fed Mag, and it is superb. I load .32 Longs, .32 Mags, and .327 Fed Mag for it.

 

[George P]

I have 2 32SWL, one of which is an older "I" frame with 4" barrel. Almost like holding a kid's toy, it is accurate with the right load.

 

[TTv2]

Striving for consistency should be job one when it comes to ammo. Just because an undersized bullet still engages the lands doesn't mean it will give you the best performance you can get from your gun. One of the main purposes of the throat to bullet fit is to make sure the bullet starts straight down the barrel. If the udersized 32ACP loads shoot as accurately as your 32 revolver loads it makes me wonder what your best groups are? The first 32 Long I shot was in a model 31-1 with a 4" barrel my dad gave me. All I had were 32acp loads. It set them off and made a pleasing boom but it wasn't accurate at all. I borrowed a set of 32 long dies from my uncle and loaded proper ammo with bullets that fit the throats and was very happy with how well that gun shot. And it started me down the road on a love affair with 32 caliber revolvers.

I think it really comes down to each individual revolver that .32 ACP is shot in. I've only ever shot .32 ACP in my Heritage and a shotgun adapter, so my experience is limited with putting .32 ACP into .32 H&R Mag or .327 chambered guns.

I agree about striving for consistency with ammunition. I just bought 250 Berry's .32 ACP bullets to see what results I get with reloads. Even if the velocity isn't consistent, but the accuracy out to 10-15 yards is, I'm happy with that considering .32 ACP bullets can be bought for half that of cast lead bullets. If it puts a hole in something that needs a hole put in it and does it for half price, I'm down with that.

 

[TTv2]

I’m curious,,,TTv2 about your comment:


But, because we're dealing with multiple chambers in a revolver, there's no guarantee that all the throats in each chamber, or each chamber, will be the same size.

Is this a common occurrence? tha chambers in a revolver are often different sizes?

I can't say it's common, but it's always possible and it usually affects lower quality revolvers more. I got an Armscor/Rock Island .38 snub last year and checked the throats a month ago. 5 of them were .358" and one of them was .362" IIRC. Now, this isn't a target gun, it is what it is so one throat being that oversized isn't a big deal to me. How that can happen when all the chambers/throats are being machined at the same time is curious tho.

As Ratshooter said, even his throats weren't exactly the same diameter on his S&W. .0002" is basically the same size diameter to me, but there's potential to get revolvers with a throat that is .0005 or .001" larger and that can mess everything up, so too if you have a chamber that doesn't lock up as tight as the others do.

My Ruger Redhawk and Gen 1 Charter .357 don't have throat size issues. They're good guns and were made by good machine operators, especially the Charter. Those people in the revolver companies in the 80's knew what they were doing, but that's because they were trained by guys who were making everything on manual machines and knew their stuff. Today's gen is all brought up on CNC and the intangibles are getting lost.

Anyway, revolvers just have those potential issues and it's one of the reasons I've started to stray away from them when accuracy is the objective. At least with a pistol, it's one chamber and one barrel all connected and you can buy match grade barrels and swap between them.

 

[ACES&8S]

View attachment 781578
I recently inherited this 1955 .32 hand ejector ( pre-model 30) from my father in law. He kept it in his closet with 2 boxes of cartridges for over 50 years. It has aftermarket genuine mother of pearl grips on it but, I have a set of period correct diamond magnas should I wish to change them.

WOW!

 

[ACES&8S]

Last year, I spent months paring down the number of chamberings I load for. Got rid of everything except .38, .357, and .45ACP. I banished .32ACP, .380, 9mmMak, 9mm, and a couple I didn't load for, like the Tokarev and Nagant. "Keep it simple," I thought. "Focus on the ones you like most." And then, doofus that I am, I came home with this yesterday:

View attachment 781141

Three-screw I frame in .32 S&W Long, with 4" barrel (a "pre-31"), which I'm told shipped in 1957. It has the wrong grips, of course, because everything I find has the wrong grips. I'll track down some correct ones.

The shop I found it in didn't even have ammunition for it, though another local one (J&G) does. Now I'm off to Starline to order some brass, and Midway to get some dies. Yay?

The store it was in is about twenty minutes away from me. I'd gone in to pick up a holster, saw it in the case, said to myself ".32, no way," got home, did some reading on .32 long, went back, discovered I didn't have my wallet, went back home, got my wallet, and finally went back and picked it up. Drove back and forth for an hour and a half to get it...

I had one of those back in the 70's, wish I hadn't got rid of it now.
Back then I knew nothing except, shoot.
There was an old junk Dodge owners said we could shoot up, I stood at the front bumper & shot my only
3 bullets rapid fire at center windshield, it just left a lead smear, didn't even crack it. We all had a good
laugh & I traded it for whatever. Wish I had kept it.

 

[Tallball]

J Davis, that is a SWEET looking revolver!

I have the ancient I-frame from 1916, but its trigger isn't really that good and the sights are tiny. It goes bang every time, which is nice for a 100-year-old gun.

The Charter Arms 2" 32H&R Magnum has a pretty good trigger and is perfectly reliable; I leave it for my wife if I am going to be out of town (in case her large, aggressive dogs need some help).

My SP101 327 has a horrible trigger. After I put bigger grips on it, it became semi-okay to shoot.

My 6.5" Ruger Single Six shoots beautifully. I can shoot 32 S&W long out of it every bit as well as I can shoot 22lr out of my 22-caliber Single Six.

The 32 revolver rounds are good rounds and "should" be more popular. There really is something else between 22 and 38! If you can't use 38 or 9mm for SD, S&W Long is a much better option than 22lr