.32 Caliber Revolvers

[BillCA]

This thread is for anyone wanting to talk about a .32 caliber revolver. I don't know why I became fascinated with the little .32's but they have always appealed to me.

If you have 'em, post some pics! What do you do with yours? Anyone use a .32 S&W Long for CCW? Do you have a unique use for it? Favorite reloads? Where do you get your components?

I'll start off with a photo of my latest acquisition.

S&W Model 31-1, 3" J-frame, made between 1969 and 1982 (H42xxx).

 

[Sir William]

I have a few. The three that I have CCWd and trust are a M30 6 shot in 3" form and a lemonsqueezer breaktop. 32 S&W Long and 32 S&W are both easily found. Third is a 32 S&W chambered H&R Victor. It is an antique but, highly concealable. My other 32s are breaktop S&Ws. I like the 32 H&R Magnum myself. The 32 S&W is downloaded for safe use in the antique pocket revolvers. The 32 S&W Long has been a international target round for decades. Manurhin of France has made some excellent freestyle 32s. I simply like 32s and I buy them when I come across solid examples.

 

[DPris]

Willy Jo,
Finally shot this little bird's-head Ruger .32 today with the new Marlin.
Ruger will not be getting it back.
Got a major case of the terminal cutes.
(The gun, not me. )
Denis

 

[Blue Heeler]

G'Day Bill - Tell me how to post a full size pic and I'll send some of my Model 16 - I have posted pix before but they come out smaller than I'd like.

 

[BillCA]

Dpris,

The .32 is definitely a sweet gun to fire, in either the older S&W, S&W Long or the .32 H&R Mag. I've never tried it out of a SA revolver, however I'd guess that your Ruger was very accurate from your response!

 

[BillCA]

Blue Heeler,

If you post the picture as an attachment it will be displayed in a size that fits the screen on most computers (with Windows 2000/Me/XP). Mine allows me to click an icon and view the image "full size" if I put the mouse on the image.

Otherwise, you need to put the pic on some webserver somewhere so that you can provide a URL to it. I put mine on a friend's webserver and then use the

 

[WIL TERRY]

I AM IN THE THIRD DAY OF LOADING 32S&W LONG AMMUNITION.

Just finished a five gallon bucket of W-W 32LONG brass and it is on to the big pile of FEDERAL 32LONG brass, then the R-P 32long brass, on to the HERTER 32LONG cases, and last, but certainly not least, the STARLINE 32LONG brass. These all are to feed a 2", 4", and 6" S&W 32LONG sixguns, plus the three S&W 32MAG sixguns, the Ruger SSM 32MAG, and the DAN WESSON 6" M732.
There is no finer small bore sixgun cartridge than the 32S&W LONG. It's big brother, the 32H&R MAGNUM is also a delightful small bore centerfire cartridge though after all the these past 25 years I've fed the 32MAG sixguns mostly with 32LONG ammunition. Both of the S&W M631 4" KITGUNS shoot the 32LONG ammunition so well that plinking with them out to 250 yards is almost easy. Both can hit popcans all day long at 100 yards. Both will also knock off prairie rats all day long out to 100 yards easy as you please with 100gr SWC bullets flying at 1150fps.
My enthusiasm for the 32's started in 1955 when elmer Keith in " SIXGUNS " called it a " good small game cartridge " and that enthusiasm hasn't wained a bit in the ensuing decades. For easter the bunny brought my wife her own S&W M631 4" 32MAG. She shot it for the first time yesterday and I am here to tell you she can pick the buttons off your shirt at 50 yards with it slick as you please.

 

[DPris]

It did OK accuracy-wise, the biggest obstacle to straight shooting is the stainless sights. Had to blacken them just to get a sight picture.
Denis

 

[Mike Irwin]

I have 3, all Smiths.

A .32 Regulation Police that I got a long time ago, and made in 1917.

A Model 30 snubby that I picked up 2 years ago.

A .32-20 made in the 1920s.

Whoops, I've also got an ancient Iver Johnson .32 S&W that was my great grandfather's.

 

[Sir William]

I also have a 32-20. A M1902 5" with RB. I don't shoot it anymore on a regular basis. I would NOT feel undergunned with a 32-20. I would grab a trio of short barrel Rugers in 32-20. Solid performer.

 

[Tamara]

Assuming my Nagant doesn't count...

...I have three.

A 4" Model 31-1, circa 1971, that I use for introducing novices to the world of centerfires.

A 3.25" nickel .32 Hand Ejector Third Model, circa 1924, that I bought just because the price was right.

And, lastly, a Model 432PD, circa 2004, which sits, with C/T Lasergrips, in my coat pocket. Not much point in taking a picture of it, as it's just another soulless hunk of blackened aluminum, but it's good at its job.

 

[44-40]

S&w 31,russian nagant,and a h&r auto ejector in 32 long, several iver johnson,h&r,hopkins and allen in 32 short,colt police positive and a spanish eiber in 32-20. I use a lee mold for the 32 long and short, bought a pile of meister bullets for the 32-20's, would like to try a 32 mag but have't got around to it,don't know anyone that has one either.

 

[Ala Dan]

Well, I'm unable to post pic's at this time, but I do own a 1971 S&W
model 30 with a 2" tube that I orginially bought NIB for my dad. And
upon his passing in 1996, this gun reverted back too me. Its a blue
steel, round butt model that's only been fired a total of six times in
order to check function.

I have since retired this little S&W model 30 from service, due to
it being a family heirloom.

Best Wishes,

 

[gak]

See my reply under Armondo B.'s recent Concealed Carry Revolver thread. The 32 H&R Mag is a great round. Have had the Ruger single action in this and have fired various Tauri, S&W etc. d/a's. Sadly Ruger is or may be discontinuing its mini-Vaquero single action in this perfect tweener (long gap between .22 and .38) round.

 

[DPris]

The single-action .32 Mags are no longer in production, but Ruger says they have a lot of them in stock.
Denis

 

[Sir William]

I said it before, Ruger erred in not simply chambering the Vaqueros in 32-20. The 32 H&R Magnum is a decent cartridge, it was not the bet choice in period correctness CAS-wise, they should have offered two frame/grip sizes and it is a niche market. Ruger produced far too many units. The other clones also can now be had in 32 H&R Magnum/32 S&W Long and a second 32-20 cylinder. I would like for Ruger to produce a 32-20, 3", birdshead, stainless and non-ejector model of the new Vaquero. 4". 5.5", 7.5" and 10" barrels and XR3 frames would be nice options.

 

[Majic]

I have a M16 (K32) in .32S&W Long. That cartridge is pure joy to shoot in a K-frame. Very accurate with hardly any recoil to notice. It's a shame many shooters don't know of it's qualities. Time has killed off some of the great ones.
One day I would like to get me a Colt OMT chambered in .32, but they seem to be harder to find than the K32.

 

[DPris]

Willy,
Bejabbers! You don't want much, do you!
Call Sanetti & tell him.
Denis

 

[Sir William]

I did e-mail Ruger before they did that. I listened to you and Bbbbles. I had high hopes when I saw the first larger Vaquero gripped model. The production model was a disapointment for me. I remember the CAS shooters asking for 32-20 and the reply that there was not enough frame/cylinder length to chamber 32-20 in the small frame. D'oh! Use the Vaquero frame and drop the R&D for the 32 H&R Magnum. I still wonder what drove that idea? There certainly weren't 32 H&R Magnum lever action rifles to choose from. Somebody goofed.

 

[DPris]

O Irony!!!!!!!
Just when Marlin gets their .32 Mag levergun out & Taylor's is getting their takedown '92 in .32 Mag in the works, Ruger drops their little SAs.
Bubbles would dearly love a pair of Vaqueros in .32-20 to go with her Marlin .32-20, but she's given up on the idea.
This Marlin .32 Mag is not bad, by the way.
Now I have to choose between it the new .223 Ranch Rifle, can't keep both, one has to go back.
I do love leverguns.....
Denis