.32 Caliber Revolvers

M

Mike Irwin

Staff
"TT, you're not conflating it with .32 Long Colt, are you? IIRC this cartridge has been unavailable from a major manufacturer since WWII, although boutique reloaders will release a batch from time to time."


Carguy, Peters was still offering the .32 Long Colt as a regular catalog item into the 1960s, $3.70 suggested retail price.
 
D

Driftwood Johnson

New member
And Merwin-Hulbert's PIA sliding loading gate was the result of Colt holding the patent on the pivoting loading gate design.
Click to expand...

In Art Phelps' seminal book about Merwin Hulbert revolvers there is an interesting paragraph about the Fourth Model Frontier revolver:

"The Fourth model appeared in the (1889) catalog and was accepted for testing by the Army Ordinance board in 1886. A sketch in this report shows a hinged loading gate, instead of the regular sliding loading gate. Apparently this was a sample provided for testing, although to-date no specimen with this feature has been observed."

Perhaps MH made one up with a hinged loading gate, perhaps the sketch in the report was wrong. In any case, no Merwin Hulber revolver with a hinged loading gate has been observed.

I have three Merwin Hulberts and I do not find the sliding loading gate to be a PIA. Just different.
 
M

Mike Irwin

Staff
To be perfectly honest, I find ALL loading gates to be pains in the keister.

I have one revolver with a loading gate, an Mle 1873 French Ordnance revolver. Even though I've only ever fired about 18 rounds out of it, I find it to be a pain in the butt to even look at.

Loading and shucking .22s out of a loading gate?

That just makes me want to smash things.
 
M

Mike Irwin

Staff
Yeah, I just about lost my fripping mind the first time I saw those!

Talk about a freaking fantastic source...

One of these days I'm going to burn them all to a CD.
 
M

Mike Irwin

Staff
Hey Driftwood, trivia time!

That S&W cartridge broadsheet that you posted mentions "self lubricating" bullets.

Explain what that meant... :)
 
D

Don Fischer

New member
I've got two 32's, mod 16 S&W in 32 long and a 1917 Savage in 32ACP. I'm not all that enthused with the Savage but maybe when my grandson is old enough he'll like it. Now the Mod 16 is really expensive if you find one. I asked about it on a S&W forum several years ago and best I can remember it was over $3000 by a good shot. Problem with them though is the only one's that can generally afford to buy the better ones are collector's. You couldn't get my mod 16 away from me at any price.
 
M

Mike Irwin

Staff
You failed the trivia quiz!

I said for YOU to explain the significance...

Not link to a site where someone else explained the significance. :D

Any idea when S&W finally stopped offering the self-lubricating bullet?

They were a ridiculous concept from the get go...
 
D

Driftwood Johnson

New member
It would be nice to have a sw .22lr top break on the line of a sw model 16.
Click to expand...

Well good luck with that. Getting a little bit far afield here.

S&W never made any Top Break revolvers chambered for 22 rimfires. Not 22 Short, Long, nor Long Rifle. All the S&W Top Breaks were chambered for 32, 38, 44, and 45 caliber cartridges.

Tip Ups are a different story. The smallest Tip Ups were chambered for 22 Shorts, but they were tiny guns, the design is very weak, and they have not been made since 1881.

From top to bottom the revolvers in this photo are a #2 Old Army, 32 Rimfire, #1 1/2, 32 Rimfire, and a #1, 3rd Issue, 22 Short. The 22 shipped in 1870. It is not recommended to fire these old guns with modern 22 Shorts, even a 22 Short is too powerful for them.

ThreeTipUps02_zps974581e9.jpg






If you want a S&W 22 caliber Top Break you are going to have to settle for a single shot target model. S&W made four separate models, I have two of them.

This one is a !st Model. It is chambered for 32 S&W but they were chambered for 22 Long Rifle too. I'm not sure when this one shipped, but this model was made from 1893 until 1905.

32%20first%20model%2002_zpspvlang0s.jpg






This one is a 3rd Model. It is chambered for 22 Long Rifle. It shipped in 1912.

Single%20Shot%201st%20Model%2001_zpswrttbfx4.jpg





If you want a 22 caliber Top Break revolver I suggest you look for a Harrington & Richardson Sportsman.

If you want a terrific S&W 22 revolver along the lines of the Model 16, look for a K-22 or a Model 17. Like the Model 16, they are solid frame revolvers with swing out cylinders.
 
M

Mike Irwin

Staff
The Model 18 is also an excellent choice for a .22 LR, but isn't quite as refined as the Model 17.

But, the prices on Model 18s have also lagged considerably behind Model 17s over the last few years.

I'm just glad that I picked up my 4" model 18 when I did.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top