Quote:
Originally Posted by alanfir
I think the .32 S&W long and the .32 Colt New Police cartridges are the same cartridge dimensions and interchangeable. Maybe that is what you meant to say? Great guns, I just bought an old model 16. Alanfir
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Yes, you are correct. I am not sure what I was thinking when I wrote the message you addressed.
To correct and summarize, early Colts chambered in .32 Colt (or Long Colt) and .32 Short Colt can fire only those cartridges.
The .32 S&W and .32 S&W long cartridges can be fired in any S&W, but not in the early .32 Colts.
Since the .32 Colt rounds are slightly smaller in diameter than the .32 S&W rounds, you can shoot .32 Colt in a S&W .32, but accuracy is likely to be poor and the cases may swell.
The .32 Colt New Police revolvers chamber the .32 S&W cartridges; Colt just didn't want to use the S&W name, any more than S&W wanted to identify the .38 Colt as a cartridge that could be fired in their first .38 Specials.
Thanks for catching that.