S&W (and most every other manufacturer) also used soft steel for a time. The .32 Long is a low-pressure cartridge, and unhardened steel would be perfectly OK for it. Hardened (heat-treated) steel is essential for use with magnum and higher-pressure cartridges. For certain steel alloys, heat treatment can increase its yield strength greatly. Low-carbon (soft) steels cannot be successfully heat treated in the same way.
Last edited by DWalt; 07-29-2017 at 11:12 AM.
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