Smith & Wesson Forum

Go Back   Smith & Wesson Forum > Ammunition-Gunsmithing > Reloading
o

Notices

Reloading All Reloading Topics Go Here


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 06-21-2016, 10:17 AM
Alk8944's Avatar
Alk8944 Alk8944 is offline
Member
Remarks On the .32 S&W Long Remarks On the .32 S&W Long Remarks On the .32 S&W Long Remarks On the .32 S&W Long Remarks On the .32 S&W Long  
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sandy Utah
Posts: 8,616
Likes: 1,554
Liked 8,610 Times in 3,452 Posts
Default Remarks On the .32 S&W Long

This startedfrom reading the recently resurrected thread "Working up The Anemic .32 S&W Long Load". It contains several factual, and all too often repeated, errors. It strikes me as pathetic the dearth of knowledge concerning this cartridge! Here are two examples:

Foremost is the frequently seen "The .32 S&W Long is loaded down in deference to all the weak top-break revolvers chambered for this cartridge" ABSOLUTELY WRONG! With the exceptions of the significantly strengthened Harrington & Richardson top-break revolvers made during the 1950s-'60s, and a few European target revolvers chambered for the .32 S&W Long, to my knowledge there has never been a top-break revolver chambered for this cartridge! Show me one!

Second is "The .32 S&W Long was introduced with the Model 1 1/2 tip-up revolver in 1878." Again, absolutely wrong! The .32 S&W was introduced with the Model 1 1/2, NOT the Long! The .32 S&W Long was introduced for the first S&W solid frame revolver, the First Model .32 Hand Ejector, in 1896. This was basically very close to the end of the era of S&W top-break revolvers, even though a few continued to be catalogued nearly until WWII.

How so many can be so pitifully uninformed about such a basic subject as the .32 S&W Long completely escapes me! One of my pet peeves with on-line forums is people who know nothing about a subject, yet insist on posting threads that many newbees, that come to these forums for real information, will take for factual because they expect the members with significantly long-standing on the forum have posted it! Unfortunately it isn't necessarily so!!!!

As with nearly all cartridges the .32 S&W Long is loaded to match the ballistic performance of the original cartridge when originally introduced. This is generally true of .38 Special, .44 Spl, .45 Colt, .45 ACP, .32 ACP, 9mm Parabellum, etc, etc, etc!!! Yes, there are +P loadings for many older cartridges, but this doesn't make the the original loads "anemic"!

And, as with the above cartridges, .32 S&W Long can be loaded to give significantly higher performance than factory loads. There is virtually no demand for an improved performance loading of .32 S&W Long, hence no +P pressure standard has ever been established. This is strictly the realm of the handloader. There is some higher velocity data out there for the cartridge, particularly in some of the older Lyman manuals. Ammunition developing in excess of 1000 FPS is reasonable with 100 grain bullets, even in 3" barrels.

.32 S&W Long is an extremely accurate cartridge that deserves to be much more popular than it is.
__________________
Gunsmithing since 1961

Last edited by Alk8944; 06-21-2016 at 09:42 PM. Reason: Completing lost post.
Reply With Quote
The Following 3 Users Like Post:
  #2  
Old 06-21-2016, 12:43 PM
Green Frog Green Frog is offline
Member
Remarks On the .32 S&W Long Remarks On the .32 S&W Long Remarks On the .32 S&W Long Remarks On the .32 S&W Long Remarks On the .32 S&W Long  
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Central VA
Posts: 8,596
Likes: 1,551
Liked 9,320 Times in 4,181 Posts
Default

I'll be looking forward to reading the rest of your thoughts when you retype them... you've touched a soft spot in my heart when you mention the 32 S&W and its reloading potential. My great regret is that neither Keith nor Skelton ever wrote a definitive article about all the great things they experienced loading this caliber.

Froggie
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 06-21-2016, 01:03 PM
rockquarry rockquarry is online now
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 7,552
Likes: 4
Liked 8,885 Times in 4,121 Posts
Default

In years past, I had a couple of S&Ws chambered in .32 Long. I handloaded my homemade cast bullets for them. After shooting these guns for a while, just couldn't see a need for the cartridge, particularly when I already had .38 Special revolvers.

I think this probably has at least a bit to do with the lack of popularity for the .32s, unless it's a .32-20.

Not being critical here as we all have different interests.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 06-22-2016, 12:19 AM
Green Frog Green Frog is offline
Member
Remarks On the .32 S&W Long Remarks On the .32 S&W Long Remarks On the .32 S&W Long Remarks On the .32 S&W Long Remarks On the .32 S&W Long  
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Central VA
Posts: 8,596
Likes: 1,551
Liked 9,320 Times in 4,181 Posts
Default

Thanks for the expansion of your post, Alk8944. I agree with everything you said. However, I'd still love to see a definitive article about the cartridge from the likes of Keith or Skelton. I talked to Skeeter about it when the 32 H&R came out, and he said he thought it would have a great deal of potential, more so even than his beloved 32-20. Wish he had lived to see the 327 FM!

Froggie
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Off the Cuff Remarks at EXACTLY the Right Moment RobertJ. The Lounge 44 01-21-2016 08:26 PM
Long long time ago.... A buddy's find in a antique-furniture-shop Swissman The Lounge 14 02-07-2014 09:44 AM
Caddie Remarks Airpark The Lounge 8 03-06-2011 11:02 AM
I haven't laughed this hard in a long, long time. LazarusLong The Lounge 34 03-13-2010 11:12 AM
Some of our Founding Fathers remarks - LONG Sverre 2nd Amendment Forum 1 11-30-2009 12:25 PM

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
smith-wessonforum.com tested by Norton Internet Security smith-wessonforum.com tested by McAfee Internet Security

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:07 PM.


Smith-WessonForum.com is not affiliated with Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select: SWHC)