Don't know if this is everywhere, but went to all my favorite shops today and as always asked for box of .32 long for my currently favorite small plinker, and everywhere I went only had one box in stock and instead of the usual 18.50 I've always paid now cost 28 to 32 dollars. They tell me this cartridge is only being made in limited numbers every year? Is this true, if so I guess ill start hoarding ammo or try my hand at reloading.

Prices are high and availability is limited in my local shops, too. I buy online, mostly from Ammo to Go and The Sportsman's Guide. Between them they offer .32 long in LRN, WC, SJHP, and FMJ, with prices in the $14 - $20 per box of 50 range.

Almost everything is made in limited numbers, but as long as they are still making it, you are OK. Look at the mail order suppliers and if that is what they are charging, it is the going rate. It is hard to find any low volume handgun ammo for less than 50 cents per round now days.

I have been able to find full and partial boxes of old 32 Long ammo for reasonable prices. I have enough brass to reload it now.

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6/23/2022

Reload it. It's a lot of fun and easy to do in that caliber. Last time I checked I got like $4 in a box of 50.

They have it at the larger gun shows. I've never seen it priced high, except the wadcutters. Those have become pretty hard to find.

So you need to reload. If you've been plinking for any length of time, you should have a boxful of empties. Its such an easy caliber. You can buy a cheap Lee tool and go to town while saving a bundle.

Back in my illspent (and impoverished) youth the choices were a 22 cal pellet pistol and Dad's ancient .32 Regulation Police. Out of general interest, he bought it at the ripe old age of 14 (in 1925) from the local Police Chief! Anyway the real gun was a lot more fun to shoot. The problem was Mom was anti-gun. So we dealt with a dual problem. Expense and noise.

We solved both by reloading We used hand made tools. A sharp nail to knock out the old primer, a block of hardwood and a dowel rod to seat the new one. For powder we used a scoop Dad made from an old 22 case filed way down. It had a handle made from a piece of copper wire soldered to the case. A custom dipper! And the thing that made it all possible was the discovery an OO buck ball was .32 caliber.

Somehow Dad managed to slip a 25# bag past mom and into the basement. Our expenses were pretty modest, lower than even Benjamin pellets. There are 7000 grains in a pound of Bullseye, and the dipper threw 1 grain charges. The primers were about a half a cent, but we accepted donations. The round balls tended to stabilize at across the basement distances. When we went outside shooting, they weren't very good out at maybe 30 yards. I have no idea what the velocity was, it was sufficient up at the dump to kill brown rats. Much better than the pellet gun. We didn't have many cases, but the low pressure loads weren't hard on them, either. We could take along our reloading kit, we'd only take along enough powder to half fill and old prescription bottle.

When you're kind of young and without money, you do what you need to. I think Dad just liked to teach us to scrounge. And you had to put in some effort for each shot. It made you concentrate and not waste ammo.

We didn't cast round balls, but you can buy a mold for them pretty reasonable. It would almost eliminate the bullet cost if you had a source for lead.

Or pay the man what he wants for ammo!

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Dick Burg

Thanks for all of the info, great story rburg, something you'll never forget spending that time withyour dad, back in theday i'll never forget shooting old spray paint cans that quit working on our frozen pond, made nice art, lol. I think I'll start learning to reload with this .32 round, sounds like a good round to start with, I do keep all my brass, I just was taught to by my dad. I always thought you couldn't have to much ammo until I mentioned to my wife I could use another safe for just ammo, that didn't go over to well, lol.

Graf & sons, Natchez and Midway ALL have a good selection of 32 Long ammo unless you don't want to do mail order.
FWIW

Ammo prices have gone up tremendously across the board, and if you are looking for something that's not in great demand like the .32 Long, don't expect to find bargains. Thankfully, though, it can still be had without too much hassle.

If you are at all inclined to reload, the .32 Long is one of the very best to start on -- low cost, accurate in a good revolver, and just about ideal for plinking, targets, or small game. And in a pinch, better than any .22 for self defense.

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Pisgah

For say $200 you can get set up with a single stage press, primer, dies, some powder, primers and bullets. Pic above is my first box of 32 S&W Long getting ready to be launched out of a K-32.

If you go to the reloading section there is a lot of stuff posted about beginning and loading the 32 S&W, S&W Long and Magnum.

I originally set up my press on the deck where I shoot. This winter I set up a reloading room in the basement. It's addictive too. I now load for numerious pistol and rifle calibers.

RCBS is also offering a nice rebate. If you would like to chat about it shoot me an IM. Good luck. Bruce

this is what im using, im told it's a 3rd change .32 from around the 20's with the wrong grips, i like it so much though i am going to start reloading for it, then maybe work my way up to the .357. i guess like everything else, i shouldnt have been suprised in the price increase though. heck, i cant even fill my gas tank for less than 75.00. thanks for all the suggestions, i believe i'll be ordering offline, even though i like supporting my local shops, i dont want to pay off their houses, lol.

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I went to a flea market this morning. Its like an open air gun show. I was impressed. One guy did have a box of 32s, but he was at $20, and wouldn't come down. I did buy 4 boxes of old SuperX 22s from him for $2 a box. One was partially full of shorts. I liked them because they're the old nickle plated 22s. I also bought a vise and a pair of 1970s vintage N frame grips. Just like a gun show, go and spend money!

But the 32s are out and about.

On the reloading end of all this, consider mail order for the bullets an do it in bulk. You can cast your own if you desire, but it becomes a never ending quest for lead. My oldest son is now in the process of melting down hospital x-ray lead blankets. His FIL gave him 8 or 9 of them. Over 100# of lead, free except for the fuel to melt them.

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Dick Burg

I've loaded for most of the pistol calibers up through .45 ACP and .44 Mag and rifle calibers up through .45-70, and of them all, these cute little .32 S&W Longs are just about the most fun I have had loading any of them. I'm doing most of my work on a little Lyman TruLine Jr. and getting rounds that look as good as factory.

Speaking of factory rounds, they really aren't that easily found around here in Central VA either, but there is an outfit called Georgia Arms that sells their factory loads using commercial components at gun shows in this area... their .32s with JHP bullets are only about $20 per bag of 50.

Either way, we just gotta keep these little I- and J-frames fed, don't we?

Froggie

I just bought some .32 long ammo online a few months ago, wad cutters, no less...from Sportsmans guide, and made by Fiocchi.
Looks very nice, have not shot it yet, but I have never had a problem with their ammo and they use very good brass. It was not too expensive compared to other "exotic" calibers...like .380 !!!

mark

ADDED: Here's some from ABLE for about $16.50 a box of 50...

http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/prod...ducts_id=89459

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Liberals made the USA

I love threads with pictures so I'll add some to this one. I've had trouble finding .32 Longs at the LGS also but I've found these at recent gun shows between $14 for the Fiocchi Lungos up to $20 for the Georgia Arms (new ammo, not reloads). And you guessed it, Lungo is Italian for "Long".

So far I've only tried the Fiocchi Wadcutters and they worked well. The Lungos just looked different/unusual and I wanted to try the Georgia Arms, plus the Starline brass they use will come in handy when I decide to start reloading.

I like those lungo's, I've haven't seen those before, definatley going to Google them for that price. Ive been using partizan made in Serbia .32 sw longs, never had a problem yet with them, they were about 18.50 for fifty.

I've always had a real soft spot for reloading 32 Long as it was the first ctg I ever reloaded. I had a Stevens favorite a friend of my dad converted to 32 S&W Long.

Midway has Winchester Super-X on sale for $22.61 - a $13.38 saving.

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I need ammo, not a ride.

Another place to look would be with competition oriented vendors like Champions or Brunos. The wadcutter is used in centerfire bullseye with guns made by Sako, Hammerli and Benelli

Good caliber. Been reloading it since 1958 when I bought a S&W .32 Long. Got my granddaughter a H&R 732 . Started to reload for that & discovered the 32 stuff had about vanished. Checked my cigar box marked 32 Long, sure was disappointed. Had about 25 cases, old Win. folded head so discarded them. Had a time finding Rem. but finally came up with 150. Factory new ammo is out of sight & hard to find. Ordered 100 gr. lead flat point bullets [500] & used my old Bullseye load [mild] Tiffany & I shot them all up so am reloading them again. Good Luck with a fine cartridge to all you guys.

I reload for more than a hundred cartridges, but the .32 S&W Long is my favorite. Seldom does a range trip not include my I frame Regulation Police and Model 16 K32. This should be a great time to try reloading. .32 components are as cheap as any and a Lee kit is not too expensive. Don't forget a good loading manual and safety glasses.