I've tried to follow some of the threads about what can be safely shot out of old Smith .32 and .38 top breaks., but I'm still not sure I know. I'd like to own some of the early Smiths, but I want to shoot them as well. (not going to shoot 1,000 rounds, but I'd like to take them to the range on occasion.)

So I'm wondering if someone can educate me in as simple terms as possible:

Which older Smiths can safely handle modern, commercial .38 special or .32 S&W Longs? (I just picked up a 30-1 so I'll be buying the longs and I've got a few .38's.)

I'll be reloading both calibers in Jan next year, so perhaps someone might guide me in terms of safe homebrews for these great old guns.

This board has been great for me. I've got a dozen Smiths now and if it weren't for the folks here I'd probably be shooting a Glock.

Most any S&W hand ejector, in good condition, will handle modern standard ammo. By this, I mean the 158 grain lead round nose round. I would probably use the 148 grain full wadcutter in the Model of 1899 revolvers, just because they are over 100 years old and only lock at the rear.

The same for the .32 Long revolvers. All of the hand ejectors should be safe, if in good condition to begin with.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I do not know exactly how old you are talking about. I have old guns from 1913 on up and I've shot them regularly for years now with NO ill affects.

For the .38 Special Smiths I use a hand load of 3.2 grains of Titegroup under a 158 hard cast RNL bullet - (very mild load).
If you don't reload and standard velocity 158 grain Lead Remington, Winchester or Federal or better yet a 148 grain HBWC (very mild) should work. For the Colt Autos I use Standard Factory .32 and .380 and .25 acp standard Ball (FMJ) ammo (don't reload those calibers).

I would NOT shoot any +P, high velocity or fancy defense rounds through these guns and I would make sure that the guns you are shooting are designed for smokeless powder (NOT iron guns). I'd also go over the gun thoroughly and make sure they are in good repair.

I LOVE old guns and have NO "Safe Queens". If I own it - it gets shot! Just do it wisely.

My 50 year old Model 10 will shoot +P. I hardly shoot any of it though, just a few rounds of my carry ammo to make sure it functions. Everything else is standard 158 LRN.

But the top breaks you mention in your original post will not chamber 32 Long nor 38 Special so it is not a matter of whether or not they are safe as long as you were referring to Smith & Wesson top breaks, not some other make.

Top breaks are discussed in the Antique section. You might get more info over there. Personally I shoot them with modern ammo in the correct cartridge sizes; 32 (not long) and 38 S&W (not special). My 32 was made in 1939 so it has a heat treated cyl. The .38 is older but mechanically sound. I don't shoot either much at all though.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

The typical smaller US top break revolvers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries from all makers will be found chambered in .38 S&W and .32 S&W, not .38 S&W Special and .32 S&W Long (or their Colt cartridge equivalents). But even they are safe to shoot with standard factory smokeless powder ammunition loadings in those calibers. Factory smokeless powder loadings for these revolvers were offered as early as 1896. While the .38 S&W Special cartridge was originally intended to use black powder, it was almost immediately offered in a smokeless powder loading.

Jim - I have read this for every S&W sold after the teens, but wonder if the factory actually heat treated all these antique era revolver cylinders? Also, some of these old calibers could have had all parts laying around for later date assembly that were made much earlier?

I have never been concerned about shooting reduced load smokeless in any of my revolvers, but it would seem that many of these late pocket revolvers that became very slow seller in the 1920s and later could well have been put together from parts made in the 1910s or before??

For the OP, I have been loading Trail Boss in all my revolvers below 40 caliber for a long time now fand it works great for my target shooting. You can fill the case to the bottom of the seated bullet, but do not compress, and never worry about over-pressuring or double charging. Clean burning powder that is almost foolproof and the older I get the less I remember.

Use the charts for Trail Boss and start at the low end, but I find that a full charge never yields anything above 750 fps in 32 S&W, 32 Long, 38 S&W, and 38 Special.

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Gary
SWCA 2515