32 LONG CTG

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lamilkyway

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I recently inherited a few S & W revolvers. One is marked 32 LONG CTG. I assumed this was 32 long colt and have been having a hard time finding ammo. I am now wondering if I am wrong. What specific ammo should I be using?
 
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Thanks, I asked the question because I love my guns and shooting but I am not very knowledgeable. I figured this forum will have lots of experts to help me. I will try to get some 32 S&W LONG for my gun. Additional question; serial # for my 32 is 968595. Can I get an idea of how old this pistol is? Thanks teletech for replying, I feel like a rookie with everyone here on this forum.
 
Oops wrong picture. try this one.
 

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I could be wrong but it looks like a pre-WWII K frame .32 hand ejector but the SN you've posted seems incorrect.

Re-check the serial number on the butt of the gun. Same number should be on the face of the cylinder and bottom side of the barrel (visible with the cylinder open). Either way a .32 S&W Long would be a .311-.312". These cartridges are fairly easy to find.
 
The hard cartridges to find are the short .32 S&W. I suppose I will have to cut down Longs. I think there are only 3 factory loads being mad for the original .32 S&W.
 
Actually, I have seen more boxes of .32 S&W than .32 S&W Long sitting on shelves. Depends on where you are. You can cut .32 Long, .32 Mag, and .327 cases to .32 S&W length, but it is a pain to do. I made up a crude jig to do just that once, using a Dremel tool and an abrasive cutoff disc.

There is definitely something wrong with the SN provided by the OP - it could not exist for any S&W revolver chambered in .32 Long, including the .32 M&P.
 
DWalt said:
Actually, I have seen more boxes of .32 S&W than .32 S&W Long sitting on shelves. Depends on where you are. You can cut .32 Long, .32 Mag, and .327 cases to .32 S&W length, but it is a pain to do. I made up a crude jig to do just that once, using a Dremel tool and an abrasive cutoff disc.

There is definitely something wrong with the SN provided by the OP - it could not exist for any S&W revolver chambered in .32 Long, including the .32 M&P.
Click to expand...

Were the old .32 S&W (black powder) round .323 or .311 ? I though with the .32 S&W long commenced the .311 size .32 cal.

I know the 32-44 is a .323 and thought the old black powder .32 S&W were also .323 Now I have to go measure them.

Let's reaffirm what is correct here. I suggest using only .32 S&W Long ... skip trying any .32 S&W for the time being.
 
Some earlier rounds used a heeled bullet which was the full diameter of the case. Most of them later adopted inside lubricated bullets of a slightly smaller diameter but in the same case. About the only holdovers are .22 RF cartridges (S,L,LR).

.38 and .44 cartridges initially had .38 and .44 bullet diameters because they had heeled lead bullets. By the turn of the 20th century, most had changed to use the inside lubricated bullets using .357 and .429 diameter bullets. Same thing with .32s - they also changed to .310-.314 diameter inside lubricated bullets, depending upon the exact cartridge. I don't believe that .32 S&W Long cartridges ever used heeled bullets, always .313-.314.
 
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Yes, that is an I frame. A 32 Regulation Police to be exact. Check the bottom of the grips/stock for the Nov 1917 patent date stamp. Because this style of stocks covered the bottom of the grip frame S&W stamped the serial number is on the front strap of the grip.

I have a nickel version of the same.



You can see in the picture how the stocks cover the bottom of the grip.
Next picture shows the serial number location, as seen on my 38 Regulation Police I frame.



Note that the stocks do not have the Nov, 1917 patent stamp on the bottom. This is because the gun was made before November 1917.

John
 
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DWalt said:
Actually, I have seen more boxes of .32 S&W than .32 S&W Long sitting on shelves. Depends on where you are. You can cut .32 Long, .32 Mag, and .327 cases to .32 S&W length, but it is a pain to do. I made up a crude jig to do just that once, using a Dremel tool and an abrasive cutoff disc.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I inherited the family .32 S&W break-top revolver my grandfather took off a perp when my grandfather was deputy sheriff in Hagerman Idaho. It came with the spoon who's handle was filed into a key that actually fit the jail cell lock and would open it. Luckily, it was found before an escape was made.
 
model3sw said:
I could be wrong but it looks like a pre-WWII K frame .32 hand ejector but the SN you've posted seems incorrect.

Re-check the serial number on the butt of the gun. Same number should be on the face of the cylinder and bottom side of the barrel (visible with the cylinder open). Either way a .32 S&W Long would be a .311-.312". These cartridges are fairly easy to find.
Click to expand...

Is this reply to lamilkyway about my 32 serial # 968595 ?
I am also attaching another picture of the barrel asking about what bullet I need to be using, it is marked 32 LONG CTG.
 

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It is chambered for the 32 S&W Long cartridge, not the older 32 Long Colt. However, the 32 Colt New Police cartridge is the same case as the 32 S&W Long. Colt just didn't like putting a competitors name on any of their products.
As mentioned, the older 32 Long Colt had a heeled bullet of a slightly different diameter. When the S&W 32 long came out in the late 1890s, Colt began to loose sales of their pocket model 32s, which resulted in the development of the Colt New Police line chambered for the S&W cartridge but with a different bullet style and name. Ain't marketing wonderful?
You can also use the shorter 32 S&W cartridges in that gun but the 32 S&W Longs are usually easier to find. You won't find any newly manufactured Colt New Police cartridges though. And the old stuff has gone to the realm of being collector fodder.

John
 
As above, you need either .32 S&W or, preferably, .32 S&W Long cartridges. Both sizes are still manufactured, but many retailers do not stock either as they are not too popular these days. Gun shows are one source, and some dealers may special order them for you if they do not have them in stock. The .32 S&W and the .32 S&W Long (or .32 Long) cartridges dimensionally differ only in case length. The .32 S&W is used mainly in the old top break pistols made by various manufacturers back in the black powder days. The longer .32 S&W Long cartridge is made for solid frame revolvers, and cannot be used in the old top break revolvers. I hesitate to suggest this, and don't recommend it, but .32 ACP (.32 Auto) cartridges can be used in revolvers chambered for the .32 S&W Long as a last resort. There are several disadvantages to doing so, and this is why I say to use .32 ACP only as a "last resort."
 
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DWalt said:
As above, you need either .32 S&W or, preferably, .32 S&W Long cartridges. Both sizes are still manufactured, but many retailers do not stock either as they are not too popular these days. Gun shows are one source, and some dealers may special order them for you if they do not have them in stock. The .32 S&W and the .32 S&W Long (or .32 Long) cartridges dimensionally differ only in case length. The .32 S&W is used mainly in the old top break pistols made by various manufacturers back in the black powder days. The longer .32 S&W Long cartridge is made for solid frame revolvers, and cannot be used in the old top break revolvers. I hesitate to suggest this, and don't recommend it, but .32 ACP (.32 Auto) cartridges can be used in revolvers chambered for the .32 S&W Long as a last resort. There are several disadvantages to doing so, and this is why I say to use .32 ACP only as a "last resort."
Click to expand...


I have several boxes of both .32 S&W and .38 S&W from the late 1800s marked "RIFLE". While it was not rifle ammo, I had been told the boxes were marked "RIFLE" to circumvent a tax on pistol ammo years back.

The ammo is all functional. Some boxes sealed and those that are not sealed have only a crack in the seal around the box from vibration and age.
 
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