They are .32 S&W. There is no such thing as .32 S&W Short, but many refer to this cartridge that way, even though it is wrong! In S&W there are only the .32 S&W and .32 S&W Long.
Yes, they are generally called "Shorts" by most people as they are shorter than the 32 S&W Long. Their actual name is simply 32 S&W as they were developed first. After the Long cartridge was developed it was probably inevitable that people would refer to the 32 S&W rounds as "Short" since there was a "Long", never mind what the actual manufacturers name was. After years of being in the gun & ammo business you get used to improper names for ammo (and trying to be sure the customer gets what they actually need whether they know the proper name or not).
Just as there now is a .22 Short, but it was called that only after longer versions were made. The first .22 rimfire cartridge of 1857 was generally just called the .22 No. 1, until the .22 Long cartridge appeared in 1871.
.32 S & W Question
Linear Mode
