32 Hand Ejector at the Range

[TACC1]

Today I not only got to the range, I even brought the right ammo!
I have two H-E's in .32 S&W long, and have clad both of them with
j-frame magnas. I was using original grips with BK grip adaptors.
They were nice, but you know how narrow the original grips are.
The magnas completely changed how the guns feel in the hand, and were easy to hit with, too.
To the two Forum members who sold me these fine firearms,
my thanks, and I'll continue to enjoy them.
Here's a pic of one with the grip adaptor. TACC1

 

[Erich]

That's a really nifty looking gun. I have long wanted to load for the .32 S&W Long and last week I bought an inexpensive H&R swingout 732 Guardsman in the caliber. I've only done a bit of loading for it, but it's convinced me that I want a .32 Hand Ejector now. I was very happy to see your thread and the picture. Thanks!

 

[TACC1]

erich,
If I'd thought that you'd see this post, I'd have a pic that included a CS45. TACC1

 

[Erich]

That's funny, because the other caliber I've been shooting a lot lately is the .45 ACP.

One thing that was noteworthy with my .32 S&W Long shooting last weekend was how the two of the factory smokeless powder versions of the loading exhibited enormous spreads. (I'm sure this wasn't an issue with "Holy Black.") I did find that Aguila's 98-gr RNL loading was pretty good with the spreads.

Pressure issues with the modern powders, I'm sure - I suspect the factory loads are really low pressure out of concern that they'll be used in some old potmetal breaktop. Handloading got my velocities way up and my spreads down from a high of 258.7 fps with a factory load to a low of 10.1 with a handload.

 

[TACC1]

Your results may just encourage me to take up hand-loading.
I've got a 2" H-E that is ideal for carry, except for doubts as to
whether the ammo is at all effective. I guess I shouldn't have
put it off so long. TACC1

 

[Green Frog]

Your results may just encourage me to take up hand-loading.
I've got a 2" H-E that is ideal for carry, except for doubts as to
whether the ammo is at all effective. I guess I shouldn't have
put it off so long. TACC1

What's the vintage of this snubbie? I have one from about 1950 or 51 that seems comfortable with all current factory stuff and with my 100 grain SWCs over 2.0 gr BullsEye. I found a handful of old factory stuff that was apparently loaded a little hotter than today's standards and my 6" RP really liked them! I wish I knew what was in that batch so I could duplicate them! I guess I'll have to test load some stuff and shoot it in my R*g*r BH to check for higher pressures. Georgia Arms does commercial loads for the 32 S&W Long, but even though they use jacketed hollow points, the powder charge is pretty wimpy, just like current Remchester offerings.

Froggie

 

[M29since14]

...Handloading got my velocities way up and my spreads down from a high of 258.7 fps with a factory load to a low of 10.1 with a handload.

That's odd. I have shot modern .32s for a long time and have never seen anything like that - at least with Remington and Winchester brands. Both of these loads are so accurate in my guns that I have not been able to substantially improve on them using traditional cast bullets. I wonder if you might have picked up some defective ammunition.

It might be over-caution on my part, but I would not load up an early S&W .32 HE too heavily. In my model number marked guns (both J- and K-frames), I have used RCBS Keith-type 103-gr LSWCs at up to 1000 FPS for quite a while without any signs of harm. But, one thing to remember about these guns is that most have big chambers. The brass really takes a lot of abuse when you start pushing .32 loads to that speed. It is not something I would do in one of the older models. Probably better to stay in the 700-800 FPS range with those, I would think.

TACC1, always good to bring the right ammo.

 

[Erich]

I apologize for the thread-drift, TACC1, but wanted to respond to friend M29since14.

It might have been the ComBloc ammo I was using, but I had the same issue with low-pressure Bullseye handloads. Here are my data.

H&R 732 2.5" bbl, 75°F, 5950'>sea level, 5% humidity.

Aguila 98-gr RNL M 599.4/ES 42.85/SD 20.32
S&B 100-gr WC M 593.3/ES 185.3/SD 86.22
PPU 98-gr RNL M 579.3/ES 258.7/SD 102.6

Velocity 100-gr RNFP hardcasts in Federal cases with CCI std SPP, moderate roll crimp (load data covered up so as to not endanger any prospective reader who doesn't know handloading essentials - all data I used was below maxes in Sharpe, Speer #8, or Lyman #46):

XXX gr Bullseye M 594.6/ES 215.9/SD 103.7
XXX gr SR 7625 M 745.9/ES 63.9/SD 26.66
XXX gr Green Dot M 872.3/ES 10.10/SD 4.00 (Smokey - and accurate)
XXX gr Unique M 994.7/ES 33.44/SD 12.64

Green Dot loads, 10 yds, SA

 

[M29since14]

...Here are my data.

H&R 732 2.5" bbl, 75°F, 5950'>sea level, 5% humidity.

Eric, there is your problem - your poor ammunition was dehydrated!

Just kidding. You know we don't see much weather like that here in Indiana. Anyway, thanks for that info. My experience is limited to Winchester and Remington brands but, owing to your experience, I will know to keep a wary eye open should any of the other brands show up at an "attractive price." The Aquila loads were not so bad, and I would have expected they would be of reasonable quality.

My 1000 FPS load (in my 4-inch Model 31) uses Win 231. Like you, I hesitate to mention the charge, but I am certain it was published somewhere when it came to me.

 

[TACC1]

Here's the firearm that convinced me that magnas are the
hot ticket. This little rascal also came from a Forum member,
and I wouldn't let it go for anything. I never asked permission to
air the seller's name in public, but I bet he recognizes an old
friend. It's walked with me a time or two, and I baby it.
You also might recognize the Lobo GunLeather logo
in the first pic. TACC1

 

[Erich]

[I want one]

 

[Green Frog]

TACC1, is that a first improvement I-frame, or am I missing the strain screw in the pictures? Mine has the round top pre-magna service grips, but I just got a pair of grips from dsbock for my Baby Chief... maybe I should try them on the 32 HE instead. I haven't noticed all that much difference between them on the HE and the magnas on Baby.

BTW, have any of you shot any of the Sellier & Bellot wadcutter ammo in your Smiths? I think it was DC Wilson who mentioned them as being good food for his I-frames. I've just gotten a new NOE bullet mould for a 120 grain copy of the old Ideal 3118, but I'm beginning to wonder if it's going to be too heavy. I also have an old Ideal wadcutter mould that casts a bullet running a bit under 100 grains, so I am wondering whether that might be more suited to loading for the little guys. My current store-bought 100 gr cast and 105 gr swaged bullets are loaded in front of "cat sneeze" loads of BullsEye, but I think I can come up with something better. The folks over on the cast boolit board have had several discussions, and Glen Fryxell seems to be doing a lot of research with the caliber.

Froggie

 

[Beaver]

32 SWL loads

I have reloaded one bullet for my 32 Smith and Wesson Long. The 95gr. SWC bullets from Penn shoot marvelously when dosed with Unique. I have loaded up to 3.9gr. Unique, a load from Skeeter Skelton, published in one of his two books, "Hoglegs, Hipshots, and Jalapenos", pg. 94-95. My copy of Lyman #42 on page 156, shows a max of 4.3 gr. Unique

Skeeter reminded us to use these warm loads in modern revolvers, with solid frames. I shoot a Smith model 31, 4" and this gun shoots this load very well. Most published data is much mellower for guns not up to the strength of the Smith. I worked up to this load from 3.0 gr. and got no difficult ejection or other problems.

Be sure to work up slowly and get lots of imput from more knowledgable reloaders than I.

These are perky loads that make the Model 31 a very respectable firearm.

I welcome criticism and advice on my above statements. Later

 

[Hexer]

I have settled on two loads for my .32 HE 3rd model. 4 1/4 ' barrel.
2.7 grains Unique. 760 fps average. 9 SD 22 ES
2.9 grains Unique. 848 fps average. 18 SD 49 ES
These are with a 90 grain Hornady SWC. They are about as hot as I want to go, but in truth not bad at all. Of course everyone needs to work up their own loads gradually and safely.
My groups from a rest at 22 yards were about 2 1/2 to 3." I shot one group at 15 yards that was 1.6" and 4 of my 5 shots were in .60" For a gun that old, and an I frame with service sights and a tiny little front blade. I was very happy.

 

[TACC1]

Greenfrog,
Yup, that's an improved I-frame, and it makes a good partner for
the Terrier next to it. Still has the screw in front of the trigger-guard.
TACC1

 

[Green Frog]

OK TACC1, now you're showing off! That is a "pair to draw to!" I'm still dreaming of partnering my leaf spring 32 HE snub with a similar Terrier, but they are "thin on the ground" around here.

Hexer and Beaver, thanks for the load advice. I used to load a lot of Unique "back in the day" but had kinda drifted away from it in the last 20 years or so. Maybe it's time for me to go back and reacquaint myself with that old tried and true powder.

It hurts my feelings to be buying swaged or commercially cast bullets, especially since I have several hundred pounds of clean ingots cast from older wheel weights, so those moulds mentioned before need to come out and get used.

One last thought, and it's opinion only, but I want them from you guys... I am thinking that any post-War I-frame will be about as strong as the early J-frames up until they started making them suitable for hotter 38 +Ps and then 357 Mags. Is this a reasonable assumption? I don't want to make a magnum out of mine, but I don't want to coddle them unnecessarily either.

Regards,
Froggie

 

[walnutred]

Bullseye has worked well for me in 32 Long. I use the "accuracy" loading for the 93 grain bullet in my old Lyman #45 and Hornady 90gn SWC bullets. When using my cast 100 gn Lee TL SWC I back that load down 0.2 gns.

 

[TACC1]

Thanks for the comments. I am so glad that I found the Forum
when I did, as prices are going up, and out of my range. I just
wish I'd gotten a few more along the way.
(You should see a H&R Hammerlwss wearing magnas or Sile's.)
TACC1