I'm really digging my I frame Pre-Model 30 .32 S&W Long revolver....

[canoeguy]

Since we last talked about my pawn shop find of a Pre-Model 30 "I" frame .32 S&W Long revolver, I have added the necessary stuff to maximize enjoyment of this neat little gun. Got a Smith & Wesson brand leather holster, some reloading dies and a bullet mold to make ammo for it.

The bullet mold (a Lee Tumble Lube design) throws a 90 grain lead flat point bullet. With the scrap lead I have accumulated over the years, I should have enough lead to keep me and future generations in casting .32 caliber bullets. That and the fact it takes a tiny amount of powder per round, loading for it is cheaper than .22 rimfire.

Here's some pics form my latest outing:

15 yard standing, two hand hold on the steel rabbit:

A longer shot, 30 yards on 8" swinging steel:

My best effort at ten yards, standing two hand hold with Bulleseye hand load:

My new to me holster, $23 on Ebay:

Cast lead bullets and loaded rounds:

I'm glad I got this revolver, but now I'm thinking about how to get a .32 S&W Long rifle....

 

[22hipower]

If you find a source for 32 Long rifles do let us know. Nice revolver, enjoy.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[Muley Gil]

If you find a source for 32 Long rifles do let us know. Nice revolver, enjoy.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

I have a solid frame (not a take-down) Remington rolling block in .32 rimfire that I'm in the process of converting to .32 S&W Long. Re-chambering the barrel is easy. I haven't converted the block firing pin to centerfire yet.

 

[Hondo44]

I'm assuming you meant a rifle that shoots 32 long. And my best suggestion is to find a Marlin lever action or a bolt action chambered in 32 H&R Mag which will also shoot 32 Long.

If you meant a 32 "Long Rifle" cartridge, for you revolver, that's simple, especially since you reload:

A non-factory target model, my homemade .32 'Kit Gun', 4" J frame Model 30-1, 788296, 1966 vintage. Target features added are:
adj rear sight,
taller ramped front sight w/sight base,
.375" wide spur hammer,
.400" trigger,
and modified post war factory I/J frame target stocks.
Never liked the flat cyl latch so changed to a pre war "double pinch" latch.
I also reamed cyl to 32 H&R Mag for it.

Since your 32 is an I frame, 32 H&R is a bit long for its cyl. But trimming the H&R cases down to .080" longer than the 32 Long case, and reaming your chambers that much longer you can have a 32 LR revolver that will still shoot 32 Long!

Photo by James J. Carter

 

[H Richard]

My wish would be a Winchester low wall re-barreled for 32 H&R Mag (or 327). Then shoot 32 Long target loads for groups. I'd bet little bitty groups.

 

[Green Frog]

Not to pick nits, but with that square butt, your I-frame would be better named a "pre-Model 31" the successor to the Regulation Police. Truth to tell, that little bit of extra grip frame makes the square butt much easier for most folks to shoot. Looks like you have a winner there!

Froggie

 

[ColbyBruce]

There is a Marlin lever action in .32 H&R mag for $1,999.99 at a shop near me.

 

[Green Frog]

My wish would be a Winchester low wall re-barreled for 32 H&R Mag (or 327). Then shoot 32 Long target loads for groups. I'd bet little bitty groups.

Over the years I've done this not once but twice. The first time I built a 32 H&R by bushing the block to take a CF firing pin and rechambering. It worked pretty well at short range with jacketed bullets but the bore was too rough to shoot lead well. The second time around, I just slapped in a random CF breechblock and shot Colt 32s out of it... never even got around to rechambering it before it got traded for a passing Maynard carbine.

I'd be a little hesitant to go full bore with a 327 in an original low wall... I'm not sure that hundred year old steel and 40,000 CUP cartridges would be a happy match. I thought about it when the 327 first came out, but decided if I needed a 'wall in 327 it should be a high wall for the extra strength. That would make a nice mate to my Project 616, or I have another low wall that could end up being a 32 S&W L or H&R to go with my little I-frames.

Froggie

PS I should have mentioned that in both cases my donor rifles were 32 rim fires. Since ammo for them was pricey and hard to find, they tended to command fairly low prices then and made an economical basis for such projects. I'm not sure what they would bring these days.