Jacketed .32 WCF ammo in S&W

[bigolddave]

Some time ago i ran across a couple of good buys on Remington .32/20 ammo. I have a 1905 Fourth, #790XX, and a Marlin 1894CL, and thought I would shoot the ammo in the Marlin, and reload the brass with lead bullets for the Smith. Alas, the Marlin is afflicted with the notorious failure to feed affliction, and can only be used single shot, which is a PITA, so I am going to retire it. I know about the problems of the hotter ammo in a pre HT Smith, and this is the standard rifle/revolver variety. The question I have, is the jacketed bullet a problem as long as the pressure is OK?

 

[Alk8944]

If you are talking about 100-115 grain JSP ammunition then it is fine for your revolver.

The problem lay with the 80 gr JHP "Hi-Speed" or "High-Velocity" load that was intended specifically for Winchester Model '92 and Marlin Model '94 rifles. This is high pressure ammunition loaded well above SAAMI specifications for revolvers. The bullet looks like a jacketed round-nose with a hollow point. Think of .32 ACP FMJ, looks almost identical.

The strictly rifle load has not been produced by any manufacturer since the 1960s at the latest, so it isn't likely you will ever see any.