School me in .32 caliber just frames please

[Patrick L]

I must admit, the J frame .32s never really interested me, so I always just sort of blew over them in the catalogs etc. I know they were referred to as ".32 Regulation Police" or something like that.

Anyhow, can anyone tell me exactly what the difference is between a Model 31 and a Model 32?? I must be missing something. Specs are identical, 6 shot, J frame, fixed sights, steel frame, available in blue or nickel. What am I missing??

 

[murphydog]

Well, a .32 Regulation Police model 31 is a later square butt I frame in .32 Long. A model 32 is the same frame but in .38 S & W.

Now if you're referring to the .32 Hand Ejector model 30, that is a round butt I frame .32.

The -1 variants of these went to the J frame in 1961.

 

[Model19man]

I believe you are thinking of the J frame Model 30 and 31 as murphydog says.

 

[CH4]

Both are J frames chambered for the .32 S&W long; the model 30 is a round butt, the model 31 is a square butt.

 

[JP@AK]

Both are J frames chambered for the .32 S&W long; the model 30 is a round butt, the model 31 is a square butt.

Just to clarify this a bit, The Model 30 (.32 HE) and Model 31 (.32 Reg Police) were I frames until 1961. The Models 30-1 and 31-1 were J frames.

See Alan's Post #2 above.

 

[Patrick L]

You guys are correct, I was thinking 32 caliber, so that's where "Model 32" came from. I meant Model 30 and 31. I never thought about the different butts.

And as for the title of the thread, this new phone is so smart it auto corrects everything. It thinks it knows better what I mean to say. Obviously it should have been J frame. I need to proofread everything!!

As usual, the knowledge base on this forum is amazing. Thanks guys!

 

[steelslaver]

J frame 32 are great, I have found ammo cheap, but they are also cheap and easy to reload. Very pleasant to shot. Plus it is very simple to convert them to 32 H&R mag and take a good step up in power..

 

[Green Frog]

Just to confuse the issue a bit. Rumor has it that the stamp guys at Smith got pretty slack at the end of the I-frame run (imagine that) and stamped some guns with Mod 30 features as Mod 31. It seems I saw this in the 3rd ed. of SCSW, but I'm not sure.
Froggie

 

[CH4]

Just to clarify this a bit, The Model 30 (.32 HE) and Model 31 (.32 Reg Police) were I frames until 1961. The Models 30-1 and 31-1 were J frames.

See Alan's Post #2 above.

Correct.......

 

[Walter Rego]

Think of the more modern 32's as being like a Model 36 or Model 60 Chiefs Special but with a 6 shot cylinder. And often a 3" barrel rather than the usual 1 7/8" barrel that you find more often on the .38 Specials. Here's an obligatory photo of my Model 31-1.

And most people that own one like them a lot. They are a real *****cat with the full wadcutters that are loaded for those high end competition autoloading target pistols, and can be loaded to much more powerful performance than the usual round nose lead traditional cartridges for the .32 S&W Long.