The Long and Short of it and confusion. .32 S&W(short) vs 32 S&W (long)?

[peppercorn]

What brass is appropriate for a model 1 1/2, top break .32S&W?

I was told by two different people today that .32 long is one and the same as .32 S&W and that .32 long brass is of the same dimension. I was also told that the only difference was in powder charge.

Any insight would be appreciated.

 

[lebomm]

Those persons don't know their .32s. The .32 S&W is visibly shorter than the the .32 S&W Long. The Long will not chamber in the top-breaks chambered for the .32 S&W. The .32 S&W, however, can be used in the longer chamber, usually found in swing-cylinder revolvers.Hope this helps.

Larry

 

[murphydog]

The model 1 1/2 introduced the .32 S & W round, which has a case length of .61". The .32 S & W Long is .92, so if you tried to chamber this in your gun the cylinder would not close.

At the present time, factory .32 S & W (short) ammo is available but pricy; if the gun in question is in good mechanical condition it should be fine to use.

 

[Triggerman66]

I have found that when I fire the .32S&W(short) in my S&W chambered for the .32 long that some of the cases have split. This indicates that the case diameter is less than the .32 Long, so if you don't mind this then fire away.

 

[desi2358]

I have found that when I fire the .32S&W(short) in my S&W chambered for the .32 long that some of the cases have split. This indicates that the case diameter is less than the .32 Long, so if you don't mind this then fire away.

The case diameter is the same between 32 S&W long and short. The 32 Short Colt is slightly smaller in diameter. Split brass is most often due to brittle brass (not annealed correctly during production) or other flaws in the case. Even the undersized Short Colt round will usually just swell to fit the chamber.

I've had brand new 32 S&W longs split on first firing due to production flaws. I would expect the shorts splitting in your gun was the same deal. Fortunately these are relatively low pressure rounds and not likely to harm anything if they do split so long as the case head stays intact.

 

[glowe]

There is no mistaking a 32 Long when compared to a 32 S&W. 32 Long ammo is longer than the cylinder on 32 S&W revolvers, so as stated above, you can shoot 32 S&W in 32 Long revolvers but not the opposite.

 

[mrchuck]

Questions, questions.
Now I have one.
I have a Smith &Wesson 32 long revolver in perfect condition.
I posted about it a few weeks ago. A pristine S&W regulation police revolver made in 1925.
This weekend, I was given a full box of 32 Short Colt cartridges made by Remington.
This cartridge fits my pistol's cylinder perfectly.
BUT,,,, is it safe to fire this cartridge in my .32 long Smith and Wesson revolver??
If not, then I'll take these rare cartridges to the next gun show.

 

[murphydog]

I think the .32 Short Colt was first made with a heeled bullet, with the bearing surface outside the case (think .22 LR). At some point it was changed to a standard bullet. Looking at them (or posting a photo) would tell you which kind you have. It sounds as though they are of collectible vintage.

I'd suggest using .32 S & W Long as Horace and Daniel intended .

 

[lebomm]

mrchuck;
The .32 Short Colt will fit your chambers and will be safe to fire. However, they will likely not shoot very accurately and may even split the cases, as the Colt cartridge is just slightly smaller in diameter than the S&W. If that box is in good shape and full, you'll probably do better taking it to the show. Depending on condition and vintage you might be able to trade it for a box (maybe two) of .32 S&W Long. Please do post an update.

Larry

 

[mrchuck]

Thanks for the answer! Yes, I will definitely take them to the next gun show and sell or trade the box for something I can use.
Thanks for your advice.

 

[McShooty]

Actually, ammo for the 32 S&W (short) can be found for fairly reasonable prices. The MagTech brand is about $22 for 50. Remington has offered a load, green/yellow box marked "Target"
for a little more dough. Lately, Remington is offering something labeled "Performance Wheel Gun" $31.99/box at Midway. I haven't used it but you can be sure it is the same old 32 S&W load in a box made to appeal to the cowboys. After all, what can you do with a round-nose bullet at 690 fps?

For my 1-1/2 I load a 76 gr cast flat nose over 1.5 gr of Trail Boss. Quite accurate for target shooting.

 

[DWalt]

"At the present time, factory .32 S & W (short) ammo is available but pricy"

Not necessarily. About three months ago, Academy had .32 S&W Short (Remington) on sale for $9.95/box. I bought five boxes, should have bought more at that price.

 

[Jim Watson]

Unless there has been a radical change in nomenclature while I wasn't looking, there is no need for the word "short", with or without parentheses, in describing a proprietary Smith & Wesson cartridge.
It is .32 S&W. Full stop. It was introduced along with the rest of the double action top breaks around 1880.
The .32 S&W Long - real name, no need for parentheses, came out with the first of the Hand Ejectors in 1896.

.32 Short (or Long) Colt is a different critter. It will go in a S&W chamber but is undersize for it and might bulge or split and accuracy will not likely be good.

Likewise .38 S&W. Not short. Not even ".38 Regular" as called by some old timers to distinguish it from .38 Special.

 

[S&WsRsweet]

Good and interesting thread as the whole 32 caliber thing can get confusing .

 

[murphydog]

"At the present time, factory .32 S & W (short) ammo is available but pricy"

Not necessarily. About three months ago, Academy had .32 S&W Short (Remington) on sale for $9.95/box. I bought five boxes, should have bought more at that price.

Well, it was in December 2012 .

 

[McShooty]

If S&W had renamed the stubby one ".32 S&W Short" when they gave us the ".32 S&W Long" in 1896, then 120 years of confusion could have been avoided. I am going to call it the .32 S&W Short and I don't care that it is not technically correct. I think it will be understood.