May 13, 2013, 10:36 PM | #1 |
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32-1 S&W "Terrier"
I read the old thread from 2010 but was wondering if any more info is known. you know like a book to buy that may have ref. to the model? A friend of mine just got one from her dad. It is 95 plus % condition. Not looking to sell just wants to learn about what she has.
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May 14, 2013, 06:45 AM | #2 |
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The Model 32 Terrier is a small frame revolver in .38 S&W that was manufactured from 1936 to 1974. They bear a very striking resemblance to the more common Model 36 Chief's Special but the primary difference is that the M32 is chambered for the older .38 S&W cartridge rather than the more common and more powerful .38 Special chambering of the M36. The Terrier was originally built on the I-Frame but later models were built on the J-Frame after S&W discontinued the I-Frame.
The .38 S&W cartridge is obsolescent and considered underpowered by today's standards. It differs from the .38 Special in that it is substantially lower pressure (14,500 psi vs. 17,000 psi), shorter (1.24" OAL vs. 1.55" OAL), and uses a slightly larger diameter bullet (.361" vs. .357"). While no new guns have been chambered in .38 S&W in decades, ammunition is still available from Winchester, Remington, Fiocchi, Magtech, Ten-X, Buffalo Bore and Prvi Partizan. Most commercial loadings for this cartridge feature a 145-146gr LRN bullet at just under 700fps though Fiocchi offers a FMJ loading of similar weight and velocity and Buffalo Bore makes a 125gr LSWC loading at 1,000fps. While it is unlikely to even chamber, it is unsafe to attempt to fire a .38 Special cartridge in a revolver chambered for .38 S&W due to the difference in pressure. |
May 14, 2013, 09:19 AM | #3 | |||
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The M32 was normally offered with a 2" tapered barrel, a fixed rear sight, and a round-butt grip, i.e. without the sharper and straightened corner at the rear of the butt. IIRC blued and nickel finish were offered but nickel is uncommon. Guns built before the mid-60s normally had the so-called "flat" (non-scalloped) cylinder latch, and pre-1968 guns will have diamond-shaped escutcheons around the grip screws; examples with these features carry slightly higher value. Other than the finish and the grip and cylinder latch changes, I am not aware of any other options or unusual M32 variants, although this is subject to a mandatory disclaimer: the only hard-and-fast rule about old S&W's is that there are few hard-and-fast rules. FWIW the Model 33 ".38 Regulation Police" was similar to the Terrier, but was normally built with a 4" barrel and a square-butt frame. IIRC both guns were discontinued in the mid to late 1970s. Quote:
Also, one word of caution... Quote:
*Mandatory disclaimer: I have NOT been able to independently verify this information.
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May 14, 2013, 10:41 AM | #4 | |||
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I suspect that Remington may do this because their factory 145gr LRN loading will chamber just fine in every .38 Special and .357 Magnum revolver I've tried it with though the cases will no longer do so after being fired in my Webley Mk. IV and reloaded with Lee dies and 200gr .360" hardcast LRN bullets. I also suspect that the bullets were undersize because the Remington factory load was horridly innaccurate in my Webley (even handloads with 158gr .358" hardcast SWC bullets, which are also undersize, shot considerably better albeit with a low POI). I would not be surprised to learn that Fiocchi's FMJ loading uses a bullet of .358" or smaller. However, until their bullet diameter can be verified, I agree that the OP would do well to stick with lead bullets unless he can verify that his gun doesn't have a tight bore. |
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