.32 Caliber Revolvers

[Rothdel]

Ok this is going to be very general (maybe too much so) so any input or feedback would be appreciated here. I debated if I should put this in the C&R section and could have gone either way but since there are some more modern guns that apply I posted here. If this thread skews too heavily to older guns I understand if it gets moved.

So I own the LCR and SP 101 in .327 Federal along with a Bond Arms with the .327 barrel. After going to the range several times I have developed a bit of a fondness for the .32 family of calibers especially the .32 long and short.

So I started investigating other revolvers (especially older models) and was shocked by the sheer number of models along with makers I am either not overly familiar with or quite frankly had never heard of before.

Colt, S&W, H&R and Iver Johnson I had heard of before and even though I know very little about the H&R's or Ivers I had at least heard of them before.

So what I'm looking for is two fold:

1. are their any reference materials that focus primarily on the .32 family of cartridges and the guns chambered in them? Looking for history and a guide to know what to look for if you purchase.

2. If I wanted to purchase some older guns (no age restriction here just not a lot of modern production .327 firearms) what is worth looking at and what should I absolutely stay away from? I have heard horror stories and positive accounts of both H&R and Iver Johnson and of course have heard of timing concerns with the Colts. Not sure I have ever anything positive or negative about the S&W models.

I kind of paralyzed myself with data here. I really like the looks of the top break .32's but again no clue if they are decent or crap or????

[ligonierbill]

Well, back in the day, the top break .32 S&W revolvers were considered accurate at "card table" range. I have a H&R in pretty good shape, but I don't shoot it a lot. The ones to look for are Colt's Police Positive and the S&W Regulation Police in .32 S&W Long. I think of them as Ruger Bearcats on steroids. Colt's DA timing is sort of "just in time", but be sure to check any older revolver for timing. I have two Colts and two S&W that do just fine. Unless there is something unique about the gun, they are not too pricey. Top breaks are often dirt cheap, but a lot were black powder guns. It's kind of a shaggy dog story as to why I have one, but I really don't recommend them.

[smee78]

There are also Taurus and Rossi 32's out there. I also found a liking for the 32's and keep an eye out for a good one.

[FITASC]

I have a few 32 SWL revolvers. One is a S&W I frame, dainty and fun to shoot with my 85 gr LSWC reloads that use <3grains of Universal or similar powder. Have an older H&R 933 Shopkeeper. Grips seem like they could fit a K frame. Sold a S&W R&P target model from the late 20s. Pawn shop didn't know what it had.................they are out there. Clot made some great ones as well. Just get your terminology about cartridges correct since Colt wouldn't use S&W in a cartridge name, etc. That can get a little confusing sometimes, but there is plenty of literature to explain it all. Most of these can be had for reasonable sums and you can fins them in pawn shops, at gun shows and of course, online.

[HighValleyRanch]

HuH? Wasn't there just a long discussion about all this recently?
https://thefiringline.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=583197

[Rothdel]

yeah I saw that and thought about adding to it but the OP was so specific in terms of what he wants and I just don't have the same bias or limitations.

I'm more interested in the overall caliber and the sheer selection out there I was unaware of. I'm actually hoping there are websites devoted to this or a book or something that I can use to further my knowledge. Like I said in my post I was shocked at the number of results I got. Heck the Wikipedia page for the .32 S&W Long just provided lists and lists of firearms with no real information about them.

Where the other thread limited the discussion to 6 shot revolvers for possible defense I am not looking for anything in particular other than the caliber. I thought the differences were unique enough to warrant another thread but if I'm wrong I apologize and will certainly understand if this gets closed.

[2damnold4this]

Some Ruger Single Sixes are chambered in .32 H&R Mag.

[FITASC]

You might find some good detail on older S&W 32s on the S&W forum

[HighValleyRanch]

Nah, doesn't bother me, discuss on!
I was somewhat just poking fun, that's all.

I've never explored the world of .32 myself.
I'd love to have a Ruger Bearcat chambered in .327!

[reddog81]

I'd stick with S&W, Colt or Ruger. There's lots of other stuff out there but most are very old and you'll be taking a gamble whether or not they actually function. If money's no object I believe Korth made some .32's and those would be nicer than any of them but are near impossible to obtain.

Even the old S&W's and Colts can have problems and they were much better made than the other brands.

I'd love to get a hold of a S&W model 16 but I'm not going to pay an arm and a leg for one so that'll probably never happen

[Real Gun]

My Smith 30-1 is one of the more modern guns, although out of production for some time now. I can't say anything negative about it. The gun is phenomenal. A nice one won't come cheap.

[TruthTellers]

Charter Arms made a .32 S&W Long 6 shot revolver back in the 70's and 80's. They are supposed to be pretty good revolvers, but you will not find one online for less than $250, so your total price will be something around $300 to get your hands on one.

Not sure if price is a factor for you.

H&R's, at least the non top breaks I had issues with one. Bad timing on two chambers and I sent it back. Haven't had the drive to try buying another 732 model because I don't think they will last. If you need to fix them, there also doesn't appear to be any easy way to work on them because everything is pinned together.

Also, the 632 pull pin models are pretty rare to come by. I've only seen 3 different ones on Gunbroker the last 6 months. I feel that the 632 would have longer longevity than the 732, so I do keep my eye out for them. However, the 632's do not go for that much less than the 732 swing out cylinder models.

I'd say the H&R's are only worth the money if in like new condition and for that, you're likely going to pay $250 or more for the 732, probably $200 for the 632. Also, the longer barrel models tend to fetch higher prices.

I think if you're interested in top break .32's, H&R and Iver Johnson are the best to buy because they seem to be the most common, thus you have a larger base to work with if you need replacement parts.

S&W top breaks will cost a lot more than Iver Johnson or H&R. Buy if you really want it.

I'd steer clear of any other top break .32 manufacturer besides the ones I mentioned. I know I am.

Other .32's? I just got a Heritage single action .32 H&R and it's freakin sweet. Basically a Ruger Single Six for half the cost. Keep an eye out for them, they're not common.

Charter makes the .32 H&R Mag Undercoverette, but it's a 5 shot and a 5 shot .32 that's the same size as a 5 shot .38 is pointless. Buy only if you really want it.

I don't care for the older S&W .32's, they look ugly. The older Colt's look so refined and good that I would buy a Police Positive if I felt like dropping almost as much money on one as a Ruger .327, but I don't feel like doing that. Those old Colt Police Positives aren't getting any younger and if you want one in nice condition, buy sooner than later because some people don't take care of guns as well as you likely will.

EDIT: Oh, and steer clear of the NEF .32 Magnum revolvers. Those things may be cheap, but they are the reason the majority of .32 H&R Mag factory ammo is downloaded to barely hotter than .32 S&W Long ammo.

[walks with gun]

I bought my daughter a 5.5 inch Ruger Single Six in .32H&R mag when she was around 12, she never used it so I carried it around as a ranch gun, it works wonders on feral cats and skunks with my reloads of cast bullets, very accurate gentle recoiling gun. When I was a youngster about 10 or 11 one of the local gun shops had a old 7.5inch factory engraved Bisley in 32-20 that I drooled over till that shop burnt down, I really wanted that old colt. In the local pawn shop here there is a S&W model 10 in 32-20 that has been reblued by a decent gunsmith, it probably ruined the collector value but if I had a extra $500.00 I'd sure like to take that baby home with me. >32's used to be pretty common and if a guy handloads, still a fun trail or plinking round.

[tallball]

I own about ten 32 caliber handguns...

Several of them are H&R or the sister company NEF. The ones I bought showed little wear and were inexpensive. They work just fine.

Old 32 caliber revolvers in 32 S&W short or long are not in great demand. If their finish is not great and you just want them as a reliable shooter, be patient and you can get them on Gunbroker for less than $200 with no problem. I got my S&W Hand Ejector for $125, and it shoots just fine. The finish is worn, but I don't care.

The Charter Arms Undercoverette is still in production. It is 32 H&R magnum. Mine has been 100% reliable and I got it barely used for cheap. I have been pleased by my CA handguns.

I had a Mosin-Nagant Russian 32-caliber revolver. It is in some Russian cartridge, but will shoot 32 S&W long. It had the worst trigger of any firearm I have ever shot, so I got rid of it.

My Ruger Single Six in 32 H&R is a tack driver. They are somewhat rare. I haunted Gunbroker for one with a worn finish forever and finally got one for around $300. With 32 S&W long it feels about like my 22lr Single Six. It is almost ridiculous that a revolver can shoot a hunk of lead so much bigger than a 22, be just as accurate, and it still feels like shooting a 22.

I paid good money for a brand-new Ruger Sp101 in 327 magnum and kind of wish I hadn't. The trigger is really that bad. I should start hunting for a GP100 in that caliber. I would guess that they are much better.

I own a bunch of 32acp pistols as well. it is also a fun caliber. My Colt 1903 and my Beretta 100 (rare long-barreled target pistol) are my absolute favorites.

A great factor about 32 revolvers is the variety of calibers they will shoot. If they are chambered for 32 S&W short, that's all they should shoot. If they are chambered for 32 S&W long, they can shoot short or long. If they chambered for 32H&R magnum, they can shoot that caliber, or shot or long; they might or might not be able to fire 32acp - they can handle the pressure (which is too high to regularly shoot in short or long revolvers), but the firing pin may or may not be long enough for reliable ignition. If they are chambered for 327 magnum, they can shoot the above-mentioned 32 revolver calibers, and they may or may not reliably fire 32acp (they are way more than strong enough for it).

I very much like my 32 revolvers. When people talk about using 22 for SD I am always confused. 32 S&W long was a popular caliber for a long time, and slings a hunk of lead twice as large with the same infinitesimal recoil. Why wouldn't you use it instead? And 32 H&R magnum is a quite effective SD round (supposedly the same as a mild 38 special) with barely more recoil than the 32 S&W long. Why would you use a 22?

[Real Gun]

I paid good money for a brand-new Ruger Sp101 in 327 magnum and kind of wish I hadn't. The trigger is really that bad. I should start hunting for a GP100 in that caliber. I would guess that they are much better.

I put a one step lighter spring in my SP101 4". Two steps lighter (10 instead of 12) gave me light strikes on Small Rifle primers.

[Rothdel]

wow thanks for all the replies.

I kind of assumed the H&R's/Iver Johnson's (not sure why I always throw them in the same bucket) had some issues. I got to handle a few top breaks at a local gun show a few weeks back and for the right price I might take a shot on one or two as a fun range toy or worst comes to worse a decent conversation piece.

What I'm really interested in is the smaller ruger single actions or the colt and S&W double actions.

I also got to handle a couple of Colts at the same gun show mentioned above but 1 had obvious mechanical issues with the cylinder freely rotating at all time. Was sold as a parts gun. The other gun would index the cylinder on single action mode but would not fully lock until the trigger was pulled. With out knowing more about this model and any mechanical oddities I was too nervous to pull the trigger so to speak.

[walks with gun]

Many of the little top break revolvers like the H&R and Iver Johnsons, spit more lead from the sides of the cylinders than down the barrel. When in good working order they are fun to play with, but kind of a waste of money. The same loval pawn shop up here that has the S&W model 10 in 32-20 also has a old S&W break open (lemon Squeezer) for around $300.

[tallball]

It is supposed to be hard to find parts and qualified gunsmiths for the old Colts. I am pretty sure that there are 327 magnum Ruger GP100's, but they are rare. An old S&W in 32 long is easy to find, and some end up being very inexpensive. People don't seem to want that caliber anymore.

[Bob Wright]

With all the palaver about the .32 I've not seen much mention of the .32-20. The .32-20 revolver very nearly became the standard police load in the early 1900s. Many medium framed Colts and S&W double action (DA) revolvers were found in that caliber. Also during WW II some defense plant guards carried S&W Victory models in .32-20 caliber.

I've always fancied having a Colt New Frontier or Ruger Blackhawk with 7 1/2" barrel in .32-20. Makes a fine varmint combination.

Bob Wright

[Buzzcook]

That's the first I've heard of a .32 Victory in any flavor of .32. Thanks for the factoid.

As far as reference for .32 revolvers an old copy of shooters bible revolver edition from the 60's would probably cover a lot of ground.
Amazon has this one.
https://www.amazon.com/Shooters-Bibl...ible+revolvers

But there are probably earlier editions to look at.

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I am not aware of any single book that is going to be just about 32 caliber revolvers. If you are interested in S&W revolvers, the best book on the market is the Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson by Supica and Nahas. This is book is a survey of everything S&W has made from 1857 until the present. I have the 3rd edition, which was published in 2006, so it ends there. I just ordered the brand-spanky new 4th edition which just came out a few months ago, so it should be current right up to now. There is one other book I can recommend, Smith & Wesson, 1857-1945 by Neal and Jinks. This book goes into much more detail about each model, than SCSW. But for a first book, the SCSW is recognized as a great source to start to get familiar with everything S&W has ever made. In it you will find information about all the 32 caliber revolvers they made.

With the success of SCSW a few years ago, there have been 'Standard Catalogs' published about most of the major gun manufactures recently. None of them lives up to the level of SCSW, but they are not too bad. I use my Standard Catalog of Colt Firearms by Rick Sapp almost as much as I do my SCSW. If you want to know more about cartridges, Cartridges of the World by Frank C Barnes is always a good place to start.


OK, let's talk about 32 caliber cartridges. The following photo does not show every 32 caliber cartridge ever made, but it shows one of each from my cartridge collection. Left to right they are 32 Rimfire Short, 32 Rimfire Long, 32 Short Colt, 32 S&W, 32 S&W Long, 32 Colt New Police, and 32-20. Sorry, I do not have any 32 H&R cartridges and 327 Magnum is much too new a cartridge to be in my collection. Also missing from my collection is 32 Long Colt. An editorial comment here. There is no such thing as the 32 S&W Short cartridge. It is simply the 32 S&W, period. When the later, longer cartridge was introduced, it became known as the 32 S&W Long. More about that later.









OK, let's talk about 32 caliber revolvers a little bit. Again, these are only what I have in my collection, there are many others, but these are a good starting point. Here are four old Smith and Wesson 32 caliber revolvers. The two on the left are called Tip Ups and the two on the right are Top Breaks. Tip Ups were the first revolvers S&W made, starting in 1857. The first one was a tiny little 22 caliber revolver. The Tip Ups were designated by frame sizes, #1, #1 1/2, and #2. They are called Tip Ups because to reload you release the catch at the bottom of the barrel, and rotate the barrel up. The barrel rotates around the screw you can see at the top of the frame. The two Tip Ups in this photo are both 32 caliber, they fired the 32 Rimfire cartridges on the left in the photo above. The small one is a five shot # 1 1/2 Tip Up that was made in 1873. The larger one is a 6 shot #2, also known as the Old Army model that was made in 1863. The Old Army is the largest and most powerful Tip Up that S&W ever made. They experimented with a 44 caliber design, but the Mechanism was not strong enough for 44 caliber. The Old Army model was bought by many Northern troops in the Civil War.

Top Breaks differ from Tip Ups because the barrel rotates down in a Top Break. It rotates around the pivot screw visible in the frame. They are called Top Breaks because they 'break' at the top of the frame. Top Breaks were more complicated guns than the Tip Ups, they featured an automatic ejector that ejected the empty shells when the gun was broken open. The Top Break at the top right of the photo is a 32 Single Action. It shipped in 1881. Notice it has a spur trigger. S&W also made double action 32 caliber Top Breaks that had a trigger guard, but I do not have one in my collection.

The revolver at the bottom right of the photo is called a 32 Safety Hammerless. It shipped in 1905. These were double action only revolvers, the hammer is hidden inside the frame. They were sometimes called Lemon Squeezers because of the grip safety at the rear of the grip. The Safety Hammerless revolvers were made in both 32 and 38 caliber.

Now, notice how much shorter the cylinders are on the Top Breaks than on the Tip Ups. That is because the Tip Ups fired either the 32 Rimfire short or long from the cartridge photo above, while the 32 Top Breaks only fired the very short 32 S&W round. The 32 S&W round was developed in 1878 for the 32 Single Action revolver at the upper right of the photo.

All of these guns are antiques. I doubt you will be looking at a Tip Up, but you should know they are not a very strong design. The little #1 Tip Ups were designed for the 22 Short, but they should never be fired with modern 22 Short ammunition, only ammo loaded with Black Powder. The same for the 32 caliber Tip Ups, only Black Powder 32 Rimfire ammo. Of course, 32 RF ammo is not made any more. You will find plenty of shooters who feel it is OK to fire modern Smokeless ammuntion in the centerfire Top Breaks. I am not one of them. I will only fire Black Powder ammunition, which I load myself, in a Top Break.









Now let's move on to more modern S&W 32 caliber revolvers with cylinders that swing out to the side. The revolver at the bottom of this photo is a 32 Hand Ejector, 1st Model. Hand Ejector simply means that unlike a Top Break, you had to eject the empties manually by pushing back the ejector rod, it was not automatic the way it was with a Top Break. The 32 HE, also known as the model 1896 was the first revolver S&W made with a side swinging cylinder. This one shipped in 1898. This is the revolver the 32 S&W Long cartridge was developed for. This is the 32 caliber round that all the S&W 32 Hand Ejectors was chambered for, except the 32-20 HE. Of course, the shorter 32 S&W round could be fired in them, just as a 38 Special can be fired in a 357 Magnum. The 32 HE 1st Model is easily recognized because of the squared off appearance of the frame near the hammer. The 32 HE 1st Model was also unique in that it had a locking mechanism that hearkened all the way back to the Tip UPs. The cylinder bolt was in the top strap, not down below the cylinder as with every other revolver S&W made after that. The 32 HE went on for many more models, the frame evolved into what is known as the I frame.

The revolver in the center of the photo is a 32 Regulation Police. It was chambered for the 32 S&W Long round. This one shipped in 1925. It is interesting to note that enough policemen were carrying this little 32 caliber revolver that S&W named the model after them. The Regulation Police model was also chambered for 38 S&W. But the I frame cylinder (about the same size as a modern J frame) could only hold five 38 caliber rounds.

The 'large' revolver at the top of the photo is a 32-20 Hand Ejector. It shipped in 1916. It is built on the K frame, the same frame the 38 M&P and Model 10 is built on today. A revolver this size was needed for the much longer 32-20 round, as can be seen in the cartridge photo. This photo gives a good idea of the relative sizes of the K frame and I frame 32 caliber revolvers.

Missing from my collection is the highly sought after K-32 or Model 16 as it became known in 1957. This was a K frame companion to the K-22 and K-38, chambered for the 32 S&W Long cartridge. They are highly sought after by collectors and so they are not cheap. They looked pretty much like the 32-20 HE at the top of the photo, but they had target sights.









Finally, here are three 32 caliber Colts. The one at the top is a Police Positive Special chambered for 32-20. It shipped in 1926. This gun is the same size as the Police Positive Specials that were chambered for 38 Special, and has the same long cylinder required for the 32-20 round. It is slightly smaller than a K frame Smith.

Below that is a Police Positive 32, chambered for 32 Colt New Police. If you look at the cartridge photo you will see the 32 Colt New Police is basically the same as the 32 S&W Long, except it has a flat nosed bullet. This is a smaller gun than the Police Positive Special, it is roughly the same size as a S&W Regulation Police.

Finally, the little revolver at the bottom of the photo is a 32 Pocket Positive that shipped in 1908. This little gun is chambered for the 32 Long Colt cartridge. 32 Short Colt and 32 Long Colt used a heeled bullet, with the cartridge case the same diameter as the bullet. A 32 S&W or 32 S&W Long cartridge will not chamber in this revolver.





So that is a brief overview of 32 caliber S&W and Colt revolvers. Just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. I have bought all of these in the last few years, none of them has been exorbitantly expensive, but none of them has been cheap either. They are fun to shoot, and the ammo is available and not too expensive. Be sure what caliber you are getting. Stay away from 32 Short Colt and Long Colt. For shooters, I would stay away from the Top Breaks too, unless you want to load your own ammo with Black Powder.

But that's just me.

[2damnold4this]

Nice collection Driftwood Johnson. Thanks for sharing it.


The only .32 revolver I have is a 31-1 S&W. This thread has inspired me to get it out of the safe and shoot it a bit.

[ThomasT]

I've never explored the world of .32 myself.

Then why respond?

I am a big 32 caliber fan. I have several 32 long and a few 32 mag revolvers and a 32 mag marlin along with a 32ACP Walther PP. So I like 32s. I never really took to the 327 because I rarely ever load my 32 mags to full power. But I am all for anything that promotes 32 caliber guns.

The old top breaks and early 32s are cool old guns. If you want to collect then go ahead. If you want to shoot then look for the newer versions like the models 30 and 31 in 32 long. I have two 32 mag Ruger Single Sixes with 5.5" barrels. They cost me a fair amount of cash but were worth every penny. I also found my Holy Grail gun, A S&W model 631 32 mag. It has a 4" barrel and adjustable sights. And as much as I like it I still like the Ruger Single sixes better. And I paid some serious bucks for the 631. But I don't regret the purchase at all.

So welcome to the world of 32 caliber guns. Its a fun place to be. Gil Sengal wrote an excellent article in Handloader mag about the history of 32 caliber handguns and its worth the search to find a copy.

There are lots of us 32 caliber nuts here. You will find all the help you need. To take full advantage of the round you should consider reloading. There are so many old guns around the factory ammo is watered down pretty bad. Buy some of the newer 32 guns and you can bump the power up quite a bit. Have a look at this website. This guy is a 32 fan himself and a premo reloader with a ton of good advice. His loads will take you past the pop gun loads you get with current factory ammo in 32 long.

http://www.hensleygibbs.com/edharris/backcreekdiary.htm

http://www.hensleygibbs.com/edharris...longnotes2.htm

[ligonierbill]

Thanks, Driftwood, nice collection. FWIW, I saw a K-32 on GB last week (?). Don't know if it went anywhere, but the minimum requested bid was $3,000. Is it true that S&W only made 2,000 - 3,000 of these?

[OneFreeTexan]

I have a Dan Wesson kit,(several changeable barrels) in 32 H&R Mag, and it is without a doubt the finest revolver I have ever owned, and that has been a few. It was from Dan's 'good' period of manufacturing. The gun is tight, shoots great. And I love it so have bought a few mor 32 H&R's . I like this caliber, reload now. Highly accurate at revolver distances. don't think I would need another caliber.

Of course, I lost all my guns in the flood, so have none now.