Rechamber Pocket Positive to .32 mag.?

[9ballbilly]

I read some small frame Ruger Bearcat .22lr revolvers have been rechambered to the .32 H&R magnum cartridge and It got me wondering if the same thing could be done safely with a Colt Pocket Positive .32 S&W revolver.

Is the .32 H&R too much pressure for the Colt frame?

If it could be done I think it would make a great kit gun.

What do you folks think?

(PS I know the Bearcats also had to be re-barreled as well, of course.)

[T. O'Heir]

"...had to be re-barreled..." You'd need to rebarrel and have a cylinder fitted. Very likely to cost a lot less to just buy a .32 Mag. The Ruger SP101 and GP100 come in .327 Federal.
The .32 Mag cylinder will very likely not fit the S&W frame. Might fit a .32-20 frame.

[Jim Watson]

.32 Police Positive/New Police/S&W Long is 12,000 CUP maximum pressure.
.32 H&R Magnum is 21,000 CUP maximum pressure.
Seems like a lot for a Pocket Positive.
Is yours the first version, pre 1927 or the second, 1927-1940?

There was some early interest in rechambering .32 Police Positive Specials to .32 H&R but that is the .38 Special frame and cylinder, "rated" for +P.

.32 NP is 1.28" OAL, .32 H&R is 1.35", can the Colt Pocket take the extra length?

How about a nice Charter Arms Undercoverette or Professional .32?

[Scorch]

Several reasons why not to do that:
* Colt frames were not heat treated prior to the late 1940s. Even after that they were soft and would bend if subjected to too much pressure.
* The Colt Pocket Positive cylinder is not long enough to accommodate a 32 H&R Mag.
* Parts for the small frame revolvers are hard to come by, and it's hard to find someone who knows how to work on the old Colts (we're dying out, the older design Colt revolvers have been out of production for 25 years).
* As Jim said, a Charter Arms, S&W, or even a Ruger would be a better bet.

Police Positive Specials to .32 H&R but that is the .38 Special frame and cylinder, "rated" for +P.

I don't know that the older Colts were ever rated for +P pressures. I managed to bend a Diamondback with hot-rod 38 Special loads back in the 80s.

I read some small frame Ruger Bearcat .22lr revolvers have been rechambered to the .32 H&R magnum

While that may be possible, most people chose the Single Six for conversions. Enough so that Ruger came out with the Single Six in 32 H&R.

[Jim Watson]

I don't know that the older Colts were ever rated for +P pressures.

The prewar Colt .38 Specials were "rated" for .38 HV and .38-44, which are generally taken as predecessors of +P+.
Of course you could get them repaired back then if you beat up your Dick Special with a lot of highspeeds.

One centerfold gunsmith - Andy Cannon, I think - did a business in rechambering .32 Police Positive Specials to H&R.
Numrich even advertised Colt barrel and cylinder kits for the purpose of converting a .38 to .32 H&R Magnum.

None of which means the OP would do well to rechamber a Pocket Positive for 75% more juice.

[9ballbilly]

Thanks guys,

I figured out pretty quickly after I made the post that it was bad idea.

Thanks for the replies!