32 S&W or 32 S&W Long?

[metalcruncher]

Like others here on this forum, I've been on a curio buying spree for the last year. As the savings account nears zero, it's coming to an end.

I bought two more handguns that I don't have ammunition for which, in the midst of an ammunition shortage, probably wasn't the brightest move on my part.

This one below is a Harrington and Richardson Model 15 that can either take 32 S&W or 32 S&W Long. In normal times, I'd go to TargetSports USA or Selway Armory and just buy both and compare them at the range. But since I'll probably be shopping on Gunbroker for ammo, it's probably going to be one or the other.

Since this is a new caliber to me, what are your thoughts on cartridge preference?

Thanks in advance.



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[Spaffo]

S&W long is easier to find and probably cheaper

[morrcarr67]

Nice. Back in August I was bidding on a few .32S&W Long chambered revolvers. The only one I got was a Smith & Wesson model 30-1 with a 3" barrel. First thing I did after wining her was order some ammo, dies and bullets. I bought 500 rounds of ammo and 1K bullets. I'd like to get some more bullets but those are hard to find too now.

[ironhorse1]

The .32 sw is rather anemic and the short cases can be hard to hold.

The .32 SWL is easy to load and can be loaded quite snappy in a modern revolver.

Just checking for bullet availability and it is hard to believe that even .32 caliber lead bullets are OOS. Even Missouri Bullet Co is not currently listing any stock on hand.

Nice revolver BTW have fun with it when you can find some ammo.

irh

[DanGunner]

.32 S&W Long is a great cartridge. I gave a 100 year old S&W HE that’s a pleasure to shoot. Sometimes hard to buy ammo but by happenstance I bought in bulk from Target Sports just before things went crazy. They’d no real reason to buy the short version since the longs have virtually no recoil. Finally S&W Long is exactly same cartridge as .32 Long Colt. Colt just didn’t want to use S&W name when it produced guns in that caliber. Sometimes you can find the Colt branded ammo.

[metalcruncher]

Unanimous for .32 S&W long. I've checked my normal ammunition sources. All dry for now.

Looks like $1 a round off of Gunbroker will have to do until I can find new factory ammunition available online in a few months.

Thanks for the replies.

[Spaffo]

Here are my two .32 revolvers, a Colt Police Positive (1910) and a S&W Hand Ejector Model 2 of 1903 (1912)

. Both are accurate and fun to shoot. You'll love yours.

[smle-man]

The .32 Long can be quite accurate in a good handgun. I shoot them in my Ruger SSM Bisley .32 HR magnum only because I ended up with so many in the past.

[dogrunner]

Wrong! The S&W ctg is substantially greater in diameter than the Colt version.

The Colt version and the old .32 rimfire rounds share the same basic specs and Marlin actually produced a lever rifle that would utilize either ctg.....but the S&W is emphatically not the same.

[morrcarr67]

Wrong! The S&W ctg is substantially greater in diameter than the Colt version.

The Colt version and the old .32 rimfire rounds share the same basic specs and Marlin actually produced a lever rifle that would utilize either ctg.....but the S&W is emphatically not the same.

Are you sure about that?

https://americanhandgunner.com/handloading/the-32-sw-long-32-colt-new-police/

Everything I've ever seen has said that they are in fact the same round.

[morrcarr67]

The .32 sw is rather anemic and the short cases can be hard to hold.

The .32 SWL is easy to load and can be loaded quite snappy in a modern revolver.

Just checking for bullet availability and it is hard to believe that even .32 caliber lead bullets are OOS. Even Missouri Bullet Co is not currently listing any stock on hand.

Nice revolver BTW have fun with it when you can find some ammo.

irh

Yeah, I got lucky. I had ordered mine from MO Bullets. When I ordered they said it was going to be about 8 weeks for delivery. About week 7 I got an email saying it was going to be a bit longer. They also said that they were going to stop taking orders for their slower moving bullets so that they could work on the more popular ones and try to get caught up. When I got that email I called and added more 9mm to the order but I didn't add any more of the .32's. About a week later I was thinking about placing another order for some more .32's ad they were not being offered. I guess they are some of their slower moving bullets.

[dogrunner]

I am absolutely positive relative to the difference in the S&W vs Colt ctg. Reason being is that I happen to own an antique .32 RF Stevens Favorite........while in HS........way back in the 50's......I converted the breach block to centerfire to use that Colt ctg. Even then the RF round was difficult to find. I discovered the S&W round would not fit. I still have that rifle, and a 1926 version S&W hand ejector revolver as well......the S&W round is larger and will not fit that Stevens!
Given the scarcity of the S&W round anymore I've considered renting a reamer and enlarging the Favorite's chamber......

Should you doubt me, check "cartridges of the world".

[Spaffo]

.32SWL shoots fine from my Colt Police Positive marked, ".32 police ctg". Colt didn't want to put ".32 S&W long"on their pistols.

[smithrjd]

32 S&W Long and Colt's 32 long/police is the same round. Colt used a different bullet and a different name, they are interchangeable.

[dfletcher]

There is/was more than one "32 Colt" cartridge out there:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_New_Police_Revolver

"The Colt New Police is a double-action, six-shot revolver (which can also be fired single action). This gun was chambered in the .32 New Police, which is dimensionally identical to a flat-nose version of the .32 S&W Long, except for the nose shape. In addition to the .32 New Police cartridge, the revolver was available in 32 Colt. The diameters of the two cartridges are not the same, with the 32 Colt being approximately 0.020 inches smaller in diameter than the New Police. Although the 32 Colt can be loaded and fired in the New Police chamber, it is not recommended to do so. It is impossible to load the .32 New Police in a 32 Colt chamber."

The Colt 32 New Police, which I presume most are referring to, is the same as a 32 S&W while the lesser known "32 Colt" is slightly different.

My 1925 (or so, don't recall 100%) Pocket Positive is barrel stamped "32 Police" with no reference to "NP" or New Police. It uses 32 S& W long.