Another 32 cal ?

[StoneyCreekMrMauser]

Got a friend at work who has a 32cal revolver that she says is "pretty old." It is not a break top but a swing out cylinder snubbie. Any ideas on whether or not this gun can shoot 32 Longs? I'll try to get a more detailed description ASAP but our workplace does not abide well with "inspections.":rolleyes:

[Retired Bum]

That is not much info to go on, but I will give it a try.

If the revolver is US made and "pretty old", and has a swingout cylinder, there is a good chance that it is a Colt Police Positive or a S&W .32 Hand Ejector (I frame). The S&W would be marked on the right side of the barrel ".32 S&W Long Ctg". The Colt would be marked on the left side of the barrel ".32 Colt New Police or .32 Colt NP". The .32 NP is Colt's name for the .32 S&W Long.

I've owned examples of each and both are pretty neat old revolvers. Give the revolver a good inspection before you decide to shoot it. Factory ammo is quite mild. The original load consisted of a 98 gr RNL rated at 705 fps from a six inch barrel. Pretty much a pipsqueak of a load, but in the old days a lot of police carried these revolvers as a duty weapon.

My memory just kicked in. Colt produced small frame revolvers chambered for the .32 Short and .32 Long Colt cartridges. I don't know much about them, but I do know that they will not accept the .32 S&W Long or the shorter and older .32 S&W. Ammo in these two cartridges is scare and I don't think that it is still produced anymore. Colt dropped these two rounds and went with the S&W Long chambering because it was a better round and certainly more popular.

Let us know what you find out.

And so it goes.


The Retired One

[dirtyrice]

the longs are made by multiple companies still. Winchester occasionally does a run of the shorts and besides magetch is the only company I know of making shorts.

Fiocchi, winchester, magtech, and aquila all make longs. I've bought a few boxes of .32 short remingtons so they must still make them also.

I didn't think ANY of the .32 colts were snub nosed though. Most had a longer barrel.

[StoneyCreekMrMauser]

Like I said, a friend of mine shoots it. She likes it and her 38 snubbie for carry. She's having a hard time finding ammo for the 32 and I offered up some that I can't use (Ziploc-bag deal). I'll see if she has any more info on it when I see her at work next time. Thanks again!

[StoneyCreekMrMauser]

And then there was part 3 of this series. My BIL just brought home a snubbie 32 Long. I think it's a Titanic brand made by FIE out of Miami. 5-shot cylinder with a loading gate rather than a swing-out cylinder. The cylinder turns without the gun on half-cock (it is DA/SA) one way but not the other. Frame looks cast, overall pretty much a piece o' shyte.

I'm not sure I'd want to fire this thing. I can't see how the cylinder will line up with the barrel if it turns so freely. Am I missing something?

[StoneyCreekMrMauser]

Alright, well, in one of my moments of "What the Hell, I've got some ammo to shoot in this thing laying around so..." I went out in the back yard and fired off a few rounds. It goes bang on Longs, not on 32 ACP (not unexpected). Recoil wasn't bad at all, muzzle flash was cute, trigger sucked ass.

I wouldn't bet the farm on this thing but as a trade gun...

[lowr8]

did you figure out who made the gun?

[StoneyCreekMrMauser]

Not yet. Girl hasn't brought me any pix or notes scribbled down. Haven't seen her much either, past coupla' weeks have been hectic at the ER. It is buggin' the crap outta me though. I'd like to know what she's got. Her and her husband used to own a gun shop a few years back and they never got rid of some of their stock.

BTW, she said it was NOT a snubbie but had a four-inch tube.

Also, the one my BIL brought home was bought by one of his buddies at a gun show for $100 (too much!) and it was broke. Total POS but it does shoot. Its identity was confirmed.