.32 Caliber Revolvers

Smith & Wesson made two breaktop models chambered for .32 centerfire cartridges other than the .32 S&W, but not the .32 S&W Long, both based on the New Model No. 3 revolver.

The first used the .32-44 cartridge. This was similar in size to the .32 Long, but was different enough not to be interchangeable and used a .318 diameter bullet.

http://picturearchive.gunauction.com/2834132313/8981057/dsc_0756.jpg_thumbnail1.jpg

The second was the S&W Revolving Rifle, essentially a long-barreled No 3 with a detachable shoulder stock, and chambered in the .320 Smith & Wesson cartridge with a slightly larger bullet and different case dimensions.

https://www.rockislandauction.com/blog/fantastic-flops-smith-wesson-model-320/

Neither cartridge is common, but I've got several .32-44 examples in my collection, and I've never even seen a .320 cartridge.
 
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Howdy Again

Mike is of course correct. It slipped my mind about the New Model #3 chambered for the 32-44 S&W cartridge. In my defense, I was thinking more along the lines of the smaller Top Breaks chambered for the 32 S&W round. Also, technically I think I am correct, because the 34-44 and the 32 S&W Long are not the same cartridge.

The S&W New Model #3 was the most technically advanced Top Break that S&W made. Cataloged from 1878 until 1908. The grip shape had been redesigned from the earlier Russian and Schofield models and was truly comfortable to hold. (Unlike that monstrosity of a grip on the Russian model) The standard chambering of the New Model #3 was for the 44 Russian cartridge, but it was also chambered for 32 S&W, 32-44 S&W, 320 Revolving Rifle, 38 S&W, 38 Colt, 38-40, 38-44 S&W, .41 S&W, 44 Rimfire Henry, 44 S&W American, 44-40, 45 Schofield, 450 Revolver, 45 Webley, 455 Mark I, and 455 Mark II.

The target versions, with adjustable sights were usually chambered for 32-44 S&W or 38-44 S&W. Do not confuse this 38-44 with the high powered cartridge of the same name developed in the 1930s for the 38-44 Heavy Duty and Outdoorsman cartridges. Completely different cartridge.

To illustrate the relative size of these revolvers, a New Model #3 is at the top of this photo. This one is chambered for 44 Russian, but the target models chambered for 38-44 and 32-44 would have been the same size. Incidentally, there were only 2930 New Model Number 3 Targets made chambered for 32-44 and there were only 1413 of them made chambered for the 38-44 cartridge, so these were relatively rare guns. Below the New Model #3 is a K frame 32-20 Hand Ejector, below that is a Regulation Police chambered for 32 S&W Long, and below that is a 32 Single Action chambered for 32 S&W.

NewModelNumbe3%2032-20%20HE%20RegPolice%2032%20SA_zpsuaqwtdsw.jpg






The 320 Revolving Rifle is even rarer. There were only 977 of them made. They are extremely valuable. I had the pleasure of handling one a couple of years ago.

14553292_1_zpsrkaalujl.jpg








The 19th Century 32-44 and 38-44 cartridges featured the bullet seated in the case, with the tip of the bullet even with the mouth of the cartridge. Here is a page from a reprint of a S&W catalog from about 1900 showing the two cartridges. Do not be confused by the heading 44 Single Action Russian Model. At this time, S&W was referring to the New Model #3 as the Russian model. Not the same as what we know as the Russian model today, with the bizarre shaped grip and the spur under the trigger guard.

catalogillustration44singleaction02cropped_zps0f409087.jpg





While I'm on the subject of New Model #3s, last year I was at a CAS match when one of my pals came up with a huge grin on his face. He had another shooter in tow with him. He quizzed me on what the shooter had with him. My jaw dropped when he pulled out this beautiful Target Model chambered for 38-44S&W. My jaw dropped even further when he told me how little he had paid for it. No I don't remember now, but it was a steal. The 38-44 is pretty much an overgrown 38 S&W. I gave the the shooter a few 38 S&W cartridges that I had on me and he was thrilled to shoot it. I don't think he had ever shot it before.

new%20model%20number%20three%20target%203844%2002_zpsgbsfmumv.jpg
 
I have to say I spend far more time on this forum reading than posting. One of the biggest reasons for that is the posts by Driftwood.

Every time he posts its a wealth of knowledge and detail that is amazing.

Thank you Driftwood for all your efforts here. I love when you post something because I always increase my knowledge when you do.
 
OK, experts. Here is a top break H&R chambered for the 32 S&W Long. It is a smokeless powder piece and was made well into the 20th century. I have fired several kinds of factory 32 S&W long ammo in it. It is true that S&W never made a topbreak for the long, which is probably why many people think that noone ever did. Both H&R and Iver Johnson did. Hopkins and Allen may have, but I am not sure.
 
Are you sure that one's chambered for .32 Long?

Because it's certainly not stamped for .32 Long.

The .32 S&W cartridge is the short one that was brought out in the 1870s.
 
It is 32 S&W Long and I assure you I know the difference between 32 S&W and 32 S&W Long. I have bought and shot both in various old iron. The chambers are cut for 32 Long, not bored through, and any kind of Long ammo will chamber, not just wadcutters.
 
"It is 32 S&W Long and I assure you I know the difference between 32 S&W and 32 S&W Long. I have bought and shot both in various old iron. The chambers are cut for 32 Long, not bored through, and any kind of Long ammo will chamber, not just wadcutters."

Interesting, and good information.

I wonder how many I might have walked past over the years thinking they were .32 S&Ws...
 
H&R may have been a little weird about how they marked calibers on some of their revolvers. I had a 732 by them that was marked ".32 S&W" but it would handle .32 S&W Long quite well, and I was told this was OK by other 732 owners. No idea why they did not mark all 732s as ".32 S&W Long". I have heard of some 732s being marked as ".32 S&W Long", unlike mine, though.
 
Well, now that I know this I'm definitely going to start looking a lot more closely because I have a real fondness for the .32 Long, and .32s in general.
 
H&R may have been a little weird about how they marked calibers on some of their revolvers. I had a 732 by them that was marked ".32 S&W" but it would handle .32 S&W Long quite well, and I was told this was OK by other 732 owners. No idea why they did not mark all 732s as ".32 S&W Long". I have heard of some 732s being marked as ".32 S&W Long", unlike mine, though
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The 732's were marked .32 S&W at the time because the actual .32 S&W, the short one, was considered an obsolete and antique cartridge. No manufacturer was making a .32 S&W load, nor was anyone making a revolver in the short .32 S&W.

.32 S&W Long, on the other hand, was being made and was the only .32 caliber cartridge being made at the time with S&W somewhere in the name.

The shorter .32 S&W has risen back from the dead thanks to Cowboy Action shooting. People want the authentic cartridges from the days of the old West and the short .32 S&W did actually exist back then, unlike the .32 S&W Long.
 
Uhm... The .32 Smith and Wesson cartridge has been in continuous production since it was introduced in the 1870s.

The only exception was during World War II, possibly for a short time around World War I, as well, but I don't think so.

Otherwise, at least one American ammunition manufacturer has cataloged it for almost 150 years.

I believe Winchester still does catalog it.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 
As I write this, my local Academy Sports stocks Remington .32 S&W ammo, 88gr LRN to be precise, and the same stuff is listed as available on the Sportsman's Guide website.

TT, you're not conflating it with .32 Long Colt, are you? IIRC this cartridge has been unavailable from a major manufacturer since WWII, although boutique reloaders will release a batch from time to time.

There were also a couple of short-lived Merwin, Hulbert and Co. .32-caliber cartridges that were slightly longer but largely interchangeable with .32 S&W, but both were dropped well before WWII, and are little more than a historical footnote today (and a Holy Grail for ammo collectors). Merwin Hulbert revolvers use a unique (and oh-so-nifty :cool:) twist-open loading action that allows the empties to be shaken out while retaining any loaded cartridges remaining; the slightly longer OAL was tailored to the correct length for this feature, to encourage shooters to use proprietary MH-branded ammunition. Loaded .32 S&W cartridges would fall out.

AFAIK Harrington and Richardson briefly chambered some of their top breaks for the longer of the .32 MH cartridges—presumably for flexibility—but marked the guns ".32 H&R"; the .32 H&R Magnum cartridge was reportedly given the "Magnum" name to prevent it from being inadvertently loaded into a frail turn-of-the-century top-break. (Another reason being marketing appeal, of course).
 
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There were also a couple of short-lived Merwin, Hulbert and Co. .32-caliber cartridges that were slightly longer but largely interchangeable with .32 S&W, but both were dropped well before WWII, and are little more than a historical footnote today (and a Holy Grail for ammo collectors). Merwin Hulbert revolvers use a unique (and oh-so-nifty ) twist-open loading action that allows the empties to be shaken out while retaining any loaded cartridges remaining; the slightly longer OAL was tailored to the correct length for this feature, to encourage shooters to use proprietary MH-branded ammunition. Loaded .32 S&W cartridges would fall out.
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Howdy Again

A little bit off topic, but since Merwin Hulberts have been mentioned, I can't help from making a couple of comments. In my experience, the bit about empties falling out of the cylinder while unfired ammo was retained has been over rated. This MH is a big 44-40 Pocket Army, but the idea is the same. Upon opening the gun and rotating and pulling the barrel and cylinder forward, most of the empties will fall out. However there is usually one or two that hang up and have to be flicked out with a finger. Yes, the unfired rounds are retained by their bullets, but in my experience some of them will invariably wiggle out of alignment with their respective chambers, and will have to be wiggled a bit so the gun can be closed up again, as can be seen in this photo. If the rounds are not lined up with their chambers, you cannot close the action.

unloading%2009_zpst0binhhw.jpg






But a MH cannot be reloaded with the cylinder open. You just can't do it, the 'ejector ring' is in the way. In order to reload, or 'top off' the cylinder, you have to close the gun and reload one at a time through the loading gate.

reloading%2003_zpsvvumyoow.jpg






Merwin Hulberts get a lot of mention in the gun forums and on the internet these days, but not many shooters have ever actually handled one, much less shot one. Despite the myths that have arisen about them, in my not so humble opinion, Smith & Wesson Top Breaks were a better and more practical design. One dumps the empties out of a MH by breaking it open, but reloading must be done one at a time through a loading gate, not much different than a Colt Single Action Army.

With a S&W Top Break, you simply break open the gun. The empties will be ejected as the extractor snaps back down, then while the gun is still open you reload. Simpler and quicker than with the MH system. I often speculated that the reason Merwin Hulbert came up with its unique system was because Smith & Wesson held the patents for Top Break revolvers. Not too long ago, Roy Jinks, the official S&W historian, confirmed that. Eventually the S&W patents for Top Breaks expired, but by then MH's unusual mechanical system was it's signature.

unloading-1.jpg
 
As I write this, my local Academy Sports stocks Remington .32 S&W ammo, 88gr LRN to be precise, and the same stuff is listed as available on the Sportsman's Guide website.

TT, you're not conflating it with .32 Long Colt, are you? IIRC this cartridge has been unavailable from a major manufacturer since WWII, although boutique reloaders will release a batch from time to time.
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No, not mistaken. While .32 S&W "short" may have always been offered by at least one US manufacturer for the past 130+ years, back when the H&R 732 model first came out, .32 S&W was not common.

We're talking the 1960's here, there was no internet to buy ammo from and ammo catalogues, if they existed, probably didn't carry .32 S&W either.

.32 S&W Long was much more common than .32 S&W, so that's why H&R just put .32 S&W because their customers would go to their local hardware store, see .32 S&W Long, and that would be the only .32 ammo at the store and they'd put two and two together and figure out that's the ammo to buy.
 
"We're talking the 1960's here, there was no internet to buy ammo from and ammo catalogues, if they existed, probably didn't carry .32 S&W either."

I wouldn't bet on that supposition if I were you, because you'd be 100% wrong.

.32 S&W was readily available via gunshops, hardware stores, and yes, even through catalog sales. Sears, Monkey Ward, and a few others were still offering ammo mail order up until 1968 when the laws changed.

And the gun magazines of the day were LOADED with advertisements for full service mailorder shops like Herter's and Hunter's Lodge where you could mail order buy damned near anything you wanted.

IAA has on-line catalog PDF resources for many of the manufacturers. They're a fascinating look back at what was available, and when.

http://cartridgecollectors.org/ammunition-catalogs

The Peters catalogs go back to the mid 1890s.

http://cartridgecollectors.org/ammunition-catalogs/Peters

In the 1960s, the .32 S&W was a standard production cartridge.

I also disagree with your assessment that, when the 732 came out, the .32 S&W was not common. The 732 was brought to market in, IIRC, 1957 or 1958.

While it's true that the .32 S&W was no longer being chambered in firearms in the US at that time, you need to remember that it had been dropped only about 20 years before at the advent of World War II.

More importantly, the .32 S&W was one of the most popularly chambered cartridges of all time. While actual totals are impossible to come by, EVERY manufacturer that offered revolvers in the US chambered the .32 S&W, to the point where it would not surprise me if the total production numbers were in excess of 2 million.

Even today it's very unusual NOT to find a multitude of old solid frame and breaktop .32 S&Ws at gunshows and even many gunshops.

Many are still in good firing condition.

Ammo manufacturers aren't stupid. The're not going to make something that's going to sit in their warehouses.

There's a reason that they're still manufacturing .32 S&W ammunition today.
 
".32 S&W Long was much more common than .32 S&W"

Wrong. .32 Long chambered handguns have never even remotely approached the production numbers that the .32 S&W did.

The reason the .32 Long supplanted the .32 S&W in H&R and other handguns is because it was a more powerful cartridge (roughly double the power) but could still be chambered in guns that were almost as small, and which were every bit as concealable, as the .32 S&W.
 
"because Smith & Wesson held the patents for Top Break revolvers."

And Merwin-Hulbert's PIA sliding loading gate was the result of Colt holding the patent on the pivoting loading gate design.
 
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