“The sweetest shooting revolver…I have ever handled…”Julian S. Hatcher, Textbook of Pistols and Revolvers, (1935) 

The black powder version of the .32 Smith & Wesson Long was introduced in 1896 and was followed by a smokeless version in 1903 for the Model I, Hand Ejector revolver, adopted by the New York City Police Department. The Regulation Police, as it was also known, was the first service revolver standardized by the NYPD. Until the 1930s when law enforcement officers were faced with heavily armed criminals driving metal automobiles, the .32 S&W Long was the smallest revolver then deemed adequate for police use.

Old references give differing accounts as to its ballistics,due to use of various barrel lengths, and listed catalog velocities being obtained from solid test barrels,rather than revolvers, or vented test barrels, as are used today. Hatcher’s Textbook of Pistols and Revolvers(1935) stated the original charge as 13 grains of blackpowder for 790 f.p.s. from a 4-1/4 inch barrel. Hatcher said that the .32 Hand Ejector was “the sweetest shooting revolver at fifty yards I have ever handled,” and that it was the “ideal home defense gun for women.” Which …“should be used when possible with the flat-point .32 Colt New Police, which nearly doubles its stopping power.”


A Western Cartridge Company catalog table in Sixguns by Keith (1955) shows the smokeless powder 98-grain. Lubaloy roundnose at 820 f.p.s. from a 4” barrel,the 100 grain flat nosed .32 Colt New Police at 795 f.p.s. and a wadcutter at 770 f.p.s. from a 6” barrel. Keith said, “of the .32s only the Smith & Wesson Long and the.32-20 are worthy of mention.” Of the S&W Long Keith said, “the #313445 with 4 grains of Unique is a wonderful small game cartridge…it works nicely with solid bullets on small game, but lacks killing power on anything larger.”

Gun Digest article several years ago (Gun Digest No. 49, 1995, pg. 47) I have obtained several small frame S&W .32 revolvers, which seem ideal for the recreational “kit gun” role. I shoot mostly.32 S&W Long ammo in my Ruger Single Six to simplify ammunition supply. In about 30 years of playing with the .32s I feel it is a much more effective small game load than the .22 LR, especially since I now have a handy single shot rifle too (the subject of a future article).

In fixed sight guns zero is affected more by bullet weight than velocity. Lighter bullets shoot low, and heavier bullets shoot high. Most fixed sight .32 Long revolvers shoot close to point of aim at practical small game ranges from 50 feet to about 25 yards with 85 to 100 grain bullets. The heavier 115-120 grain .32-20 slugs shoot about 3”high at 25 yards, enable a 6 o’clock hold at fifty yards and shoot “on” to point of aim at 100 yards.

In the pre-1957 S&W revolvers which don’t have the model number stamped in the yoke cut, don’t attempt to load over 850 f.p.s. with a 98-grain lead bullet. This provides a useful, but modest improvement in performance over the factory loads,and has ample penetration for small game.

I prefer the Saeco #325 98-gr. SWC for hunting because it has the largest meplat to best let the air out of bunny wabbits.But for pure recreation the Meister 94-grain .312” diameter LFNs are an excellent choice. The bullets are available directly 

                      

fromMeister (http://www.meisterbullets.com/). The moulds to cast this bullet are available from Magma Engineering (http://www.magmaengineering.com/). The Meister is a dead ringer in shape for the factory flat nosed bullets once loaded in the .32 Colt New Police.

The Meister is a dead ringer in shape for the factoryflatnosed bullets once loaded in the .32 Colt New Police.It has a long ogival nose compared to the Saeco #325’sshort SWC and leaves more airspace in the case, whencrimped in the crimp groove. Therefore, it takes about one-half grain more Bullseye powder with the Meister to reach the same velocity obtained with the Saeco #325seated deeper in its crimp groove. For older S&W “I”frames, good loads are 2 grains of Bullseye with the Saeco #325 and 2.4 grains with the Meister.

 For longer range plinking I use the heavier 120-gr.Saeco #322 LFN .32-20 bullet. I do not use this bullet in the older S&W “Eye” frames. In the Ruger Single Six and modern post-war.32s I use 2 grains of Bullseye and seat the bullet out, crimping it in the lubricating groove. Its 1.35” cartridge length protrudesout the front of older “Eye” frame cylinders,preventing you from doing something stupid.It gives about 720 f.p.s. from a 4-inch revolver and is nearly silent at 850 f.p.s. from my 26” H&R custom rook rifle. This overall cartridge length, the same as .32 H&R Magnum ammunition, works fine in S&W J and K frames,as well as the Ruger Single Six. It also feeds from the Marlin 1894 Cowboy, which steadfastly refuses to feed.32 Longs.

Somewhat heavier field loads are useable in the stronger S&W Models 30 or 31 and post war Colt D frames.A charge of 2.5 grains of Bullseye with the Saeco #325 or 3 grains with either the Meister 94-grain LFN, or Hornady 85-gr. XTP provide about 900 f.p.s. and shoot flatter to 50 yards or more. This is my standard working load in my Ruger Single Six, being just below .32 H&R Magnum levels. Cylinder gaps vary in old revolvers and have a dramatic effect upon velocities obtained.