.32 S&W (short) & .38 S&W (Short)

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Dudemeister

Dudemeister

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I'm considering buying a couple of top breaks (H&R or S&W), and these come in either .32 or 38 S&W, the short variety.

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience reloading these calibers. So I have a bunch of questions:

The only .32 S&W I can find are the long type. Can those be simply cut and loaded as if they were .32 short? IS there another cartridge that can be subbed or used? What kind of load would you use, I was thinking about using Traiboss, since it's more like BP than any other smokeless powder.

Sam questions apply to the .38. Can I use a standard .38SPL, and cut it down?

Who makes dies for these calibers?

Any and all input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
Fortunately for you I load both in smokeless not blackpowder. The .32 SW are hard to find. I had a local gun shop owner that bought oddball stuff setting it aside on a shelf for me so I have 300 of them. If you can find the longer .32 you can shorten them with a case cutter.

For my several .38 S&W I have cut .38 Special cases down. Some will tell you that the cases will split because of the slight size difference......never had it happen and I carry two .38 S&Ws every day as my CCWs.

I use Red Dot or Unique for powder and I cast my own bullets. I use a 70 grain for .32 and a 105 SWC for the .38 for practice and Hornady XTPs for SD.

Do you have a loading manual that list them? I do and I use the appropriate powder charge.

For dies for the .32 S&W I use .32 ACP dies and the propper shell holder. For .38 S&W I use .38 Special dies

Some will say how can you use .32 ACP dies.....My dies are RCBS and use a roll crimp
 
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I do not load .32 Short, but I imagine you could cut down .32 Long cases. Try a couple and see.

I do load .38 S&W, and recommend getting the correct brass. I use .38 S&W dies. The brass diameter and sizer dies are different between .38 Spl and .38 S&W. Match them up either way you try it.

The groove diameters are different as well, so keep this in mind if you load lead in .38 S&W.
 
38 S&W
Rim Diameter .440 Rim Thickness .055 Case Mouth diameter .380 Case Length .775

38 Special
Rim Diameter .440 Rim thickness .058 Case Mouth diameter .379 Case Length 1.155


When I first started reloading .38 S&W I used .38 special dies and modified an old extra crimping die but I have crimped them using a 9mm roll crimp also.

A year ago I got a die set that does .38 super auto and .38 S&W on sale and I now use that die set.
 
38 S&W .360" Diameter Bullet, concave base

A bullet pulled from a very old round. The powder was 1 hard lump. The base of the bullet had a reaction to the powder over time. Proof that long term storage is not a good idea, at least with lead alloy bullets. Unknow how old the ammo is, brass is marked "REM-UMC 38 S&W"
th_IMG_3199T.jpg
[/URL][/IMG] Of the many revolvers i tried to fire, 1 worked. Others had weak spring or other problems. But you dont know till you try. SAAMI has a list of ammo that is not interchangeable. http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/publications/download/SAAMI_ITEM_211-Unsafe_Arms_and_Ammunition_Combinations.pdf This link will go to drawing/measurement of the cartridges and chamber. http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/index.cfm?page=CC Hartcreek> The pulled bullet was from a "smokeless" round. The drawings are useful , if you know what your doing. Not that i do. :D
 
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The SAAMI list that you referenced is for loaded ammunition NOT for what can be used for a source of brass. As for your pulled round....are you forgetting that .32 S&W and .38 S&W both were originally black powder?
 
The OP is still looking at them and hasnt made the purchase yet. My Speer Number 11 says to not cut the .38 Special cases down and use them for .38 S&W. I have done it and shot hundreds of them with only one split case in my 3 .38 S&W revolvers.
 
I have a S&W Safety Hammerless (Lemon Squeezer) in 38S&W. I bought some of the PPU (Prvi Partizan) ammo and have been using the cases to reload. You may find that depending on how old the revolvers you're looking at are, you may need to use blackpowder. Mine is from 1898/1899 and so while it didn't explode when I fired the two boxes of factory smokeless through them, I didn't want to push my luck further and so I only reload with B/P now. It's a fun and surprisingly accurate little pistol.
 
Hi Guys,

Thanks for the feedback. At the moment, I don't have a gun for either of these calibers, but I've been watching a few models on GunBroker and Gun Auction.

I found nice S&W in .32 SW. It's a fourth model and those appear to have been made between 1883 and 1909. So I would say they were probably meant for black powder.

I also have my eye one a few H&R, including a very nice .38 SW. That one looks like a 3rd model auto ejecting. The caliber marking on the left side may indicate it was meant for smokeless powder.

So the question is, can either of these be used with smokeless powder? The H&R... probably, but what about the S&W? What if I use fairly low loads with Trailboss?
 
I load both of these with Trail Boss. I purchased correct die sets for them both as well. The top breaks will have to be looked at to see if the top strap has stretched because of using modern overpowered ammo and if not ALWAYS keep an eye on it for stretching while being used. It is not safe to shoot the 32 S&W long ammo available now in the older BP models even though it will fit and fire. Some of the chambers in the cylinders have expanded for this reason as well. Some of the older off brand names/no names are not safe to shoot at all (if they ever were in the first place). If you buy one get somebody that is familiar with them (gunsmith is recommended) to check the revolver out before you attempt to shoot it. A couple of them that I have purchased have had pitted unusable barrels due to shooting BP and not cleaning after. FWIW a great deal on one is usually not a deal at all unless free.;)
 
I loaded a few 38sw for a gun I had a while back. I tried 38spl and 357 mag cases. The .357 cases were thicker and made it more difficult to seat and crimp. By definition this further reduced case capacity and raised pressure. Terrible accuracy with cut down .357. Stick to 38spl cases to cut and your good to go. In mine, a squib load with a mag primer pushed out the barrel when I tried to work down as low as possible to not hurt the old gun. It was a 2" hr American double action. Black powder loads (pyrodex and 777) were a lot of fun too.
 
Not necessarily ...H&R for example stamp the patent dates on the barrel rib and a 1904 or later would be for smokeless now the 1895 that I have currently sitting in my lap is most likely a BP only.
 
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I picked up my daily carry .38 S&W one for $100 the other for $150. One is an Ivar Johnson and the other Herrington and Richardson.

I used 3 grains of Red Dot and 105 lead SWC or 115 XTP.

Do I feel under gunned ..... not with both of them and four speed loaders. When I think that I need to carry heavier I do but for most situations around town with both of them I am prepared and the weight is still under what a plastic gun weighs. In town by the time one gun would be empty there would be police on scene.
 
For the .32S&W I just use 32 ACP cases, and reload them with 32 S&W Dies and a 32acp shell holder.
They are the same size sase but the rim isn't as wide.
I havent had much problem with exreaction in the old revolvers.
BUT
DO NOT fire 32 ACP Factory Ammo out of the old 32 S&W revolvers, unless you want to be called Leftie.
 
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