I recently acquired a 6 shot, Hopkins and Allen CO, Forehand D.A. chambered in .32 S&W (short and long). I am wondering if it would be safe to fire smokeless .32 S&W longs out of it, as I have a few laying around. It's serial number is: 189578. I am unsure if this is a 'black powder only' cartridge gun. I had the gun looked at and it is in shooting condition.
Hopkins and Allen CO, Forehand D.A.: smokeless ok?
- Thread starter Pyro
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LAGS
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@ Pyro
Your revolvers are made for black powder loads.
They were probably made before Smokeless Powder was availabe.
I have two of the F W ( Hopkins Allen .32 S&W's ) and I am not sure if yours would have been made for the .32 Long.
And I would not advise shooting modern .32 Longs or .32 ACP rounds in it.
I do shoot the Mag Tech .32 S&W out of mine, and then reload them with a Black powder load.
THe Factory ammo that is availabe seems pretty Stout in the old pistols, and I would not suggest a steady diet of it in such an OLD gun.
I would also suggest if you have not done it already, have your gun safety checked by a gunsmith before firing any ammo in it.
Those old models are prone to wear and breakage, and can be out of timing very easily, as mine were before I repaired, or should I say rebuilt them.
Your revolvers are made for black powder loads.
They were probably made before Smokeless Powder was availabe.
I have two of the F W ( Hopkins Allen .32 S&W's ) and I am not sure if yours would have been made for the .32 Long.
And I would not advise shooting modern .32 Longs or .32 ACP rounds in it.
I do shoot the Mag Tech .32 S&W out of mine, and then reload them with a Black powder load.
THe Factory ammo that is availabe seems pretty Stout in the old pistols, and I would not suggest a steady diet of it in such an OLD gun.
I would also suggest if you have not done it already, have your gun safety checked by a gunsmith before firing any ammo in it.
Those old models are prone to wear and breakage, and can be out of timing very easily, as mine were before I repaired, or should I say rebuilt them.
788Ham
Member
Why ruin an old-timer just because there is ammo available? How many rds. before it blows up, and ruins that old piece? Heed whats been told !
rswartsell
Member
When the 2 eras are in play, (black powder vs. smokeless) chambering a round is no longer really enough to determine suitability of the round. Condition of the aged revolver in question is another critical factor. Is it possible to do without catastrophic results? Yes, possible.
BUT the more germane question would be are catastrophic results also possible? The answer to that is a resounding yes.
BUT the more germane question would be are catastrophic results also possible? The answer to that is a resounding yes.
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