TTv2
Member
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2016
- Messages
- 5,001
Since I got that H&R .32 Young America I'm just accepting that I'm becoming an H&R collector, probably gonna become a C&R this year as a result. Anyway, as I look at what's on gunbroker I notice that there are a lot more .32 S&W revolvers than there are .38 S&W and I'm wondering was the .32 S&W more popular back in the day or did the advent of the .38 Special and .38 Long Colt kill the .38 S&W going into the 20th Century?
I mean, with the .32 and .327 Magnums having come about over the last 35 years I can see the appeal of the .32 S&W's given you can shoot the .32 S&W and S&W Long in the .32 magnums, while the .38 S&W is basically a dead cartridge now and seems to have been for a long time.
The only thing I can say is that when it comes to top breaks the .38 S&W was the largest caliber available, at least until after 1920 when H&R (and others I presume) dropped the .44 Webley chambered models. So, for those who liked top breaks and wanted the biggest caliber available, .38 S&W was the way to go.
Was that it or was it that the H&R's and Iver Johnsons were cheaper than .38 Colt and .38 Special revolvers made by Colt and Smith & Wesson?
I mean, with the .32 and .327 Magnums having come about over the last 35 years I can see the appeal of the .32 S&W's given you can shoot the .32 S&W and S&W Long in the .32 magnums, while the .38 S&W is basically a dead cartridge now and seems to have been for a long time.
The only thing I can say is that when it comes to top breaks the .38 S&W was the largest caliber available, at least until after 1920 when H&R (and others I presume) dropped the .44 Webley chambered models. So, for those who liked top breaks and wanted the biggest caliber available, .38 S&W was the way to go.
Was that it or was it that the H&R's and Iver Johnsons were cheaper than .38 Colt and .38 Special revolvers made by Colt and Smith & Wesson?