cedarcreek
Bearcat
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2010
- Messages
- 62
What would be a good price for a New Model 4 5/8 Single Six? No box, early 90's, blue.
Single-Six .32 H&R Magnum
- Thread starter cedarcreek
- Start date
OP
cedarcreek
Bearcat
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2010
- Messages
- 62
Thanks for the info.
bogus bill
Hunter
Got mine. Flat shooting, light recoil. Almost forgot I had it in the safe. Think I will start packing it more on my ATV trail rides. Bought this about 20 years ago used/new. I have dies and ammo. Played with it for a short time and was satisfied. Think I need to get it out.
varminter22
Single-Sixer
20 years? Shame on you, Bill! Hee hee.
Yep, gotta get it out on the trail. You'll love it.
Yep, gotta get it out on the trail. You'll love it.
Mike Armstrong
Hunter
I've been shooting my 6 1/2" SS in .32 H&R some with 60 gr. "nonlead" factory loads. It doesn't like them much. Bought them (pricey!) to see if they were accurate enough for short range varminting. Not--definitely not "minute of ground squirrel" at 30 yards. I realize that these were made for close range self-defense use but had to try them out. I'll keep 'em for close-up and personal.
I also shoot "gallery loads" made up of a smidge of Bullseye, a single ought buckshot, and a dab of bullet lube in a .32 S&W (the short one we don't call "Short"....) case. THEY are accurate at 50 feet. Got the idea and the recipe from an old issue of Handloader magazine I bought with a batch of old issues to fill out my collection. Found out that you need to load them hot enough to stick in the backboard and not bounce off....don't ask me how I found out...does this come under the category of "friendly fire"?
BTW, you really need to clean the bore after firing a batch of these "gallery loads". Easy enough. The main problem I have is finding once-fired .32 S&W, which you used to be able to pick up off the deck at any public range. Not so easy now.
I also shoot "gallery loads" made up of a smidge of Bullseye, a single ought buckshot, and a dab of bullet lube in a .32 S&W (the short one we don't call "Short"....) case. THEY are accurate at 50 feet. Got the idea and the recipe from an old issue of Handloader magazine I bought with a batch of old issues to fill out my collection. Found out that you need to load them hot enough to stick in the backboard and not bounce off....don't ask me how I found out...does this come under the category of "friendly fire"?
BTW, you really need to clean the bore after firing a batch of these "gallery loads". Easy enough. The main problem I have is finding once-fired .32 S&W, which you used to be able to pick up off the deck at any public range. Not so easy now.
Hondo44
Hawkeye
How would 32 Long cases work with the ball seated lower in the case, or even H&R cases to eliminate the bullet 'jump' to the cyl throats?
Mike Armstrong
Hunter
I'm sure that you can assemble "gallery loads" on any .32 case, I just don't have a "recipe" for that. Bullseye loads in my existing recipe are very tiny, so the extra space in larger cases might well be a problem--I think to get uniform ignition you need to fill the case up with something--wad, ball, or filler, or a combination.
.32 Long, .32 H&R, or .327 cases cut to .32 S&W length should be fine for my "recipe", partly because all of them, especially the last two have much heavier case head areas than .32 S&W, so there's less space to fill. I'm gonna recycle some .32 H&R cases that way when they get worn out....but so far they are VERY hard to wear out (Starline)!
The only .32 cases I ever find at the range are .32 ACP....I know they'll fire in a Single Six, but have no real use for them except the "brass can" and the scrap yard pilgrimage once a year....
.32 Long, .32 H&R, or .327 cases cut to .32 S&W length should be fine for my "recipe", partly because all of them, especially the last two have much heavier case head areas than .32 S&W, so there's less space to fill. I'm gonna recycle some .32 H&R cases that way when they get worn out....but so far they are VERY hard to wear out (Starline)!
The only .32 cases I ever find at the range are .32 ACP....I know they'll fire in a Single Six, but have no real use for them except the "brass can" and the scrap yard pilgrimage once a year....
djw54
Single-Sixer
Mike Armstrong said:
This sounds like it would be fun for mild plinking. I wonder if powder coating would get rid of the leading problem, or would that defeat the purpose of the simple loading?
Just how much is a "smidge"? How does it compare to a "pinch" or a "dash"? Probably moot, as I don't think I have any "shorts" either, but I've got bunches of .32auto, which is about the closest in case length to the shorts.
Hondo44
Hawkeye
Mike Armstrong said:
Mike Armstrong
Hunter
No, that's clear enough. But I seat the ball with thumb pressure and it sits partly out of the .32 S&W case mouth. These loads don't need crimping because there is just about zero recoil, so the bullet isn't gonna jump out of the case. And having a little "bullet" sticking out of the case makes 'em easier to load, especially in a single action, but even in my Mom's "Lemon Squeezer." The leading is very easily brushed out if you don't let it build up too much.
The recipe for this is from an article by George Nonte in "Handloader" #47 (Jan-Feb 1974) although he appears to use .32 Long cases, with the "bullet" seated down inside the case, as you suggest. I like my "tweak" better, except for the current scarcity of the "short" cases.
Interesting that most of the writers of that period seem to have been against developing a ".32 magnum." Except for Ken Waters, who thought there should be one developed on an altered .32-20 WCF case. I think Ken had it right and we now have TWO ".32 Magnums." (And the .32-20 is still very much with us).
The recipe for this is from an article by George Nonte in "Handloader" #47 (Jan-Feb 1974) although he appears to use .32 Long cases, with the "bullet" seated down inside the case, as you suggest. I like my "tweak" better, except for the current scarcity of the "short" cases.
Interesting that most of the writers of that period seem to have been against developing a ".32 magnum." Except for Ken Waters, who thought there should be one developed on an altered .32-20 WCF case. I think Ken had it right and we now have TWO ".32 Magnums." (And the .32-20 is still very much with us).
Hondo44
Hawkeye
Ken Waters was ahead of his time and he was right. Although I'm glad the 32 long case was just lengthened allowing the other 32s to be used in the same gun.
Speaking of the 32-20, before the 327 was introduced, I was looking for more 'oomph' for my 32 H&R Rugers and rechambered one of mine to 32-20. Because of the larger diameter case, it has more powder volume. Of course I seat the bullets a little deeper to fit my Single Six cyl. Shoots very well and rivals the new 327 Mag. The beauty of it is, I can still shoot 32 H&R Mags in it. Yes the cases swell a bit but they don't crack and I still get good case life.
I also rechambered another of my 32s to 327 when it was introduced. Factory loads extend out of the cyl .003" but they fit fine because the bar/cyl gap accommodates the bullet tip sticking out. It's fun to shoot them side by side.
Speaking of the 32-20, before the 327 was introduced, I was looking for more 'oomph' for my 32 H&R Rugers and rechambered one of mine to 32-20. Because of the larger diameter case, it has more powder volume. Of course I seat the bullets a little deeper to fit my Single Six cyl. Shoots very well and rivals the new 327 Mag. The beauty of it is, I can still shoot 32 H&R Mags in it. Yes the cases swell a bit but they don't crack and I still get good case life.
I also rechambered another of my 32s to 327 when it was introduced. Factory loads extend out of the cyl .003" but they fit fine because the bar/cyl gap accommodates the bullet tip sticking out. It's fun to shoot them side by side.
The OP is probably long gone, but expect to pay $500++ for a nice example of a shorty .32 mag. Single Six.
I thought they were selling for closer to $600 in real good condition.Cholo said:
Then, today I found a Bisley Single Six 32 that has been shortened to 4 5/8". Other than the barrel chop, it's box stock. I didn't have cash today... might go get it tomorrow.
sixshot
Buckeye
Why not load 2 balls instead of one?
Dick
Dick
Hondo44
Hawkeye
Smith and Wesson made target loads in the late 1800s with round balls loaded below the case mouth in a couple of calipers. However the cases were extended length to retain powder capacity.
Mike Armstrong
Hunter
Jim, were those for the (rare) .32-44 target ctg. or the .32 S&W Long?
I've never seen either one, although I have seen a .32-44 round with a wadcutter (I think-- it had a full diameter flat nose) flush seated like a 7.62 Nagant revolver load. I was told it was for the (even rarer) .32-44 revolving carbine based on the S&W #3 breaktop .44-frame SA revolver.
I suspect that in those days most guys just bought a .32-20 that you could get shells for at any country store....so all these expensive exotics just died out.
I've never seen either one, although I have seen a .32-44 round with a wadcutter (I think-- it had a full diameter flat nose) flush seated like a 7.62 Nagant revolver load. I was told it was for the (even rarer) .32-44 revolving carbine based on the S&W #3 breaktop .44-frame SA revolver.
I suspect that in those days most guys just bought a .32-20 that you could get shells for at any country store....so all these expensive exotics just died out.
You guys got me thinking about the multi ball loads. I have several boxes of the 357 Remington loads. Dug out some of my 32 Mag loads which consists of two .32 muzzleloader balls(46gr each). Fired 5 shots at approx. 7 yds. I think I will load up a few of these and play around with them. Pictured are my 32 loads and the Remington loads.
Hondo44
Hawkeye
Mike Armstrong said:
Yes. These are the gallery loads and made for indoor shooting. The "44" in the caliber name refers to them being shot in the S&W large #3 break top 44 frames because of the cyl length required for these extra long-for-caliber cartridges:
Head stamped 32-44 and longer than 32 Long case also with a conical bullet loaded flush with the case mouth .
I have a 38-44 stamped cartridge in a 1 1/2" case, gallery load (not to be confused with the 38-44 .38 Special Heavy Duty for the S&W hand ejector N frames).
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