I got to shoot this yesterday. Belongs to a friend. .32 H&R Magnum.
I don't shoot revolvers much, and don't know much if anything about this pistol other than it was in an original box with a Lieutenant's signature inside, it had a nice DA trigger pull, and it was very sweet to shoot.
This one was built in the 1930s
Posted for anyone interested in old revolvers.
Looks more like an Officer's Model Target to me. I think that is what it says on the barrel above the "Heavy Barrel" stamp.
And if .32 H&R, it has been reamed out from .32 New Police (.32 S&W Long) to the dismay of Colt collectors.
Code Name: JET STREAM
The other possibility is that it was a Officer's Model Target in .32-20 Winchester that's been reamed out. (As the universe cries out...)Originally Posted by Jim Watson
I think you guys are right. It was reamed out somewhere along the way perhaps for a more readily available caliber?
I will ask the owner.
That's a good looking gun.
-Seconds Count. Misses Don't-
While I do not have a listing for an OMT in .32-20, Colt was very accommodating in those days.
HOWEVER, you could not very well ream out a bottleneck .32-20 for the straight case .32 H&R. Almost had to have started out as .32 PP/SWL.
There were a bunch of those guns sold off by J&G a number of years ago. They had them in everything from Good to NIB.
There were two legends about their origin. One that at the start of WWII, one of the Eastern seaboard states ordered whatever they could get to repel invaders, and Colt sent them their entire inventory of slow selling large frame .32s.
The other story was that the State Police ordered new guns and a typo led to them getting .32s instead of .38s.
Code Name: JET STREAM
Wow, I had a whole bunch of fail in my post. I blame Monday for it. I was looking at the listings for Colt Police Positive Specials, not the OMT. I don't have any experience with the .32-20 and from the quick image search I did, I didn't notice that it was a bottleneck. I've got a couple of Colts (Pocket Positive and Police Positive) and a S&W HE in .32S&W Long.
The legends are fascinating, thanks. I haven't dug too deep into histories of some them.
Thanks for correcting my errors. Lord knows I make enough of them.... lol
Aloha
It is a real shame that the cylinder on that OMT was rechambered to .32 H&R Magnum. Doing so turned that rare collector piece worth $1000+ into a $500 paperweight. These revolvers were part of a small order produced in 1940. The thick-walled cylinder and better heat treatment in the guns of that era are more than strong enough to load the .32 S&W Long case to .32 H&R Magnum levels. The case-head diameter of the .32 S&W Long is smaller than the .38 Special, and the smaller case also results in a much smaller chamber area. That combined with the heavy cylinder walls you have a sturdy gun for heavy loads.
The greatest factor in revolver durability is back-thrust against the frame. The .32 S&W Long case head is about 0.11 sq.-in., whereas the .38 Special is about 0.155 sq.-in.
A "+P" load in .32 S&W Long assembled with 8.5 grains of IMR4227 with the 100-grain Hornady XTP bullet gets about 1000 fps from a 6-inch barrel at 22,500 psi, developing a back-thrust against the frame of 2475 lbs.
A .38 Special +P 158-grain service load at 18,000 psi develops a back-thrust against the frame of 2790 pounds.
In the smaller Colt D-frames you can improve on factory load ballistics within the design limits of post WW2 guns which have better metallurgy and heat treatment. In post-1950 D-frames limit chamber pressure to 18,000 psi if you want the gun to last. The 2.5 grain Bullseye load below should not be exceeded in the pre-1950 Police Positives or later light alloy frame Cobra and Couriers.
.32 S&W Long Tests 5 April 2021 - Velocity Vs. Barrel-Cylinder Gap
Ammunition description_______Colt DS 3”______Colt Cobra 3”_____Colt Courier 3”
Cylinder Gap____________pass 0.004/hold .005__.005/0.006_______0.010/0.011
WRA .32NP Balloon Hd 1940____738, 13 Sd_______744, 10 Sd_______723, 15 Sd
Western Lubaloy 98 LRN 1950___709, 14 Sd______693, 14 Sd_______655, 13 Sd
New W-W 98 LRN_____________715, 20 Sd______713, 14 Sd______696, 13 Sd
PMC 98 LRN_________________737, 11 Sd______745, 11 Sd______699, 29 Sd
Fiocchi 98 HBWC_____________620, 12 Sd______624, 11 Sd______613, 9 Sd
Saeco #325, 2.5 grs. Bullseye____836, 10 Sd_____840, 12 Sd______825, 11 Sd
Accurate 31-109H, 2.5 grs. BE____871, 11 Sd_____844, 6 Sd______801, 19 Sd
Acc. 31-109H 3.0 452AA________880, 10 Sd______877, 5 Sd______not fired
Acc. 31-109H 7.6 IMR4227______843, 13 Sd_______831, 23 Sd____not fired
Last edited by Outpost75; 05-15-2021 at 01:54 PM.
Gorgeous, very cool old revolver!
I do understand the collectors perspective on this matter, but I would be extremely pleased to find something like that converted to .32 mag in the sub $1000 range. I have a (supposed to have be done by Clark, I need to take it up there next trip and try to confirm or deny that) custom Pre War Officers Model Target in .38 spl that is a shooting machine. I would love a .32 understudy for it.
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