From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia .32 S&W Long (left) in comparison with .32 H&R Magnum and 7.62x38R Nagant
Type Revolver
Place of origin USA
Production history
Designer Smith & Wesson
Designed 1896
Produced 1896-Present
Specifications
Parent case .32 S&W
Case type Rimmed, straight-walled
Bullet diameter .312 in (7.9 mm)
Neck diameter .337 in (8.6 mm)
Base diameter .337 in (8.6 mm)
Rim diameter .375 in (9.5 mm)
Rim thickness .055 in (1.4 mm)
Case length .920 in (23.4 mm)
Overall length 1.280 in (32.5 mm)
Ballistic performance
Bullet weight/type Velocity Energy
98 gr (6.4 g) LHBWC 718 ft/s (219 m/s) 112 ft·lbf (152 J)
90 gr (5.8 g) LSWC 765 ft/s (233 m/s) 117 ft·lbf (159 J)
85 gr (5.5 g) JHP 723 ft/s (220 m/s) 99 ft·lbf (134 J)
Source: Hodgdon [1]
The .32 S&W Long is a straight-walled, centerfire, rimmed handgun cartridge, based on the earlier .32 S&W cartridge. It was introduced in 1896 for Smith & Wesson's first-model Hand Ejector revolver. Colt called it the .32 Colt New Police in revolvers it made chambered for the cartridge.
When he was the New York City Police Commissioner, Theodore Roosevelt standardized the department's use of the Colt New Police revolver. The cartridge was then adopted by several other northeastern US police departments.[2] The .32 Long has long been known as an unusually accurate cartridge. It was this reputation that led Police Commissioner Roosevelt to select it, as an expedient way to increase officers' accuracy with their revolvers in New York City.
Although generally seen primarily just in older revolvers in the United States, the .32 S&W Long is also popular among international competitors using high-end target pistols from Hämmerli and Walther, among others, but chambered for wadcutter bullet type.
