Anybody know anything about loading for the 32 long colt

Welcome to the Leverguns.Com Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here ... politely.

Moderators: AmBraCol, Hobie

Forum rules
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.

Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
Post Reply
User avatar
fordwannabe
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 3369
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 8:52 am
Location: Womelsdorf PA

Anybody know anything about loading for the 32 long colt

Post by fordwannabe »

I was presented with a Marlin 92 in both 32 rimfire and 32 long colt. Anybody have any experience with loading for the long Colt? Thanks
a Pennsylvanian who has been accused of clinging to my religion and my guns......Good assessment skills.
User avatar
Old No7
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 3572
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2007 9:06 pm
Location: Southern Maine

Re: Anybody know anything about loading for the 32 long colt

Post by Old No7 »

Never did it, but here's an article on the 32 Long Colt Project (click for link) that will give you a start. Go into Google and search on "reloading 32 long colt" and that will yield more info.

Good luck.

Old No7
"Freedom and the Second Amendment... One cannot exist without the other." © 2000 DTH
User avatar
fordwannabe
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 3369
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 8:52 am
Location: Womelsdorf PA

Re: Anybody know anything about loading for the 32 long colt

Post by fordwannabe »

Thank you
a Pennsylvanian who has been accused of clinging to my religion and my guns......Good assessment skills.
Pete44ru
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 11242
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2007 7:26 am

Re: Anybody know anything about loading for the 32 long colt

Post by Pete44ru »

.

All I know is that commercially available (Winchester makes a few runs each year) .32 Short Colt will work in the Marlin's chamber.

I used that ammo in a .32RF #4 Remington roller, whose firing pin I converted from RF to CF, w/o any other work.


.
765x53
Senior Levergunner
Posts: 1043
Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2009 9:12 pm
Location: Bushwhacker Capitol, Missouri

Re: Anybody know anything about loading for the 32 long colt

Post by 765x53 »

Will reaming the chamber to .32 S&W long solve the problem?
Pete44ru
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 11242
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2007 7:26 am

Re: Anybody know anything about loading for the 32 long colt

Post by Pete44ru »

.

FWIW

Before I converted my .32RF rolling block to CF, I hied myself to a gunshop that allowed me to try various cartridges in the .32RF chamber to see what cartridges I could use w/o a lot of extra work.

The .32S&W cartridge was larger in diameter & longer than the .32RF chamber.

.
User avatar
marlinman93
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 6432
Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 3:40 pm
Location: Oregon

Re: Anybody know anything about loading for the 32 long colt

Post by marlinman93 »

Although both .32 Long Colt and .32 Short Colt both fit the Marlin. Neither will shoot well in a Marlin due to the Colt ammo having smaller diameter bullets! The original caliber for the 1891, 1892/92 is .32 Long Ballard, not Colt. The Colt uses a .308" bullet, where the Ballard uses a heeled .311-.312" bullet.
I've loaded for these cartridges for decades, and have a couple heeled bullet molds. One an original Ideal tong tool, and the other an NEI I bought from Walt when he was alive.
The .32 Long Bal. is an excellent little round, and you can use the Colt cases to reload with if you use the correct heeled bullets. There's a guy on Gunbroker selling .32 S&W Long cases reformed to fit in your 1892/92 Marlin. GAD Custom sells bullets also, and Tom at Accurate Molds sells the correct mold to cast for the caliber too.
I sold off my Marlins, and Ballards in this caliber, but still have tons of ammo, cases, and Redding dies. If you're interested in any of it send me a PM, and maybe we can work out something.
Pre WWI Marlins and Singleshot rifles!
http://members.tripod.com/~OregonArmsCollectors/
User avatar
marlinman93
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 6432
Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 3:40 pm
Location: Oregon

Re: Anybody know anything about loading for the 32 long colt

Post by marlinman93 »

765x53 wrote: Thu Nov 15, 2018 12:06 pm Will reaming the chamber to .32 S&W long solve the problem?
It has been done, and works. But will ruin the value of your Marlin.
Pre WWI Marlins and Singleshot rifles!
http://members.tripod.com/~OregonArmsCollectors/
User avatar
fordwannabe
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 3369
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 8:52 am
Location: Womelsdorf PA

Re: Anybody know anything about loading for the 32 long colt

Post by fordwannabe »

Marlinman 93 pm to follow shortly. Thank you. Also today was rummaging through my old ammo stuff and found a box of Remington 82 grain 32 long colt I got.....Dunno. The price tag is $6.49 for 50 rounds so I am guessing it wasn’t made last week.
a Pennsylvanian who has been accused of clinging to my religion and my guns......Good assessment skills.
User avatar
marlinman93
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 6432
Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 3:40 pm
Location: Oregon

Re: Anybody know anything about loading for the 32 long colt

Post by marlinman93 »

I used to buy every box of .32 Long or Long Colt I could get my hands on cheap! I shot the Long Colt up to get the brass, but never expected any accuracy from it. There was some .32 Long Colt that used hollow base bullets designed to open up and seal in the larger .32 Long bores. Surprisingly that ammo actually did shoot better, and groups were pretty good. The plated bullets in .32 Colt are never the hollow base, and they wont shoot well. But the plating kept them from leading up bores, so no issue shooting them, and that was easier than pulling bullets.
Those sound like 50's or 60's ammo at that price. They got more expensive towards the end and production went down. Once they got tougher to find, the leftover ammo at gun shows was still cheap for awhile. Then guys realized it was gone for good and prices went nuts. I think I've got about 1,000 rds. or maybe more? Plus the empty brass of unknown amount?
Pre WWI Marlins and Singleshot rifles!
http://members.tripod.com/~OregonArmsCollectors/
Post Reply