Winchester Brand .32 Smith & Wesson Ammo - Shooter’s Test Bench - Shooter’s Test Bench

First off, do NOT fire the Iver Johnson unless you have had it checked by a competent gunsmith and gotten his approval that it is in safe condition. These were not the best quality pistols when new. If you do consider firing it, only fire with ammo which has a pedigree that you can verify.

In other words, I would NOT recommend anyone fire the cartridges you show. Info below is FYI, not a statement that I consider these cartridges safe. I would not consider the cartridges to be safe and I would not fire them.

.32 S&W was a transitional cartridge, but like most transitional cartridges, it was loaded almost exclusively with smokeless powder since the early 1900s.

That Winchester box almost certainly does not date back to the time when the cartridges could have been loaded with black powder, so IF the cartridges are the ones that CAME IN THAT BOX, they almost certainly would be loaded with smokeless powder.

The key is do you know for certain that those cartridges came in that box?

I have read the date code in the cover flap of the box, but the problem is Winchester repeated date codes (the MH is the date, with the M being the year), so I will not print my opinion of the date because to really be able to trust the date code, you also have to be able to date the box to a specific era and I have no detailed expertise in that area.

The .32 S&W is a miserable little cartridge that was considered as such even when it was a new offering. It was largely considered to be just slightly better than being unarmed as long as you were shooting at a fellow guest across the dinner table or at someone who was attempting to rob you while both of you were in a phone booth together.

I, too, have an Iver Johnson in 32 S&W, it belonged to my great-grandfather and that is the only reason I keep it. He bought and used it solely because it was just enough cartridge to be pretty reliable at killing a hog or cow when a shot or 3 was placed between the eyes at no more than 3 feet. I thought this description was an exaggeration until I actually fired it. To say the performance was underwhelming would be a vast overstatement. I believe a modern .22 LR with HP bullets may well pack a more lethal punch.

Grouse

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