S&W Model 16-4

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  • Last Post 13 May 2017
RicinYakima posted this 01 May 2017

After a 25 year search, I have found a S&W Model 16-4 I could afford. After going through 3 Rugers, all shot poorly, and a Dan Wesson that shot fine, but had the long, long barrel but weighted 699 pounds, this one showed up with a nice 4" barrel. Cylinders are 0.314" minus with a minus plug gauge and barrel is 0.303 by 0.312" and I have high hopes for this combination.

So I am looking for you folks to let me know your favorite loads.

Best wishes, Ric

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David Reiss posted this 01 May 2017

Aw, shut up. Rick, that is cruel and unusual punishment. Glad you didn't include a photo. However if I must,

2.8 gr. of WW231 with NOE 315-89 WC
3.0 gr. of WW231 with Arsenal 314-100 SWC
2.5 gr. of Bullseye with Lee TL314-90-SWC 

David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
- Also deal in: Land, Banjos, Nails, Firearms, Manure, Fly Swatters, Used Cars, Whisky, Racing Forms, Rare Antiquities, Lead, Used Keyboard Keys, Good Dogs, Pith Helmets & Zulu Headdresses. .

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BigMan54 posted this 01 May 2017

I remember when S&W brought these out in the early 1990'S.  I was working for a Hunting & Fishing chain in SoCal.  We couldn't give them away.  They were darn accurate with the FEDERAL .32 S&W Long wadcutters we sold for them. But no worthwhile interest. Heavy gun with that 6in underlug. Of course now I wish I'd bought one.

Long time Caster/Reloader, Getting back into it after almost 10yrs. Life Member NRA 40+yrs, Life S.A.S.S. #375. Does this mean a description of me as a fumble-fingered knuckle-draggin' baboon. I also drool in my sleep. I firmly believe that true happiness is a warm gun. Did I mention how much I HATE auto-correct on this blasted tablet.

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R. Dupraz posted this 01 May 2017

”

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R. Dupraz posted this 01 May 2017

 Drooling is permissible. But not over the box! 

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 01 May 2017

... do we have a category ..." POUTING BY JEALOUS CASTER-BEES " .....

i feel a need to pout ... i don't have a SW 16-4 .  i am incomplete ...

ken

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RicinYakima posted this 01 May 2017

Thank you gentlemen, it makes me feel good to know that someone else wanted one of these. Mine is a 4 inch and just standard sights and hammer and trigger, used enough to have a ring around the cylinder, but not carried or shot a lot.

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R. Dupraz posted this 01 May 2017

T- trigger & hammer. Rosewood S&W grips. Used it for one winter shooting bulls eye indoors at fifty feet with .32 long SWC's. Don't remember the load though. Back when they still came with the tools. They're in the box some where.

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cfullgraf posted this 01 May 2017

I guess I don't feel so bad that it took me 3 years to find a 16-4. Mine is a 6". As it usually goes, I saw a second one a month later, another 6", so I did not feel bad about passing o it. Definitely easier on the bank account that way.

 

I've been working with RCBS cast 98 grain wadcutters and planning to try the 98 grain semi-wadcutters, both in 32 H&R cases. I have not settled on a powder charge of W231 yet but everything I've tried has been accurate so far. I'm happy shooting light loads with this gun.

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Ed Harris posted this 01 May 2017

Dave's loads are right on the money.  2.0 in .32 S&W Long brass or 2.5 grains of TiteGroup in .32 H&R Mag brass, or 3 grains of AutoComp with Accurate 31-090B or 31-095T also work well.  Both of these bullets designed for .32 ACP, but I've been shooting lots of them in .32 S&W Long with same charges as used in the .32 ACP +P with good results.

 

”

”

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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RicinYakima posted this 01 May 2017

I have some 31-95T's so that is on the agenda. Since I have 32 S&W Longs and 32 New Police revolvers, think I will stick with the Mag brass as I have another 500 of those. Only need enough power to go through both sides of a paper target at 50 yards. And hopefully with adjustable sights I can get POA and POI to overlap. There is some old chrony data in my files from the old guns, so will try some new work-ups with the S&W.

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beltfed posted this 03 May 2017

Again makes me regret selling my original K32...

Now, I have picked up a Ruger SSM 32 HRM to shoot up all the

reloads I had left after selling the K32.

beltfed/arnie

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David Reiss posted this 05 May 2017

Arnie,

You must have had a good lawyer to avoid jail time for that felony!

David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
- Also deal in: Land, Banjos, Nails, Firearms, Manure, Fly Swatters, Used Cars, Whisky, Racing Forms, Rare Antiquities, Lead, Used Keyboard Keys, Good Dogs, Pith Helmets & Zulu Headdresses. .

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M3 Mitch posted this 05 May 2017

In my Colt Officer's Model Heavy Barrel (essentially a round-barrel Python in .32 S&W) I have been shooting the Lyman 93 grain RN bullet intended for the .30 Luger, and whatever Lyman's 45th suggested as a starting load of Unique. 

The gun, and the load, are a good bit better than I am.  The SA trigger pull would be quite acceptable to me if it was on a heavy-barrel varmint type rifle - that good! 6" bbl gun I bought about 30 years ago at Ski's House of Guns in Idaho Falls - Ski himself offered it to me, noting that I "liked oddball guns".  I think he charged me $300.  Times and fashions have changed since then I guess.

No doubt Ed's "Beer Keg" design bullets will shoot as well, and hit harder on small game.

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Dale53 posted this 07 May 2017

Ric,

As you already know, you did GOOD!

I bought my 6" 16-4 when they first hit the market. Mine shoots to match accuracy using both .32 S&W Long and .32 H & R cases.

My favorite bullet is the NOE version of the RCBS 98 gr. SWC. I use 3.0 grs. of HP-38 in S&W Long brass. I use 3.5 grs. In the .32 H & R brass.

A bullet that deserves "Honorable Mention" is the Group Buy 100 gr. Keith from a Lee six cavity mold. Lee's no longer made mold for the TL 90 gr. Wadcutter and the 90 gr. SWC (still available) are also good performers.

My wadcutter load is a Mihec dbl ended W/C 100 gr. Ahead of 2.5 grs. of HP-38. 

I shoot these loads in all of my various .32 H &R chambered handguns with great satisfaction.

Dale53

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RicinYakima posted this 07 May 2017

Thanks for all the information and loads! I got to shoot it this week, and with two hands it shoots better than I can hold. Going to have to benchrest rest it for load testing, I'm just not good enough to tell. Ric

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RicinYakima posted this 13 May 2017

You guys are all correct. Unlike every 32/20 I own, this one likes the lighter 90 to 100 grain bullets better. Also working my way down in powder charge and groups are getting tighter still. Next week off to the big Denver, CO, gun show, so no more testing until the end of the month. Best wishes, Ric

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