Lindcott Armory Rimfire · Obsolete
.32 Rimfire Short
Short .32 caliber rimfire cartridge, one of the early metallic cartridge designs.
- Introduced
- 1866
- Type
- Rimfire
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Various / American commercial
- Manufacturer
- Various
- Standard
- Obsolete
- Status
- Discontinued
- Availability
- Collector
- Bullet ⌀
- 0.314″
- Case capacity
- 6 gr H₂O
- Twist
- 1:18
- Primer
- Rimfire
- Case type
- Rimfire
- Max pressure
- 18,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 100 yd
- Recoil
- 2–3.5 ft·lb
- Subsonic
- Capable
Ballistics
- Velocity
- 830–900 fps
- Energy
- 70–90 ft·lb
- Parent case
- —
Representative trajectory — modeled from a single velocity input, not a measured load.
Factory loads
18 catalogued loads. Top 15 shown · see all 18 →.
| Brand | Load | Grain | Bullet | FPS | ft·lb | BC | $/rd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graf & Sons | Graf Heritage | 54 | LRN | 925 | 103 | — | — |
| Western Cartridge Co. | Western Heritage | 54 | Lead RN | 925 | 103 | — | — |
| Eley | Eley Standard | 54 | LRN | 925 | 103 | — | $0.20 |
| RWS | Classic | 80 | Lead Round Nose | 870 | 134 | — | — |
| Norma | Classic | 80 | Lead Round Nose | 870 | 134 | — | — |
| Eley | Sport | 80 | Lead Round Nose | 870 | 134 | — | $0.12 |
| Kynoch | Classic | 80 | Lead Round Nose | 870 | 134 | — | — |
| PPU | Standard | 80 | Lead Round Nose | 870 | 134 | — | — |
| Sellier & Bellot | Standard | 80 | Lead Round Nose | 870 | 134 | — | $0.85 |
| Remington | Standard | 82 | LRN | 830 | 125 | — | $0.85 |
| UMC | Standard | 82 | LRN | 830 | 125 | — | — |
| Various | Standard | 90 | LRN | 830 | 138 | — | — |
| Graf | Standard | 80 | Lead Round Nose | 800 | 114 | — | — |
| Buffalo Arms | Custom | 80 | Lead Round Nose | 800 | 114 | — | — |
| Winchester | Lead RN | 54 | Lead RN | 720 | 62 | — | — |
Velocities are manufacturer-stated (test-barrel). Discontinued loads dimmed.
Connected reference
History
The original short .32 rimfire cartridge, used in the smallest pocket revolvers of the 1860s. One of the first successful metallic rimfire designs for handguns. Fires a very small lead bullet at very low velocity; superseded by .32 S&W and .32 ACP for practical use.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .32 Rimfire Short use?
- .32 Rimfire Short typically uses a 1:18 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .32 Rimfire Short?
- .32 Rimfire Short uses a 0.314″ (7.97 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .32 Rimfire Short still in production?
- .32 Rimfire Short is discontinued; typical availability is collector.
- What is .32 Rimfire Short used for?
- .32 Rimfire Short is primarily used for target/competition.
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 18 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. Spotted an error? Report it →