Greetings!
Back in the 80's, I acquired a tired but decent Marlin 1891 chambered for the .32LRF/CF; the RF tip had been removed,
and modified to CF with a bit of braze.
I cruised the big gunshows, and found broken boxes of Winchester, Remington, etc. ".32Long Colt", with the hollow
based Inside Lubricated bullet ( which really makes it the ".32 Long Rifle CF" ); these several boxes, I was able to buy for
anywhere from $3 to $7 or so. Factory new Winchester "white box" .32 Long Colt was about $15 for 50 cartridges.
Soon after I had gone through most of these, I found a set of Eagle Reloading Dies, and an Ideal #299153 heeled bullet
mould. Using a .32 Long RF case as a trim-to guide, I trimmed all of my brass down to the proper .32LCF length. A very
small charge of Hercules (!) Unique and Standard Pistol Primers completed the process.
Even with a dark bore, and aided by a Marble's Tang Sight, from a rest, all of my shots could be kept on a 12ga Hull out to
forty yards...
I was encouraged by others, all those years ago, to rechamber / modify the old rifle to .32S&WL, to "simplify & improve"
it. I did not choose to do so. My personal feeling still is, that if I was to do so, it would cease to be what it was created at the
factory to be. I seriously doubt that anyone will be making arms chambered for the .32 LCF/RF ever again. Not only that, but
I really get a kick out of recreating vintage cartridges for obsolete arms; it's a "sub-hobby", I suppose.
I encourage you to seek out late-production Winchester .32 Long CF cartridges, and enjoy it as it is; that, or consider selling
it to a collector, and getting your partner an 1894 Marlin in .38Spl, which would be VERY EASY to load for!
Too many vintage arms are modified to make them "better" or "more convenient" to use; to do so, changes them forever.
Please reconsider! It's a neat little cartridge in a neat little rifle!
My Best!
MTMarfield