The bullets are rather unusual with a full diameter un-jacketed lead-alloy surface enclosed within the case, and a sub-caliber jacket encasing the exposed nose with a rounded form for reliable loading. The .35 S&W failed to catch on for a couple of reasons. One reason is that the advanced features of the Model 1913 failed to compensate for the earlier availability of the Colt pistols. Gun purchasers were also skeptical about a non-standard cartridge when .32 ACP ammunition was widely available, as at the time it was one of the most popular pistol cartridges in the world. The .35 S&W Auto also did not perform as well ballistically as the .32 ACP that it was trying to compete with.
