Anyone know much about .32 H&R Magnum?

[Tamara]

Having used a Smith 432PD for a BUG/winter coat pocket gun for almost a decade, I have a reasonably large amount of .32 H&R Magnum ammo on hand. I keep a few hundred rounds of it loose in an ammo can, and it was dumped in there from commercial boxes that I'd acquired over the years.

The loose ammo in the can consists of Federal 95gr SWCs and 85gr JHPs, as well as Georgia Arms 100gr SJHPs. The Federal HP loads are distinguishable at a glance, with the jacket running all the way to the hollowpoint cavity and the red sealant around the primers.

When I ran a ten shot string of the 85gr JHPs over the chrono today, just for giggles, and was surprised to see an extreme spread of 114.2 fps, almost four times as wide as the 95gr target loads I'd just shot. I'm wondering if, what with the 85gr JHPs likely coming from different lots bought years apart, if Federal either hotted up or toned down the caliber at some point?

[Chuck Haggard]

That's not even close to being odd when one is dealing with multiple ammo lots.

Over the years I have cron'd our 124gr +P Gold Dot at between 1225 and 1275 from the exact same gun, just different lots.

[Tamara]

This was
LO: 831.5
HI: 945.7
AV: 898.7
ES: 114.2
SD: 30.23

[5pins]

I have some data from some Federal .38spl 125gr that gave me an extreme spread of 97fps. Ten shot string not just from the same lot but the same box.

[Al T.]

I *may* have some at the shop. Unless you want to sell that critter, I'll see what our fodder would cost.

P.S. No fair using a chrono. That'll get you killed on the streets, yo. :D

[pangloss]

Having used a Smith 432PD for a BUG/winter coat pocket gun for almost a decade..

I have a 432PD too! I bought mine in 2011 though. (However, I don't have a chronograph.)

[Chuck Haggard]

If I could score a brace of 432s I'd be packing .32H&R for my BUGs, too bad S&W quit making those guns.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I have 432 also. I got it when they were discontinued and were dumped at gun shows for about $330 - much cheaper than 642s at the time. Should have bought two.

I also have a 632 SS comp in 327 just because. http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product4_750001_750051_766187_-1_757895_757775_757751_ProductDisplayErrorView_Y

With a SS frame, not the SS matte black. I put fiber optics on it. It's a pretty gun.

[Tamara]

I have 432 also. I got it when they were discontinued and were dumped at gun shows for about $330 - much cheaper than 642s at the time. Should have bought two.

Likewise.

I sold the heck out of those things back then and only grabbed one for myself. :(

[314159]

Quick question. I've got one and I like it a lot. However, I load it with 100 gr full wadcutter .32 S&W long loads since none of the .32 H&R Mag loads I tested expanded (not even a little bit). So, did I screw up in testing (I'm very willing to believe that) and is there a load which is worth carrying in .32 Magnum?

[Wheeler]

The Federal .32 Mag ammo has always been spotty as far as consistency goes, not to mention brass quality.

[Tamara]

The Federal 95gr SWC I fired in the same range session had an SD of 9.64 for a ten round string.

[Wheeler]

I have some older ammo in the lair that I'll try any dig out that seemed to be consistent in terms of accuracy and not splitting the sides of the case. I'm not even sure if it's made anymore. Unfortunately the Model 16 gets more .32L ran through it than .32 Mag.
I picked up a box of 98 grain RNL for $18 and felt happy to get it at that price. I was also happy to get 19 rounds of 85 grain JHP for $13.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

This discussion inspired me to take the 432 out for a shopping trip as a BUG. It really is a nice lt wt snubby. There supposed are some better 32 HR mag rounds than the Federal but I haven't seen them lately. I did buy some Buffalo Bore for my 632 327 gun.

I have a case of 500 Fiocchi 32 SW Long FMJ that I bought for plinking with the gun. I've used it at a local IDPA match for grins. It will knock down a popper but you watch it slow start to totter. Funny!

[Wheeler]

Here's the ammo I was talking about. Pretty sure they are defunct.

http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt86/Wheeler686/Projects/97AFE209-9200-4590-BB51-B88DF68A5108_zpsfjgek0a8.jpg (http://s600.photobucket.com/user/Wheeler686/media/Projects/97AFE209-9200-4590-BB51-B88DF68A5108_zpsfjgek0a8.jpg.html)

I also have an unopened bag of 100 grain JHP's from Atlanta Arms. Looks like they used Starline brass for all of them. Ifi hada chrono I'd run a few to get an idea of MV and SD.

[Wheeler]

On a slight tangent, I've had the thought more than once of taking one of the model 30's and having the chambers reamed to .32 Mag.

[jstone]

I have never heard of these 32's are they similar to the newer 327 mag?

[Wheeler]

I have never heard of these 32's are they similar to the newer 327 mag?

Not quite. The .327 Mag was designed to be an improvement over the.32 Mag and marketed as a defensive cartridge that is the equivilant of the .357 Mag. Like most marketing claims that one was debunked rather quickly.

[5pins]

And the .32 mag came out as an improvement over the .32 long in the 80’s IIRC.

[Tamara]

I have some older ammo in the lair that I'll try any dig out that seemed to be consistent in terms of accuracy and not splitting the sides of the case. I'm not even sure if it's made anymore. Unfortunately the Model 16 gets more .32L ran through it than .32 Mag.
I picked up a box of 98 grain RNL for $18 and felt happy to get it at that price. I was also happy to get 19 rounds of 85 grain JHP for $13.

I also tested some of the Georgia Arms new-manufacture 100gr SJHP I had on hand at the same time:
LO: 854.6
HI: 912.1
AV: 877.5
ES: 57.50
SD: 19.87

It's got a bit more steam on it than any .380 loading, that's for sure, with better sectional density.

[Tamara]

And the .32 mag came out as an improvement over the .32 long in the 80’s IIRC.

Yup. It was supposed to be the "Poor Man's Magnum", and the reason the commercial ammo is so mild is because of the H&R revos that debuted the cartridge. There are some Ruger-only handloads floating around out there that may have been the genesis of the .327.

[jstone]

Thanks for the infor regarding the 32's. I have shot the 327 but never even hear of these older ones.

[Tamara]

Heh. In terms of cartridge development, it's hard for me to think of the Eighties as "older". :D There are only a couple-few commercially successful handgun rounds newer than the .32 H&R, after all. ;)

[Al T.]

Federal .327s for 28 bucks a box at my LGS (20 cartridges @ 85 grain IIRC).

[Wheeler]

Now I really wish I had access to a chrono. I'd be interested to see how the numbers look out of a 4" barrel.

[jstone]

Heh. In terms of cartridge development, it's hard for me to think of the Eighties as "older". :D There are only a couple-few commercially successful handgun rounds newer than the .32 H&R, after all. ;)

I was born in 81' I thought that this cartridge was much older than an eighties development. Maybe I should have googled it before I gave away my age. The 327 to me seemed like a fun little cartridge. Do any of you with these "older" 32s have any problems sourcing ammo?

[Rich]

Having used a Smith 432PD for a BUG/winter coat pocket gun for almost a decade, I have a reasonably large amount of .32 H&R Magnum ammo on hand. I keep a few hundred rounds of it loose in an ammo can, and it was dumped in there from commercial boxes that I'd acquired over the years.

The loose ammo in the can consists of Federal 95gr SWCs and 85gr JHPs, as well as Georgia Arms 100gr SJHPs. The Federal HP loads are distinguishable at a glance, with the jacket running all the way to the hollowpoint cavity and the red sealant around the primers.

When I ran a ten shot string of the 85gr JHPs over the chrono today, just for giggles, and was surprised to see an extreme spread of 114.2 fps, almost four times as wide as the 95gr target loads I'd just shot. I'm wondering if, what with the 85gr JHPs likely coming from different lots bought years apart, if Federal either hotted up or toned down the caliber at some point?

Can you show me a pic of the 432PD and does it hold over 5rds?

[Glenn E. Meyer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za0wzkQhT6M

Holds 6 shots. The clip is firing the Federal round. That is not hard to find at local gun stores, Cabelas, etc.

As far as pointing the gun at the camera - oh, well.

[314159]

I shot the Federal and Buffalo Bore rounds into milk cartons of water (sort of the old Firearms Tactical/McPhereson test) from 7 yards and through 4 layers of denim. DocGKR, I am not, but I thought it was worth a look. NO expansion on any round. I dropped the denim and got closer. You could have re-used the bullets almost. So, I tested the 100 gr full wadcutter Fiocchi target load with 4 layers of denim and got the proper amount of penetration (it's been so long, I forget now what that number in water is) and said "well, at least it doesn't kick..."

[Tamara]

I wouldn't expect the JHP to expand at <900fps. I doubt you'd get much, if any, from the SJHPs, either.

[Wheeler]

I shot the Federal and Buffalo Bore rounds into milk cartons of water (sort of the old Firearms Tactical/McPhereson test) from 7 yards and through 4 layers of denim. DocGKR, I am not, but I thought it was worth a look. NO expansion on any round. I dropped the denim and got closer. You could have re-used the bullets almost. So, I tested the 100 gr full wadcutter Fiocchi target load with 4 layers of denim and got the proper amount of penetration (it's been so long, I forget now what that number in water is) and said "well, at least it doesn't kick..."

Do you recall what the penetration was on the HP's? What pistol did you use and what was the barrel length? Just curious.

[314159]

The test was done with the 1 7/8 inch J frame S&W. It was a long time ago but the penetration was very good indeed as I recall. Jacketed bullet, no expansion, high sectional density, and moving at decent velocity, it should have been. I too would have been surprised by decent terminal performance from these rounds but since a reputable firm was selling it I wanted to see.
I wasn't aware of anything but snubbies being made in this caliber so I figured these were designed to work in a short barreled piece. So unless someone has a one-off 6 inch N frame in this caliber (10 rounds?, that would be kinda cool) the .32 H&R Magnum is a pointless round as it stands. As a low recoil alternative to a .22 revolver for the really recoil/blast sensitive user the .32 Long 100 gr wadcutter sure works though.

[Wheeler]

16-4 K frame with a 4" barrel. They also were produced with a 6" and a 8 3/8" barrel.

http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt86/Wheeler686/S%20and%20W/101_1251.jpg (http://s600.photobucket.com/user/Wheeler686/media/S%20and%20W/101_1251.jpg.html)

It is an excellent alternative for recoil sensitive shooters. In a K frame it's a pleasure to shoot.

[Rich]

16-4 K frame with a 4" barrel. They also were produced with a 6" and a 8 3/8" barrel.

http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt86/Wheeler686/S%20and%20W/101_1251.jpg (http://s600.photobucket.com/user/Wheeler686/media/S%20and%20W/101_1251.jpg.html)

It is an excellent alternative for recoil sensitive shooters. In a K frame it's a pleasure to shoot.

I had several K frames and love the M10/M13 but prefer the heavier models like the GP100-3 or M686-3incher and using 38spl or 38spl+P.
The above revolvers are easier to hold still while yanking the trigger. Well for me that is.

[Wheeler]

I had several K frames and love the M10/M13 but prefer the heavier models like the GP100-3 or M686-3incher and using 38spl or 38spl+P.
The above revolvers are easier to hold still while yanking the trigger. Well for me that is.

Ruger makes a GP100 in .327 Mag in an eight shot configuration and a SP 101 .32 Mag in a six shooter. Taurus, Charter Arms and of course H&R made/make .32 Mags as well although quality might be an issue if you were to shoot it a lot.
There are a couple of threads on the S&W forums in which aficionados of the caliber have had .32's and .327's built using a .38 K frame and a .22/.22 Mag barrel and cylinder. They claim the cost isn't much more than a new K frame.

It's a boutique caliber any more. It has it's uses and can be functionally relevant.

[Tamara]

It's a boutique caliber any more. It has it's uses and can be functionally relevant.

.32 H&R Mag is in that nether region occupied by 10mm; there is a large enough user base, enough enthusiasts, and the occasional cataloged model to keep it from vanishing, but it's never going to be "Buy it at Walmart" popular.

I've thought about reaming my 4" 31-1 to take the round. It's not like it has any real collectability to ruin.

[Wheeler]

.32 H&R Mag is in that nether region occupied by 10mm; there is a large enough user base, enough enthusiasts, and the occasional cataloged model to keep it from vanishing, but it's never going to be "Buy it at Walmart" popular.

I've thought about reaming my 4" 31-1 to take the round. It's not like it has any real collectability to ruin.

Is that a project you'd tackle yourself or would you have it done? I've heard Bowen Classic Arms is the place for this type of work but it doesn't [I]look[I] too hard if one had access to the proper tools. I'm pondering doing the same with my 4" Model 30-1 so any information or nudges (or shoves) in the right direction are appreciated.

[Chuck Haggard]

If they started making 432s again I'd buy a brace of them to use as BUG guns.

[Tamara]

Is that a project you'd tackle yourself or would you have it done? I've heard Bowen Classic Arms is the place for this type of work but it doesn't [I]look[I] too hard if one had access to the proper tools. I'm pondering doing the same with my 4" Model 30-1 so any information or nudges (or shoves) in the right direction are appreciated.

I need to call Gunsmith Bob this evening anyway. I'll ask about how much renting a reamer will cost, and the feasibility of doing a few guns at a time while it's rented if that's possible. :)

[Wheeler]

I need to call Gunsmith Bob this evening anyway. I'll ask about how much renting a reamer will cost, and the feasibility of doing a few guns at a time while it's rented if that's possible. :)

Oi! I need a Gunsmith Bob! Claude Werner came by Casa de Wheeler a few months ago and worked over a few .38's and .357's. Mainly chamfering and we bobbed a hammer and rounded a trigger on a 3" M36. I'd dearly like to find someone with the tools to work on the .32's though.

I look forward to seeing how it turns it should you decide to do the deed.