.32 H&R Magnum Revolver Ammo Questions

T

tyro

New member
Pray, tell:

Will any .32 ammo work in a .32 H&R Magnum revolver - like .38's in a .357?

What ammo company makes the best, most dependable, ammo for defensive combat by means of a .32 H&R Magnum revolver?

I do not yet own such a gun. Whether or not I buy one depends on answers to questions re ammo options, availability, and reliability.
 
Many thanks for the info, Mike.

What is the difference (if any) between .32 Short and Long Colt, and .32 S&W Short and Long?
 
Actually .32 Auto will work in a .32 Mag revolver. The .32 auto is a semi-rimmed cartridge and there is enough rim to hold it for firing. It isn't the best solution and isn't really supposed to be done that way but yes, it can be done.
 
Just an opinion here...

For defensive situations, you will probably want to stick with magnums in a smaller caliber like .32. I can think of two places where 32S&W and 32S&W Long will come in handy for someone shooting 32H&R Magnum.

1) Someone that doesn't reload taking part in a cowboy shoot.

2) If you are traveling and run out of Magnums, you will have a better chance of finding something to chamber in your weapon.

Also keep in mind, shorter and weaker (not intended as an S&W pun) doesn't nessecarily mean cheaper. Try pricing a box of 38S&W Short next to a box of 38 Special. You'll swear that the shorts have to be gold plated, until you see that even the LRN version towers standard 38spl in price.
 
The situation is pretty grim...

Cor-Bon probably had the right idea, take a good 60grainer from the .32ACP, get it going up around 1,400fps from a 4" or so tube.

Too bad they cancelled that project. They shoudl have stuck with it, there's a number of .32Mag snubbies that are 6-shot in a J-class size factor.

MagSafe probably has the best answer left, until one of the other ammo makers gets it right.

Jim
 
Tyro,

Hum.... Interesting. I didn't think there would be enough rim.


Tyro,

Bullet diameter is the big difference. The Colt bullets are slightly smaller in diameter (I thought they were larger), so in retrospect, yes, the .32 Short & Long Colt should work fine in a .32 H&R revolver. The bullet may not get a very good bite on the rifling, though.
 
Thanks for all the informative responses.

Jim March:
MagSafe probably has the best answer left, until one of the other ammo makers gets it right.
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Tyro, addressed to Mike Irwin on the MagSafe discussion thread:
Re MagSafe, I notice that the only .32 H&R Magnum ammo offered by CheaperThanDirt is MagSafe 32 HD 50 gr. What do you think of an S&W 332 loaded with MagSafes as an always pocket gun?
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Mike Irwin:
By adopting a fragmenting bullet in such a marginal caliber, you've taken a marginal round and marginalized it even more.
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Uh oh! I really do not want to play "Let's you and him fight". But when two titans whom I respect appear to categorically disagree re something that could conceavably become a matter of life or death to me, what am I to do? :)
 
"What am I to do?"


Just remember that penetration trumps a flesh wound every time, and stick with the lead SWC ammo that we discussed in that same thread.
 
By the way, for what its worth I have an old .32 Colt New Police revolver (my grandfathers) that also shoots .32 S&W Long just fine, so I assume a .32 Magnum will also shoot .32 New Police (if you can find a box). Dennis
 
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Thanks, Mike.

I will remember.

Being a tyro, I find myself needing to keep asking for more information and rethinking what I have read, hoping to get things right before making mistakes which waste money at the least, and life if the worst were to happen.
 
DennisE:
The cheapest of .32 Magnum ammo for fun and practice seems to be at http://www.georgia-arms.com/pistol.htm
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Thanks, Dennis.

I'm still not clear about who makes the best for serious social work. Is Federal the best, or just better than MagSafe in terms of penetration?

Tomorrow is the day I get my Permit to Purchase Handgun. I'm thinking this one will be a .32 H&R Magnum, so I appreciate all who have helped me in the decision making process.

Spinal arthritis is making it virtually impossible for me to carry my SP101 most of the time, so I'm being forced to focus on guns in the 12 oz. or less weight class. .32 seems to be a good compromise in terms of weight/power ratio. I don't think I could handle much practice with an unported .38 weighing .12 oz. or less.
 
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tyro,

I have a 331 and practice with Georgia Arms 100 grainers. Keep in mind these produce roughly the same recoil that you get from a light .38 shooting non +P ammo. ALso, the .32 S&W Longs do work in the 331, but because they are a shorter cartridge, the charge holes of the cylinder become highly fouled. As a result, you will have difficulty seating a .32 mag round after you have been shooting .32 Longs, and you will have a heck of a time cleaning, especially since it is a titanium cylinder. Personally, I keep Federal 95 gr. hollowpoints in my snubbie for everyday carry. I don't know how they perform in ballistic tests, but they pack a milder punch than the GA ammo.
 
I'd choose the Federal Classic 85 gr @ 1100 MV and ~220ME for CCW. I have trouble with most DA hadguns because of arthritis in my fingers. I shoot a Single Action S&W 945 in IDPA and Ruger SA Revolvers (.22LR, .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum) for fun. For pocket carry (in a pocket holster) I've found nothing that works better for me than the Kel-tec 32 in .32 ACP. Weight is ~6.5 ounces, trigger pull is ~6 lbs only and Silvertip .32 ACP ammo has a good street record. Dennis
 
rock_jock:
I have a 331 and practice with Georgia Arms 100 grainers. Keep in mind these produce roughly the same recoil that you get from a light .38 shooting non +P ammo.
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Do you think this holds true if the .38 is as light as the .32 (i.e., an 11.3 oz .38)? If true, I think I'd rather go with the .38, which would provides more and better options in guns as well as ammo.

I do not have any way of comparing (i.e., by shooting) before buying, so I appreciate receiving info and advice from those who have experience with both .32s and .38s as light as 11.3 oz.
 
DennisE :
I've found nothing that works better for me than the Kel-tec 32 in .32 ACP.
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I have read a lot of good reports about the Kel-Tec 32, but so far I have thought it best to stick with the familiar simplicity of revolvers. Perhaps I should do some more learning and thinking about that before making a final choice for this latest purchase - which, I keep assuring my wife, will be my last :).
 
May there be no such thing as last until they carry you out feet first! Dennis
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Ah, Yes! I can live with that.

And I can probably persuade my wife to do so too . . . :).

Thanks for the injection of honesty and candor, as well as the provision of information.
 
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