Anyone else like the light snubs chambered for the .32 H&R Magnum?

.32 H&R Mag/Mfg prospective

The .32 H&R is a great little cartridge. Current loadings put it in between the .38 Spec and .38 Spec +p in terms of muzzel energy and from a recoil point of view it is a joy to shoot. Should make a great carry caliber in a light weight gun and in a J frame 6 rounds instead of 5 in .38. The problem is that people are not buying the S&W offering and as a result we will be discontinuing our model 331 in January 03 and will take a long hard look at the 332. I guarantee that demand will go up as soon as we pull the plug on the 331.

Herb Belin S&W
 
AMEN TO THAT, HERB!!!! WE DON'T WANT IT UNTIL WE CAN'T HAVE IT.

To the fellow who asked earlier, the DAN WESSON 732 is a 6" 32MAG revolver. It only really likes screaming hot handloads.
I ain't got clue one on puttin' no pitchers on no internet...hahahaha
I'm happy if I remember how to turn this gizmo on in the mornings!
HERB BELIN, YOU OL' SONOFABISCUIT, WELCOME TO TFL!!! WE DO NEED YOUR ERUDITE KNOWLEDGE HERE.
PS: whoever discontinued the M631 4" 32MAG deserves to be fired...or shot...or hanged by the neck with an old rope...or all three...it wasnt you was it?
 
Welcome to TFL Mr. Herb Belin! Nice to see somebody who works for S&W actually posting here. Love the little Sc 357s!
 
Terry & Herb,

I would love to have a Model 631 4"! Even if there was only a limited run on them I would take one.

Very few shops in my area carry .32H&R ammo, but not an issue for me, because I load my own.
Regards,
Rich

P.S.,
I really enjoy my little Model 331 and hate to see them be discontinued. The only problem I see with the 331 is the heavy DA trigger, but SA is nice and crisp.
Rich
 
Herb Belin...

Welcome to The Firing Line. I'm sorry to hear that the model 331 is to be discontinued. A model 331 is what is riding on my hip at this very moment. Like you said, it's a joy to shoot and I like the extra round in the cylinder. It's a shame that your model 331 is going to join the ranks of great pistols that didn't quite make it.:(
I always find it odd when someone says that ammunition is difficult to find. Around here, .32 H&R mag has been in every gun shop I've visited.

KR
 
... [ammo] ... difficult to find...
Click to expand...

Maybe the comments mean at a reasonable price?

I can almost garontee ya you won't find it at the discount chains or the country hardware store when you're out in the sticks.
 
H&R .32 MAG Ammo

Best source is from Georiga Arms. Good stuff and good price, can't remember what the price was, but I bought plenty!
 
Been shootin the 32 mag ever since it came out. That is one great little round in any gun . I've owned several & never found one that wasn't accurate, even the H&R that started it all, don,t remember the model # .:rolleyes:
Yes a lever gun would be the next buy on my list if somebody out there would listen ( Marlin ) I've been hollerin at them for years about it!:D
Now git outta my way I gotta go load up on 331's before they are all gone.:D :D :D :D :D
 
Herb if I can make a suggestion, it seems there is a demand for the .32 Mag and I know I'd buy one it the the 332 came in a PD model for carry. Maybe you should tank the 331 and keep the 332 as intraduce a 332PD. Plus it would'nt hurt to throw around on the other boards how great the .32 Magnum really is. ;)
 
Like .41 Mag and 10mm Auto, .32 H&R Mag seems to be one of those boutique cartridges that wanders in and out of popularity, but never quite goes away. I have two; a Taurus 731UL and a Ruger Single Six SSM, both of which are very accurate and mild shooters. From a self-defense standpoint, I don't see much to choose from between a Georgia Arms 100gr JHP and any non+P .38, and you get an extra round in the .32 Mag.

The 331 is a goner, and they're thinking about 86'ing the 332, but that leaves the Single Six, the Vaquerito, and the 731 from Taurus. Considering the cartridge survived a several-year-long period where no guns were being chambered for it and Federal was the only company loading new ammo, I think it's safe to say that it won't be going away completely any time soon...
 
Tamara...

I got an e-mail from Herb a couple of days ago in which he was a little more positive about keeping the model 332 in the line-up.
He told me that he didn't want S&W to get TOTALLY out of the caliber. I like my Taurus 731UL and my 331. For the last few days, I've wondered if I "need" a 332 or 642. They both fit the same leather. I took out my 331 and replaced it with the gun shop's 642 and wore it around the store for a while. The 3 more ounces of weight the 642 has was not noticeable. (Good gunbelt & holster.) I'm leaning towards the 332 because I've only got a couple of pistols chambered for the load. I've got more .38's than I really need. (But, I just can't let go of a good shooter. It's like a disease!:) )

KR
 
I've got the 331 and a custom built Vaqueritto made up for me by Gary Reeder. I may end up having to look at the 332 or if I can find one a Model 16 or 631. It would be great to have Marlin build us a lever action .32H&R and I think that would revive the thing a bit more, too.
Rich
 
You're right, Rich...

I think I'll send Marlin an e-mail asking for that very thing. I'll PROMISE that I'll buy a lever action chambered in .32 H&R Magnum. You do the same---and any other fans of the .32 mag, please do the same. :) You never know 'till you try!

KR
 
A technical question. Does firing .32 S&W long in the 331 and 332 present a problem? ie: erosion in the titanium cylinder or of the coating on the breech face when trying to scrub crud out as a result of firing the shorter cases?
I'm interested in ordering a .332, but the wait would be in the realm of 5 months, and I may have to special import a case of .32 magnum ammo, as I have never seen it available her in Australia.
The cost in Australian dollars would be in the realm of $1500, twice the average weekly wage, or around USD $825, so I prefer to have all of the pros and cons sorted out before laying down my money.
And any thoughts on the 332 for those with arthritis ( my dad ) would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

radagast
 
Radagast...

.32 Longs present NO problem. I even e-mailed Smith & Wesson to ask the same question. The "fired case" that was in the box with the lock and other stuff was a .32 Long case. You should be fine unless you use something abrasive on the front of the cylinder or in the charging holes when cleaning. (You don't want to remove that clear-coat.)
As for arthritis...well, that is the reason I became interested in the ,32 H&R mag to begin with. I've got arthritis in my hands and recoil is NO PROBLEM for me.

KR
 
I would say that firing the S&W Long by itself is no problem. BUT, firing a cylinder of .32 magnums round AFTER firing S&W Longs will cause a major extraction headache.
 
I get that with shooting .357s after a lot of .38s through my model 60.
I'm more worried about ammunition availability. If I can't get .32 magnums, I want to be able to shoot .32 longs at least.
Still seems like a good idea.

Radagast
 
Gumming up the Cylinder

I shoot 357 magnums thru my snubby so the cylinder don't crud up.

You can also load your light target loads in a 357 case (or 32 mag case) for practice so as to avoid gumming up the cylinder.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top