Need list of .32 DA/SA revolvers made for the past 70 years

T

TruthTellers

New member
For those who've noticed, I've made a lot of threads talking about .32's the past month. I bought an H&R 732 and had to send it back to the seller as it was not locking the cylinder on two chambers. After that, I don't want to blame the gun's design, I want to blame it's condition, but there's a lot of people that have said that the H&R's have issues related to poor design, so I'm not interested in any H&R's anymore.

As such, I need a list of .32 S&W or H&R Magnum revolvers made the past many decades. However, this list need not include the following brands, as I already know what .32's they made:

-Colt
-S&W
-Charter
-Ruger

My preference is that this list only include 6 shot .32's, not 5 shooters and I would like this list to exclude poor guns like Rohm's or other similar poor models.

Please help me out guys, I really want a no frills .32 revolver that works and is safe to shoot without having to check to see if the cylinder locks up everytime.
 
What you want is not a list, it is a pretty good size book. From the time that S&W first made a .32 revolver (rimfire) about 1868, nearly every maker of handguns in the world has made at least one model of 32 (7.65mm) pistol or revolver, mostly auto pistols in Europe and revolvers in the U.S. (Before metallic cartridges came into use, muzzle loading pistols of .31 or .32 caliber were very common.)

.32 handguns range from old cheap guns that can only be described as junk to target pistols that sell for thousands of dollars (the .32 S&W Long is very popular target pistol in Europe - one I know of sold recently locally for over $4000).

The problems of that H&R are not caliber-related; any kind or caliber of gun can be broken, worn out, or defective in some way, but H&R's are generally not considered a high quality product..

In general, .32 caliber is about the minimum size that can be considered even marginally effective in a defense weapon; the caliber is not popular today in the US because it is lacking in power, and .38 is more effective while the guns that fire it are not significantly larger.

I have no idea why you feel that only a .32 will meet your needs, since most .32 revolvers made today are identical (except for greater weight) to revolvers in .38 Special, a much more powerful and effective round.

If you feel that only a .32 revolver will meet your needs, I would recommend a S&W; I believe they still make a few revolvers in that caliber, and there are a few K-32 target revolvers around. Most .32's, however are old guns, many of which are worn out, so beware of what you are offered. If I may, I also suggest you learn more about guns, not just a caliber number, else you may waste a lot of money and end up with nothing usable.

Jim
 
Rossi Model 59, 69

Taurus Spesco, Model 71

Tanque of Argentina

Lots of them out there..name the country and they probably made one or more.

But you still need to check timing on any older revolver...that's the nature of the beast.
 
Rossi Model 59, 69

Taurus Spesco, Model 71

Tanque of Argentina

Lots of them out there..name the country and they probably made one or more.

But you still need to check timing on any older revolver...that's the nature of the beast.
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Thanks for the actual information I asked for.

Between Rossi and Taurus, who makes the better quality revolver and how is customer service?
 
Forget the list...get a Smith, they're all quality and can be had used for reasonable money. Rod
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For the nearly $400 it would cost me to get a S&W, I'd rather spend another $100 on the Ruger LCR in .327

I'm trying to keep the cost below $300 with a .32 revolver.
 
Manhurin makes the occasional .32 for ISU shooters who don't want to worry about the care and feeding of a .32 wadcutter automatic.
 
I'm trying to keep the cost below $300 with a .32 revolver.
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The answer is easy. Save more money and buy a new production Smith or Ruger. Even on the used market, your not going to find too many quality used guns for below $300.

I'm not sure what your intended use for the gun is, but my recommendation would be for a Ruger SP101 in .327 Magnum. The only current model is the 4" version with an adjustable rear sigh and a fiber optic front. Buds has them in stock right now for $580.
 
I'm not sure what your intended use for the gun is, but my recommendation would be for a Ruger SP101 in .327 Magnum. The only current model is the 4" version with an adjustable rear sigh and a fiber optic front. Buds has them in stock right now for $580.
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Intend to use as a plinker to test reloads in and use as a stashed home defense gun hidden in a hiding place.

I like the .327, I'm working my way to getting one, but I don't like the currently offered SP101. I don't like fiber optic sights, I don't want a 30oz revolver, and I have heard negative things about the Sp101 triggers.

I'm waiting for Ruger to make a .327 in the LCRx, one for the better trigger, two because of the lighter weight, three because of the standard ramp front sight.
 
No H&Rm Colt, S&W, Ruger or Charter Arms?

Already mentioned:

Rossi
Taurus
Tanque
Manurhin

Add to the list:
Astra
RG Rohm
Llama

And if you want to go chasing unicorns:
Webley made some .32's, and the were copied in India as
the IOF 32.
 
Unless you get lucky and happen to be in the right place at the right time finding a quality & functioning .32 for under $300 isn't going to be easy.

I'm sure they're out there but it's not an extremely popular caliber. Taking your chances on online auctions is about your only bet and that can lead to problems like you've already experienced.
 
S&W DA/SA swing-out cylinder models in this caliber are:
  • I/J frame: .32 Hand Ejector, .32 Regulation Police, Models 30, 31, 431PD, 631, and 632 (certain .327 Federal versions only).
  • K frame: K-32 Outdoorsman aka K-32 First Model Target, K-32 Masterpiece, K-32 Combat Masterpiece, .32 Military & Police, Model 16.
A little S&W 101...

The I frame is the predecessor of the J frame, originally with a leaf mainspring, then redesigned with a coil spring and slightly enlarged in the early 1950s as the so-called "Improved I" frame. The J frame is longer than the I frame to accommodate a .38 Special cartridge within the cylinder opening. All I frame models were replaced by equivalent J frame models ca. 1960-1962.

Prior to 1957, S&W swing-out cylinder revolvers had names rather than model numbers. My list reflects this.

The .32 Hand Ejector First Model was S&W's very first swing-out cylinder revolver, and it differs in almost every significant respect from all other subsequent S&W designs. Due to limited production, age, and the resultant near-impossibility of finding its numerous proprietary parts (<10,000 guns made 1896-1899 IIRC), I would recommend avoiding these if you actually intend to fire your purchase.

The Models 432 and 632 are normally DAO concealed-hammer rather than DA/SA like the equivalent 431 and 631, but S&W has (confusingly) marketed a couple of .327 Federal Magnum variants of the M632 with an exposed hammer.
TruthTellers said:
I'm trying to keep the cost below $300 with a .32 revolver.
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In my experience, having attempted the same search you're attempting, the only Smiths you're likely to find in this price range are shooter-grade (NRA "Good") prewar .32 Hand Ejectors and Regulation Polices with fixed sights. (Adjustable-sight "target" models were made, but they're rare, and due to the active S&W collector community, this means they're very expensive.) These guns lack the far safer and more durable modern sliding hammer block, and are very difficult to fix due to a frame design that was dropped over 70 years ago when I frame production was suspended for WWII.

Postwar .32 I/J frames theoretically exist in this price range, but I never found one that actually sold for less than $300.

The K frame .32's range from uncommon, sought-after, and $600+ (K-32 Masterpiece, Model 16) to downright rare, highly sought-after, and $3,000-$20,000 (K-32 Outdoorsman, K-32 Combat Masterpiece, .32 M&P).

[EDIT TO ADD]: This post deliberately disregards .32-20 aka .32 Winchester Smiths because all of TT's previous posts concern cartridges in the .32 S&W family.
 
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The ATF publishes an annual firearms manufacturing report every year by caliber. In 2015 there were under 10,000 32 caliber revolvers made and over 400,000 38 special/.357 revolvers made. Going back 20 years i'd guess the ratio was even worse for .32. Going back 100 years might favor the .32 but even then the .38 was more popular.
 
reddog81 said:
Going back 100 years might favor the .32 but even then the .38 was more popular.
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True, but it's worth noting that S&W sold almost 600,000 .32 Hand Ejectors and .32 Regulation Polices prior to WWII, which is about 3/4 of the number of .38 M&Ps sold in that time period.

However, post-1945 sales dropped off dramatically.
 
With BillM's input, we've added Astra and Llama to the list (I'm not adding Rohm) So out of these four manufacturers that I'm not too familiar with, who made the better .32 revolver?

Rossi
Taurus
Astra

EDIT: Forget Llama and Rohm
 
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I'm waiting for Ruger to make a .327 in the LCRx, one for the better trigger, two because of the lighter weight, three because of the standard ramp front sight.
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You are probably going to have to wait a long time!
The pressure of the .327 needs that steel frame, so it will not come out in the aluminum frame. That's why the current .357, 9mm and .327 all are the steel frame and slightly heavier LCR.
 
^^^ HVR raises an excellent point. Unless the current .327 Federal SP101 turns out to be a runaway hit, I doubt that Ruger will be in a hurry to produce a steel-frame LCRx, especially considering that the SP101 should more comfortably fire this cartridge.

Actually, I'm tempted by Ruger sku# 5773, although it obviously blows way past TT's $300 price point and doesn't look back. ;)

FWIW the SP101 was sold in .32 H&R Mag in the late 1990s, but they're quite uncommon, and the recent upsurge in collector interest in older DA Rugers has mostly exterminated <$300 oddball-caliber SP101s just like it's exterminated $250 Speed Sixes.
 
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