S&W 432PD series, .32H&R caliber

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xrageofangelsx

New member
Still fretting over what to carry for the lighter days of the summer and I've narrowed it down to this revolver and a few other autos posted in the auto forum. I was wondering who had experience with this revolver and what kind of experience they have had with it.

I am very unfamiliar with the .32H&R and I received some "interesting" info that I could not find on the internet. The guy behind the count (TM!) told me that the .32H&R is an old cowboy caliber and isn't much of a manstopper. While I don't want to get into caliber jibber-jabber, the ladyfriend (TM) decided she would like to possibly carry one of her own .32H&Rs S&W 432PD if the recoil on it was managable when I purchased mine.

Is this gun worth the 400 bucks asked for it in the gun store or should I look for something else in this price range? I don't want to go much over 400 as it is already eating my tax check + some.
 
.32 H&r

Well, I can't directly comment on the S&W, I have a Taurus 731UL in .32 H&R Magnum.

It's nice little gun. Cheaper than the S&W also...I paid $318 for mine. I am going to spend a little more money here in the future to get the hammer bobbed. A negative on the gun is that it is ported. Not really sure that's required in a .32...but I was unable to get it without it.

As for the .32 Mag being and 'Old Cowboy Caliber'...well, not to slam gun counter guys, but he is wrong.

To quote one Mr. Chucks Hawks:

The .32 H & R Magnum was introduced in 1984. It was a joint development of the Federal Cartridge Company and Harrington & Richardson. Any firearm chambered for the .32 Magnum can also use the earlier .32 S&W and .32 S&W Long cartridges.
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Now...the counter jockey you talked to may have been in error because most of the .32 Mag factory loads you see ARE Cowboy loads. Federal makes two non Cowboy loads, a 95gr Semi-Wadcutter, and an 85gr JHP. Right now, I have the JHP in my Taurus. Neither one of these loads uses the cartridge to it's full potential.

Georgia Arms loads a 100gr JHP at 1100 FPS, that has more energy than most .380 or 9X18 loads. It's cheaper than the Federal loads too. So, in terms of energy, 6 rounds of .32 Mag is nothing anyone is going to laugh at.

Umm...the only thing I have to say about .32 Mag is, talk of energy aside, it is a small round. Placing it next to a .38 Special, well...it's not always good for my morale. But, I guess it's part of a calculated trade off...smaller cartidge to get that 6th round I hope I never have to use anyway.

Did I mention it's not the most cost-effective round, unless you place a Georgia Arms bulk buy, and it's not always the easiest to find in some stores?

With those few negatives in mind though, it is a fine cartridge.

Sorry...I kind of run on when I'm excited.

greg
 
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I see no reason for the 432.

The 32H&R rounds are scarce, expensive and not as effective as 38 specials, much less 9mm.

If you really want a 12 oz revolver, get a 340PD or 342PD, practice with 148 gr 38 special full wadcutters (light recoil), and load it with defense ammo when carrying concealed.

Or, if you are that worried about recoil, get a Kahr PM9 or P9 Covert. 9mm rounds are even more effective than 38 specials. The Kahrs hold 2 more rounds than the Smith 38s. They fit in your front pocket. And the recoil is a breeze.
 
Not To Hijack Your Thread

and NO disrespect for the .32 H&R magnum; but on those HOT summer
days here in old Dixie, I will be toting a LWS-32 from Larry Seecamps
stable of fine firearms. Weighing only 13.25 ounces fully loaded, it
ought to be a joy to tote.

Best Wishes,
 
Greg is right on all counts.

I have the 332 ( hammerless titanium...TiLite) version.

Federal does make JHP for more serious work, Buffalo Arms makes a couple of loads in lead for Cowboy shooting. Others make jacketed offerings for the 32H&R but I don't remember who offhand.

The ballistics for the 32 H&R with a JHP in 100 gr provides about the same energy as a 38 special.

As far as the shootability, it's definitely better than the other calibers/versions offered in a 12 oz revolver. While accuracy won't win any benchrest competitions, at 10-15 yds, it is very acceptable. Recoil is negligible and the tiny little revolver easily fits in my front jeans pocket.

One big plus, is the 32 H&R is easy as pie to reload. Straightwall case, roll crimp and cheap brass. Works wonderfully with 3.2 grains of Titegroup. Hornady makes a 100 gr. offering along with 80 and 85. Semi wadcutters or JHP. Any .311 bullet would probably work, check published data to confirm of course.

So, practice ammo is so cheap it is almost laughable.

Another good thing is if your GF is recoil sensitive or not ready to pack an auto, the 12 oz 432 is going to be easier for her to carry and feel confident with. I don't know about your GF but most of the women I know will leave the gun home if rather than wear a heavy belt or give up make up storage space. If the gun happens to be bulky, heavy or causes her to flinch, it may (in her mind) be more hassle than it's worth.

As Greg indicated, she will be far from under-gunned.

Not exactly a Desert Eagle with flying ashtrays, but you already knew that.

Otherwise the gun is a great shooter, impervious to damned near anything and pleasant to shoot.

What more could a woman ask for ???

HTH

BigSlick
 
Like priv8ter, I had a Taurus Model 731, 2" ported barrel. Nice little gun except it was stainless steel and a bit heavy for pocket carry.

The .32 H&R round, as issued by Federal as an 85gr JHP or 95gr LSWC (actually more of a truncated cone IMO) both have plenty of gee-whiz behind them. While the bullet diameter is small they're moving plenty fast to expand the JHP's and the lead bullet penetrates very well. Tests against some rioting water-filled milk jugs showed that the JHP expanded to about .38~48 caliber and the 95gr load zipped through 3 jugs like a hot knife. The biggest downside is that the light bullet may not penetrate very far after hitting bone or intermediate objects (glass, sheetrock, etc).

I would not feel underguned with the .32 Mag as I put it into the same energy category as the .380+P : Marginal but acceptable for practiced shooters. The light recoil makes it easy to put 2, 3 or 6 on target very quickly.

The 32H&R rounds are scarce, expensive and not as effective as 38 specials, much less 9mm.
Click to expand...

The .32 H&R Mag rounds can be hard to find and are generally expensive when compared to cartridges that have been around since 1920 and have half a billion guns chambered for 'em. But I'd like to see any published data comparing the .32 H&R to a .38 special or 9mm. The .32 is obviously not a supersonic anvil like a 10mm though!

The cartridge's recoil is easy to tame even in lightweight guns. In the ported, steel Taurus the magnum load's recoil was not appreciably worse than the .32 S&W Long!

If one is looking for a useable combination of caliber & power without a potentially punishing recoil in a light wheelgun, the .32 H&R offers a good choice. Shot placement accuracy is be more important than one of the larger calibers but I think this can be offset by letting recoil sensitive shooters have something they can handle accurately.

I'll go back to sleep now. :D
 
I am very unfamiliar with the .32H&R and I received some "interesting" info that I could not find on the internet. The guy behind the count (TM!) told me that the .32H&R is an old cowboy caliber...
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*Sigh* Where do they get these people?

'Way back in the cowboy days of '84 (1984, that is,) the guys at H&R thought that a distinctive cartridge for small game & self defense that could be used by their revolvers would be just the shot in the arm that was needed to revive flagging sales.

Didn't work. H&R went Tango Uniform anyways a few years later. Federal is the only one of the major ammo companies that loaded it, and the loads are on the weak side, due to the number of H&R revolvers still out there. The Georgia Arms stuff is considerably warmer.
 
If the .32H&R is a bit to expensive to shoot (consistently) and is hard to find, the .38 w/wad cutters is a good idea to give a try?

I am tempted to see if we can find a nice .357 2" barrel and load them up with .38 wadcutters and see what the results are. Again, this gun is only half mine and I am willing to compromise as it will become only half mine again in marriage.

I appreciate everyone's input and I thank each and everyone who posted. If anyone else has more input, I would be thankful for it as well.

As I said and heard, the .32H&R seemed like a good idea because of the extra shot, the manageable recoil. The ladyfriend (TM) is afraid of the recoil, so airweights are mostly verboten.

So much to take in, so little time to shoot with. :p

I just called the range and they do not have a .32H&R to rent, but they have a few .38 and .357s

If anyone else has more suggestions, I'm still listening to point us in the right direction...
 
As I said and heard, the .32H&R seemed like a good idea because of the extra shot, the manageable recoil. The ladyfriend (TM) is afraid of the recoil, so airweights are mostly verboten.
Click to expand...

Seems like enough good reasons for me. My wife likes wheelguns, but has arthritis. She's looking for a ccw piece, and I'm buying her a 432PD later this year.

Every gun is a series of compromises. You don't have to follow the crowd, or listen to the naysayers. .38 Sp is the standard for small-frame revolvers and a great cartridge, but it doesn't answer every question. There are many .32 H&R mag fans out there too.

Ammo availability is the biggest concern. Sure, it's a niche cartridge, but new guns continue to be made in the caliber. I severely doubt that it will become obsolete any time soon. And, remember as you're reading this, the Internet is your friend! Don't be afraid to buy ammo online. There are many retailers, such as Georgia Arms, that come well recommended. I only buy spot ammo at my range anymore, when I run out, rent, or forget to bring something.
 
xrageofangelsx,

The .32 H&R revolvers can use the milder .32 S&W Long cartridges for target practice at about 1/2 the price of the mags. And if you intended to reload your own, reloading for the little .32 is pretty cheap as it doesn't use much powder at all and lead bullets (not jacketed) are the norm.

The .32 H&R Mag has power, an extra round too, but most would say it ranks with a fast .380 Auto round -- marginal for self defense. But I've carried one before and while you realize it's not a magic totem for vanquishing bad guys, having it for self-defense should work "good enough" to allow you to get out of harm's way.

For someone recoil sensitive, the .32 S&W Long cartridge is perfect. Even the .32 H&R Magnum doesn't produce much recoil -- a little more than the .38 special target wadcutter.
 
I own four S&W 32 H&R mags (631 2"&4" stainless, a 331 & 332 Airlite TIs). I shoot and carry the Airlites routinely. I like them because they weigh nothing in my pocket, brief case, or camera bag. As for ballistic capability all I know is that the books put them better than a 380 and hotter than allmost all standard 38 loads. I can tell you that the "felt recoil" is suprising and I have shot/owned LOTS of various J Frames in all available calibers. I am quite confident that a couple of rounds are more than enough to stop MOST anyone up close and personal. If you don't feel safe with a 32 mag, get a 38+P - no wait, that's not enough, get a 357 - no wait, thats not enough, get a 41 magnum - no wait, thats not enough - get my point? I can tell you that 38+Ps in an Airlite, or worse, an Sc, are not fun to shoot a lot. 50 rounds and your hand stings - you really have to work at not flinching.

Having owned 32 H&Rs for several years now it is my impression that they are slowly gaining more popularity, not less. I have never had trouble finding ammo, but you do have to look to find it cheap. GA Arms appears to be helping the situation greatly now with hotter, cheaper ammo if they continue loading it. Hope the info helps -
Heliparts
 
If I recall Smith & Wesson discontinued various .32 mag models a couple years back but has made the decision to begin production once again which bodes well for the fortunes of this cartridge.

For someone recoil sensitive Smith has also been quietly producing (some say at the behest of Jerrry Miculek) a .22 mag airlite with a 7 rnd capacity and ammo that is cheap and plentiful

http://www.firearms.smith-wesson.com/store/index.php3?cat=293596&item=865231&sw_activeTab=1
 
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