Thoughts on 32 H&R Magnum as SD load..

I carry a s&w 431pd a 32 h&r magnum j frame. Weighs 13.5 oz.

The 32 h&r is similar to 38 special. A little smaller bullet traveling faster. Similar, or even higher, muzzle energy depending on the load.

The main advantage of 32 h&r is the j frames hold six rounds rather than five.

The main advantage of 38 special is it's easier to find ammo and there is more variety.

I carry an Ruger LCR 327 Fed Mag and keep it loaded with 32 H&R Black Hills 85 gr. JHP. 1100 fps. About the same as an 38 spl. Holds one more round than a J-frame though as stated above.

My carry is a TT (total titanium) Taurus 731 .32 H&R . As far as energy level, it was/is a step above the .380 I was carrying prior.
As mentioned it has the muzzle energy close to the standard .38 Spl cartridges. To be honest I chose this caliber simply as a trial. It shoots accurately and has relatively mild recoil making follow up shots quickly. No particular advantage for me over the .38 Special , but I believe it will take care of business. Not much field data to back that up, but I don't feel under gunned either.

Water-Man said:

I carry an Ruger LCR 327 Fed Mag and keep it loaded with 32 H&R Black Hills 85 gr. JHP. 1100 fps. About the same as an 38 spl. Holds one more round than a J-frame though as stated above.

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Same for me !!

I'd love to see more testing in ballistics gel on this load. I did see a test of an Hornady FTX 80 grain 32 NAA critical defense load at about 950 fps (IIRC). 12 or 13 inches of penetration and acceptable expansion. It appears this is the same 80 grain bullet used in the Hornady 32 H&R critical defense and I would presume a similar velocity from a snub.

I've been somewhat tempted to buy some gel blocks and test it myself.

I sometimes carry .380ACP, .32ACP, and sometimes I'll walk out with a (gasp!) gun in .22LR. I'd have no issues with a good wheelgun in .32H&R-M. Kinda wish I'd bought the older Undercoverette I handled a couple of years back in that caliber to go along with my three Undercovers.

cal44mag said:

I carry a s&w 431pd a 32 h&r magnum j frame. Weighs 13.5 oz.

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The 431 is the bee's knees.

Bought one for my wife and ended up carrying it mostly for myself. Slips into a pocket holster effortlessly, and carries all day to the point you forget about it. Mine is accurate and has a very nice trigger for a J-frame.

I carry with the Hornady FTX too. Online tests show the FTX universally opens up through heavy clothing, matching my own personal tests (in a different caliber). I am a little concerned about penetration. I might set up a test comparing it to an 85g XTP when I get the chance.

I think a six round J-Frame size snubbie should be very popular on the self-defense market.

Small size for conceal carry, small grip for ladies, two good bullet choices to choose from (Federal and Hornady), less recoil than the 38 Special in the same size gun and an additional round of firepower.

But what do I know. It just shows how fickle the gun market is.

Dain Bramage said:

The 431 is the bee's knees.

Bought one for my wife and ended up carrying it mostly for myself. Slips into a pocket holster effortlessly, and carries all day to the point you forget about it. Mine is accurate and has a very nice trigger for a J-frame.

I carry with the Hornady FTX too. Online tests show the FTX universally opens up through heavy clothing, matching my own personal tests (in a different caliber). I am a little concerned about penetration. I might set up a test comparing it to an 85g XTP when I get the chance.

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If you do, please share the results here. I'd love to see them.

SteadyD said:

If you do, please share the results here. I'd love to see them.

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I appreciate that, but don't hold your breath.

I did a .44 Special FTX test in 4x denim and uncalibrated gelatin that showed it opening up and penetrating 13" from a short, ported barrel Charter Arms Boomer.

The hassle of setting that test up makes me want to go the Clear Ballistics route, but the expense and my time constraints will put that a ways off.

My Ruger LCR 327 Federal magnum is a six shot and a great little gun and at 20oz fully loaded you can't beat that for a six shot Magnum stubby.
Mike

I would not feel undergunned with my Charter Arms 32 H&R Undercoverette. I usually carry a 38 Undercover because I can still handle the recoil. I think the 32 H&R would be a great option for many people, but not many people know about it.

I wouldn't feel unarmed with a 32 H&R Magnum. I sometimes carry a 32 Auto or 32 S&W Long. These are not calibers I would carry if it was likely I'd be encountering hoards of gun toting criminals or terrorists but they will do.

My choice for a 4" M631 was the hardcast Buffalo Bore, since this is mostly a trail gun for me.

I have a 4" SP101, .32 H&R, which might be my carry gun, someday. Aging has prompted me to scale-back before, and it will likely happen again, if I live long enough. I doubt .32 H&R is significantly different, on-target, than .38 Special and .380 ACP.

I am comfortable with 32 H&R magnum for SD. With good ammo it is similar to 38 special, plus you usually have an extra round. That is pretty much the maximum that my wife can shoot (bad wrists). On the rare occasions that I am out of town, she feels safe with her Undercoverette nearby. It really "should" be more popular than it is, imho. It is a good round in its own right, and I think that a 32 magnum revolver is a very good choice for a SD handgun for those who aren't really "gun people".

S&W makes a 5-shot .38, a 7-shot .22 WMR and an 8-shot .22lr J-frame. There should be an equivalent 6-shot .32 in every configuration. I guarantee a lot of .22 Magnum people would move up and a lot of .38/.357 people would move down. A .32 caliber revolver allows a wide range of power among the 3 or 4 calibers it will load and fire, and the presence of more revolvers in these calibers will lead to more widely available ammo and more defensive ammo choices in the .32 calibers.

I'm not suggesting that folks do this but the newer S&W 30-1 and 31-1 have cylinders long enough to accommodate the 32 H&R round. They have to be reamed to the proper depth, not more that 1/10 of an inch, but people with more knowledge than me say it is safe. Some old timers say they have loaded the 32 S&W long to perform like the H&R magnum without changing anything. I have an old S&W 30-1 and also an old beat up Colt Detective Special that have been modified to shoot the H&R magnum rounds. Certainly not something you would do to a nicer old revolver but it gave me what I wanted, six rounds in a steel frame. Also have a Ruger LCR in 327 magnum that I carry with the HSM 32 H&R rounds that Palmetto State Armory sells.

Shot placement, shot placement, shot placement. Nothing wrong with a .32 H&R Magnum although I prefer a .38/357.

I don't think I'm willing to accept that .32 H&R = .38 Special, all other things being equal. I do believe .32 H&R is a capable round for SD, though.

OP, do you have a revolver chambered in .32 H&R or is it a .327 FM that you want to carry .32 H&R with? If it's the latter, I seem to recall that recoil from the 85 grn Hydra Shok being fairly similar to that of the Hornady Critical Duty .32 H&R...

The 85 grain Hydra Shok is significantly more stout than the Hornady CD 32 Mag, but it's not significantly more than a 125 grain 38 +p. At least by my reckoning.

Water-Man said:

I carry an Ruger LCR 327 Fed Mag and keep it loaded with 32 H&R Black Hills 85 gr. JHP. 1100 fps. About the same as an 38 spl. Holds one more round than a J-frame though as stated above.

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Same here except I use a mix of 3 rds of 85 gr 327 Fed Mag HydraShok or 115 gr Gold Dot with three rounds of .32 H&R Hornady 80 gr Critical Defense when I carry my LCR. Practice with .32 S&W Long. Would like to see Ruger make a LCRx SA/DA 3 inch in .327 Federal Magnum.

Hoppes Love Potion said:

S&W makes a 5-shot .38, a 7-shot .22 WMR and an 8-shot .22lr J-frame. There should be an equivalent 6-shot .32 in every configuration. I guarantee a lot of .22 Magnum people would move up and a lot of .38/.357 people would move down. A .32 caliber revolver allows a wide range of power among the 3 or 4 calibers it will load and fire, and the presence of more revolvers in these calibers will lead to more widely available ammo and more defensive ammo choices in the .32 calibers.

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If they made a no lock 432 I'd order two of them straight away.

I personally don't see a problem with .32 H&R for defense, but I'm unfamiliar with the velocity out of a 2" bbl. That'd be my main concern. My .32 H&R has a 4" bbl, but it's a single action Ruger, so that's not great for defense, and I don't use it as such, but out of that barrel, it could be effective. And it has much less recoil than a .38 Special, which could be the difference for many people with less hand strength.