Ruger Single Six in .32 H&R vs. Single Seven in .327 Fed?

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Hello, I previously owned a Ruger Single Six in .32 H&R and really enjoyed shooting it. I really dug the smaller/handier frame, compared to my Ruger Blackhawk in 32-20 (which I'll probably sell). I sold the Six a few years back, planning to put the funds towards a Single Seven, but life got in the way and I haven't replaced it yet.

I'm noticing the older Ruger .32 H&R models seem to run less expensive than the .327 models, presumably since people are "upgrading" to the longer cartridge. If I do just basic handloading, and mainly want this revolver as a plinker and possibly for casual Silhouette shooting, no hunting plans, is there any major disadvantage to getting the older .32 over the .327, or is the Single Seven that much better of a revolver that I should hold out for one of those?

Also, can the cylinder of the Single Six be reamed out to take the longer cartridge, or is the extra cylinder length of the .327 really handy to have for loading more powerful rounds with heavier bullets?
 
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I have and like both. The Single Seven has a few advantages but I would not call them "major advantages." The 32 H&R Single Six doesn't give up enough that I would pass one up for a good price waiting for a Single Seven. The Six does fine on the silhouettes.

There is data out there that can get a 100gr cast bullet chugging along over 1200 fps. That load (Lil'gun) shoots very well in both of mine and a 3" 327 SP101. My S7 will send the same bullet out faster - 1400 fps - in a 327 case but not with the same accuracy. The American Eagle 100gr JSP clocks in just under 1500 fps in mine but really only use it to bust up milk jugs

I will admit that the Single Six gets a lot less use since the arrival of the Single Seven even though I shoot a lot more 32 H&R and 32 Longs out of it. I'll typically carry it in the field loaded with 327 for the just-in-case factor but pack some 32 H&R and 32 Longs should an opportunity to plink, target shoot or the need to dispatch vermin in a less obnoxious way arise.

Where the Single Seven outshines the Single Six is out past 200 yards. Several of my pards own Single Sevens and it is the one we all tend to bring whenever we meet up to ring distant steel. Here is a video clip of my friend taking it too the 400 yard dinger.


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Busting milk jugs with a variety of 32 loads.
 
Oh, and the cylinder is longer on the Single Seven which is just barely long enough to handle common 327 rounds. I would bet the shorter cylinder on the Single Six would not be long enough to handle most 327 loads.

The OAL of the heavy for caliber loads won't all work in the Single Seven. The 327 Blackhawk handles them easily though.
 
Ah, I'm doing a little more reading up and seeing that even with a reamed cylinder, the .32 H&R doesn't have the length to deal with heavier bullets.

So if one of my goals is to handload relatively heavy bullets, I should probably stick with the Single Seven?
 
A bit of that choice will depend on the bullet you intend to use. I don't recall what brand my friend shot but he shoots 125gr in his 32's and the design (crimp groove) keeps the OAL within spec of both the 327 and the 32 H&R.

I've seen a few guys post using bullets in the 140 gr range with mixed results. Their loads are outside of the data so use at your own risk.

I can say by experience that a 115 gr cast bullet will zip right through 30" of bovine and several milk jugs before exiting and may be still going as far as I know. Some video of part of that experiment is here.
 
Oh, and the cylinder is longer on the Single Seven which is just barely long enough to handle common 327 rounds. I would bet the shorter cylinder on the Single Six would not be long enough to handle most 327 loads.
Yep. You could have the chambers reamed to handle .327 cartridges. But you would have to hand load ammo specifically for it. Factory ammo would be just barely too long. It looks like it would protrude from the end of the .32 cylinder by around 1/16”, and would hit the side of the barrel.

I believe Ruger went with a slightly longer cylinder on the S7 and the barrel protrudes less far into the cylinder window. The result is just enough to fit the .327 in there.

You can see a .327 cartridge laid on top of the S6 .32 cylinder below.

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There is a member on the Ruger.com forum that goes by Hondo44 that has reamed several 32 Single Sixes to 327s with good luck. You can go there and do search and get a lot of information on the subject.

If I was buying I would try to find a Single Seven but if a Six in 32HR came along first I would not hesitated buying it. I have both and find that I get equal enjoyment from both. But, now the Blackhawk and the GP100, nothing compares to those. I load those up hotter than a barefoot lizard on a desert hiway in summertime. Staying within published data I can get 1700 - 1800 FPS out of a 115 cast bullet. The GP100 is the most accurate handgun I have ever fired with the Blackhawk a very close second
 
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