In defense of the lowly .32....
Note: Before I say anything, folks, please don't jump up and post something telling me that there are better calibers out there for self defense. I know that already.
Yes, there are more powerful cartridges out there but .32 S&W does work. A round of Magtech .32 short out of a 3" barrel will blow right through a wet, treated 2X4. I know because I did it. I'm sure that William McKinley and King Umberto of Italy would, if they could, attest to the effectiveness of the ol' Iver Johnson pocket .32 topbreak.
Judging from ballistics figures, the .32 short is a bump up from a .22 LR. and it
is a viable cartridge. Some of the guns chambered for .32 S&W were incredibly small. Those H&R, Iver Johnson/US Revolver Co guns, were solid, dependable, affordable pocket guns. I think that these makers did more to enable common (poor) people to defend themselves than Samuel Colt ever did, despite the old saying.
Most were made in the late 19th and early 20th century, were of low price and quality to begin with, made of cast iron, and wore out or broke quickly.
I disagree with the above. Cast iron???!!! Do you have a reference for that? I'm pretty sure that they were of steel. Mine are, anyway. Also, most of them were made right up until WWII and the majority were made in the last 30 years before the war, well into the smokeless powder era. Legitimate 19th century ones are fairly hard to come by.
They weren't substandard in quality. They certainly weren't deluxe guns but they were safe and perfectly functional. I'd call them "affordable." Just because they cost $3.00 when new doesn't mean that they were junk. Remember that Ford only paid $5.00 per day for their auto workers, and that was more than anyone else did at the time. Keep in mind that the other auto makers' unionized workers made even less! The first minimum wage bill, in 1933, was for 25 cents/hr. $3.00 was a good chunk of cash back then.
Like any mechanism, they're just as good as a previous owner's maintainance habits. One can easily find a wall hanger but one can also find a gem. If one looks enough, that is. And, believe it or not, Wolff and Numrich have replacement springs for pretty much any one you come up with. Cheap, too. I know this because I've gotten them from them.
OK, back to the OP's questions: My girlfriend, after a long search for something she's comfortable shooting and an even longer journey trying to get her to see the value of self defense, has her own carry permit and carries an H&R .32 topbreak with her, 24/7. I would say that it's a pretty effective "get off me." Better, anyway, than mere words. It's the one in the top photo. It's small, light and hammerless (snagless,) perfect for her pocket (not the purse!) The long walk through the dark parking lot after work is no longer as worrisome for her.
batjka:
I know these guns pretty well, better than most. Good ones pop up every now and then on Gunbroker, et al. If you're seriously considering one of these and find one worth considering, feel free to PM me if you have any questions. I'll even sell the top one in the below picture to you for $100 plus $15 shipping. Someone had some salty sweat so there's a finish issue but it locks up as tight as the day it was made. Mechanically, it's perfect. I probably have 150 rounds through it, at the very least, so I know it shoots well.
The bottom photo shows how small one is (on top in photo) when compared to my P3AT. The top one is mine, thus the visible hammer. Although it's a US Revolver Co (made by Iver Johnson) product and not an H&R, it's the same size as hers in the top picture. The middle gun, BTW, is a US Revolver Co 7 shot, DA .22 LR. That one is really tiny and is the lightest gun I own. It works well with Aguila Supermaximums, too. Sometimes I even carry it when I'm in a lighthearted mood.
