Single Six 32 HR mag anyone?

[barnabus]

i have been looking at single sevens and gp100s in 327 mag but just not sure thats what i want to do or need sooooo, i got an eye on a single six in 32 HR mag and was wondering if anyone here has one and can speak to accuracy and cast bullet mould and powder.thanks

[BAGTIC]

I had one. I had great results with the SAECO SWC 98? grain in my six inch Single Six. 1200 fps and 8 fps SD with Blue Dot. Sorry but I don't remember the exact charge as it has been years. Nothing wrong with the cartridge. I had an H&R 22 Hornet rebored for the 32 H&R Magnum. I just finally realized I was not personally compatible with single action revolvers.

[Harry O]

I have one of the early ones with fully adjustable sights. It is VERY accurate with just about anything I load for it. I have several powders that all work good (Unique, HS-6, 2400 for heavier loads, Red Dot, Bullseye, for lighter loads). It also shoots well with just about an bullet I load for it (RCBS 98gr RNFP, Lyman 311008, Hornady XTP, Remington jacketed soft-nose flat-point, a GC HP B&M of about 115gr --similar to the 311316). That particular gun is VERY strong. Skeeter Skelton loaded it up to 40,000psi. I don't load it that high, but I do load some to what I think is about 28,000psi (no problems with that pressure during the last 20-25 years). With jacketed for that, it is just as accurate as the lesser loads with lead bullets. You will not be disappointed with it.

[Wheelguns 1961]

I have one of the newer ones. A bisley 61/2”. I like it alot. I also have a single 7 and a .327 gp100. After shooting the .327’s, the .32hrm feels like a .22, but I still like it. It is an accurate little setup. The front sight wasn’t tall enough from the factory, but a 2dogs front sight fixed that.

[Outpost75]

Had a Ruger in 4-5/8". Sold it and regretted it ever since. Tack driving accurate with RCBS 32-98 SWC with 2.5 grains of Bullseye in .32 S&W Long brass or 3 grains in .32 H&R Mag. brass.

[ReloaderFred]

I've got two of them. Both are great shooters, and a pound of alloy makes a lot of bullets for the little .32 H&R Single Six.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Green Frog]

If you have a 327 FM, it will fire 32 H&R ammo. If you have a 32 H&R it will not chamber 327 FM. The 327 ammo seems to be getting more abundant than 32 H&R. To me, there is no question, I have a SA and a DA in 327 FM, the rest of my 32s are all 32 S&W... I no longer own a 32 H&R, but if I did, I would have it rechambered to 327 FM ASAP. JMHO, I guess, but then again, "Been there, done that, got the T-shirt."

Froggie

[MtnGunner]

I've got a recent manufacture Bisley 6 1/2" with Two Dogs front sight. It's a great shooting .32 and goes well with my 5 1/2 Bisley single seven that also has a Two Dogs front sight. I just purchased a Freedom Arms 97 with .32 mag and .32-20 cylinders, so not sure if the .32 mag will stick around or not. I've got three other .32 mags so it is a little redundant but I do enjoy shooting it.

[GhostHawk]

Got mine about 6 months ago.

So far I have only shot .32sw long in it.

Lee .314 90 gr truncated cone tumble lubed with BLL over 2 grains of Red Dot.


Dang accurate IMO for a pistol.

I have not tried pushing distance yet, but it does a very nice tight group at 20 feet.

I'm happy as can be with mine.

I do have .32 H&R mag brass but have not seen any real reason to want more power, speed than the .32sw long gives me, at this point. That may change over time.

The .32sw long is so comfortable to shoot and so accurate I really don't see much need for more power, speed. But that is just my opinion, YMMV.

[rking22]

I also have a 4 5/8 from the 80s. I love it, I load it about like Outpost75 and it tickles me no end. Now the 327 would be ok too, but I latched on to the first 32HR I ran across. I missed them in the 80s , this one is staying with me! Favorite bullets, 98RCBS by NOE and 311008s around 850 to 1000fps are putstanding, green dot works well for fuel!

[contender1]

I don't know if I'm qualified to answer this. I only own 8 Ruger Single-Six 32 H&R's and a pair of the 327's, along with a SP-101 in 32 mag.

Do not buy one. They are addictive, and you can't stop at just one.

Seriously,, they are great guns, and while many folks feel the Single-Seven is a better option,, I'd not hesitate to buy another 32 mag if another deal comes along.

[rockshooter]

I have one of the earlier 4 5/8" short frame single sixes and really like it. As mentioned earlier, it makes the single 7 seem large because of the grip and sight differences. I have settled on the NOE version of 311008 with 231 (I get about 943 fps as a plinking load) and a 100gr plated bullet and AA5. Exceptional long-range accuracy.
Loren

[rintinglen]

My brother has a 6 1/2 inch Bisley 32 H&R that I would dearly love to have. 32-98 SWC RCBS boolits and 3.2 grains of ww-231seem to be a perfect match for that gun. I had a Black Hawk 327 but found it to be too much gun for the caliber and cheerfully parted with it to buy a pair of 327 Single 7's instead. They came in handy during the great 22 drought of 13-16.
IME, the 32 mag is a spiffy little bunny blaster that would be dandy for tree rats as well!

[cwlongshot]

I had two of them as well. I bought one when they first came out and a second when my wife expressed interest in Cowboy shooting.

That phase past and I sold them. I saw a Ruger Bisley, 32 H&R and it haunted me the remainder of that day. I called the shop the following morning to buy the gun and it had been sold. This was before the 327 existed. Today, I think I would rather the 327, simply cause I can shoot H&Rs too.

The guns shot lights out with my 32/20 115 SWC bullets! I have pics somewhere of a trip to Maine where we hunted Snow Shoes and I used my 20 870 and one of these 32 H&R. EVERY bunny I shot was with the 32 as the snow was patchy but the bunnies where all white and easy to see! Its a dandy bunny gun with those 115g SWC!

CW

[Green Frog]

Upon rereading my post, I think I came off a bit too strident with regard to the 32 H&R caliber. Its not that I dislike the 32 H&R caliber itself, I just took the OPs question to be about the guns, in which case I stand by my answer. If I want to shoot any of the excellent loads that have been developed over the years for the 32 H&R, both my (discontinued) Blackhawk 8-shooter and my (custom) K-frame S&W handle any of them with alacrity... then if I want to dial up the power a bit, I have the option of using 327 brass and getting some serious bang for my buck. Of course I can also shoot cat sneeze loads in 32 S&W Long brass and pretend I'm shooting 22 RF.

Mr rockshooter, I got one of the group buy NOE 311008 copies when they came out (mine was .314" w/o gas check) and I really like it for my 327 FM loads... it actually runs heavier than the original (~115 gr) weight by about 10 gr, and although I haven't measured it, appears to be somewhat longer as well. Perfect for the 327, but a bit heavy for the 32 H&R. Is your example the same way or did the bullet get redesigned when it went into regular production? If your recommended 32 H&R load is for the heavier bullet, that will be another tool in my toolbox, and if it is the smaller one, I'll just drag out my original DC Ideal 3118 mould and use some of those bullets.

Rintinglen, when you sold that 327 Blackhawk, I hope you waited until the prices went up sufficiently to profit from its rarity. I was short sighted enough when I sold my Buckeye Special 32 Combo Blackhawk too soon and missed out on a great chance for profit. I don't find my 327 Blackhawk too large for the caliber, but that's because I like to shoot the 327 at a somewhat advanced power level, inappropriate for lesser guns. The one gun in 32 H&R that I truly lust after is the equally expensive and hard to find S&W Model 631. That is the perfect platform for the caliber, providing sufficient strength for the power level while retaining a small, handy size. If I had one of those J-frames, my several I-frame 32s would be in danger of losing their happy home.

Froggie

[Dale53]

I had a Ruger SS .32 H&R Magnum with a 4 5/8" barrel. My local shooting buddy had a 6.5" Model. Both our Rugers shot really well with the RCBS 98 gr. SWC. We used ours for Range use as well as edible small game. We both had access to great small game hunting areas so our Rugers got a great deal of time in the field.

Our guns shot really well with both S&W Longs as well as H&R Mag cases (both loaded with the RCBS 98gr. SWC as well as a Lee Wadcutter). Their field performance was exemplary.

Frankly, I consider the .32 H&R cartridge (as loaded with my own cast bullets) to be superior to any .327 Federal). I have NO need for a rip snorting ear blaster for range use NOR for small game. A 95-100 gr. SWC at 850-900 fps. is a superior game getter and doesn't blast your ears off. Further, used a these reasonable velocities the .32 S&W Long and .32 H&R have superior ballistic properties. Yeah, they don't cause wide swings in velocity due to excess capacity when downloaded (H&R). In a strong revolver, the Long works quite well when loaded to it's potential, also.

FWIW
Dale53

[KCSO]

Got a Bisley with a 6" tube and it is the most accurate factory gun I ever shot. One hole groups at 25 yards!

[Texas by God]

I've owned a few Ruger SSM .32 H&Rs. 4-5/8" to 9-1/2". I liked the short barrel the best of all. I scoped a 6-1/2" one and six shot 4" groups were easy- at 100yards. I'm always looking for a 4-5/8 and now I'm smart enough to keep it if I find one! My favorite boolit was the Lee 314TL90swc and the pre-xtp Hornady 85gr hp.

[Harry O]

Do not buy one. They are addictive, and you can't stop at just one.

True on this.



These are my .32 H&R Magnums (the S&W NewModel 16 has been rechambered to 32-20 since then). I have more .32 S&W Longs, fewer .32ACP's. even fewer 32-20's, two .32 Long Colts, but no .327's (at least yet).

[Harry O]

Frankly, I consider the .32 H&R cartridge (as loaded with my own cast bullets) to be superior to any .327 Federal). I have NO need for a rip snorting ear blaster for range use NOR for small game. A 95-100 gr. SWC at 850-900 fps. is a superior game getter and doesn't blast your ears off. Further, used a these reasonable velocities the .32 S&W Long and .32 H&R have superior ballistic properties. In a strong revolver, the Long works quite well when loaded to it's potential, also.

FWIW
Dale53

True on this, too.

When I found out that .22LR was marginal (remember this was before Hypervelocity .22LR's) on small game using a handgun, I borrowed my fathers Police Positive Special in 32-20 and found that it was perfect for small game hunting (meaning squirrel and rabbit sized animals). The only problem was keeping it fed. I eventually was able to buy a H&R .32 S&W Long revolver with a 4" (or 6", I can't remember) pencil thin barrel and a windage adjustable rear sight. It did well also. I started experimenting with hotter loads and found that a 90gr to 100gr lead bullet at 900fps to 950fps was just about perfect for what I was hunting. It was accurate enough, anchored them decisively, and did not rip up the meat too badly. I would imagine that there would not be much left if I used a .327.

I had some problems when the .32 H&R Magnum first came out. The Federal brass cases were brittle. I could only get 2 or 3 shots with them before they split. I nearly gave up on the .32 Mag until Starline came out with good brass. I did have a little problem with early brass from them. The length of the case varied all over the map, sometimes being as much as 0.030" more than maximum length. Trimming took care of that. Starlines quality control has improved since then. I found that stock factory rounds were not much more powerful than my .32 S&W Long handloads and they worked just as well when hunting. I did some experimenting with hotter loads, but it was not better, only destroying more meat. So, most of my handloads duplicate factory loads now. I have not been hunting with most of my .32 H&R Magnums because it is difficult with my health anymore and everywhere I used to hunt is houses and fast-food places.

My H&R revolvers and early Colts favor 0.313" to 0.314" bullets. My S&W and Ruger revolvers favor 0.312" bullets.I have one heavy load with 2400 powder, just for the heck of it, that I use ONLY in my two Ruger revolvers. Accurate. In fact, EVERY revolver shown in my photo is accurate. Nice guns and a nice caliber.