The .32 S&W Long as a man-stopper

[HumptyDumpty]

.....The same situation is echoed to some degree with the 32 H&R magnum wannabe because it had to be usable in the H&R guns, so it was not until the arrival of the 327 Fed Mag that manufacturers could push the limits safely… there are no “Saturday Night Specials” chambered in 327 FM!

Froggie

This is something I have heard and read from many sources. Just what is the issue with the original H&R Magnum revolvers? Poor heat treatment, cheap alloy, lack of QC, something else? Do they tend to fail catastrophically, are do they simply wear-out quickly? I've owned many of their pistols in 32 short and long, and none looked poorly built, not that one can always tell.

[racepres]

My $0.02
When the 32H&R Mag was developed, The 32S&W Long had already been Castrated, by development solely for Blowback auto pistols with HBWC... Target Only stuff.
The H&R had No real competition...so, as compared to the Lame 32 S&W Long...it was indeed a Powerhouse... Not having the Luxury of comparing to the 327, it probably seemed entirely viable, without putting any strain whatsoever on the Firearms of the day!!
Then...Like some other Cartriges, the Ruger Single action and Thompson Contender Only loads caused an "Upgrade".
Just my take on the whole thing...
ai would add that I have personally only seen one H&R revolver that was loose, Damaged. and that was solely by Abuse!! yet it was a 22lr!!!
Had a Bad Life/Owner!!!
Anyone has an H&R revolver damaged by overloads??? More than any other Manufacturer??
You would have to have Zero Feeling, in your hand, (Head too) to shoot Overloads in an H&R revolver!!!

[Green Frog]

We're getting pretty far adrift from the original topic of this thread. Perhaps someone would like to begin a thread on the 32 H&R, its hopes, strengths, shortcomings, etc. I will say to those who think of the factory 32 H&R as a big improvement over the 32 S&W Long are just seeing the lack of strength in the latter, not the great power in the former.

Many of us old timers can remember when Skeeter Skelton enthusiastically stoked up the H&R rounds in his then-new Ruger Single Six and showed its potential, before the corporate lawyers caught on. As I mentioned, I've done the same thing with S&W L, but won't discuss actual loads because the aren't for the "faint of heart" nor yet more powder than good sense!

Green Frog

[racepres]

Not really that far adrift... the .32 S&W Long as a manstopper???
Not with the Current crop of Loadings...it is Decidedly Not, it is Only a Target Cartridge. .. if, However, loaded to original potential...ie at least to the pressure levels of 32 S&W (short if you must) it is much closer to being...
Now, back to our regularly scheduled Banter.

[Mk42gunner]

This is something I have heard and read from many sources. Just what is the issue with the original H&R Magnum revolvers? Poor heat treatment, cheap alloy, lack of QC, something else? Do they tend to fail catastrophically, are do they simply wear-out quickly? I've owned many of their pistols in 32 short and long, and none looked poorly built, not that one can always tell.

I'll preface this by stating that I only own one H&R revolver, a seven shot .22 Special. From what I could find out a few years ago it was the precursor to the plethora of H&R 9 shot .22's.

My take on the .32 H&R Magnum in H&R guns is that they are safe with factory level loads, but may not be with Ruger level loads. I think they were meant to be carried a lot but shot very little. I have no idea how they would stand up to several thousand rounds of use.

The problem came when Ruger and S&W started chambering the .32 H&R magnum in larger stronger(?) guns. I know I fell into this group for a while, the diameter of the Ruger SSM cylinder is within thousandths of an inch of a K frame S&W cylinder.

I finally wised up and decided if I needed to push a .32 mag that hard, I should just grab one of the .357's in the safe. Plus hot loads and heavy boolits need a taller front sight.

As for hot rodding the .32 S&W Long, I have a couple of little tiny I frame Model of 1903 Hand Ejectors that I do not want to damage, so all my Long brass gets loaded with I frame safe loads.

Robert

[35remington]

In any safe for vintage Colt or S and W revolvers the 32 long loaded with a humble 98 grain wadcutter or semiwadcutter has plenty of velocity to propel a bullet in a penetrative sense way past the FBI approved requirements. With the SWC the 32 Long will be very penetrative.

Give that some thought before proclaiming the 32 Long isn’t this or that.

[LouisianaMan]

Excellent points, Froggie!

[Alferd Packer]

Gotta love the earliest models, just be careful if you want to shoot them.
They are the forerunners of the ones we have fun with today.

[Alferd Packer]

I agree with 35REMINGTON and what he said about FBI penetration in the torso.
A headshot is also to be considered.Carrying a .32 long as a pleasurable shooting iron that can also be used to defend your person.
Heavier caliber guns aren't as pleasurable for me to shoot with.

[Green Frog]

With the knowledge that more civilians have been killed with the 22 LR than any other caliber, I feel in no way “undergunned” when armed with my little I frame 32 S&W Long snub for EDC. If I have the likelihood of facing a maddened crowd of Zombie Biker Meth Heads, I’ll probably stay home, or bring heavy weapons and several friends with heavy weapons, and lots of ammo... lots and lots of ammo!
Froggie

[Lance Boyle]

Wow, I am glad I kept trying things.


I loaded the Speer 98 HBWC over 1.7 grains of WST and used a winchester primer. I may not win a bullseye match but my little 631 S&W like this load. About a 3” group with a single wide flier. 12 shots off the bench to test the load. Much better than the ho hum group I got with W231. It feels more snappy too. The other loads were more the puff ball variety.

My Ruger was supposed to be back from the factory but Fed Ex rescheduled the drop off until tomorrow. The SP101 hopefully will be as fun.

I think the gun needs some speed for groups. I wonder what a lighter wad cutter would do. The lightest .32 cal bullets are Missouri cowboy 78 grain LRN. I have not tried them yet.

My own cast with an Arsenal 98 grain plain base Keith mold load wasn’t quite there yet. I may try a softer alloy. I used wheel weights. May try 30 or 40 to 1.

[Tall]

I took my Smith & Wesson 32 Hand Ejector Target to the range today. According to Roy Jinks it shipped out May 1907 - President Roosevelt was in office, the panic of 1907 had not happened yet, income taxes were more than 10 years in the future, and Prohibition was a fantasy held by some in the pro - Temperance league.

I would sure hate to be on the barrel end when a 98 grain Round Nose lead projectile comes out. Those might kill you.

[Mk42gunner]

I would sure hate to be on the barrel end when a 98 grain Round Nose lead projectile comes out. Those might kill you.

Geez Tall,
I really don't want to be in front of anything that propels a projectile when it goes off, including a bb gun. Gunpowder would just make it worse.

Robert

[trapper9260]

Geez Tall,
I really don't want to be in front of anything that propels a projectile when it goes off, including a bb gun. Gunpowder would just make it worse.

Robert

You got it . Some say how weak some are not good for self defense . I wonder if those same ones wiling to do just what you stated . To me a 32 Long is not a round that should be over looked by some of today . I know with the right bullet and charge of powder . It can do alot of damage ,like other rounds that some over look. Also some cartridges have a certain purpose for use . Just like the 32 ACP . The ammo that was used alot in overseas.

[schutzen-jager]

iirc - when Teddy Roosevelt was NYC police commissioner in late 1890's, he standardized the .32 long as dept issue -

[Green Frog]

In this day and age where folks have been programmed to believe that a bullet needs to be relatively heavy in weight, large in diameter, and traveling at a high rate of speed to be effective against a bad guy, we should remember that a lot of folks in non-military scenarios are killed with 22s. Bullet placement makes relatively small, “weak” rounds effective while a fast heavy bullet that misses is still a……. miss!

The more I delve into the use of various 32s as “all around rounds”, the more impressed I become. At the ripe old age of 75, I’m no longer out to impress anyone, I just want to shoot what works for me. YMMV.

Froggie