.32 Revolver Opinions

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  • Redd508

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    May 18, 2012
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    I've been thinking about picking up a .32 revolver for fun. I cast and reload so I'm not worried about ammo cost or availability. So i'm looking for feedback from those of you that have them. What makes and models are available and what should I avoid? I'm much more interested in the 32 h&r, 32 long and 32 short than the 327 fed so my questions are about those 3. Is anyone handloading for one of these calibers and what are your experiences? Thanks in advance.
     

    troy_mclure

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    Mar 13, 2010
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    I had a 1900's h&r .32 s&w(short) black power only. I used #1.5 buck, 2 pellets/88gr, and I think 4gr BP. Killer shot at 5-10 yds. Fun and cheap shooter. You can pick them up all day for $60-$90 at pawn shops and auction sites.
    Molds for 70-90 gr .31-.33 boolit are cheap on ebay.
     

    xobelkcat

    tacklebox
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    If it were me, I would choose the lcr in .327 fed mag. if it was going to be used as personal protection. If I were just wanting to plink I would choose the Ruger single 7 in .327 fed mag. and shoot 32 long wad cutters.
     

    highstandard40

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    Which revolver you choose will be based on what your shooting interests are. A revolver chambered for .327 can chamber and shoot 32 S&W Long and 32 H&R so it will give you a lot of options. If you want to CC from time to time, obviously a smaller handgun would be the best option. If you only want to informally shoot at the range for fun, you might consider a Ruger Single Seven. I do cast and reload for the 32s. At one time I had an old S&W Hand Ejector in 32 S&W Long. I now have a Ruger Blackhawk Convertible Buckeye that is chambered for 32H&R and 32-20. It has been mentioned that the 327 and the H&R are very loud. This is true if you shoot factory loads. But if you hand load you can reduce the power level easily. The 327 would give you endless options of power levels if you load your own. I have two molds, one by Lee and a custom mold from Accurate. Both deliver accurate bullets for my Ruger. I don't use my Lee mold much because the Acccurate mold is so much easier to use and drops a much higher quality bullet.
     
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    Redd508

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    May 18, 2012
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    As stated before, I'm not really interested in the 327 mag. Primary use would have to be punchung paper. It may do double duty dispatching vermin around the homestead but no serious work will be required of it. Highstandard, I'd be interested in hearing more about the Blackhawk and what loads you found to be most accurate. Troy, i dont think I've ever seen that one before. Does it have a model #?
     

    3fifty7

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    The only experience I have with a .32S&W long is an Arminius HW3 I picked up from a pawn shop about 15 years ago. It's a snub nose 7 shot that is a pretty solid little revolver. I stocked up on Magtech 98gr SJHP. I don't try to target shoot with it, more like 7 rounds on an 8" paper plate at 8 yards in 7 seconds, also put down a couple of raccoons we had trapped last fall.


    Sent via telegraph with the same fingers I use to sip whiskey.
     

    Metryshooter

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    Get a Nagant revolver. They're cheap and can fire 32 shorts, longs, and H&R. As an added benefit in double action it's like firing a stress ball.
     

    highstandard40

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    As stated before, I'm not really interested in the 327 mag. Primary use would have to be punchung paper. It may do double duty dispatching vermin around the homestead but no serious work will be required of it. Highstandard, I'd be interested in hearing more about the Blackhawk and what loads you found to be most accurate. Troy, i dont think I've ever seen that one before. Does it have a model #?

    My Blackhawk revolver was a limited special edition and is no longer available unless you can find one on an auction site. If you are planning to buy a new gun, you will have trouble finding anything except a 327. I know you said that you aren't interested in the 327 and only want to punch paper. But there is no reason why you can't reduce your loads to a pleasant and enjoyable level. There are plenty of available powders that can be used to achieve a light load in the 327 and accuracy will likely be better than if you use 32 S&W brass in a 327 chamber.
     

    DBMJR1

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    Jul 27, 2008
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    I shoot .32/20 out of a Colt Police Positive.

    Pros: Very accurate. Economical to reload. Easy to cast for. Very little recoil.

    Cons: Brass is hard to come by. Bottleneck requires lube, (no carbide die).
     

    Redd508

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    May 18, 2012
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    My Blackhawk revolver was a limited special edition and is no longer available unless you can find one on an auction site. If you are planning to buy a new gun, you will have trouble finding anything except a 327.

    I didn't expect to find anything new below 32 h&r. I want to find a couple of the older wheel guns that are still servicable. I like the top breaks too.
     
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    Revolvergeek

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    May 18, 2009
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    Last time I was at Cabela's there were a several assorted revolvers in .32 long and .32-20.

    I have never reloaded for .32-20 but picking up a Colt Police Positive or S&W M&P in that caliber is on my long term project list. Very important to remember with looking at the old Colts that .32 Colt (smaller diameter healed bullet) and .32 Colt New Police (aka .32 S&W Long) are completely different calibers. Some gun / pawn shops don't understand this and will tag the guns incorrectly. All of the S&W M&P in .32-20 are pre WWII. Colt and S&W both made a variety of .32 S&W long revolvers up until the 1970s and 80s respectively (I think). Charter Arms made some as also but, well, those are Charter Arms...

    There are few sweeter, more versatile and well mannered revolvers than an older Ruger Single Six in .32 H&R Magnum. The Single Seven in .327 magnum is a little heavier for the same barrel length (all stainless steel on it vs. alloy grip frame on the Single Six, but you can fit a new grip frame if you want) and the six shot cylinder of the single six lines up more readily with loading gate on most guns. Factory .327 magnum is nasty to shoot out of a smallish handgun. .32 magnum generally takes well to a wide range of bullet weights. I have loaded from 75 grain to 120 grain in it. I have found the slightly heavier bullets loaded slower to be quite pleasant to play with. Lots of bullets intended for the .32-20 in the 115-120 range will work and give a little more thump on critters when loads are kept to more ear friendly subsonic velocities. 100 grain target wadcutter handloads cut perfect little round drill bit style holes in everything. There are a number of cool WFN and Keith style LSW custom mold options in the 130-140 grn weight out there also.

    There are Blackhawks out there in .32 mag / .32-20 and .327 mag, but they just end up adding a lot of weight to things and to me aren't as much fun if you are only wanting to shoot quiet loads. They are amazing things if you want to hotrod them though and will shoot serious boomingeflamen loads.

    There are lots of little S&W i and j frame .32 longs are still out there floating around in the pawn shops. The sights on them are small but they are generally capable of surprising accuracy. The older i-frame guns can often be found with a 3 or 4.25" inch barrel, making them even more friendly for kit gun use. J frames can also be found with 3 or 4 " barrels but they tend to command a premium because collector interest is rising in them. .32 long when handloaded with nice flat point bullets or wadcutters is far more effective than most .22 hyper velocity rimfire loads but much quieter to shoot, and these days cheaper to reload. The old Colt Pocket Positive is in the class also but is a smaller, lighter gun than the S&W's that should be kept to standard pressure loads only. Too small for me personally, but they are little pre-war jewels.

    My personal opinion regarding the various .32 top breaks, but most of them are 1) older, 2) weaker, 3) have worse triggers than the various S&W/ Colt / Ruger options and 4) generally replacement parts are almost impossible. They are neat to play with but do not make the best routine shooters. They are generally pretty cheap though.

    Regarding the Nagant revolver shooting all the various calibers in my experience that is a bad idea in most of them if you actually want to be able to reload the brass. The few times that I have seen that done the .32 long / magnum cases generally either split or bulge so badly that they wear out quickly. Accuracy can be somewhat wanting also.
     
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    tallguy606

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    Dec 30, 2010
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    I had a .32 Mag Ruger SP101 for a year or two, and shot a lot of mild .32 loads out of it. Very accurate. Finally I found it was a discontinued collector's item gun, sold it for $650, then sold all the .32 components etc. Too similar to my .38 Special plinker loads. But it was a fun gun.
     

    340six

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    A Ruger single action 32 was on my short list. As I have this mold to load my moms old 7.65 French Long MAS pistol
    Will use it in the converted 5.56 cases made into 7 .62x25 Tokarev
     
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    DBMJR1

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    Yes, but Starline only makes .32/20 once every so often. I had to wait quite some time, but eventually I got 500 pieces. It was worth the wait.
     

    troy_mclure

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    Mar 13, 2010
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    As stated before, I'm not really interested in the 327 mag. Primary use would have to be punchung paper. It may do double duty dispatching vermin around the homestead but no serious work will be required of it. Highstandard, I'd be interested in hearing more about the Blackhawk and what loads you found to be most accurate. Troy, i dont think I've ever seen that one before. Does it have a model #?
    I don't remember the model, but the Spaniards made a ton of cheap .32 revolver 1900-1940 or so.
     

    Redd508

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    May 18, 2012
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    I do like the H&R's. My dad bought a 22 mag back in the day that i got to spend some time with.
     
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