.32 Caliber Revolvers

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Rothdel

New member
Ok this is going to be very general (maybe too much so) so any input or feedback would be appreciated here. I debated if I should put this in the C&R section and could have gone either way but since there are some more modern guns that apply I posted here. If this thread skews too heavily to older guns I understand if it gets moved.

So I own the LCR and SP 101 in .327 Federal along with a Bond Arms with the .327 barrel. After going to the range several times I have developed a bit of a fondness for the .32 family of calibers especially the .32 long and short.

So I started investigating other revolvers (especially older models) and was shocked by the sheer number of models along with makers I am either not overly familiar with or quite frankly had never heard of before.

Colt, S&W, H&R and Iver Johnson I had heard of before and even though I know very little about the H&R's or Ivers I had at least heard of them before.

So what I'm looking for is two fold:

1. are their any reference materials that focus primarily on the .32 family of cartridges and the guns chambered in them? Looking for history and a guide to know what to look for if you purchase.

2. If I wanted to purchase some older guns (no age restriction here just not a lot of modern production .327 firearms) what is worth looking at and what should I absolutely stay away from? I have heard horror stories and positive accounts of both H&R and Iver Johnson and of course have heard of timing concerns with the Colts. Not sure I have ever anything positive or negative about the S&W models.

I kind of paralyzed myself with data here. I really like the looks of the top break .32's but again no clue if they are decent or crap or????
 
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ligonierbill

New member
Well, back in the day, the top break .32 S&W revolvers were considered accurate at "card table" range. I have a H&R in pretty good shape, but I don't shoot it a lot. The ones to look for are Colt's Police Positive and the S&W Regulation Police in .32 S&W Long. I think of them as Ruger Bearcats on steroids. Colt's DA timing is sort of "just in time", but be sure to check any older revolver for timing. I have two Colts and two S&W that do just fine. Unless there is something unique about the gun, they are not too pricey. Top breaks are often dirt cheap, but a lot were black powder guns. It's kind of a shaggy dog story as to why I have one, but I really don't recommend them.
 
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smee78

New member
There are also Taurus and Rossi 32's out there. I also found a liking for the 32's and keep an eye out for a good one.
 
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FITASC

New member
I have a few 32 SWL revolvers. One is a S&W I frame, dainty and fun to shoot with my 85 gr LSWC reloads that use <3grains of Universal or similar powder. Have an older H&R 933 Shopkeeper. Grips seem like they could fit a K frame. Sold a S&W R&P target model from the late 20s. Pawn shop didn't know what it had.................they are out there. Clot made some great ones as well. Just get your terminology about cartridges correct since Colt wouldn't use S&W in a cartridge name, etc. That can get a little confusing sometimes, but there is plenty of literature to explain it all. Most of these can be had for reasonable sums and you can fins them in pawn shops, at gun shows and of course, online.
 
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Rothdel

New member
yeah I saw that and thought about adding to it but the OP was so specific in terms of what he wants and I just don't have the same bias or limitations.

I'm more interested in the overall caliber and the sheer selection out there I was unaware of. I'm actually hoping there are websites devoted to this or a book or something that I can use to further my knowledge. Like I said in my post I was shocked at the number of results I got. Heck the Wikipedia page for the .32 S&W Long just provided lists and lists of firearms with no real information about them.

Where the other thread limited the discussion to 6 shot revolvers for possible defense I am not looking for anything in particular other than the caliber. I thought the differences were unique enough to warrant another thread but if I'm wrong I apologize and will certainly understand if this gets closed.
 
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HighValleyRanch

New member
Nah, doesn't bother me, discuss on!
I was somewhat just poking fun, that's all.:D

I've never explored the world of .32 myself.
I'd love to have a Ruger Bearcat chambered in .327!
 
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reddog81

New member
I'd stick with S&W, Colt or Ruger. There's lots of other stuff out there but most are very old and you'll be taking a gamble whether or not they actually function. If money's no object I believe Korth made some .32's and those would be nicer than any of them but are near impossible to obtain.

Even the old S&W's and Colts can have problems and they were much better made than the other brands.

I'd love to get a hold of a S&W model 16 but I'm not going to pay an arm and a leg for one so that'll probably never happen
 
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Real Gun

New member
My Smith 30-1 is one of the more modern guns, although out of production for some time now. I can't say anything negative about it. The gun is phenomenal. A nice one won't come cheap.
 
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TruthTellers

New member
Charter Arms made a .32 S&W Long 6 shot revolver back in the 70's and 80's. They are supposed to be pretty good revolvers, but you will not find one online for less than $250, so your total price will be something around $300 to get your hands on one.

Not sure if price is a factor for you.

H&R's, at least the non top breaks I had issues with one. Bad timing on two chambers and I sent it back. Haven't had the drive to try buying another 732 model because I don't think they will last. If you need to fix them, there also doesn't appear to be any easy way to work on them because everything is pinned together.

Also, the 632 pull pin models are pretty rare to come by. I've only seen 3 different ones on Gunbroker the last 6 months. I feel that the 632 would have longer longevity than the 732, so I do keep my eye out for them. However, the 632's do not go for that much less than the 732 swing out cylinder models.

I'd say the H&R's are only worth the money if in like new condition and for that, you're likely going to pay $250 or more for the 732, probably $200 for the 632. Also, the longer barrel models tend to fetch higher prices.

I think if you're interested in top break .32's, H&R and Iver Johnson are the best to buy because they seem to be the most common, thus you have a larger base to work with if you need replacement parts.

S&W top breaks will cost a lot more than Iver Johnson or H&R. Buy if you really want it.

I'd steer clear of any other top break .32 manufacturer besides the ones I mentioned. I know I am.

Other .32's? I just got a Heritage single action .32 H&R and it's freakin sweet. Basically a Ruger Single Six for half the cost. Keep an eye out for them, they're not common.

Charter makes the .32 H&R Mag Undercoverette, but it's a 5 shot and a 5 shot .32 that's the same size as a 5 shot .38 is pointless. Buy only if you really want it.

I don't care for the older S&W .32's, they look ugly. The older Colt's look so refined and good that I would buy a Police Positive if I felt like dropping almost as much money on one as a Ruger .327, but I don't feel like doing that. Those old Colt Police Positives aren't getting any younger and if you want one in nice condition, buy sooner than later because some people don't take care of guns as well as you likely will.

EDIT: Oh, and steer clear of the NEF .32 Magnum revolvers. Those things may be cheap, but they are the reason the majority of .32 H&R Mag factory ammo is downloaded to barely hotter than .32 S&W Long ammo.
 
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walks with gun

New member
I bought my daughter a 5.5 inch Ruger Single Six in .32H&R mag when she was around 12, she never used it so I carried it around as a ranch gun, it works wonders on feral cats and skunks with my reloads of cast bullets, very accurate gentle recoiling gun. When I was a youngster about 10 or 11 one of the local gun shops had a old 7.5inch factory engraved Bisley in 32-20 that I drooled over till that shop burnt down, I really wanted that old colt. In the local pawn shop here there is a S&W model 10 in 32-20 that has been reblued by a decent gunsmith, it probably ruined the collector value but if I had a extra $500.00 I'd sure like to take that baby home with me. >32's used to be pretty common and if a guy handloads, still a fun trail or plinking round.
 
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tallball

New member
I own about ten 32 caliber handguns...

Several of them are H&R or the sister company NEF. The ones I bought showed little wear and were inexpensive. They work just fine.

Old 32 caliber revolvers in 32 S&W short or long are not in great demand. If their finish is not great and you just want them as a reliable shooter, be patient and you can get them on Gunbroker for less than $200 with no problem. I got my S&W Hand Ejector for $125, and it shoots just fine. The finish is worn, but I don't care.

The Charter Arms Undercoverette is still in production. It is 32 H&R magnum. Mine has been 100% reliable and I got it barely used for cheap. I have been pleased by my CA handguns.

I had a Mosin-Nagant Russian 32-caliber revolver. It is in some Russian cartridge, but will shoot 32 S&W long. It had the worst trigger of any firearm I have ever shot, so I got rid of it.

My Ruger Single Six in 32 H&R is a tack driver. They are somewhat rare. I haunted Gunbroker for one with a worn finish forever and finally got one for around $300. With 32 S&W long it feels about like my 22lr Single Six. It is almost ridiculous that a revolver can shoot a hunk of lead so much bigger than a 22, be just as accurate, and it still feels like shooting a 22.

I paid good money for a brand-new Ruger Sp101 in 327 magnum and kind of wish I hadn't. The trigger is really that bad. I should start hunting for a GP100 in that caliber. I would guess that they are much better.

I own a bunch of 32acp pistols as well. it is also a fun caliber. My Colt 1903 and my Beretta 100 (rare long-barreled target pistol) are my absolute favorites.

A great factor about 32 revolvers is the variety of calibers they will shoot. If they are chambered for 32 S&W short, that's all they should shoot. If they are chambered for 32 S&W long, they can shoot short or long. If they chambered for 32H&R magnum, they can shoot that caliber, or shot or long; they might or might not be able to fire 32acp - they can handle the pressure (which is too high to regularly shoot in short or long revolvers), but the firing pin may or may not be long enough for reliable ignition. If they are chambered for 327 magnum, they can shoot the above-mentioned 32 revolver calibers, and they may or may not reliably fire 32acp (they are way more than strong enough for it).

I very much like my 32 revolvers. When people talk about using 22 for SD I am always confused. 32 S&W long was a popular caliber for a long time, and slings a hunk of lead twice as large with the same infinitesimal recoil. Why wouldn't you use it instead? And 32 H&R magnum is a quite effective SD round (supposedly the same as a mild 38 special) with barely more recoil than the 32 S&W long. Why would you use a 22?
 
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Real Gun

New member
I paid good money for a brand-new Ruger Sp101 in 327 magnum and kind of wish I hadn't. The trigger is really that bad. I should start hunting for a GP100 in that caliber. I would guess that they are much better.
Click to expand...

I put a one step lighter spring in my SP101 4". Two steps lighter (10 instead of 12) gave me light strikes on Small Rifle primers.
 
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Rothdel

New member
wow thanks for all the replies.

I kind of assumed the H&R's/Iver Johnson's (not sure why I always throw them in the same bucket) had some issues. I got to handle a few top breaks at a local gun show a few weeks back and for the right price I might take a shot on one or two as a fun range toy or worst comes to worse a decent conversation piece.

What I'm really interested in is the smaller ruger single actions or the colt and S&W double actions.

I also got to handle a couple of Colts at the same gun show mentioned above but 1 had obvious mechanical issues with the cylinder freely rotating at all time. Was sold as a parts gun. The other gun would index the cylinder on single action mode but would not fully lock until the trigger was pulled. With out knowing more about this model and any mechanical oddities I was too nervous to pull the trigger so to speak.
 
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walks with gun

New member
Many of the little top break revolvers like the H&R and Iver Johnsons, spit more lead from the sides of the cylinders than down the barrel. When in good working order they are fun to play with, but kind of a waste of money. The same loval pawn shop up here that has the S&W model 10 in 32-20 also has a old S&W break open (lemon Squeezer) for around $300.
 
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tallball

New member
It is supposed to be hard to find parts and qualified gunsmiths for the old Colts. I am pretty sure that there are 327 magnum Ruger GP100's, but they are rare. An old S&W in 32 long is easy to find, and some end up being very inexpensive. People don't seem to want that caliber anymore.
 
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Bob Wright

New member
With all the palaver about the .32 I've not seen much mention of the .32-20. The .32-20 revolver very nearly became the standard police load in the early 1900s. Many medium framed Colts and S&W double action (DA) revolvers were found in that caliber. Also during WW II some defense plant guards carried S&W Victory models in .32-20 caliber.

I've always fancied having a Colt New Frontier or Ruger Blackhawk with 7 1/2" barrel in .32-20. Makes a fine varmint combination.

Bob Wright
 
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