By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
Last year’s introduction of a J-frame Smith & Wesson 6-shot revolver chambered for the .32 H&R Magnum—a collaboration with Lipsey’s that happened in tandem with the revival of the S&W Mountain Gun—came as good news to me because I’ve had a “thing” about this cartridge since its introduction back in 1984.
At the time, I was writing for a now-defunct outdoor publication where I was sort of the unofficial guns and shooting editor along with handling two of the regional editions this tabloid newspaper circulated through the western states. It was as joint effort by the old Harrington & Richardson firm and Federal Ammunition, and the result was a cartridge which made a bigger impression than the first revolvers built around it.
As a defensive round, it was miles ahead of the .32 ACP, capable of launching a 100-grain JSP or JHP bullet above 1,000 fps. While I saw it as a decent defensive round for close, personal work, it also immediately struck me as perfect for small game; rabbits, raccoons, bobcats and the like, and I’ve also heard about some people using it on mountain lions.
I’ve personally loaded ammunition for my .32 H&R Magnum-chambered sixgun, a fixed sight Ruger single-action built on the Single Six frame with a shortened grip frame which, I believe, was originally designed for women looking for a gun to use in cowboy action shoots. Whether that was really the intent, I can say without fear of contradiction, it has earned plenty of male fans as well.
My personal gun shoots with decent accuracy, and I long ago pulled the original faux ivory grip panels and wrapped a full-size Pachmayr wraparound rubber grip around the shortened frame, and the result is a very comfortable, hand-filling wheelgun with moderate recoil.
As I’ve noted many times in the past, the .32 Magnum, regardless of the brand of revolver, makes a very good choice for the trail. Most guns chambered for this cartridge—including the Ruger Single Six, any of the Smith & Wessons, Charter Arms snubbies or others—are fairly lightweight, and carrying a dozen spare rounds won’t be a burden, either.
As noted in a short report on the cartridge at Wikipedia, “The .32 Magnum was designed to be more than double the speed and energy of the less powerful .32 Smith & Wesson Long cartridge, on which it is based. Loadings for the .32 H&R Magnum even typically exceed hot .38 Special +P loads in terms of both speed and energy. The .32 Magnum also has a higher maximum pressure than the .38 Special.”
It’s all true. I’ve fired a lot of .38 Specials over the years, standard and +P loads, and the .32 H&R Magnum seems to out-jolt them all.
In the Single Six, the .32 H&R Magnum is a true performer, and I once had a Ruger GP100 on a test and evaluation, chambered for the more powerful .327 Federal, which was impressive, but maybe offered a bit too much compared to the .32 H&R. At the end of that experience, I found myself preferring the .32 H&R even though the .327 is a formidable round with good exterior ballistics and downrange accuracy.
The Hodgdon Annual Manual offers dozens of load recommendations, using bullets ranging from a 77-grain cast lead pill to a 100-grain Speer JHP. An old Speer reloading manual lists various propellants which can be used in this cartridge, including Unique, HP-31, Winchester 231, H110 and 2400.
I built a holster for my little sixgun—two finishes were available, blue or stainless—and it has occasionally accompanied me into the mountains. I would not hesitate to use this revolver to dispatch a coyote or conk a rabbit for the stewpot, and with a full-house load, the muzzle blast and flash would most likely frighten the beejeezus out of anything trying to ruin my day.
Hornady makes an 85-grain JHP for the .32 H&R and I’ve got a couple of boxes on my loading bench. They perform pretty well over HP-38 or CFE Pistol, the latter pushing these projectiles out of the muzzle just above 1,000 fps from my 4 5/8-inch barrel. I suspect a little better velocity if using a standard Single Six with a 6 ½-inch barrel.
One thing I’ve found with the .32 H&R is that it has a pretty flat trajectory out to say, 75 or 100 yards, which reminds me, I’ve got to pack it along later this year to an annual long range handgun shoot I usually attend.
It strikes me that the .32 H&R is sort of like my favorite .41 Magnum; a load which has been something of the homely second-cousin at a family picnic. Both cartridges have had premature burial notices over the years, but they keep coming back for more and impressing a new generation of shooters in the process.
If I had the inclination, and could find a decent Ruger Single Six with the longer barrel chambered for this cartridge, I’d most likely let it follow me home from a gun shop. Even at my age, a new adventure now and then is hardly out of the question!
