Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns .32 H&R vs. .38 Spec. for woods bumming gun - your pick?

Pretty gun, Ken! That sixgun would more than do to walk the woods with.

Damn good points!

I bought a pair of Ruger Single Sixes (fixed sights) in 32 H&R Mag for my daughter 8 or 10 years ago so she could try Cowboy Action shooting. She's gone in other directions (she's a rabid fisherman and a fine shot with a shotgun on pheasant and grouse) but I still have that pair of SS's. Last fall I toted one of them around a bit during gun deer season as my sidearm, shot a fat fox squirrel for the pot with it, and mostly just plinked with it. I like it a lot and am thinking I probably need to get an adjustable-sighted version in a K-frame S&W to experiment further.

Mind you, I've had some really enjoyable woods-walking/squirrel-potting with my S&W Model 15 and 148 gr wadcutters, too.

I guess my answer to the OP would be, "get both".

I'd have to say the .38 Special. Truckloads of good guns chambered in it; reams of good load data for it; a bit more "smash" when and if you need it; punches nice clean holes through edible game; doesn't have a nasty crack of muzzle blast; ammo and components available everywhere...

...and it doesn't carry a nonsensical "magnum" name.

I would think a .32 would be all kinds of fun for casual totin'. Always wanted a Single Six in .32 Mag. I surely would insist on adj. sights on whatever I ended up with. Before our Bear incidents I carried this Model 60 in .38 Special. Killed many different varmints with it, using 158 grain SWCs. It's the adj sights that make the difference on these little J frames -- at least for me.

Do you recall what the asking price was, and what you figure he would have taken for it?

Yes, he was asking $450 for it - said he would take $425 (plus tax, I assume - everyone else was collecting it). It was LNIB, blued w/ 4-5/8" barrel. I went back to his table 4 times. I was kinda wanting a stainless one and that was why I was holding out, but I've just found out that Ruger didn't make any SS in .32 with adjustable sights.

Yes, I could kick myself...

It would depend on which gun and what you reguire I would think.
I've had a few cases of the "warm fuzzies" for the .32 H&R. Almost bought a Ruger Single Six once.
I've used the .38 Special alot for small stuff and have always been very impressed with it's small game performance. Target ammo, with 148 gr. wadcutters, does a beautiful job on squirrels and rabbits and is amazingly accurate in a good gun. The high velocity 110 gr. HP stuff will anchor all sorts of small and medium sized varmits very well. You can even get shot loads for it.
So, unless I were in love with a specific .32 H&R or a .32-20 handgun, I'd do a .38 Special. E

If that was an adjustable sight Single Six in .32H&R you dang well better kick yourself. As a matter of fact you'd better do it twice!. All kiding aside I fully understand wanting a stainless one and you are right, I don't think Ruger ever did a stainless one with adjustable sights. But still, the adjustable sight .32 Single Sixes are rare as hens teeth and the price was more than fair. Heck, the Birdshead ones like mine were going for $600 after Ruger stopped production. I do believe the price has comes back down some since though.

As for adjustable sights vs. fixed on the Single Sixes: The stainless fixed sights are far from great in bright sun and but a little better in clouds. After hunting season mine will be going off to one of the great SA smiths for either a new dovetailed front sight or maybe a full set of adjustable sights. It won't be free and won't look as good but can only make a great field gun even better.

About the SP101's: That could very likely be my second pick and it actually weighs less than a stainless Single Six.

CB

"Since you're wanting a single action, I bet you'd be real happy with a Ruger single six in .32 H&R. I believe they can be had with 4 5/8" or 5.5" barrels (not sure). That would just about be perfect in my estimation, light, great sights, and well made."

4 5/8", 5 1/2" and 6 1/2" single six's were made by ruger. Finding another Ruger is your best bet, unless you have the coin for a S&W 631, or for a conversion of the Ruger Bearcat (jeff Quinn over at Gunblast did this).

I was into the 32 magnums for quite a while...but moved on for some inexplicable reason. Now, due to the difficulty in finding 32 mag's I'd go with the 357, just load everything in 357 mag brass (light & heavy loads).

'The .32 Mag. was a decent cartridge that there was never any real need for. You already had the 32-20 or even the 30 Carbine, both available in handguns and both able to outperform the newer cartridge.' Gotta disagree with Cole on this...

Neither the 30 carbine or the 32-20 were ever available in a J frame or single-six sized revolver...AND have you ever shot a 30 carbine in a pistol? If your version of a field gun includes carrying muffs and plugs for it then it would be fine for you. I had the Ruger Blackhawk in 30 Carbine and one of the Buckeye Special runs of the Blackhawk in .32 mag and 32-20.

Jerry

never had one of these...my understanding is the sights are only windage adjustable. $399 buy now

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=261724272

That Ruger looks like it weighs a TON!! Might as well carry a K frame 357 S&W for all that Ruger weighs!!

I've already had 'em weigh it - 30.9 oz. unloaded. K-frame S&W's w/ 4" barrels are closer to 40 oz., if I recall correctly.

Yes, Chris, it had adjustable sights. Still kickin'.......

Is there going to be any difference in the .32 and .38 regarding noise level? I don't intend to shoot without plugs, but on occasion it is necessary.

Yep, I just talked to Alan Harton yesterday about doing me one like Jeff Quinn's. $1,400 + the gun supplied by me. That puts it easily into the $1,700-$1,800 range. Too rich for my blood! Right now, at least....

Ruger is that light? I stand corrected! It must be made of alloy? And the 4" S&W K frames are in the low 30-something ounces. A 4" N frame is about 40 ounces.

I keep a 4 5/8" adjustable sight Single Six 32 H&R at my place in Idaho just for woods bumming. Sometimes my old 4 5/8" Ruger FT 44 Mag gets the nod depending upon where the bumming is. I load 115 gr LFN type bullets in my 32. So, I suggest the 32.

Ken,

My SP101 22 LR 4 inch barrel weighs 30 ounces vs 40 ounces for my K22 (6inch barrel) vs 26 ounces for my 4 inch S&W 63 .22 LR. Assume the 32's/357's (with same lug) would be lighter. All are steel. IIRC the 4 inch S&W Mountain gun I once had weighed 38 ounces...had a much skinnier barrel profile than the standard N-frame 44, and a few other lightening measures (radiused front cylinder & round butt I think).

Though there is only 4 ounces diff. between my S&W 63 and my Ruger SP101...it feels like much more, passed a threshold or something? And I might add that my SP101 has that same overweight look. My preference (not that it matters at all!), based on weight and looks is definitely for the S&W 631 32 Mag over the Ruger SP101...YMMV

Jerry

Agree. That said, I don't own a .38 sp but do reload and have two Single Six .32HR's. My favorite light carry gun for woods plinking, shooting snakes, etc...

A couple other options to consider are the Colt Police Positive Special - fixed sights but weighs between 23 and 26 oz depending on which version, or Colt Diamondback, at about 29 oz. Both are out of print but can be found on Gunbroker or gun shows. The PPS was made in both .38 Special and .32-20, the Diamondback came in .22LR or .38 Special.

38 Special ,but chambered in .357 mag. The 32 mag is one of those almost, but not quite cartridges. Most things you want to do with it can be done with a 22 Rimfire, then when you need a little more ump, it isn't quite there. The 38 is about equal,but then you can jump up to the .357 Mag. Much more versatile in my opinion.

I'll agree with most of this but........

I'm gonna turn it around and say your .32 vs. .357 arguement works just as well in a rimfire vs. .32 debate. Maybe even more so. Is it a deer or big game gun? No. But other than that it's light years ahead of the rimfires when the game gets over 10lbs and cheaper to reload for than the .38's. I don't know about you but my woods bummin/small game hunting vs. deer hunting time in the woods is about a 20 to 1. If you're only gonna have one gun for both woods bummin AND big game hunting than a .32 ain't for you. If you're not a reloader than a .32 ain't for you. But if you are wanting a dedicated woods bummin gun and reload than a .32 is hard beat and IMO better than either a .38sp or a rimfire.

CB