Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 32 H&R Magnum

Anyone have any experience with the 32 H&R? I have an opportunity to buy a Ruger SP-101 so chambered.

It’s a pretty cool little cartridge. You should probably be a handloader if you really want to enjoy it, it’s very cheap to feed if you load your own.

Check out the 32 thread further down in this forum, tons of great info in there.

For me, the best 32 cartridge ever made.

There's a lot of 32 users on here and plenty of threads to go through with a bit of searching. I'm no H&R expert but I have owned 8 or 9 revolvers in the cartridge.
My wife's house gun is a 3 inch sp-101. It's loaded with some fast 115gr gold dots. It's a great gun so I wouldn't pass if the price is right.

I would look for SP 101 4.2" barrel with adjustable rear sight in caliber .327 Magnum.

I have had several .32 H&R guns and it is a great round for defense and small to medium game hunting. I just bought one of the Lipsey 632 Ultimate Carry guns and it is a hoot to shoot.

Great caliber in a great gun. It will only get more expensive, so if the price is right, go for it. Agree with above statement on ammo. Its not easy to find. I'm going to have to start rolling my own I guess. You can shoot 32 H&R, 32 S&W Long, 32 Short, and 32 ACP.

If you're a handloader I wouldn't pass up on any 32 HR.

It’s the 4” barrel model with windage adjustable rear sight. What’s a fair price?

Well, that depends. Common sense would say it's not worth as much as a new one in .327 as you can still fire 32H&R in it, but for some of us, it's worth more. I'd start with $100 below what a new one in .327 will go for and see where that takes you. Some of us are willing to pay more than others.

Strictly speaking that's true. But the bullets of the shorter rounds have a loooong jump into the chamber's throats, then the throats themselves, then the forcing cone, and finally the bore. A lot can happen in that distance which is why accuracy with the short stuff can be chancy. I prefer to stick with the H&R case and modulate powder charges to achieve lesser velocities.

This is a good line of practical thinking here. Ruger nuts will pay big money for guns that are no longer in production though. Before the latest run of Ruger 327s, they were going for around 1K on Gun Broker.

https://www.familyfirearms.com/prod...rubber-wwood-insert-grip-stainless-steel

My 4"sp101 is my personal favorite. The perfect Kit Gun.

If I found one that hasn't been reamed to 327 and was in good shape I'd expect to pay $700 and up.

The 327 is a faster cartridge but it's louder and a lot less fun in my experience.

Shootability is more important to me than top speed.

Let us know if you buy it!

I have been carrying mine every day since I received it. Put over 500 rounds through it so far.




I actually took my .38 Special 442 J Frame out a couple days ago just for the fact that it had been a little bit since I had fired it.


Since I wanted to maintain proficiency with it as well I ran some rounds through it while I was out working with some big guns doing T&E.

First cylinder full was slow fire, then I picked up the pace and hammered them out as quick as I could get a good sight picture.









Its shoots as it always has. I do admit though that the little .32 H&R is pretty slick.

Neither J Frame is going anywhere other than back into my pocket as a BUG.

Just thinking out loud over a cup of coffee, but at a SAAMI spec of 21 kpsi the .32 H&R sits in a sweet spot for handgun cartridges. Even in shorter barrels you can get some real usable velocity from several different calibers at that pressure without getting into the really blasty nasty region.

There's definitely a time and place for high pressure loads just as there is for creampuff target loads, but for day in, day out stuff that 18 - 23 kpsi area is a nice place to be.

I couldn’t agree more - the .32 H&R is a favorite of mine and I use it a lot for target, competition (lever silhouette - pistol cartridge), small game and some larger stuff (primarily turkeys and finishing deer)……I have several revolvers and a Marlin 1894. One of the main reasons I enjoy it so much is that fact that is fun, easy to shoot and economical. Most of this is due to the fact that you don’t have to (and really can’t) hot rod it much. The .32-20 is another favorite for pretty much the same reason.

PennDog

New 327 current price on wikiarms $650-$700 . 327 is a bit much in a handgun for me but it will also shoot 32 H&R and 32 S&W long .
Personally like # 32 H&R in revolver or lever gun . Wish I had the adjustable sights. Under $600 ? Buy it and load your own !

Couldn’t agree more!

Like Mackay, I bought the new S&W 432 UC and really like it. They did it up right!

For the OP, I really love my SP101’s. But mine have all been in .357.

I have a Ruger Single Six in .32 that is my favorite woods gun. Much better than the 22 Mag with lower muzzle blast, it's just a sweet little round for knocking around in he woods.