.32 H&R magnum as a self defense round?

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JStacy

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There are some good 32 mag self defense loads out now. I hand load with Hornady 85 XTP to get as much disruption as I can on a target.
I have an old 4" 32 mag SP101 that is an easy companion. For a night stand gun I would recommend a flashlight first to ID your target in a darkened room and then apply rounds as necessary if it is not a family member.
 
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fiasconva said:
Quick question for you SP101 owners with that caliber. What is the recoil comparable to? I have a friend that is considering one for an elderly relative and was wondering if she could handle it.

The thing he/she may not be able to deal with is the DA trigger pull. And cocking the hammer for single action use on the new production guns can be difficult as well.


I'd suggest to your friend that he consider a S&W 380EZ for his elderly relative.
 

bogus bill

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I have a CC permit and every type handgun and caliber. The one I pocket carry the most is a Sig 238. They are a .380. It`s small and light.
 
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buckshotshorty said:
Recently I read an article about the 32 HR Mag, and one of the things that stood out in my mind was that when Federal created the round they wanted to duplicate the power of the 38 special. I own a Ruger LCR 327 Federal magnum that I rarely carry because I am concerned about over penetration especially when used for nightstand duty (typically my carry gun doubles for nightstand duty); but if the HR Magnum is on par with the 38, I could see using that round for carry and on my nightstand in the Ruger 327 Federal handgun.

So, I guess my question would be do any of you fellow Ruger Forum participants carry the 32 HR Magnum as a self defense round?

Well Shorty i carry my SP-101 4 inch in a cross draw holster during the summer months.
The SP-101 is bigger and thicker then a S&W J frame, yet it's smaller than a S&W K frame. The 32 H&R works at a higher pressure than the standard 38 Special. Using your 327 Federal for home defense, you have to determine how far or how close your neighbors are to you. Living in a Apartment, condominium, or single family structure will all be key factor's in determining the ammunition used. The closer your neighbors, the lighter the Bullet weight, further apart a mid range bullet weight. I live in a two storied single family home, my nightstand gun is a S&W model 64 2 inch 38 Special,with Remington 158 Gr LSWCHP +P. There is some distance and some walls between me and my neighbors.
 

JStacy

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Many people doubt the effectiveness of a 32 mag ? I worked in a hospital for 42 years and the most common gun people were killed with was a 22 LR. If you want the ultimate defense gun for the house get a 12 gauge and load it with #4 buck and no intruder will return for a second application !
 

5of7

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I first got hooked on the .32 caliber handgun in about 1980 when my Dad gave me a partial box of .32 S&W Long ammo. I looked at that little cartridge and had the same reaction as I had when I first saw my wife at the age of 17....I loved it.

That partial box of ammo sat on the ammo shelf for quite a while and then the .32 H&R Mag. was announced and S&W produced the model 16 to shoot it in. I instantly made arrangements to purchase one and ordered a set of reloading dies.

Whilst I was waiting for the dies to arrive, I went out and shot up that partial box of .32 S&W Long ammo. What a fun cartridge! It was like shooting a .22 LR cartridge, but it was re-loadable. Then the dies came and I started to reload the .32 H&R Mg. and in this K frame Smith, I could safely push the velocity up to where it was a serious competitor to the .38 Sp. Tons of fun and cheap to shoot.

Since then I have bought 2 more .32 Mg.; a Smith 631 and a RUGER Single Six. I also have bought a S&W model 31 in .32 S&W Long and a S&W Hand Ejector, which is an I frame gun and a .32 ACP. To say that I am a .32 caliber fan would be an understatement. As a carry gun? MAYBE, but I thing there are better choices.
 
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A 90-100gr JHP at 1200 FPS is nothing to sneeze at. Better choices? Of course. For instance, those same bullets at 1600 FPS in the .327 Federal are much better. :mrgreen:
 

bogus bill

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I have this one in .32 H&R mag. I really havent carried it as a defense gun as I have many others but I am very impressed with it from what I have shot it. Accurate, flat shooting, low recoil. Whats not to like? I think it`s a great woods gun for atv riding etc.
https://i.postimg.cc/tg0rgV5m/Ruger-single-six-32-H-R-Mag-65004687.jpg
 

Armybrat

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bogus bill said:
I have this one in .32 H&R mag. I really havent carried it as a defense gun as I have many others but I am very impressed with it from what I have shot it. Accurate, flat shooting, low recoil. Whats not to like? I think it`s a great woods gun for atv riding etc.
https://i.postimg.cc/tg0rgV5m/Ruger-single-six-32-H-R-Mag-65004687.jpg
Didn't know they made the SS in .32 H&R back then. Yours looks mighty cool.
I bought a new Single Seven birdshead last year. It is a neat little gun.
 

bogus bill

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I understand many of the H&R mags have been chambered out to .327 mag but I wont do it to mine. I do have dyes for it and have did just a little reloading for it but I doubt I have loaded up over 4 box`s or so. Been inactive, but it is a nice gun. Here it is again along with a like new about 1958 single six I have.
https://i.postimg.cc/kXSyScf0/top-ruger-single-six-22-bottom-ruger-single-six-32-H-R-mag.jpg
 
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even the 327 Federal would be on the bottom if my list for adequate self defense guns. My reason is in a true self defense situation, where the offender is also armed!!

In Ohio it is only legal to confront another with any firearm if you are in "IMMINENT DANGER"! Not like the idiot in Florida who shot the guy because he was confronted and pushed down for confronting the guy's wife,,, Thankfully!

In any situation I would be legally allowed to use a firearm the need for the first at least second shot has to control the situation or I am probably going to be the victim! That is how I look at a responsible self defense weapon!

For me I want 45 caliber, or 12 ga. if for home defense. But for carry if you like movies and want to judge real life in a situation on Death Wish then a 32 S&W is very effective????

But where taking aim is useless, you don't have time in real life defense to take aim, so accuracy is useless, the only thing that matters is the fact any shot impacting has to either stop, or interfere with the asalant being incapacitated enough to keep them from making a reliable return shot, and that to me means hit them hard, and hit them first, because my life depends on it!! I felt on a 1911, and could care less about 6 shots, let alone the 9 I have if needed, it's them first 3 I care about, and believe if I have not taken control of a life or death situation by then, it doesn't matter how many or what I do after that, I'm probably going to be visited by the coroner! even the 45 colt in the bond would be my choice over either 32's in real self defense,, we are saving our life, not attacking or going to war in "TRUE SELF DEFENSE"! cans are dead at 50 feet!

6-0-grn-R-D-270-Milec.jpg

The last gun I own I would use for self defense is my 32 S&W or my 327 Federal, I'd turn to a 38 if forced to, but still would feel very vulnerable!! I will settle for nothing less than my 15 round 12 ga fer security at home!!
MG-6722.jpg


I understand if one cannoy handel recoil and hit a paper plate at 15 or 20 yards, he has no choice, anything you hit something with is better anything you can't hit something with, that would be the only time I would consider a 32 caliber as a good choice for self defense! in my opinion anything from 35 caliber up is a much better choice, even a 38 special!
 

bogus bill

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I enjoy reading and writing about the subject. Yet somehow I feel I live in a peculiar area as what I see is entirely the opposite of what many on these various gun chat sites are posting. I live in SW Utah. Here you are allowed to open carry plus obtaining a CC permit is easy. Just sit through a 4 hour filibuster, or that was the way it was when I got mine 15 years ago.
That said you very seldom see open carry here! I am talking about in town, not in the boonies ATV riding or whatever. I get out as much as most people do yet in the city's I estimate I only see maybe a half dozen people a year OC. Now that doesn't sound much like what we read others are posting on these gun sites does it? I suspect CC is much more popular than many guess though.
As a guard for over 35 years I open carried and after the first month or so it was no longer a "novelty". I always went light as I could get away with, not 20 pounds of gun and equipment on my belt. I already pack a 100 pounds too much suet. My most pocket carried gun is a little Sig 238, a .380. Also use a S&W model 40 and my smallest belt carry is a S&W 3" model 36. When I aint laid up like this year my main pleasure is trail riding in our RZR UTV. Doing that I do carry larger caliber revolvers. I am first a revolver nut. That said if I had no guns but wanted one for carry-defense, my first choice would be a quality compact 9mm or maybe 38 super commander. If I think I need a sawed off I will stay home and take my chances. Send the wife.
 

varminter22

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I too am a .32 Mag fan. I regularly carry a S&W J frame in .32 H&R Mag. Love it. And I don't feel undergunned for daily defense carry.

Now, if I knew I were going to a gunfight (well, I probably wouldn't go!) I would want a 12 ga and a .45ACP. But both can be difficult to conceal (or get heavy) for day in/day out use.

I believe the .32 Mag is the most under rated cartridge in America.
 

falrifles

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Oct 18, 2009
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St Louis, Missouri
There are just too many better choices for home defense, however if this was all I had I would use it. My nightstand gun from 1976 to 1991 was a 38 special. From 1991 to today its a 9mm. My EDC on my person was the same. Life is too precious to limit yourself to a caliber that is smaller than a 38 special and is not easily found for purchase at Wal-Mart. True there is always reloading, but you can reload the larger and more common calibers as well. What you actually load in your gun to defend yourself with, should not be reloaded ammunition. Not that it won't work, but for civil liability afterwards. I've toyed with the idea of buying a .32 H&R myself but logic will not let me follow through. I consider it a great hobby round for hunting or target shooting, but not for saving my life or the lives of my loved ones.
 

hedrok

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If you believe the claims from Buffalo Bore...and I do... their .32H&R mag, 130gr. Keith Plus P will penetrate 2+ feet of pig, including bone, etc. That's what I've been carrying every day for several years in a 432 or 632. And, until recently with idiots running loose in mobs, I've felt completely confident that I had enough firepower. I still feel the round is correct...but I cannot reasonably carry 6 speed loaders...so I switched...temporarily to a P365 with 3-12 rd. Mags - not for the 9mm, but for the quantity of rounds available in a hurry.
My 16-4s are still among the top treasures in my herd.
 

bogus bill

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If someone really does CC all the time light weight and compactness go`s a long way. I have large caliber heavy revolvers and a 45 1911. Got a .44 mag, 44 specials, 45 colts, 357`s etc. I dont cc any of them. But I dont live in a demonrat run riot city either. I am a gambler. I feel okay going out to eat or walmart with a little sig 238 .380 in my pocket. A hand grenade in each pocket might be better but at 79 I am close to used up anyway and into comfort. I will admit though that at this stage of life I might be a more tempting target than when I was at thirty.
 
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I recently got a .327 SP-101 in the four inch barrel and I love it. I swapped swings and did some basic tuning and it is really nice now. I've just started reloading for it.

Looking at the manuals, what I find amusing is the very top loads in the .327 charts are slightly slower than my top loads in my Single Six .32 H&R. Skeeter and Dean did a lot of +P work with the .32 H&R and they actually published their loads... nobody would do that now. So IMO, the .327 is just a way to "load up" the .32 H&R to its potential while avoiding the chance one of those high pressure loads ends up in a weak top break H&R.

I've never carried a .32 H&R for self defense... just because the factory loads I would want to carry are anemic. Now that I have a four inch .327 and I can actually find some factory loads that are effective, I just might in some situations. I love that little gun. It is sort of in between my S&W M63 and my Security Six. Now that I have the action all smoothed out, it's a sweetheart. I'll be shooting that one for years... god willing!
 

Rodfac

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Well, it sure beats a .22, but I think there are better (read bigger caliber), choices. If it's all you have, then carry it, and as always, the easiest gunfight to win is the one you avoid. Heads up, aware of your surroundings and stay away from the bad areas of town or county. I own a pair of Rugers in .32 H&R plus a Smith 16-4. The Rugers are SA Single Sixes so not a good choice for CC, and the Smith is just too damned heavy with that full lugged bbl. Wish they'd made it with the usual M19 or M66 type of rib and with an old fashioned 'pencil' bbl.

If you can afford it and like a revolver, I'd vote for a 2-1/2" bbl'd M19 or M66 with six shot capabilities. If you can deal with 5 shots, the M60 .357 with a 3" tube makes a nice carry piece and the full lug on it helps with .357 recoil. It's my 1st choice for revolver carry when headed into town.

YMMv Rod (Pic of M60 with 3" bbl below...in my normal OWB holster)

 

paboxcall

Bearcat
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Oct 23, 2011
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I've alternated between S&W .380 Bodyguard, a S&W 642 with 38+p hollow points, and a 3" SP101 in .327 with 85 grain hollow points with 100 grain SP back up. The Bodyguard and j-frame are way more comfy but both are snappy.

Hands down I'll take the SP101 shooting the 327 over the j-frame. Extra round capacity and excellent accuracy. Misfire, pull the trigger again though I've never had a FTF at the range. Extra weight keeps me on target better when point shooting. The 327 makes for an excellent trail gun too, and then you gain the versatility of chambering the other shorter .32 offerings. Win-win.

I carry three strips with 8 rounds, so I'm 30 rounds on my person, compared to carrying more strips of bulkier .38s to accomplish the same. I'm swapping out the 101 hammer spring with a Wilson next week just to improve DA.
 

dougader

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As a backup gun to primary carry is where my pocket-carried S&W 431PD lies. The 100 grain XTP with a stiff dose of H110 pushes it right up there with 38 Spl loads fired from 2" snubbies.

I avoid the SD role for the 327 at 45k psi for the same reasons as listed above. I imagine my ears would never stop ringing.

Bedside has 12 gauge in the primary role, Sig Sauer P320 9mm in 2nd.
 

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