Finally got a Single Six 32 H&R Magnum

[Jared]

Here are some of our .32s. They are very addicting.

 

[t-reg]

Congrats on a fine revolver. A great plinker and small game getter.

When I was young and rich, I had a 4 5/8" .32 SS. Wish I could have that one back.

 

[Chuckbuster]

Here is my 32 Single Six. along with his "Big Brother" .41 BLackhawk.

Have not shot it much yet, my brother in law has made me a 110gr "Keith" mold for it though. This summer gonna be FUN!!
Kevin

 

[peyton]

I got two that I have not seen yet, my FFL is holding them until I get home from Iraq!!

The marlin is in 32 mag also.

 

[JWhitmore44]

Always wanted one of those little Marlins, makes a nice combo.

 

[JWhitmore44]

Oh yea, I have some 32 single six's too

the top one is a 32

and my pet 32

 

[gak]

I got one of the very first Single Sixes out of the chute in 1984--bought a 5-1/2 for my own birthday! Had already been reading up on them, and ignored the already negative "what's it good for?" "Don't need a pipsqueak caliber" comments in the rags. Let it go a ways back like a lot of us when I had (or thought) a wallet crisis. Want that one back too. Now enjoying a trio of Vaqueritos though--a blue and SS birdshead, and a plowhandle, which may be my all round fave of the bunch. Have that set up looking like a little Colt. Regularly fool a friend and fellow "collector"/shooter when I have it laid out next to my SAA and various clones and other Vaqueros.

I'll be the minority (it seems) in saying I've enjoyed the .32 from the get-go even in the "weak" factory loadings, finding it a more-than-adequate popper for most of my uses, and fulfilling its promise to fill the .22 to .38/.357 gap quite nicely. Regular shipments from Georgia Arms--which is a nice healthy step up--have cured any of that "weak" part when I need it. If my better half ever oks reloading I'll do so, but for now I'm happy with the combo of off-shelf and GA offerings (but like everyone else, not with the continuing ammo and components scarcity).

 

[peyton]

I agree, it does fill that gap in calibers. I lost on in getting a 32 bisley off of GB this last week. Hope one of you got it!!!

 

[JWhitmore44]

Back when they first came out you could reload the 32 for about the same price as 22 ammo. I didn't have a 22 hand gun, my other two were a 44mag SBH and a colt commander in 45 auto. From everything that I read I decided the 32 could do everything the 22 could but could have a lot more power than a 22/22mag. This was also before the big CCW boom so no one even considered this round for self defense. Back then, they didn't consider the 380 round for self defense (how things change).

At the time I was doing quite a bit of back woods fishing in Colorado. I would hike in to canyons that most people would bother with. The fishing was great back in those places the only issue is I started to see signs of cats, like bob cats and mountain lions. Now that SBH with 7.5 inch barrel would have worked just fine. But when you are hopping from rock to rock, scrambling up and down slippery slopes you don't really want to carry that big SBH. I always felt adequately armed with the 32 mag for those situations. I never ran into any bear signs so never worried about those Now camping over night was a different story for bear.

I don't do that kind of fishing much anymore but I still carry that little 32 a lot. It's light and easy to pack. If it was called upon for self defense I would feel better I had it as compared to a 22/22mag. Could a 38/357 do the same? Probably but I'm not sure you could find one in the same size package, well ok in a 5 shot

 

[gak]

I also have a dandy little Smith Airweight 431 that goes with me virtually everywhere I do--again stoked with six of the 100 gr Georgia Arms JHPs--and I do not feel underarmed. As another poster said, the .32's certainly not my choice or only gun in bear country, but just about everywhere else tromping I feel pretty good with it (the single six). Overnight in overtly big cat country, I've got a .357 that's just about right for that duty. When I get (or convert one of my Single Six .32s to) a .327 at some point, that might take over. I hope the emergence (?) of the .327 will cause CCI to finally come out with some .32 H&R sized snake shot--my only gripe as a trail/camp gun in the desert.
BTW, though I'm now primarily a fixed sight fan, I absolutely love that birdshead Single Six someone posted. Great combo with the handle and bisley hammer.

 

[AR1911]

I just bought a "Baby Vaquero" Single Six like the one in Chuckbuster's pic. LNIB, looks like a half box of ammo fired through it. Paid $400 for the gun.
Is that a reasonable price?

I was actually expecting it to be the adjustable sight model, which is what I wanted. but I'm warming up to this one a bit.

How does it compare in size to a real Vaquero in .357?
Do they allow these in CAS? Would it be a good choice?

I saw mention of changing to Blackhawk grip frames. What is the purpose of that - are they bigger?

Are the grips on mine interchangeable with other models? I want something besides the smooth white plastic. I need some wood.

 

[gak]

That is not a steal but reasonable considering they're no longer making. Yes, you'll warm up to the fixed sight model for its own goodness. Re CAS: Yes. Re Blackhawk (orig/large Vaquero) gripframe: only if what you ended up with was the "short" frame many SS .32s came in--targeted at ladies youth and others of small hand (you had to be careful as the difference was rarely advertised or even pointed out by store clerks--if they even had a clue). Lay yours up against any NM Single Six (.22 just to be "safe") or Blackhawk (not the current 50th Ann Flattop) and you'll be able to tell. The grips on the regular SS .32s (and all .22s) are the same XR3-Red as the NM BH and original series Vaquero. If yours are not the short .32 variety, you're all set IMO. If you don't like the panels themselves, replacements of all varieties abound.


I'm assuming you have a regular "plowhandle" model. You don't mention, but if yours is a Birdshead, then that's obviously a different story. You can (generally) swap out a Blackhawk, Vaquero (not New Vaq w/o some work) and any Single Six .22--if you're wanting more the traditional plowhandle grips.

Later Edit: Size comparison. Not sure exactly, but something like between a 3/4-7/8 scale vs std NM (lge frame) Blackhawk/Vaquero..but same standard barrel length offering (4-5/8) in the fixed sight model--perfect for the scale of the SS .32 and from a weight perspective, considering the relatively small hole. The earlier (adjustable sight) model had more options, with a lot of 5.5s made.

Hope this helps.
You'll love the gun, either way.

 

[AR1911]

Actually, that helps a lot. I'd have never thought to compare those two.
I checked it against a NM SS .22 and it measures .200 shorter in height and front to back at the heel

Very interesting.
Nice little gun, thanks for the info.

I probably won't keep this one. I like the caliber, but I think I'd like it better in the bigger frame, or even in a SP101

 

[gak]

Sounds like a shorty to me. Unless they work for you (they didn't me, even with smallish hands), I'd search out a regular gripframe here (Classifieds, WTB...) and other sites, unless it really works for you (someone more knowledgeable than I can say whether the BH and regular SS gripframes are identical--or just the grip panels...and therefore whether you should be just seeking out a SS-specific gripframe).


Contrary to popular rumor that shorties were all that were out there for the fixed sight guns, often both regular and short frame were sold right alongside one another, and all of my plowhandles are the regular type--from early, mid and late production. It's just that, also for awhile, it seemed that most you'd run across were the shorties--an obvious Ruger nod to the perceived ladies/youth market for the little .32...and indeed more of the shorties may have been ultimately made. ( A lot of Birdheads also were made--something else you might like. 50% seem to 50% not)) Btw, these shorties were just found on some of the Vaqueritos, not the adjustable sight ones.
Good luck!

 

[AR1911]

Good advice. Since I also want the adjustable, real sights, I'll probably exchange the whole pistol. This is a nice little gun, someone is probably looking for one.

Don't care for the birdshead shape, I'll take the plowhandles.
The Bisleys don't do much for me either - or is that the same thing?

 

[gak]

No, Bisley's a different animal and another one of those "you either like it or don't" things. Also pretty rare beast in the .32--and only in the earlier adj sight model that I know of. . The adjustable sight .32s also may run you from $100-200 more as they have been out of production longer and highly sought after. Another difference is alum gripframes and ejector housings on the adj sight guns vs steel on the Vaqueritos I believe. Too bad you got the odd grips, otherwise you'd have to keep it AND get the other one too. These things have a habit of multiplying on you!

 

[dougader]

This is a fixed sight Bisley with a front target sight.

 

[gak]

Great pic and I amend my comment I knew the second I said it. I guess I was thinking "Vaquero/SAA" style f/r fixed sights.

 

[dougader]

I thought that's what you were talking about.

 

[Glupy]

This forum saved some money for me again.

I found a nice 32 H&R in a Nampa (Idaho) gun shop today. It has a 6 in barrel and two sets of grips + box + papers. It looked nice but the dealer wanted $475. I offered $400 but he said "no".

He did offer to trade for the Vaquero Convertible (38-40 / 40 S&W) I have. I thought that trade was a little insulting.

Dave
Southern Idaho.