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Looking to buy my wife one of these sweet little 431PD,any thoughts on this particular gun and the 32H&R magnum round as her CCW? My wife is very little weighing in at 110lbs and shot one of these here a while back and was really impressed with it as far as the recoil.She has a s&w 642 in.38 however she just does not really care to shoot it as much due to the recoil and is far more accurate with the 32 H&R vs the 38. Just some of your thoughts would be very appreciated also any idea where you can find some 32 H&R ammo? I have located several of the 431PDs NIB. Thanks again!
 
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I recently emailed Federal Ammunition about their .32 H&R Mag loads. I received the following responst:

They are not scheduled to be produced until February 2010.

Thank You
Federal Premium
 
117;
Starline Brass is back ordered on the .32 H&R brass but will have a new run available after 11/30/09. It might be a good time for you to consider reloading. Until such a time as you can get the Starline brass you can no doubt find plenty of once fired .32 S&W Long brass that will work until you get the magnum stuff.

On the other hand, regarding your wife's carry 642. Have you tried better grips? Pachmayr has a set of grips that work VERY well to greatly increase the shooting comfort over the issue grips. the 642 is my carry gun and I have a pair of Crimson Trace grips fitted that work very well (I have big hands but they should work well for small hands, also). For comfort, the Pachmayr grips are hard to beat:

Pachmayr&reg Pachmayr your primary source for quality handgun grips and recoil pads

I have a pair of the Compacs on my Body Guard. Your wife, with small hands, will probably be better served with the Compac Professionals.

FWIW
Dale53
 
What did your wife shoot in the 642? I would suggest the very mild shooting 148gr full wadcutter. It has enough mass - and starts at .357" OD - so a decent wound channel is probable - no wondering about whether a jacketed hollow point opens or fills with clothing - you'll make a decent hole anyway. And - the recoil is much less, too. I'll bet she can handle it!

I had both a Ruger 4.6" SSM and a 4" SP-101 in .32 H&RM for a couple of years - until I noticed the .32 bullets were getting hard to find - and as expensive as .38s. Also, .38s dropped the rebounding steel plates - the .32s didn't. I sold them - and more Rugers 5/08 and bought a couple of S&W .38/.357Ms. Fewer revolvers, but what I wanted. Ruger and S&W had canned their .32s due to poor sales. Ruger did have a glut of 3" .32 H&RM SP101s left - tried to dump them via Davidson's, with no luck - rereamed them/re-imprinted them - worked a deal with Federal - and, voila, the round everybody dropped was 'back' - sort of. Try to find one - or the elusive 632 J-frame S&W announced. No thanks - been there - done that - back to .38s for me!

Stainz
 
The key to shooting .32 H&R is handloading. Just put a 431PD on layaway for my wife. She likes small revolvers, but she is just learning, and I don't want to scare her off with a small, lightweight .38 Special. Once we pick the gun up, we are going to start with .32 S&W Long and go from there. Again, handloading is the key. I have plenty of S&W Long and H&R brass, and I cast my own bullets. I can and do make light recoil .38 Special ammunition, but none of it is a light (or as quiet) as .32 S&W Long. Its a great centerfire cartridge for a new shooter to start with. Casting my own bullets and reusing brass it doesn't cost much more than .22 LR either, perhaps an extra $.01 per shot.

The .32 H&R is not the best choice for self defense, but I have no doubt it is better than any of the smaller options available, and its light recoiling nature and the small size and weight of the 431PD means that fast, accurate shooting is quite possible for people who are recoil sensitive and have a preference for revolvers (like my wife).
 
Don't give up on the .38 yet. With a good three finger rubber grip and 148gr wadcutters, just about anyone can shoot an Airweight. I also recommend getting a good trigger job. A smooth trigger pull makes them ~much~ easier to shoot.
 
Maybe it's just me but I think the shooting world should regret they didn't support the .32 H&R magnum as well as they could have.

My opinion is that it is a near perfect cartridge for a small framed, light weight gun. The reduced recoil of this cartridge makes it ideal for many shooters who prefer a light gun and light recoil, and yet it has enough energy to be effective for self defense.

I can handle recoil just fine, but still choose to carry a titanum 13oz gun in .32 H&R magnum. I thought I would try this combination since I had most always shot .38 Spl or .357 Mag. wheel guns. I have let others shoot it and they always comment favorably on how comfortable it is to shoot with the magnum loads, and a pure shooting pleasure with .32 S&W or .32 S&W Longs.

.32 H&R mag cartridges are not the only hard to find loadings at this time . I agree with getting set up to reload , and I mostly shoot .32 S&W longs for practice. I bought a small supply a few years back when they were $8 a box of 50 and now have the brass to reload . I save the factory .32 H&R mag ammo I have now for carry.
 
If you actually calculate the Recoil Energy in ft-lb, assuming the 431 & 642 weigh the same at 15 oz, and using the following info:

.32 H&RM: 100gr XTP @ 1,100 fps (I chrono-ed 1,186 fps from my 4" SP-101.) and measured 5.4 gr propellant

.38 Special 148gr HBWC @ chrono-ed 650 fps and 3.2 gr propellant

One gets 6.200 ft-lb for the .32 H&RM and 4.97 ft-lb for the .38 Special

That 148gr load could be hotter - 715-720 fps - before getting to the .32 H&RM's level. It will always, at .357" vs .311", have 32% more frontal surface area, ie, wound channel producer, if the small jacketed HPs don't open reliably, as well as start with 48% more mass.

Of course, if you already got the 'wants' for the 431 - forget all of this and get the gun! We've all been there...

Stainz
 
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Thanks guys for the info and the advise,please keep telling me more,I have tried several different grips and loadings however she just dont like the recoil of this gun,it was not really a issue and she had excepted how the 642 handled but when she shot the 431 well thats when she really started to dislike the 642 even more and wants the 431PD which she picked up for the 1st time and shot much more accurate with it then the 642 which she has shot prob 500 round through. We have alwayed been a handgun family and our kids shoot with us to so the 642 will not be on the shelf to long without being used. I just dont know much about this particular gun and caliber. I am going to get her one for christmas just trying to get a little more educated on it. Ya'll are the best. Thank you
 
Until last week, the 431 was my daily pocket carry. I just got a 637, and switched to it for no reason other than I reload .38s and not .32s.

The 431 is a sweet carry gun. I replaced the rubber grip it came with, first with magnas, and then with some faux ivory ones, which really look super. I also added a tyler T grip. I'll send you a photo if you want to see it.

As far as ammunition, I stocked up on it when I could find it, and have a few hundred rounds put away. Check Georgia Arms.

My 431 is going to serve a term as safe queen for a little while, and I may wind up selling it. At least with the ammunition I have for it, I should be able to find a home for it rather easily, should the right deal come along. If not, I'll just alternate between it and the 637.

I think your wife will really like it. The lower felt recoil and extra round are definite pluses.
 
Just buy the gun and find some ammo.

If she wants it you might as well make her happy with it.

I would be VERY happy if my wife had gun she wanted to shoot.
 
Practical said:
Just buy the gun and find some ammo.

If she wants it you might as well make her happy with it.

I would be VERY happy if my wife had gun she wanted to shoot.
Click to expand...

You said it well, brother! I have a 432PD, the Centennial or concealed hammer version of the 431. It, and a Seecamp in .32ACP serve as my EDC (see enclosed pictures). I have arthritis in both hands and there are days when a .32 caliber is all I can manage. I also have a 642 in .38 Special that I also enjoy on my better days. Both of the revolvers wear Laser Max J laser grips that help considerably. No, my wife still won't shoot anything, but I think she feels a bit more comfortable with the laser grips installed if something were to happen and she had to take up arms and repel boarders. By the way, Laser Max and Crimson Trace are the only current laser grip makers. Neither are perfect, Crimson Trace has much better customer service, both are serviceable products.

Best of luck,

Dave
 

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