.32 H&R Mag J frame and .327 Federal Magnum K Frame

[PoorKnight]

Here is Model 16-4 perfection, the "Triplets" all bought new.

Extremely jealous right now.

 

[Hondo44]

Cool, nothing but 1st class from Mr. Bowen!

 

[PoorKnight]

Just added a 431 PD to my .32 collection! Now I have the 16-4, the 632 Pro carry, the 432 and the 431. I'll need to add the 331 now that I know about it. I'll add pics once the 431 comes!

Great bobcat Hammerdown! I owe you some thanks - I read your post on the 16-4 you had converted by Bowen Classic Arms and that's what got me started on the 16-4 - I was already a fan of the .32 H&R. I also REALLY like your 632.

Now I think I'll have to start reloading. With my .32 and .327 revolvers, and the .338-06 elk rifle I'm buying, it is clearly the next step for me.

 

[Hammerdown]

Just added a 431 PD to my .32 collection! Now I have the 16-4, the 632 Pro carry, the 432 and the 431. I'll need to add the 331 now that I know about it. I'll add pics once the 431 comes!

Great bobcat Hammerdown! I owe you some thanks - I read your post on the 16-4 you had converted by Bowen Classic Arms and that's what got me started on the 16-4 - I was already a fan of the .32 H&R. I also REALLY like your 632.

Now I think I'll have to start reloading. With my .32 and .327 revolvers, and the .338-06 elk rifle I'm buying, it is clearly the next step for me.

Hello PoorKnight

I appreciate your kind words. My Model 16-4 has not been roll marked barrel stamped as Federal .327 By Bowen. I wanted to leave the factory stamps original so I Just supplied him with the cylinder & Crane assembly. He had to re-blue my cylinder twice once it was converted so that it's color and shine would match the rest of my gun. It came out nice in the end, but had to be redone by Bowen, which Frustrated him a Little as he does not like to be criticized for his work, but my cylinder did not come close to matching my gun as it looked more like it was Intended for a model 28 Highway Patrolman with it's rather low gloss bluing finish, one good thing was that I live only about 20 Minutes from his shop here in East Tennessee so I did not have to ship my part's or waste time in getting it refinished, as I returned the same day that I got it from him after our phone conversion, and the elapsed time that it took me to return to his shop this time with the gun & cylinder in hand he could see the major difference in the bluing finishes comparing gun frame to cylinder looks.





By selling me the 200 Round's of once fired Federal .327 Magnum Brass when I picked up the gun's cylinder, it allowed me to have it with me during my Deer hunting less than a week after it left his shop, which in turn allowed me to Harvest the large Bobcat with it. That Hunting day was one I will Never forget as the Federal .327 Magnum Cartridge really proved itself to me with it's Supreme accuracy and speed as that Big Cat never saw it coming at him, nor never moved once he was hit with the 90 Grain Sierra Sport's Master slug I had hand loaded for it. To really see the Federal .327 Magnum cartridge Shine, one must hand load for it to Tailor the load to the gun that it is going to be fired in, I have found my Re-load's do far better than factory ammo in my gun.



I have No Regret's in having my Model 16-4 converted to the Federal .327 Magnum cartridge. It now can fire the following caliber's... .32 S&W, .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Magnum and the converted Federal .327 Magnum cartridge. I can tell you that after Bowen finished my conversion that my gun actually Grouped tighter with all facet's of the rounds mentioned above and I called and asked him why this was now true of it's performance ? He shared with me that he Matches all of the cylinder throat's when he convert's these gun's to the Federal .327 Magnum and I feel this move alone that he perform's is what attribute's to the guns finer Tack driver accuracy now. Before I had my gun converted I had Taken the .32 H&R Magnum as far as I could go with it. In re-loading for it I was filling the cases to almost a compressed load state with Magnum powder and the load was so Hot that it was blowing the standard Small magnum Pistol primer's Out, so I had to switch over to small Rifle primer's in my starline cases to get further with my velocity of the load's. I can tell you that through all of my hand loading for the .32 H&R Magnum round, that it actually liked the load's hotter and responded with very high accuracy, as I slowly climbed the velocity scale with powder increases. I knew having it switched over to the Federal .327 magnum cartridge would allow me more case room for even higher yet velocity and accuracy potential out of this gun. Put Plainly the S&W model 16-4 can handle anything you load it with due to it's very thick cylinder wall's and it comes through with very accurate target results.



It has been asked several times in the past and even in this Thread if Bowen can convert a Previous .32 S&W Long cartridge revolver over to the new Federal .327 Magnum. I too asked MR. Bowen this question and he simply will not do it nor could he as the cylinder's in those gun's are not long enough to take the entire length of the Federal .327 Magnum. Even if they were long enough to accept the Federal .327 Magnum the gun could not withstand the Huge cartridge Pressure differences between the .32 Long Cartridge round compared to the Federal .327 Magnum. The .32 S&W Long Cartridge SAAMI Pressure is a Mild 15,000 as the .32 H&R Magnum is 21,000 CUP but as we look at the Federal .327 Magnum pressure it has a Huge Major difference being 45,000 P.S.I in case head pressure, so in my eyes an attempt to convert any revolver originally chambered from the time honored .32 S&W Long Cartridge would be a disaster and Major Liability... and the result's would more than Likely be..KA-BOOM...





As I mentioned earlier in my response, I have had just about every handgun S&W Produced in the .32 H&R Magnum cartridge & at one time I had a Model 331 early on when they were available from the factory and bought it New for $475.00 shipped to my FFL Guy. Shortly after getting it about a Month to be exact, I had a barrel loosening issue with mine. I had been carrying it daily and went to the range to fire some hand load's of mine through it. When I drew it out of my Holster I heard a weird Rattling noise. I found the actual barrel insert Loose and unscrewed it with my Thumb from it's outer shroud. I then went home and called S&W service to tell them about it and they had me ship it back into them for repairs. They told me that some of the model 331's had this barrel Loosening issue as the machine that Tighten's the barrel into the gun's frame had some issue in getting them tightly in Place & I sure was Glad that day that I did hear that rattle as firing it like that may have been the end of it's life with a Loose Barrel in it's outer shroud.




While it was at the factory for it's Barrel loosening issues they refinished it as Much of the silver finish had worn off Very prematurely, and I expressed to them that I was not impressed with the gun's finish. Once it arrived back home I swapped it off for a model 631 Lady Smith, as a follow up conversation with them in S&W service revealed that these guns have a Machine sprayed on finish I did not like the idea of carrying a Spray Painted gun, as the service guy told me that they had changed nothing in their guns finish application procedure when they refinished mine for me, so later on he said that I could count on it that the finish would flake off or wear very quickly again. I had the Model 631 Lady-Smith stainless revolver for almost Five Years before I swapped it off and got my Model 431 P.D. Revolver which I still have and carry daily.




But The Model 431 P.D. Had a Problem with it as well so it too has been back to the factory. Shortly after getting it new in Box, I was cleaning it one day after firing roughly 300 Round's through it when I realized that it had some small Chunk's of it's cylinder Extractor star missing. I again called S&W service and they sent a shipping label to me for the gun to be returned to them as these missing pieces would not allow proper lock up in battery mode. They replaced my extractor and returned the gun to me and it has been fine since it came back home back in the summer of 2009.








The Model 631 Lady-Smith was a fine shooter but given the fact it was made totaly out of stainless it weighed a Lot more than the Air-Weight's do so I much Prefer carrying my 431 P.D. revolver now, as I got spolied carrying that model 331 Ti-Scan revolver only weighing 11 O.Z. empty the exact same weight of my current carry gun the model 431 P.D. revolver. In the past I also had a Model 631 Kit Gun with a 4" Barrel. I got it brand new in the box as shown, but was Kind of disapointed with it's accuracy Issue. I hand loaded many different load's for it but could never get the gun to settle down to deliver good accurate tight shot group's on Target so it to was traded off, as I am as much a Shooter as I am a collector of these S&W's so if they don't shoot, & Shoot Good good they have to go.




There was a huge Magazine article written by John Taffin on these Model 631 Kit Guns where he Tested one when they first came out and he too had accuracy issues with the one that he had used for Testing & Evaluating in that article, so I know it was not just me as far as the gun's accuracy went. I have found that the black oxide finish model 431's finish wears much less than the factory's silver finishes did after much carry time, so I am very Pleased with the durability of my Model 431... Here is how my model 331 Looked when I shipped it back to S&W for repairs... along with some Honorable Mentions chambered in .32 H&R Magnum that I have had along the way. If you have any question's about these guns I have mentioned feel free to P.M. me here I would be more than happy to tell you how they faired and perhap's keep you from getting something you may not enjoy in the end. I have Liked all of The S&W's I have had chambered in .32 H&R Magnum caliber, but some have done far better than other's as far as shooting goes. Sorry for the Long winded response here, but as you can see I am Very Passionate about the .32 round, and I hope some of my information here is helpful to someone... Hammerdown




The S&W Model 331 Ti-Scan- Air-Weight Revolver

The S&W Model 631-4" Kit Gun Revolver chambered in .32 H&R Magnum

The Model 631 Lady-Smith Revolver chambered in .32 H&R Magnum

 

[dugo]

Interesting thread! Hammerdown's bobcat is one of the stories that persuaded me to try the .32's. I now have a 432 in .32H&R which is quite pleasant and not too expensive to shoot with low powered .32H&R rounds. It's a backup option to an SP101 in .327 Fed.

(Really like the newer S&W 632 in .327, with a c. 2" bbl, but already had the Ruger when that S&W came out. Maybe next time around...)

Anyway, the strategy is the SP101 as a primary loaded with full power .327 rounds. (GDHP's -- as usual -- look very viable in this caliber.) The 432 is a backup, loaded with Buffalo Bore heavy .32H&R's (or, alternatively, Georgia arms has a fairly warm load for less cost.) A speed strip or two with Buffalo Bore .32H&R's, which will work well in either gun, simplifies reloads if an event should go that far.

Same theory as .38/.357 combos, with generally less recoil, and maybe an extra round or two -- but still plenty of power and (albeit not street proven, yet) effectiveness.

 

[Green Frog]

Update on "Project 616:" You must use a Model 66 as the base gun to build on. It's the only frame that matches up with the 617 barrel's top rib. I now have a really nice Model 67-1 that I hadn't planned on having. Unfortunately it looks good and shoots very well after replacing damaged grips and sights and it has the nicest out-of-the-box trigger (SA and DA) I've ever found on a stainless Smith. I say "unfortunately" because now I don't want to let it go!

Barrel is WA and everything else is in OH. Just ordered 1000 rounds of Starline brass which should arrive in about 3 weeks. Oh, the waiting, the waiting!

Froggie

 

[Hammerdown]

Interesting thread! Hammerdown's bobcat is one of the stories that persuaded me to try the .32's. I now have a 432 in .32H&R which is quite pleasant and not too expensive to shoot with low powered .32H&R rounds. It's a backup option to an SP101 in .327 Fed.

(Really like the newer S&W 632 in .327, with a c. 2" bbl, but already had the Ruger when that S&W came out. Maybe next time around...)

Anyway, the strategy is the SP101 as a primary loaded with full power .327 rounds. (GDHP's -- as usual -- look very viable in this caliber.) The 432 is a backup, loaded with Buffalo Bore heavy .32H&R's (or, alternatively, Georgia arms has a fairly warm load for less cost.) A speed strip or two with Buffalo Bore .32H&R's, which will work well in either gun, simplifies reloads if an event should go that far.

Same theory as .38/.357 combos, with generally less recoil, and maybe an extra round or two -- but still plenty of power and (albeit not street proven, yet) effectiveness.

Hello dugo
Glad to see you decided to join us other .32 Nut's here on the exciting Federal .327 Magnum Band wagon. Back when I harvested that large Bob-Cat I had my son in law with me that day. It was his first ever Deer hunt and a day he will never forget. He was more Pumped up about my Bob-Cat harvest than I was, and I was glad he was along for the ride. I have promised him my Bob-Cat mount when I leave this old world, so he can share the stories with my Grand kid's and perhaps their Grand Kids. We Had Learned of this Bob-Cat's existence from our friend who let's us hunt his land for Deer. Apparently it had come up into his back yard twice while he wife was out in the yard during the day time, Which is Not Normal for any Bob-Cat to do, so he asked me to Eliminate it if it crossed my path and I assured him that I would if Given the chance to. A week before Deer season I worked very hard on assembling the correct hunting round for this Ca, and once I arrived at one hole group's out of my S&W by hand loading for it I assured my son in law that if I saw this cat in the woods during our deer hunt that I would drop it in it's Track's with my New then Bowen conversion of the Federal .327 Magnum round that my S&W Model 16-4 Now was. I hand rolled the load for it and shot many of them I thin around 400 round's of it at the range prior to the opening day of Deer season to insure accuracy the day I hunted with it. Oddly, The load I had selected was as scary accurate at 50 Yards as it was at the 25 Yard line with little difference in bullet drop giving me consistent group's the size of a dime if I did my part right. The Sierra 90 Grain Sport's Master Hollow point bullet's that I used in my load sure did their job wel in Harvesting this large Cat but Finding Bullets for the .32 round can be a huge challenge at times these day's. I have Two dozen Boxes of Hornady's XTP's on hand in 85 & 100 Grain weight for hunting as well as some more Sierra's. For serious Target work I have often chose Rainier Ballistic's Lead safe bullets. I like them so much due to their Inherent accuracy Potential that I just ordered 2000 More of them yesterday. Rainier bullet's are double struck so their shape is very close in tollerance. They apply a thin .005" copper flash covering on their bullet's which keep the bore from leading up, yet allow for a medium crimp on the heavier Magnum style loads. They Offer Two Bullets in the .32 H&R Magnum type, one being a flat Point style bullet and the other being a hollow point style bullet, both iare in 100 Grain weight so they pack a serious punch out of the Federal .327 Magnuim Load's. I have recovered some of the Rainier Ballistic slug's from the soft sand Berm at our Range after being fired through my S&W and they actually Mushroom far Better than the Hornady's or Sierra's do in diameter holding most of their weight when they come to rest in the soft sand. I have not tried them for hunting Purposes, but with their supreme accuracy Potential, and Large Mushroom effect I think perhaps this year I will Load some to take along with me Deer hunting with me. With the copper flash coating they have over them and the soft lead construction of the inner bullet I feel they should give Excellent Jack Hammer results on Harvesting Game. Here is a link to Rainier Ballistic's & I Highly suggest that you or other's should give their bullets a work out if you re-load they are a True Blessing as they are moderate in price but Huge on Accuracy & performance. I have Turned on many of my friend's to these Rainier Ballistic Bullet's in the past Five years that I have been using them and all of them have been super satisfied, and many of them that gave up their habit of Frequent shooting due to the higher bullet prices that one has to pay for the Hornady's & Sierra bullet's are now back at the range banging away with these Rainier Bullet's. I even use them in my Pre-25 that is chambered in .45 A.C.P. Caliber of which I chose the 200 Grain Semi Wad cutter bullet design and they give me a one hole ragged group that you can cover with a quarter at the 25 Yard line. Get ya some, they work super and Don't break the bank when you Purchase them... Regards, Hammerdown

Rainier Ballistics, LLC | Welcome

 

[H Richard]

I have always wanted a Mod 16, (or K32), but have never had the opportunity to buy one and now probably couldn't afford one. I have seen where several have taken and had k Frame .32's made from .22 cal. barrels and cylinders. Why wouldn't it be feasible to have a K38 barrel and chambers sleeved. I did have Dave Chicoine sleeve a 22/32 target for me and it worked well. Is there some technical problem, (like too thin a sleeve barrel) or something that would prevent this? Seems like could be an easier option. (I looked for .22 barrels and cylinders and had no luck finding any.)

 

[Hammerdown]

I have always wanted a Mod 16, (or K32), but have never had the opportunity to buy one and now probably couldn't afford one. I have seen where several have taken and had k Frame .32's made from .22 cal. barrels and cylinders. Why wouldn't it be feasible to have a K38 barrel and chambers sleeved. I did have Dave Chicoine sleeve a 22/32 target for me and it worked well. Is there some technical problem, (like too thin a sleeve barrel) or something that would prevent this? Seems like could be an easier option. (I looked for .22 barrels and cylinders and had no luck finding any.)

Hello HRichard
IMHO I think due to the Extreme higher pressure of the Federal .327 Magnum round it would not be wise to attempt placing a sleeved barrel in a conversion of this round. Since the average SAAMI Pressure of the Federal .327 Magnum round which is over 45,000 PSI which is in Excess of the more popular .357 Magnum cartridide Pressure's I fear a huge liability would be involved in barrel sleeving for it. Bowen will punch out a .22 caliber barrel or .22 bore cylinder for this cartridge but I am not aware of any other caliber's he would use to convert this caliber change to. The sweet part is if you can locate a Model 16-4 revolver which is all ready chambered in the .32 H&R Magnum cartridge all he has to do it lengthen the cylinder throats roughly an 1/8" to make his conversion to the Federal .327 Magnum work, and I only had to pay $95.00 for that Job on mine when I had it done. I am Very Blessed to also have a Pre-16 and it is a Five screw Wide rib revolver from 1951 time span. Bowen could not convert this revolver either as it's cylinder window is far too short to make the Federal .327 Magnum cartridge work in the gun. I don't know why anyone would even think of molesting one of thse classic's in .32 S&W Long caliber any way do to their high collector value, one would have to be insane or have more money than brains to try modifing one in any way or form. Mine shoots as good as it looks and really produces some nice tight shooting groups, when I do my part right, it comes through Very well on Target... Hammerdown

 

[H Richard]

Thanks, that's about what I expected, the pressure primarily. Looks like I'll keep looking for a 16-4, 6", which may be easier to find than 17 barrel & cylinder.

 

[Dale53]

Hammerdown;
Those are really nice handguns, for sure! Great pictures, also.

I, too, am a bit of a fan of .32's. I have a Smith .32 S&W Long snubbie and looked long and hard, for years, for a Model 16. I found a few over the years but I was always behind the price curve. No joy!

Then Ruger came out with the single six in .32 H&R Magnum. I bought one and promised myself if anyone came out with a double action I would jump on it. Smith did just that a short time later and here is the result:

This VERY NICE piece has taken quite a few different species of edible small game (grouse, rabbits, etc) and is a joy to carry (offside) while bird hunting.

Not long after the 631, Smith brought out the 16-4. I picked the 6" and mounted a scope, first, then later a Red Dot. I had it out a couple of days ago using a home cast Lee 90 gr W/C TL with excellent results. Lee discontinued this mould in six cavity, dern the luck as it works well in both the .32 S&W Long and the .32 H&R Magnum. Green Frog was visiting when we made up a batch of Recluse's 45-45-10 tumble lube formula (it works VERY well without the downside of Lee's tumble lube formula).

When Ruger released the SP 101 with a 4" barrel in .32 H&R magnum I picked up one of these. It shoots well but the "adjustable" sight was a disappointment. I could NOT zero any load I tried with that abomination of a rear sight adjustable only for windage. I took it to my pistolsmith and even tho' he thought that I had lost my mind, he installed a mount base for a Red Dot sight. Now, the revolver is accurate, hits where it is supposed to and all in all a VERY satisfactory little piece:

All in all, I am pretty happy with my little group of .32's. However, I admit to a certain wistfulness when I think of Green Frog's custom revolver that is under construction. Well, a feller just cannot have EVERYTHING, now can we?

Dale53

 

[Green Frog]

Thanks, that's about what I expected, the pressure primarily. Looks like I'll keep looking for a 16-4, 6", which may be easier to find than 17 barrel & cylinder.

Actually, the Model 617 barrels seem to still be available, at least for the time being. I saw them listed in Brownell's and I believe a couple of other places may have them as well.

Both Hamilton Bowen and Andy Horvath have expressed an unwillingness to line the 38/357 barrel because when they drill the original to take a .314" sleeve (groove diameter) there would be so little of the wall left to support the pressures involved with the 327 Fed Mag.

I do admit to grabbing up one of the last available 617-1 cylinders around, in fact it was apparently the last one at GPC/Numrich. The good news is that for just a little more, you can buy one of the ones Hamilton Bowen makes from scratch, and you know it will be long enough and otherwise just "right" for the project. IIRC, this would just add about $60-70 to the total cost of the build.

If you can find a suitable Model 66 as a "base gun" to build on, you should be good to go.

Froggie

 

[H Richard]

What I'm looking for is Blued.

 

[dugo]

Hello dugo
Glad to see you decided to join us other .32 Nut's here on the exciting Federal .327 Magnum Band wagon.

(edited to save space)

Regards, Hammerdown

Rainier Ballistics, LLC | Welcome

I know this is now an old thread, but for reasons of family and work/travel distractions I lost track of it until I recently got some time to catch up with the .32 phenom.

First, Hammerdown, if you happen back by: thanks for taking the time for your above reply. Wish I had responded to it earlier, but still interesting and fun reading.

I believe a friend of mine has used the bullets you mentioned to good effect. Thanks for the heads-up. I'm not reloading right now, but will probably take it up again before long and will keep this info in mind.

I was dismayed to learn that Ruger had discontinued the SP101 in .327. Hopefully, this won't be a permanent move, and they will do a run from time to time.

Seems like the round is receding from the public attention for a while, though. This is understandable as the current "emotiono-political" diatribe once again drives so many folks to chase and store the old standby's -- but it is disappointing anyway.

Silver lining is that I came across some GD .327's at half price from a shop that anticipated reduced demand, and there seem to be more .32's and .327's on the shelf in the short run.

... Is S&W still in the .327 market? I would still like to hook a S&W 2-inch .632-2 Pro at some point (if I got that designation right), but can't afford to chase it quite yet. Still have not heard anything but praise for them, and it might be just right for CCW.

 

[Stainz]

Here is my 2 1/8" .327 Federal Magnum 632-2, SKU #178046, aka the '632 Pro'. Mine sports some S&W '60 Pro' grips, which are perfect for the .327 Federal Magnum recoil. I got mine when they finally shipped in early 9/11 locally for $648 inc s/t. Mine, which also has shot .32 ACP/S&W/S&WL/H&RM as well as .327 Federal Magnum has a home - especially since S&W dropped it! I expect it's value to climb, a la my 696's some years back!

Note it was made 8/11 - and has no IL! Those are CCI 115gr Gold Dots (.327 Federal Magnum) in the HKS #32-J speedloader. Loud and flashy - and a bit of recoil in the 23 oz revolver! Hits coincident POI/POA at 5-12 yd with a 6 o'clock 'combat' sighting.

Stainz

 

[dugo]

See? There's another nice word for the 632-2. Stainz, you are the envy of ... well ... me for sure, at least.

Thanks for posting this one up. I am going to put this thread on Favorites, just so I can look back at that picture now and then.

Hope you get the expected value from this gun, but for myself I hope S&W deigns to do a run of these once in a while.

Best, --D.

 

[Hondo44]

What I'm looking for is Blued.

Yes, me too and a K frame!
I thought this would satiate my appetite:

A 1959 vintage 22 Mag 'only' Single Six conversion to centerfire and 32 H&R Mag with factory barrel and cyl. Then reamed to 327 Fed Mag.

In these two shots, you can see where I plugged and re-drilled lower to re-install the firing pin and recoil plate for center fire.

But after seeing Froggie's, I gotta have a Smith .327 too!
I have a nice Model 15 and a 4" 22 Remington Jet barrel with 1/2 shroud like all Smith K magnums have except the Mod 48. It's going to Clear Water for re boring while I look for a 22 cylinder for it. As Froggie said, the rib on the barrel is too wide, but a simple millimg cut on each side will do the trick and give an early '50s look to the gun.

 

[setxn]

Last weeks project for kinfolk. He almost didn't get this little jewel back. 432PD H&R MAG

 

[Green Frog]

After shooting my K-frame 327 FM with less-than-full house loads, I think my personal upper limit for the small frame guns would be the top 32 S&WL or perhaps 32 H&R Mag. I can shoot my 32 S&W L HE snub pretty much all day while ignoring the recoil, but the Baby Chief can get my attention with 38 Spl +Ps. My personal limits then, are easy to define. I might buy a 631 four inch with adjustable sights if it presented itself, but the idea of a J-frame in 327 FM seems like too much of a good thing. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Froggie

 

[dugo]

After shooting my K-frame 327 FM with less-than-full house loads, I think my personal upper limit for the small frame guns would be the top 32 S&WL or perhaps 32 H&R Mag. I can shoot my 32 S&W L HE snub pretty much all day while ignoring the recoil, but the Baby Chief can get my attention with 38 Spl +Ps. My personal limits then, are easy to define. I might buy a 631 four inch with adjustable sights if it presented itself, but the idea of a J-frame in 327 FM seems like too much of a good thing. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Froggie

\

Haven't shot a 632 (alas), but the airweight model 432 in .32 H&R is pretty comfortable with light .32 H&R rounds, compared directly to the low-powered .38 rounds in a similar .38 snub.

Inside the versitility of the .327, the .32 H&R itself seems to provide a pretty wide variety of power/recoil options. The low-end .32 H&R's seem tame (comparatively speaking), and easy to shoot in moderate volumes, even from the airweight. Same time, the stuff from companies like GA Arms and (especially) B. Bore do juice the recoil up to feel (to me) more like .38's, but they seem to provide realistic self-defense power levels in return.

This with factory loads.

Once you get to steel frames, even the hotter factory .32H&R's in a j-frame might be fairly moderate on the hands.

 

[Matt Hooper]

Just came back from shooting my new 632. WOW! I love this gun. Shot .32L S&W to get a feel and then switched up to the bad boys. Loaded up 6 shots of Federal .327 Magnum. BOOOOOM! Holy ****. Fire, lead... noise! WOW! People who say this isn't close to a .357 don't know what they are talking about. YIKES! However, on a J frame (even all steel with a port and a 3" barrel) it was a little bit much! Not exactly something I would do again for fun.

Switched it up to H&R .32 Magnums. BEAUTIFUL! That's the heavy round this gun was made for. Big blast but far more controllable. Was able to get back on target faster than with the .327 and didn't spit lead nearly as badly.

Will shoot the .32L for fun and the H&R for carry. The Magtech .32 S&W is in pretty good supply around these parts (Massachusetts).

All in all, a really fun outing!

 

[dugo]

Big congrats! (... mixed with a little envy...)

I'd at least have to do a few 85 grain low recoil .327's now and then; but, heck, I got a surprise the first time I put a few 100 gr .327's through an sp101, too, and that may have a touch more weight to hold it down.

I agree that the .327 feels almost like a .357, too -- not quite, but close enough to get your attention.

Anyway, .32 H&R's are pretty practical these days: easy to shoot; and then, with some of the newer stuff that is out, enough power to be effective for defense. Should be some very good all 'round rounds, and surely a fine platform to launch them from.

Have a great time with the 632!

 

[joell1210]

I had the same views the first time shooting my .327 mag; and I was using 100 gr reloads. Its much worse with Speer .115 gr bullets. After a few dozen rounds it get more comfortable.

I've have now shot about six hundred rounds in each of these bullet weights & about 100 using .85 gr. bullets. The Speer .115 at near max load is my favorite. The recoil is noticeable but is not punishing; its very accurate I've had several 100 plus round sessions.

 

[Green Frog]

You'll never hear me recommending full house 327 Mag or 357 Mag rounds in a J-frame as a "normal diet." In an adrenalin fueled situation, there is another whole dynamic, and perhaps they would be appropriate. For "enjoyable" shooting of either the 327 or the 357 Magnum, the K-frame is a nice platform that will work for most people. In many cases, the 357 may seem excessive for the K-frame (at least that's what some folks think) but I can't see anyone not being able to handle the 327 in a K-frame regardless of how its loaded. I know I wouldn't want to load the 327 FM cartridge to a much higher level than those I have already shot in mine, but what I have shot has been quite manageable. This is my personal experience, so of course "your mileage may vary!"

Froggie

 

[H Richard]

You can go th the Reloading section,and look up my post of a few days ago on "Chrono loads for 16-4." I did several 32 SWL and 32 H&R loads, with one resulting in just over 1/2" groups. I have some more with the 100 gr. Hornady XTP to do maybe nest week. I have decided to not ream my 16-4 for the 327 at this time, maybe later, but I have many other handguns in hotter calibers if I need more power.

 

[PoorKnight]

My J and K fram .327 Fed experience

You'll never hear me recommending full house 327 Mag or 357 Mag rounds in a J-frame as a "normal diet." In an adrenalin fueled situation, there is another whole dynamic, and perhaps they would be appropriate. For "enjoyable" shooting of either the 327 or the 357 Magnum, the K-frame is a nice platform that will work for most people. In many cases, the 357 may seem excessive for the K-frame (at least that's what some folks think) but I can't see anyone not being able to handle the 327 in a K-frame regardless of how its loaded. I know I wouldn't want to load the 327 FM cartridge to a much higher level than those I have already shot in mine, but what I have shot has been quite manageable. This is my personal experience, so of course "your mileage may vary!"

Froggie

I agree. My little 2 inch barrel hammerless S&W 632 was a bear with the 100 grain loads, which I shoot in my rechambered 16-4. I recently bought the new Federal Reduced Recoil loads however, and they were fine in the 632 -- almost like shooting a .32 H&R Mag.

 

[Green Frog]

Well, there's been a lot of "thread drift" as well as "opinion drift" over the life of this thread. Having followed it from the outset and participated both conceptually and at the range, I have reached the following conclusion; If re$our¢es were not a limiting factor, I would have the K-frame in stainless or blue, probably the 4" Model "616" but I certainly wouldn't mind a blue 6" without under lug to handle everything up to and including full house loads in 327 FM. Then I would have an early Model 632 adjustable sighted 4" J-frame for 32 H&R Mag on down, and finally my little 32 HE snub on an I-frame stoked with those good old 32 S&WL JHPs from Georgia Arms as my CCW. I might add a 32-20 cylinder to the K-frame just to round out the 32 caliber package. That's my story and I'm sticking to it at least until somebody comes along with a new idea and lures me away.

BTW, friend Hondo44 mentioned building a blued K-frame on a Model 15 a while back. Has that project come to a boil yet, or is it still simmering on a back burner somewhere? Inquiring minds...

Froggie

PS To the "32 caliber revolvers are dead" crowd, take a look at how much interest these threads about them stir up!

 

[ryxlyx]

Count me in! Been away from shooting for a long time, but as I'm looking forward to both a move back to the old Stomping Grounds and filling time w/ things I've enjoyed doing in the past, reloading .32 mags and sending them (or trying to anyway hehe) in a straight line seems to be where I landed regards handguns. Doing homework for months, finally have 2x16-4s headed my way. One heavily customized that I'll leave as-is, the other I'll likely rechamber to .327. Trying to keep patience a priority, as I have plenty of time to assemble all the trappings....

 

[woreout]

I just found this thread and obviously we have a group of highly enlightened members.

I have been using the 332 as my all day, every day, pocket holster gun since they first came out. My reason was that I could fire six rounds faster and more accurately than five .38s from a gun of similar weight.

Then I bought a 16-4 to compliment my original K-32s and, most recently a 632-2 Pro Series 327. Now you've got me thinking about punching it out but I'm wondering if it might have the same issues as a Model 19 that is shot extensively with magnum loads of getting loose or out of time.

 

[Matt Hooper]

Just scored this week a NIB 432 .32 H&R magnum on GB. Let me tell you, this gun is tremendous. Look, I don't want to get into a caliber pi$$ing match, but suffice to say I wouldn't want to get shot with a .32 H&R magnum. Zero recoil snubby. Perfect carry piece.

I have pretty bad arthritis and for people like me it's the best of all worlds and gives me far more confidence than carrying a rimfire.

A great compliment to my 632 Carry Comp Pro in .327 Federal! HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY!