Buffalo bore, Double Tap, and the .32 H&R Magnum
I have a couple .32 H&R magnum J frames (one 11 oz titanium and one 13.5 oz scandium) and they are dandy little potent self-defense weapons with proper ammo. Well two prolithic manufacturers Buffalo Bore and Double Tap have excellent defense loads for .32 H&R mag self-defense wheel guns.
There are now several manufacturers that produce viable, effective, self-defense ammo for the .32 H&R magnum revolver fans out there.
1)
Buffalo Bore (100 grain Hornady XTP, 1300 fps, 375 ft-lbs --4 inch barrel)
HEAVY 32 H&R MAG. +P
The nominal velocity (4 inch barrel) is 1300 fps,
375 ft-lbs of muzzle energy. Coincidentally, Federal's low recoil 85 grain .327 Federal Magnum Hydrashock ammo produces 1400 fps and
370 ft-lbs out of a 4 inch barrel!
Federal Premium - Handgun Details
Buffalo Bore's load using the Hornady XTP bullet (excellent bullet) is equivalent in striking power!
This Buffalo Bore load would be an excellent choice for defense. Out of my Smith and Wesson J-Frame it is doing 1115 fps (I chronographed it) equating to 276 ft-lbs of muzzle energy. The 2 inch barrel Tim used in his testing is slower than a 2 inch Smith and Wesson barrel. This exceeds most 38 spl +P loads by a 50-75 ft-lbs or more out of a 2 inch barrel and delivers more penetration. This load gives you the self defense potential of a 38 special with one more round and less recoil.
2)
Double Tap (1300 fps, 228 ft-lbs---3 inch barrel)
DoubleTap Ammunition
They have a 60 grain barnes TACXP Lead Free round that expands to .55 in in diameter and penetrates about 12 inches in ballistic gelatin. I called and talked to them and was notably impressed.
This is a good very low recoil load delivering about 1250 fps out of a 2 inch barrel delivering 209 ft-lbs of muzzle energy.
double tap like Buffalo Bore tests out of real guns and not test barrels.
Other Manufacturers I have bought from include:
3)
Georgia Arms (100 grain XTP , 1000 fps out of a 2" barrel)
Georgia Arms - .32 H&R MAG
BVAC ( 85 grain hornady xtp)
Ballistics
4)
The Hunting Shack (100 gr Speer JHP 1150 fps, 294 ft/lbs--4 in barrel, 85 grain XTP 1167 fps, 257 ft-lbs---4 in barrel)
http://thehuntingshack.com/catalog/retail/Retail.pdf
And of course the company that did not develop their load for 25 years lol...!
5)
Federal Premium (85 grain XTP, 1120 fps, 237 ft/lbs----4 inch barrel)
Federal Premium - Handgun Details
Note: there are more manufacturers now that produce .32 H&R magnum (5) versus .327 Federal mag (2)!
Tim Sundle's .32 H&R +p load is the functional equivalent of the Federal 85 grain low recoil hydrashock .327 federal load. Quite impressive when
you consider Tim did this with a shorter casing to work with than .327 federal mag.
Pictured is a gun that looks exactly like my 11.2 oz .32 H&R magnum. (I don't have a pic of it yet lol) but this is it. Awesome little pocket gun with quite a bite with Buffalo Bore's .32 H&R mag +P ammo.....It is a gun you can put in your pocket and take EVERYWHERE with confidence.