Looking for a 32 Revolver

[reklawsr]

My wife has a 642CT and likes the size and weight of the revolver but does not like to practice with it due to the recoil.
I am thinking of looking for a similar gun in 32 caliber to see if the recoil will be more manageable for her. I believe a 32 you can practice with and become proficient is better than a 38 that you do not want to fire. We have tried several mild .38 loads with no positive result.

Does S&W make a 32 "J frame" now, or in the past? I would prefer a round but so I can get CT grips for it.

Thanks for any info in advance.

 

[all5x]

Still availabe..

I am sure that the 431, exposed hammer and the 432, concealed hammer are available in 32 Magnum..I have one of each and love them both for practice and carry..new ones can be expensive and used ones seem hard to find as nobody is giving them up..I do love my Model 30, 31, 431, 432, Ruger SP101 32 Mag, PPK 32ACP, TOMCAT 32 Berreta and a Browning 1910 32ACP..oh and my T/C 10" 32 Mag barrel..life is good..all5x

 

[TACC1]

Not trying to be a smart-a$$, but have you tried reduced power
loads, such as wadcutters, cowboy-action ammo, or local reloads?
Just a thought, as you could buy an awful lot of ammo for the price of a new/used firearm.
That said, there's some nice guns up for auction in 32S&W long
on G-B. Might be worth a look. There's nothing finer than another
S&W. TACC1

 

[Allen-frame]

Greetings , the 631 ,all stainless version ,J frame 32 Magnum is collectible ,expensive ,and scarce.
The 431 ,and 432 can be found ,but expensive.

A 22 caliber revolver for your wife is suggested. It does not matter if it is
the same physical size as her carry gun.
What she needs to accomplish ,is creating body memory ,trigger control .and sight alignment.

A model 34 in 22 long rifle would be good for her.
Or a model 317 ,or similar.

Regards ,, Allen Frame

 

[Dale53]

In case you wonder what a 34 looks like:

Frankly, my choice for you wife would be to practice with target wadcutters (if you don't reload, Remington or Winchester both supply them) and then save service loads for REAL use.

In fact, my daily carry gun is a 642 and I do just that - practice with wadcutters with just a few "full" loads at the end of the practice session.

A good pair of grips will go a long way to making things easier for your wife. If she has small hands, then the Pachmayr Pro Compacs should work well for her:

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

I have Crimson Trace grips (#305) on my 642. I have large hands and prefer that the backstrap be covered. They are a bit pricey but have the advantage of the laser, of course. CT also makes a more concealable "boot grip":

Laser Sights For Smith and Wesson Pistols | Crimson Trace Laser Grips

FWIW
Dale53

 

[reklawsr]

Thanks for the replies.

We have tried some lighter loads including factory 148 wadcutters and some of my cowboy reloads (but I shoot heavier cowboy loads than some people). I am going to get some light .38 lead bullets and load them down for her to try.

The .22 sounds interesting we may look for something like that.

I think the weight (lack of) is the problem. But the weight and the CT grip were the reasons she wanted the 642 to start with. She has shot my Model 60 without complaining about recoil but it is heavier and doesn't recoil as sharply.

 

[Landric]

The current S&W .32 offerings are both called the 632, though one is a concealed hammer DAO and the other is a DA/SA with an exposed hammer, go figure. They are both chambered for the .327 Federal, but of course that means they will also fire .32 H&R Mag, .32 S&W Long, and .32 S&W.

reklawsr, I sent you a PM reference .32 H&R S&Ws.

 

[ColbyBruce]

A few weeks ago, this shop in north Georgia had two S&W #431PD .32 H&R magnum revolvers, NIB.

John's Gun & Pawn
1870 U.S. 441
Clayton, GA 30525-3037
(706) 782-1008

 

[H Richard]

Don't overlook the mod. 30 or pre 30. J, or I Frame, and very mild recoil. I would also recommend shooting the gun she carries, but with reduced loads. We used to load a 125 gr cast lead RN with 3.3 gr 231 in 38's which was a very mild load. The bullet was actually a 125 gr 9mm, run through a .357 sizer (didn't size much) and worked very well. We shot PPC with them and won a lot of match's. Recoil wasn't much more than a .22 in a 6" gun.

 

[Pilgrim]

they made a 332 for a while:

 

[ColbyBruce]

There is also the #331TI, discontinued but can still be found.

 

[117]

S&W 431

My wife had a 642 at one time too however this past November I bought her a new S&W 431 in 32 H&R mag and added CT laser grips on it,its her CCW and she is absolutely deadly with it . Even without the laser grips on it she is much more accurate then with the 642 plus she gets 6 shots instead of 5. I had rather her feel more comfortable and be much more accurate with a little less knock down power than have more power and not as accurate. I personally don't believe the 431's are all that expensive they can be bought on line right now for $440 and that is cheaper than ALOT of other J-Frames and the 431 and the 432 are still being made.........PM sent

 

[scout]

The 331Ti (conventional hammer) and the 332Ti (enclosed hammer, like the 642) shown by Pilgrim and ColbyBruce above, had a titanium cylinder and are even lighter (sub-12 oz. I believe) than the 642 (about 16 oz.) but some were made without the internal lock. They are priced dearly, however, if you can find one.

S&W also made the 632 Airweight, identical to your 642 but in .32 H&R Magnum (also shoots .32 Long and Short) in 2" and 3" barrels. These also were made before the internal lock, and both seem even harder to find than the 331 and 332.

You would stand a better chance of finding a 431PD or 432PD (conventional or enclosed hammer, respectively), as mentioned above, that would weigh about the same as your 642, but would be finished in black and come with the internal lock. It seems that S&W are periodically producing one or both of these models.

Then there is the new 632, mentioned by Landric, that will also chamber the longer .32 Federal Magnum in addtion to the other three cartrideges named above. I have not paid as much attention to them, but they will have the internal lock, and I believe from what I have seen they all have a slightly longer, ported barrel. SmithandWesson.com should have more information on these.

There was also the all-steel lockless 631 2" (also available in 4") gun that Allen-frame mentioned. This 2" gun also came in a "Lady Smith" version. I believe an incorrect (low) total production number for the 2" 631 has been published, but at any rate they usually command a premium. All these models in .32 are 6-shooters and have round butts.

 

[dadjx2]

I recommend the S&W 432PD. You can find them new, even though they are not currently listed by S&W. 32 H&R Mag. ammo is scarce, however. I contacted Federal last Aug. and received a response that they planed a Feb '10 run. Well, I haven't seen any yet. In addition, brass is scarce also. There is, however, a 32 S&W long ammo option and 32 S&W, as well as, 32acp (though I have not tried the latter 2). My wife likes the CTC grip, and we found the out-of-box trigger of the 432PD just fine.

 

[peyton]

I will jump in and recommend a 431 or 432. I have all of the S&W 32's and love them. My daughter in law has arthitis and finds it easy to shoot.