Model 432UC problem. What to do?

[Protocall_Design]

The reason for the 32 H&R mag. is that the 327 mag. runs at a lot higher pressure. That means a lot higher recoil and noise as well. A lightweight gun can handle the lower everything of the 32 a lot better. The shooter can handle the lower everything of the 32 a lot better.

I think they made a very good choice, so I bought a 632. So far mine is shooting well, and I really like it. I'm waiting on a Crimson Trace laser grip before I start using the expensive SD ammo.

 

[haywood]

I’ve read several complaints about the new Smith & Wesson Lipsey revolvers. It seems their quality control was lacking. This is probably at least 15 complaints that I’ve read personally on Facebook and on this forum. If it’s not a reload problem, you’ll probably have to send it back to Smith & Wesson.

 

[WR Moore]

A wee point here: if the product was a special order to the purchasers specs, the problem may be with the order itself rather than QC.

It was long an article of faith that one did not screw with the factory mainspring on J frames. The very light hammer needed all the help it could get for reliable ignition.

 

[Protocall_Design]

A lot of them came with a dead night sight. Mine did. A call to S&W got me a good one that was installed in a few minutes. Everything else on the gun was good. The sight problem seems more like QC to me than purchaser specs.

 

[steelslaver]

Swing the cylinder out , press thumb piece back so you can pull the trigger and once pulled keep it pulled. The tip of the firing pin should stick out of recoil shield the thickness of a dime. When It is loaded with empty brass can you stick more than 3 pieces of typing paper between case head and recoil shield at firing pin? Or if you have feeler gauges how thick of gauge goes there? Normal copier/ typing paper is about .004. Max head space is about .074 and case head is .60 .60+.012=.72

If both of those are good and the hammer is not dragging on the frame or side plate, it is the spring.

BTW, A lighter hammer doesn't usually need a heavier spring. Energy=MxV² and as a spring will accelerate a lighter hammer to a higher speed it will have more energy when it strikes. It is like bobbing hammers, the weight loss does not effect ignition at all.

 

[Borelight]

My advice, call S&W tomorrow. They will give you an #RMA number and send you a freebie return label. Ship it off on their dime and get it checked. I am shipping mine tomorrow. It blew up. (Don't ask)

 

[pasound]

I've had the .32 itch since the Lipsey's was introduced. One LGS stocks both .32 Long and .32 Mag, so it is available locally for me. Magtech does use heavy primers, and I read that they are S&B's. I use a lot of Magtech .38's as my factory SWC and HBWC comparisons to my reloads, and never any problems in any .38 I own.

That Magtech box does look like light strikes. Call them, and send it back.

 

[Cal44]

Perhaps your 432UC needs a little longer firing pin.

I have a 432PD which works 100% with 32 long and 32 H&R, but when I try 32acp in it I get lots of light strikes.

It turn out the 32 acp cartridges have slightly tinner rims than the 32 revolver cartridges.

More recently I obtained a 331ti, and it shoots the 32 revolver cartridges and also 32 acp perfectly.

Nice deep strikes ever time.

I've concluded that a smidge longer firing pin on the 432pd would enable it to shoot 32 acp too.

But I don't plan to use 32 acp in either gun for any important reason

 

[BC38]

Perhaps your 432UC needs a little longer firing pin.

I have a 432PD which works 100% with 32 long and 32 H&R, but when I try 32acp in it I get lots of light strikes.

It turn out the 32 acp cartridges have slightly tinner rims than the 32 revolver cartridges.

More recently I obtained a 331ti, and it shoots the 32 revolver cartridges and also 32 acp perfectly.

Nice deep strikes ever time.

I've concluded that a smidge longer firing pin on the 432pd would enable it to shoot 32 acp too.

But I don't plan to use 32 acp in either gun for any important reason

Well, FWIW, I bought a <gasp> Taurus M327 last year.
It is chambered for 327 Federal Magnums and shoots 327, 32 S&W shorts, 32 S&W long, and 32ACP equally well.
No muss, no fuss, just reliable function.
BUT it is an all-steel revolver, so it isn't quite as light in the pocket or holster as one of the S&W/Lipsey's Ultimate Carry revolvers.
On the other hand, it was also significantly less expensive.
So there is that.

 

[seldon14]

Finally got my 432uc out to the range today. Only put 12 rounds through. Had one FTF, never went off even after 3 strikes. I'll try it in my SP101 and see if it works.

 

[jaymoore]

I had my new 632 UC out last weekend for it's first shoot. Found it at a Non-LGS on the way back from an IHMSA event. They had two, but the first passed inspection, so I made sure that's the one on the 4473. (The counter dude had started to ring up the other. "No pigs in pokes! Put it back," was my response.) Quickly swapped the original grips after one cylinder full for new style S&W rubber grips and all was good! Weirdly, the Magtech .32 S&W Long JHPs had much more felt recoil than the Federal .32 Mags. Didn't have any of my .32 Mag silhouette loads on hand. They're unpleasant in my old 432PD, though.

As usual, the tritium sight version requires POA to be directly behind the green dot to match POI at 25 yds. Same as my 340 M&P. In the dark, that makes sense, it just isn't quite natural in daylight.

 

[seldon14]

Finally got my 432uc out to the range today. Only put 12 rounds through. Had one FTF, never went off even after 3 strikes. I'll try it in my SP101 and see if it works.

Update. It did fire in the SP101. That said I've got about 80 rounds now, and no other issues. All but 6 rounds were PPU 32 long. Fired 6 champion 32 mag, fired fine, but had 3 split cases, I feel like that was a brass issue probably.

 

[Bastogne71]

Thanks for all the suggestions from everyone. I found some Federal small pistol primers and shot fifty rounds without any problem. Thinking that the revolver was good to go, I loaded some 32 longs with several charge weights of powder & CCI-500 primers to test for velocity. Two of twenty misfired.

If this had been a used pistol, I would have tried several of your suggestions to get it to work reliably but is a new in box fresh from the factory pistol. Why should I spend my time and money to fix it? I feel that it should be reliable with any suitable ammunition without my having to work on it so it is now back at S&W for repair. There are six S&W revolvers in my safe that have been 100% reliable with my reloads for many years so i do not think this is an ammunition or hand load problem.

I’ll start a new post whenever S&W returns it and I can test it again. We’ll wait and see how it goes.