Need your opinions on the Smith & Wesson 432UC

[Martyk]

There wold be no way I would buy a gun in 32 caliber! I am NOT saying it isn't a viable SD round either, it is just a fairly new round that IMO won't be popular very long and will be hard to find and costly at best. Also IMO, the 32 won't do anything a 38 spl. won't. While the 38 spl. has been waning itself to the vastly more popular 9mm, at least there is still a descent supply of ammo available.

There have been many "Wildcat" cartridges that have come and gone and I for one do not want any part of them. Especially since they are nothing spectacular to begin with. Wait 10 years and good luck finding a selection of 357 Maximum, .30, 357 Sig, 41 mag, 10mm, 38 super, 17 H&R Mag, etc. It's one thing to pay for the gun - it's another thing to feed it with practically available ammunition at a price reasonable enough for you to actually practice and shoot with.

The .32 H&R magnum was introduced in 1984 and in the J frame configuration holds 6 rounds. Plus, the .32 H&R Magnum can be handloaded to obtain better ballistics than a .38spl. What's not to like?

 

[BrBa]

As more and more people are buying these revolvers, hopefully the ammo companies will start developing more choices for carry ammo. A heavy .32 Mag Federal HST would be awfully sweet!

 

[geeollie]

I have the 432 and really like it. Recoil with a 38 j frame is bothering me but this little guy is much more pleasant to shoot. The only thing I don't like is the 98 grain .32 long shoots low, oh well.I see more j frames coming out in this caliber.

High Desert makes a nice round in 32 H&R. The velocities they offer are just a tad higher than some of the faster 32 long rounds.
Just adding this incase some have not come across this offer of ammunition before.

This is what they say:

"32 H&R Magnum – 98 gr Wadcutter
Originally calibrated to the new S&W UC revolver models, this snub load is also extremely accurate out of many makes and models of snub revolvers with a barrel length of 1 7/8. With low recoil and blast, this load is a pleasure to shoot and shows deep penetration.
It can be used as a defensive round as well. Velocity – 825 fps"

 

[Marshal Tom]

The Lost River 100gr poly coat Full Wadcutter is the one I use.

 

[jaymoore]

Like any S&W revolver made since the 1980's (at least): Inspect before you buy.

The very first one I saw in a store (a 632UC) passed with flying colors and has been an excellent purchase! (Minus the VZ grips, which didn't stay on a day.) The one thing my old .32 Mag doesn't have is the front night sight, which I learned to appreciate at Ft. Benning night shoots at the turn of the century.

 

[stansdds]

.32 H&R Magnum has been around since the mid-80s, not sure I'd call that 'fairly new'.

Correct, but compared to the 38 Special, which was introduced in 1898, as a black powder cartridge, it is fairly new.

 

[Beju]

As more and more people are buying these revolvers, hopefully the ammo companies will start developing more choices for carry ammo. A heavy .32 Mag Federal HST would be awfully sweet!

That may be a difficult nut to crack for a ~100gr JHP at snubnose velocity. Federal reportedly discontinued the .38 Special 130 gr HST due to inconsistent performance.

 

[geeollie]

An HST would be fun to see. Federal has a DEEP loading coming. For the time being, Commercially loaded 85 gr XTP in 32 H&R has been shown to expand to very near .38 Special wadcutter diameter and penetrate 13-17 inches in jello. The 98-100 gr. wadcutter loads in 32 H&R and even in 32 S&W Long remain at .313 inch diameter and penetrate 15-17 inches in that same jello. Buffalo Bore pushes the envelope even more.

Each of us just has to decide if that is enough for our individual needs.

 

[Bastogne71]

I'm a huge fan of 32 revolvers so my 432UC wasn't my first in 32 H&R. It did give me light strike misfires at first but since I replaced the hammer spring with a slightly heavier spring, it has worked perfectly. I am confident that the 32 H&R is more than adequate for personal defense with proper ammunition. The light weight is easy to carry and the recoil isn't bad. Personally, I I'm very happy with the grips as well.

I hope that the resurgence of the popularity of the 32 will result in a better selection of ammunition. Maybe Speer gold dots or Federal HST will be available for this revolver in the near future.

 

[Doug M.]

There have been a few strings about the platform here, and other than checking one out before delivery because of some QC issues, they have been well received. Remember that this platform was developed based on the work of actual experts. DB has a lot of experience with fighting revolvers.

Ammo: A good stout SWC is likely your friend. Counting on expansion is less than prudent.

 

[nyeti]

I carry two most of the time. A standard AIWB and the prototype that became the 432 UC Ti in my pocket. They have been good daily carry guns that makes for easy old guy concealed carry when I am not going to and urban area where I simply replace the AIWB gun with a P365.

QC has improved a lot as many of the initial bugs were worked through. People forget that these were basically the first foray into building what is essentially a PC gun on a production line. I hear very few issues with the current guns. Most light primer strikes involve foreign made ammo. If you want to shoot that stuff, S&W can make some changes to do it. It is like putting low octane gas in a performance vehicle. It's a choice but most people who buy performance vehicles understand that they may need to run better gas.
As far as .32 performance. The guns shoot .32 short, .32 Long and .32 ACP in a pinch, all with very long deep history's. A ton of development is being done in .32 H&R Magnum and much of the .30 Super Carry is a carry over. The new Federal HydraShok deep is a good example and engineers are finding that from 1 7/8" barrels, .32 H&R has greater potential than .38 Special as a sweet spot of the snubs. We were blowing 32" inches of gel and getting solid downrange berm impacts with Double Taps 120 hunting load in .32 H&R (and it is no fun to shoot) for those still mad about it not being .327 Fed Mag. I love .327 Fed Mag…in my SP101. Have zero desire or need to shoot it in a snub. The key is sufficient penetration and shot placement and most of the performance.32 Long and .32 H&R will do everything you need. I can guarantee if during an autopsy the Coroner did not know what round was used they could not tell if it was a .32 H&R Magnum or a 9mm if you get solid depth of penetration. If someone has first hand investigated as many shootings as I have and worked autopsies and inside ER's getting bullets recovered we can have the argument. If your experience is reading some gun magazines and Internet lore….well, do that. Some of the worst advice out there comes from gun writers, cops who are not actual recognized true firearms and ballistics experts, and ER docs.
The .32 UC guns are a great snub option for many. They are a usable size, shoot a round that works well for recoil control and capacity in that size, generally reliable with usable sights and a manageable trigger. A grip frame and size that allows endless possibilities to be a screwdriver away from whatever the user wants. This all sounds like a pretty good daily carry gun for a lot of people.

 

[BeachBumShooter]

Hum, I ordered a 632UC from a LGS early last spring and was super excited about it after watching and reading all the marketing stuff. However, I was a victim of poor QC and my version came with a dead front site. Now, less excited about a J-Frame that costs that much and has problems out of the box. I contacted S&W and they promptly sent me a replacement sight.

Ok, off to the range with some Federal, Speer, and Doubletap factory ammo. Dang it, everything printed way left, about 5" at 10 yards! What excitement I had left about my new tricked out J-Frame ultimate wonder gun turned into buyers remorse. And to add, the fancy VZ gripes did not fit my hands and felt strange.

Irritated, I tossed the gun into the safe for a month to let myself calm down.
I ordered some boot grips from Hogue and installed them. I then drifted the rear sight to the right even with the frame.

Back to the range I went hoping for the best. The new gripes felt good and comfortable like all my other J-Frames. The point of impact improved greatly as I was hitting slightly left at 10 yards and an inch or two left at 15 yards. Ok, maybe I can work with this gun after all and started noticing some good things about it.

The two good things I found I did like about the new wonder snubby were the trigger and the sights. Both lived up to the hype and I'm very satisfied with both of these features.

I bought a new NOE 100 grain SWC mold and a bunch of Starline brass and handloaded my own ammo. I further drifted my rear sight to the point where it sticks out from the frame a bit and tried different powder charges until I found a good one for elevation. It now shoots point of aim/point of impact or at least as good as I can shoot.

Now, nine months later and around 800 rounds through my new 632UC I'm pretty satisfied with it. I had to deal with the sights, grips, and windage from the start, but it shoots good for me and I'm going to add it to my carry rotation.

Do I recommend buying one? Yes, for the sights and a good trigger. And maybe because you get six instead of five. But, beware, its not the "ultimate" carry gun, just a pretty good one.

 

[Rider1300]

I have been buying 32 long in bulk, but I do have loading dies and now I have some empty 32 shells to load and keep me busy.
For me, the only problem I see with the caliber is availability of ammo. I would love to see more American companies making it.

As for the gun.it is fantastic! My trigger according to my Lyman gauge clocked in at 8.4 lbs double action. I'm still not sure about the grips. I have another snub that has Hogue grips and I really love the way they feel. The g10 grips look really nice and are comfortable to shoot with but they feel a little slippery to me. Bottom line: it's been flawless, it carries well and has become my carry gun.

Added: I have since swapped out the grips I found the G tens to be too slippery and when I got them I was disappointed in the color the G tens that came on my gun were almost black they were so dark. Now I put on a set of rubber grips which I have on other snubbies ( Hogue ) and I love them. No trouble using speed loaders either.

 

[Dutch87]

I've had mine since 4/2024 and no issues with the gun. Factory grips are a great shape, but I really love the Crimson Trace LG405s which is what are on there now. I can still see the factory sights even with my distance glasses on, they are just great. To make the rear more visible against dark backgrounds, I filled in two of the middle horizontal rows with white paint.

I did the same thing with the grips - I just love 405s,
- light weight
- tiny profile
- rubber where it needs to be
- bonus laser

I REALLY like how the factory grips fit and look, I'm just heart set on the 405s

I have to say I think in 30 years we're going to look back on these high-horns with fondness and compare them to the wondergrips of yesteryear.
"Man remember those VZ high-horns they came up with? Back in the ~2020s? Made the gun WAY more shootable for people trying to get the most out of a J-frame"

I feel that way about the gun too TBH.
They combined so many nice things that work into a factory gun, it really is a testament to the guys who worked on the project. I'm hoping to end up with *at least* 2.

 

[Dutch87]

High Desert makes a nice round in 32 H&R. The velocities they offer are just a tad higher than some of the faster 32 long rounds.
Just adding this incase some have not come across this offer of ammunition before.

This is what they say:

"32 H&R Magnum – 98 gr Wadcutter
Originally calibrated to the new S&W UC revolver models, this snub load is also extremely accurate out of many makes and models of snub revolvers with a barrel length of 1 7/8. With low recoil and blast, this load is a pleasure to shoot and shows deep penetration.
It can be used as a defensive round as well. Velocity – 825 fps"

The one thing I'm curious about, is how hard that bullet is. If it's closer to the "hard cast" side of things, or if it's soft, or in between.

I actually emailed them to ask out of curiosity, never got an answer.

I'm more or less wondering how it stacks up vs the Bufffalo bore wadcutter. "A touch softer and a touch slower" is my guesstimate.

 

[Dutch87]

I carry two most of the time. A standard AIWB and the prototype that became the 432 UC Ti in my pocket. They have been good daily carry guns that makes for easy old guy concealed carry when I am not going to and urban area where I simply replace the AIWB gun with a P365.

QC has improved a lot as many of the initial bugs were worked through. People forget that these were basically the first foray into building what is essentially a PC gun on a production line. I hear very few issues with the current guns. Most light primer strikes involve foreign made ammo. If you want to shoot that stuff, S&W can make some changes to do it. It is like putting low octane gas in a performance vehicle. It's a choice but most people who buy performance vehicles understand that they may need to run better gas.
As far as .32 performance. The guns shoot .32 short, .32 Long and .32 ACP in a pinch, all with very long deep history's. A ton of development is being done in .32 H&R Magnum and much of the .30 Super Carry is a carry over. The new Federal HydraShok deep is a good example and engineers are finding that from 1 7/8" barrels, .32 H&R has greater potential than .38 Special as a sweet spot of the snubs. We were blowing 32" inches of gel and getting solid downrange berm impacts with Double Taps 120 hunting load in .32 H&R (and it is no fun to shoot) for those still mad about it not being .327 Fed Mag. I love .327 Fed Mag…in my SP101. Have zero desire or need to shoot it in a snub. The key is sufficient penetration and shot placement and most of the performance.32 Long and .32 H&R will do everything you need. I can guarantee if during an autopsy the Coroner did not know what round was used they could not tell if it was a .32 H&R Magnum or a 9mm if you get solid depth of penetration. If someone has first hand investigated as many shootings as I have and worked autopsies and inside ER's getting bullets recovered we can have the argument. If your experience is reading some gun magazines and Internet lore….well, do that. Some of the worst advice out there comes from gun writers, cops who are not actual recognized true firearms and ballistics experts, and ER docs.
The .32 UC guns are a great snub option for many. They are a usable size, shoot a round that works well for recoil control and capacity in that size, generally reliable with usable sights and a manageable trigger. A grip frame and size that allows endless possibilities to be a screwdriver away from whatever the user wants. This all sounds like a pretty good daily carry gun for a lot of people.

I think you guys did a fantastic job, and I am allll here for the .32 renaissance!
It's just well thought out in so many ways. The grips make the gun fit the hand in a way that I think we'll look back years from now and praise. I think that about the project too to be hoenst

Unless I'm mistaken the complaints about J-frames always were:
- sights
- trigger
- capacity
- can be tough to grip

And the .32 UC is an improvement on all of that. I love my 638 and would never sell it but, the 432UC is a step up in all ways, cannot wait to get my hands on a Ti in the near future!