(Rebirth of the 32s) Bring Back the Model 332Ti

[wrangler5]

truth is NOBODY wanted these things when S&W made them. They were real orphans. At the time you could not say the word "32 mag." without somebody trying to compare it to a 357 and saying they had NO use for it. < snip >

And part of that is, of course, that "factory" 32 H&R is limited by the strength of the original H&R guns, which was pretty feeble. Common factory loads are only a small step beyond 32 Long in energy, and nowhere near even garden variety 38 Specials.

The hot Buffalo Bore loads say ON THE BOX - Not For Use in H&R Revolvers. But most gun stores aren't going to stock that stuff, and won't talk to a potential gun buyer about having to order effective ammunition for a 32 H&R revolver online. Much easier to sell 'em a nice 38 Special, for which there is (or used to be, at least) a selection of ammunition on the shelves in the store.

Arguably, that's what 327 Federal was intended to get past. The 85 grain 327 Federal factory loads I checked were at the energy level of the 100g Buffalo Bore H&R loads, while the 100g loads from Federal and Speer were fire breathing dragons, up in low 357 Magnum territory.

But 327 Federal never got past a niche in the market as far as S&W making and selling 'em is concerned. Ruger either has more manufacturing flexibility, or a different view of the market, than S&W. Maybe both. Much as I'd like to see S&W back in the Potent-32 revolver business, I wouldn't bet a nickel on it happening.

 

[needsmostuff]

Truly ,factory ammo has always been , and continues to be ,the 32mags biggest enemy.
If a 32 mag is meant to be a flexible shooting tool handloading is a must.
Fast powders for short barrels and slow powders for long barrels with stout frames .
This little derringer would get it done with Bullseye and a 100 grain double ended wadcutter.

On the other end are Ruger single actions . With 115 gr cast and a bunch of #9 they run a little behind a 327,,,,, but not much.

 

[wrangler5]

< snip > On the other end are Ruger single actions . With 115 gr cast and a bunch of #9 they run a little behind a 327,,,,, but not much.

Well, the Single Seven in 327 Federal is just right, IMHO. Heavy enough to make the full power 327s tolerable (you've still got to protect your ears, though) and small enough to feel like you're not shooting a sub-caliber in a great big gun. And they take everything from mousefarts up to the fire breathing dragons.

 

[jski3]

You would think that the S&W 332Ti, with its titanium cylinder, would be able to handle Buffalo Bore's 32 H&R +P loads.

 

[wrangler5]

Why would it not be? I've been advised by Buffalo Bore that their 32 H&R +Ps are safe for unlimited use (their term) in my 30-1 and 31-1 32 Long revolvers that have been reamed to take 32 H&R. A 332Ti has to be at least that tough.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

And might I throw in a word for the .32 ACP, just for fun and because?

That's one snappy little round and this gun will be carried after I shoot it some more to be sure it is reliable.

This one is a whole nuthuh smoke.....

But I am not happy with it.....................yet.............

 

[jski3]

Given the fantastic prices the 32 guns bring on the used market, I've been surprised that S&W hasn't brought a few of 'em back into production. They DID run some 432s a few years ago, but apparently just one batch and they all went out immediately. (I bought one that was defective, and when I sent it back they had none to offer as a replacement - had to take a 38 instead.)

It has always struck me as a "how hard can it be" manufacturing question. Seems like it would take a different barrel, cylinder, extractor and maybe a hand, and the rest of the J or K frame parts should be the same, right?

The fact that they haven't done this suggests they're running all of their machinery 24/7, they're selling all the 38/357 product they make, so it just isn't worth the trouble to switch some machines to make 32 caliber parts for a while. (But I still wonder about that batch of 432s - what caused 'em to do that? Inquiring minds want to know.)

S&W, are you listening? Bring back your 32s!

Oh yeah and BTW, especially the 332Ti !

 

[Jeff97223]

I had a gorgeous Model 16 in 32 H&R Mag with a full lugged 6" barrel. Went brain dead and sold it. Anyone know how much it hurts banging your head on the corner of a filing cabinet?

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[jeffrefrig]

I really like my .327 FM GP100s, they're like shooting a .22 out of a K Frame because of the weight of them. But, I don't know how they would feel out of a lighter weight gun. The best part is that if they hurt too much to practice with, in the lighter revolvers, you can step down to any other .32 caliber cartridge. I don't think there's a big enough fan base to restart that FM caliber for S&W. It would make for a cool snubnose. Ear plugs are a must though!