I’m still catching up from last year on the run of the (now classic) Smith & Wesson Model 432 UC revolver. This isn’t the newer version with the lighter Ti cylinder, but the version from last spring. I shot the UC guns at a Lipsey’s media event last winter and have since fired another UC or two belonging to folks out here in fly-over country.
The Lipsey’s/S&W M432 UC, wearing Hogue Tamers, with some of the ammo used in this evaluation.
So far, so good.
Without delving into “which is better, 32 or 38?” – not sure why that hasn’t splashed all over gundom yet – I looked at a few different loads for the 32 H&R Magnum gun. I had the donation of a box of 32 S&W Long by Remington, the R32SWL, 98 grain round-nose. From the same source, a pill bottle of 32 S&W (NOT “Long”) with no information as to bullet weight.
I took the Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph along with a shooting rest, some B8 repair centers, and range gear to the club. I set the table just outside of ten yards. While I’ve moved my “point of impact” testing for small and compact guns to 15 yards, I started my examination of the UC guns (this and a M642) at ten yards and didn’t want to change.
I tested primarily for projectile velocity, point of impact using the same point of aim for each load, and finally looking at group size.
The results follow:
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Load
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Avg. Velocity
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POI, group size, notes
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Hornady Critical Defense 80gr FTX
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933 fps
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Hit center, 2 7/8” group with 3 in 1 ½”
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Federal 85gr JHP
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957 fps
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1.5” high, 3” (best three in 5/8”)
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Federal 95gr FRN
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875 fps
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Low; 4.5”, three into 2”. Tended left.
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Lost River 100gr PCWC
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790 fps
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1.5” low; 2 3/8” (3 into 1 5/8”)
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Remington R32SWL 98gr
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560 fps
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2 ½” low; 4 1/8”, 3 into 1”
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Western 32 S&W 85gr. RNL
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600 fps
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3 ½” low; 3 3/8” with 3 in 1 ½”
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Sticking with more recent manufacture ammo (shown above) is smarter as older ammo (below) could result in a bad outcome. This old stock Remington ammo fired fine, but had a large extreme spread in velocity, having an impact on point of impact and target penetration.
The Remington load – an old one, check the $7 price tag – appears about like this offering, currently shown on Remington’s website. This old load featured an extreme spread of 214 fps. That’s likely from age and indifferent storage. The Western load I’m guessing on; it wasn’t in a box, but a pill bottle. I believe it to be the 85-grain round-nose lead round. It could as easily have been the Western 98 grain load – but 600 fps in a sub-2” barrel? I’d lean toward 85 grains. But the load was like shooting a 22 Short from a gun of similar weight. The spread on this ammo was 128 fps.
The extreme spread on the Lost River ammo was 8.6 fps; hardly anything.
The remainder of the ammo spanned from 26 fps spread to the mid-40s. The accuracy load was the round that was most consistent.
While lighter bullets hit higher (as the Federal 85gr. JHP above), at thirty feet, the modern loads remained handily inside the “9” ring of a B-8. The heavy bullet Lost River load was quite accurate – or it was the “training effect” on the shooter, as the Federal load was fired earlier in the day.
I wanted to see if sights and hold were enough to keep the hits in the “9” ring of the B8. They passed for the most part, though my grip allowed a group to wander left. That’s not the ammo, though it’s listed in the chart.
My sight picture was having the XS Dot seated in the base of the rear sight “U” notch. I let the front “ball” cover the “X” of the B8. Even though I had a good seated rest and the gun in line with my center vision, there was still an arc of movement – much less than standing, two-handed, but it was still there.
In the hands of a solid shot, this gun has real promise.
The sight picture was about like shown here, the “ball” inside the “bucket,” with the center of the “ball” covering the ‘X’ ring of the target. That allowed some evaluation of point of impact for each load at a standard distance.
Now, is it enough “power?” Well, it’s a centerfire handgun. I’d say the Hornady Critical Defense FTX and Federal 85 grain JHP are plenty. Both rounds easily stayed inside the “9” ring of the B-8. The Lost River Ammunition 100 grain Poly Coated Wadcutter, while a little slower, is heavier, hit lower on the target still within that 9-ring. I didn’t recall the penetration data on it, but Jeff Hoover reported it at 24” in Clear Ballistics gel in his article here.
I’d not be reluctant to carry it. That accuracy was gilt-edged in this small heater and that means a lot.
I’d also be willing to load this back-up gun with the Hornady Critical Defense load, which hovered around the center of the 10-ring for three of the five rounds and the Federal JHP load.
There was no discomfort in shooting the micro-howitzer due to the magnificent Hogue OverMolded Rubber Tamer Grip (for the J-frame Centennial and the BG38 Bodyguard revolvers). I’m happy to use it.
This is the fourth velocity check on the 32 H&R Magnum S&Ws – the first was in Louisiana at Range Ready during the media event. I did one here last August and a short Federal-ammo-only in the M632UC and the Ruger Lipsey’s LCR in 32 H&R Magnum recently.
While I’m reluctant to take on another caliber, if I was to do so it would be 32 H&R Magnum especially for use in the short revolver format.
It has a lot to offer.
— Rich Grassi
