H&R .32 Mag Revolvers, Good or Bad?

[Joshua]

There is a H&R Model 504 in .32 H&R Mag that is up for auction locally. These aren’t very pretty guns, and they aren’t tremendously desirable guns, but I’ve grown to be very interested in 32s over the last few years (mostly because you guys are constantly talking about them). I already have dies, and molds to support a .32 cal revolver acquisition.

So my question is, do any of you have direct experience with these mid 1980’s revolvers? How did they hold up durability wise? Did you find them to be accurate/enjoyable to shoot?

 

[RicinYakima]

My shooting buddy bought the earliest model H&R made and I shot it quite a bit. It is a light weight gun and in magnum, probably as hot a round as it should be chambered for. It was noticeably loose by 500 rounds of Federal ammo. It was OK for accuracy with warm 32 S&W long loads, but struggled with anything over 900 f/s. It was due for a rebuild after 10 years, but they had quit making them by then. My friend carried his a lot and shot it a lot, mostly with 4.0 grains of WW231 the Lyman 32 SWC.

 

[hporter]

Although it is an H&R, mine is a 32 S&W Long:



The LGS that I frequent knew that I liked 32's. One day many years ago while browsing the glass cases, they proffered this thing to me. I offered him $80 if he would accept that as an "out the door price". I was surprised when they said yes.

I can understand why Ric said that the mag was the hottest round that it should be chambered for. My example was probably treated rough prior to my ownership of it, but the kindest thing I can say about it - is that it is a fairly crude implement.

I have a bunch of .32 revolvers, so this one doesn't see the light of day. If you lived closer, I would probably give it to you. But then I might feel guilty as it would send you down the same rabbit hole I fell into, with my love and appreciation of .32 handguns.

Personally, unless you are on a strict budget, I would pass on the H&R for something with a bit more quality. That is, unless you are just dying to load and cast for one. They do go bang, and the accuracy is not too bad. I haven't shot mine on paper, but it is easily minute of soda can.

 

[Ian]

I have a cute little H&R SNS that Dad had nickel plated for Mom when I was a boy. It's pretty much junk, I have shot a few of the short .32s and some longs through it to see if it was worth buying dies.....nope. Cylinder base pin jumps out every shot and the cylinder is bored straight through.

 

[JustJim]

Had one (32mag) back in the '80s. From what I recall, about 500 rounds of magnums is roughly their useful lifespan. Accuracy was nothing to write home about, but that may have been me. It wasn't a bad trapline/tacklebox/tractor gun, but it definitely wasn't a range gun.

If you are interested in working with the cartridge, I'd suggest seeking a better test-bed.

 

[358156 hp]

I had a 32 H&R in a real H&R! I was bummed that I couldn't hotrod it like Skeeter Skelton so I sold it pretty quickly and bought a Single-Six to replace it. The cartridge has endured, but the revolvers haven't done as well. I think you'd really like the cartridge, but I'm skeptical about the revolvers. It could be really cool in a better built gun. To be honest, you can make a 38 Spl outperform the 32 H&R pretty badly with very little effort.

 

[JustJim]

To be honest, you can make a 38 Spl outperform the 32 H&R pretty badly with very little effort.

Hence me not having a 32. . . .

 

[Bret4207]

I'll be the odd man out. IF you can get it for a good price and IF you stick to something that is accurate instead of loud and fast, you might be very happy with the gun. I'm not going to say you'll get superb accuracy, but you may well get usable field accuracy. The sights will limit you first off, and the trigger isn't likely to "break like glass at 2.5 lbs". OTOH, if it will stay in minute of soda can at 15-20 yards, that right there makes it a "kit gun"- the type you aren't afraid to carry in a swamp or in the rain or to stick in the toolbox under the seat of the pickup. Okay, so you aren't going to be expecting to pop off a gopher at 250 yds and you wouldn't use it to fight off a horde of mutant ninja zombies with rabies, but it may well be fine for the woodchuck in the back yard, the nasty stray dog that decides you look tasty or the charging rock at the sand pit. These days, if you can win this thing, if you don't like it you can probably get all your $ back easily.

 

[Joshua]

Well thanks for the input. That is kinda what I suspected around the durability issue. I’m ok with the funky looks of this revolver, but soft steel, and loose timing aren’t on my list of desired revolver traits.

I will keep an eye on this one. It’s already at $156.00 and there’s still three days left on this auction. I can’t see paying close to $300.00 for one of these. I suspect it may go that high.

I do have a soft spot for these H&R revolvers. I have a very old H&R five shot revolver that was rusted solid when I found it almost thirty years ago. It had been hidden in an outbuilding by the previous owners of the property. After soaking it in kerosene for about 6 months and occasionally working on it I got it moving again. I’ve always wanted a shootable version of one of these, for no other reason than nostalgia.

 

[RicinYakima]

I too, like H&R revolvers, but the issue is always soft metal casehardened on top. They just don't take much pressure on the metal.

However, this is the most accurate revolver I have ever owned;

The H&R model 199 with single set trigger.

 

[Jeff H]

...

I do have a soft spot for these H&R revolvers...

Uderstandable. They have a certain charm, and their grips fit me well.

I've only ever had two, the first of which was a new 949 22LR/22WMR, which was attractive and accurate, but had a SA trigger that would tire you out. It was HEAVY, but broke clean as could be done. I didn't even know it was a DA/SA until after I'd sold it and later read that obscured fact. It loaded and unloaded like any other SA. It was traded toward my first Ruger MKII Auto when they came out.

The other looked kike something that fell out of a dog's butt. It was a 9-shot, 4" 22 LR with a swing-out cylinder and skimpy fixed sights. It too was very accurate, but had a surprisingly light and crisp SA trigger and I actually shot pins with it a few times using DA and it was perfectly workable and satisfactory. I bough this one for $50 from a fella who used to flag me down at t he gun shows and tell "stories" on my deceased grandfather. It tickled him so just to have someone who would appreciate the tales of their horse-trading adventures that (literal as well as figurative) that I just had to have the revolver.

This one, I sold to a "poor boy" who's young wife had no gun to shoot and he dearly wanted her to be in on the fun, so I sold it to him for $50 to give to his wife. He went on to buy a new Browning shotgun about once a month thereafter and I felt I'd betrayed the ugly little thing (the revolver, not his wife), because surely, no one else would be able to appreciate it like I did. Homely as it was, it was a little beauty in my eyes. It had had a rough life before I got it, but it was an endearing little contraption, with a great deal of hard-earned character.

I lusted for a 999 for many years, and forty-some years ago, a nice old fella at the Laguna Seca Range, near Monterey, California walked up to me one day with a big grin and a 999 in his hand. Didn't know him from Adam, but he said "you gotta shoot this thing!" I did and fell in love but never got one. He also forced upon me that day a five-shot hammerless S&W and insisted that I "try this one too!" Another really neat gun.

 

[Joshua]

So, here is a picture of an old H&R revolver. Not my gun, not my photo.

Here is a picture the shed gun that started my interest in these early pocket DA revolvers.

Mine is actually a Hopkins and Allen XL Bulldog in I believe 38 Smith & Wesson. Not an H&R, but they have very similar profiles.

 

[hporter]

However, this is the most accurate revolver I have ever owned;

The H&R model 199 with single set trigger.

Ric,

I was just reading Major Julian S Hatcher's Textbook of Pistols and Revolvers a few weeks ago and I was surprised at the positive words he used to describe H&R 22 revolvers. Especially the single action models such as yours. I will have to keep my eye out for one at the local pawn shops, where you can still find reasonably priced treasures on occasion with a little luck.

 

[hporter]

Joshua,

Your photo's reminded me that I had a .32 S&W project gun that I haven't worked on in half a decade or more.



A lady I used to work with gave this Forehand and Wadsworth revolver to me. It was in very poor condition, heavily caked with years of neglect, though nowhere near as bad as your shed gun. There was no finish on it, and I managed to get the worst of the worst cleaned off. I have all the parts in separate parts bags, and the action still worked, it was just missing it's cylinder base pin.

So I still need to find a base pin. I am just not sure exactly what it looks like. I had to replace the lifter on my Iver Johnson 32 S&W short safety revolver last year as it had snapped in half. I bought a couple sight unseen from Numrich, but they never quite fit correctly. Then I happened upon one on eBay that "looked" identical that actually did fit and work. At least I had the old one to visualize what I was looking for. On this one I don't have that luxury.

These old .32's interest me. Not in the .32 mag realm that you were looking for, but a fun bit of American history that I like to dink around with.

 

[Bret4207]

At one time H+R revolvers were in the top of the 22 target revolver class. Yes, they tend to be soft way back when, newer ones not so much. IMO the 32 Mag is too much for the design. They'll do the job, but like Smiths and Colts they can't take a steady diet of hot stuff they were never really designed for. A Colt Police Positive can take 38 +P stuff...for a while. The design isn't there for those pressures.

Some H+R's were several levels above the $3 Saturday night special. Some weren't.

 

[richhodg66]

I think a .32 revolver is a cool thing to have. It doesn't have to be loaded up to .32 H&R ballistics, load to .32 S&W Long ballistics and be happy.

Dad was a real fan of the .32 H&R Mag when it came out. He did a lot of back paking even after all his sons grew up and left the nest and always had a Kit Gun of some sort. He went overboard on the .327 as well when it came out. Personally, I always felt even the .32 H&R was way past the point of diminishing returns in terms of handgun power, if I needed more power than a .32 L, it would be time to step up to a .38 of some sort.

There has been an H&R like this in .32 L with a four inch barrel and adjustable sights showing up at all the gun shows for a year or more. I may have to do some wheeling and dealing on it next show.

 

[Rick H]

I ran into a trapper in the Upper Peninsula who was carrying a 9 shot 22 top break 4" H&R revolver that he claimed his grandfather and father used when they ran their traplines as well. It was well worn, most of the bluing gone but clean and fully functional. Seemed like a perfect tool for the job and it lasted many many years doing it. I have never shot nor handled one but always liked the looks. Would make a perfect toolbox, kit gun.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I have a few H&R revolvers. Most older WWII and previous. I have a 999 Sportsman that pretty nice and a 902?? 22 LR snub that has a remarkably accurate and smooth action.

I agree if your wanting a shooter you might look else where they are a bit crude with poor dims in cyl and forcing cone.

I was excited when the 32 H&R came out and bought a Ruger single six and then a SP101. Both shot well but I was overly unimpressed with the cartridge. I sold off the 101 pretty quick as it was heavy and under powered. I held the Single six and eventually picked up second and my wife used them with a 32/20 rifle for two years shooting "cowboy matches".

I saw the later 2000's invention of the 327 but was so unexcited with that H&R "Mag" a "Super Magnum" 32 seemed lack lustre.

Two years ago I saw Ruger offered a "new" single six labled a Single seven (S7) in 327 and in a Bisley! I ordered and received a 5.5" Blued Bisley. What a super nice gun and Caliber!! I was dead wrong to have ignored this one for so long!!
I went to see my dad and brought the revolver. He LOVED it so much I almost lost it!!! Looking in gun rags we saw Lipseys had commissioned a birds head a while before. I contacted a old contact with them and was rewarded with a consecutive pair for pop and I. He bought us Double Diamond holsters Pilots rig holsters!



Here is our birds head guns.



This is my recommendation to you. A S7 Ruger. Excellent shooting and handling Revolver.

I pocked up a Accurate mold made specfically for the S7 and discovered that the old Lyman 311440 bullet and Blue dot makes a dandy thumper! The pic of the Bisley and chrono is shooting that hand load and 150g bullet in 327.

CW

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I was excited to find a mold I never expected. A Lyman 80g wadcutter. (Type 3)




I made a dummy last night in a 327 case. This bullet would be equal good in a Long or H&R case too.




Here is the holsters too. Great way to carry in woods.

 

[Joshua]

A Ruger in .327 is definitely on my short list. I’m very fond of my Security Six, it would be only right to add a little brother to the family.