Handloading the .32 H&R Magnum

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I just bought a pound of Autocomp to try out and one of the cartridges I bought it for is the .32H&R. I have 85gr XTP, 100gr LRN-HP, 78gr LRN and 115gr LRN-FP. Eager to see what can be done with those for the wife’s Taurus ported snubby.
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
I just bought a pound of Autocomp to try out and one of the cartridges I bought it for is the .32H&R. I have 85gr XTP, 100gr LRN-HP, 78gr LRN and 115gr LRN-FP. Eager to see what can be done with those for the wife’s Taurus ported snubby.
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Who makes the 100 Grain LRN-HP. I have finally succeeded in finding happy and accurate loads with the Win244. Have been using the RimRock 100 Gr. RNFP to good success, it likes Unique too. A Lead HP at 950 FPS would seem perfect for my 3” Charter Professional.
 
Frulk said:
You had me at .32 H&R
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Me as well.

Mine are all chambered for 327 for which I have plenty of that caliber ammo. But I found over time what I'm actually shooting the most of is 32 H&R either in it's brass or 327 brass loaded to that power level. If I really feel the need to put the hit on something I'll step up to full 327, but for the most part 32 H&R has been getting the job done for me.

Believe it or not, but about two months ago I retired four out of five of a litter of feral piglets each weighing in the 35-40lb range with 32 H&R 90gr RNL "cowboy" loads out of my 3" SP101. It's my "kit gun" that I wear when I work outside. Got the first three right off. Two with one shot thanks to them standing shoulder to shoulder at the time I fired. The fourth about a week later when I found it nosing around in my garden. The last of the five fell to a scoped 22wmr rifle a week or so later. After seeing all of its siblings killed it had become a lot more wary so I had to reach out to touch that one.

I love 32 H&R. Enough authority to do the deed on most homestead pests, but not so loud as to hurt my unprotected ears even out of a short barrell.
 
Y-T71 said:
Ha! That's part of the problem!

Couple of gun shows coming up in the area and my son and I have been trying to get out in the weekend and see what's out there.

Who knows, maybe we'll find one of these little gems tucked away on some old-timers table for a price everyone is happy with.
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.32 anything is just fun to shoot and load for. Accurate and it’s not wimpy even in the right .32 Long loadings up to and including the .327. Problem is the platforms. Ruger in both SA and DA revolvers seem to be the most common. Good luck!
 
I wouldn’t say it’s impossible that Marlin would ever make a .327 FM. Actually I’d say it’s very probable as Ruger has single handedly kept the cartridge in circulation over the years since it’s inception. 4 models of Single Sevens. 3 barrel lengths and one birds head. The 7 shot GP100. Two versions in the SP101.

Someone in a fairly high up position at Ruger likes this caliber. Best you get ready to get in line for that Marlin.327FM.

If there’s any Justice in the world it will come in the old CB guise with a tapered octagon barrel and color case hardened lever and frame.

As an aside, I’m very happy with my Henry .327FM but already have a spot in the vault picked out for the Marlin.
 
Frulk said:
I wouldn’t say it’s impossible that Marlin would ever make a .327 FM. Actually I’d say it’s very probable as Ruger has single handedly kept the cartridge in circulation over the years since it’s inception. 4 models of Single Sevens. 3 barrel lengths and one birds head. The 7 shot GP100. Two versions in the SP101.

Someone in a fairly high up position at Ruger likes this caliber. Best you get ready to get in line for that Marlin.327FM.

If there’s any Justice in the world it will come in the old CB guise with a tapered octagon barrel and color case hardened lever and frame.

As an aside, I’m very happy with my Henry .327FM but already have a spot in the vault picked out for the Marlin.
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That would be very nice, but I would prefer a SS version. I do actually have a couple Henry's, a golden boy, and a 44 mag mares leg.
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Frulk said:
Someone in a fairly high up position at Ruger likes this caliber. Best you get ready to get in line for that Marlin.327FM.....If there’s any Justice in the world it will come in the old CB guise with a tapered octagon barrel and color case hardened lever and frame.
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Devoutly to be wished in this neck of the woods, but would prefer the .32 H&R.

.32's are addictive...I started with a .32 NP Colt Police Positive back in the '80's and quickly found it almost...but not quite, the perfect dog walking sidearm; just short of 4" bbl. perfection save for its 'hog-wallow' and finger nail sights.

Then S&W offered up the M16-4 in .32 H&R which had the adj. sights and was closer in the 4" bbl. length but a bit too heavy...still have both guns but wish I'd bought a cpl more of the Smith's as this one set me back $325 when I bought it new in '90. It'd be perfect except for that full lugged bbl. which adds weight to a gun with virtually zero recoil. The 16-4 would be perfection with the regular half-lugged bbl. found on the model 18 & 17 .22 calibers.

Then Ruger came on the scene here at our local gun emporiums, and it was one of my former Boy Scouts who loaned me his Single Six with the 4-5/8" bbl. length for reloading. What a sweetheart of a gun...light & short enough in the 4-5/8" bbl. length...it was and still is the perfect dog walker. Unfortunately he moved to Nashville and took the piece with him. I looked high and low for a reasonably priced duplicate and finally had to settle on one with the slightly longer 5-1/2" bbl. length....it's good & superbly accurate...but just a bit long in the bbl. for under shirttail carry.

I was happy but not satisfied...till I found another at 4-5/8" bbl. and it's just as sweet as the one loaned to me by my Scout. It's become a regular here on farm trooping around on my hip while I finish up chores...killed a 25+ lb. woodchuck with it just yesterday...a shot through the shoulders from 45 yds did the job nicely (a fair to midlin' effort if I do say so my self !!).

The bullet was RCBS' 32-98 LSWC; an easy to cast slug, every bit as good as Hornady's 85 & 100 gr XTP's...and a good bit cheaper. The load for those interested was: Starline .32 H&R brass, Fed 100 primer, 3.9 gr of Win 231. Bullet cast from air cooled wheel weights, sized 0.312" and lubed with 50-50 alox/beeswax. This is easily a sub-2" at 25 yds load in any and all .32 H&R handguns I've shot: two Smith M16's, & three Ruger Single Sixes. BTW, this same powder/brass/primer combination will do equally well with Hornady's 85 gr XTP. The two loads are my go-to ammunition for this great caliber. These were put up for my guns (Smith M16 & Ruger SIngle Six), if interested, do your due diligence after consulting a GOOD manual and work up carefully.

So it's been an odyssey for me, one that I've really enjoyed: .32's have offered me & mine: light recoil, great terminal performance on chucks, possums, raccoons, rabbits and one unlucky crow. The caliber/size is so good that I've never sold a .32 that I've bought. Over the years since '85 that's amounted to a pair of Ruger Single Sixes (4-5/8 & 5-1/2), a Smith 16-4 4", as well as the Colt Police Positive in .32 Long.

Lastly, somewhere around '89 or '90, I found an "as new" Smith Hand Ejector with a 6" bbl. in .32-20 that joined the others. This one was a challenge and not the ridiculously easy to find a load for that the .32 H&R was. My copy of Ken Water's "Pet Loads" helped a lot and I found several mid-level loads that shoot to the sights and are easy on the gun...two in fact that work as well in a 1932 vintage Winchester '92 in the rifle safe.

And that's where it stands today...four revolvers and the old Winchester....all a joy to shoot....easy on the lead supply and brass. Fun for me and my crew of ankle-biters and their near-do-well parents. Hope you all get as much mileage out of yours as I do outta mine.

As "Rclark", another .32 aficionado, over on one of the Ruger forums once said, the .32's and especially the .32 H&R are like reloadable .22's but with more smack and cheaper to run at today's inflated prices.

Best regards, Rod PS: I'll try to get a group photo of the herd in the next day or two..."Honey-Do List" notwithstanding.
 
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I figured you know this but why did you put "Devoutly to be wished in this neck of the woods, but would prefer the .32 H&R" Any 327 firearms will shoot 32H@R also. Is there something I am missing?
 
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