New-to-me H&R Model 732 Guardsman

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Michael Tinker Pearce

Michael Tinker Pearce

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A pristine Model 732 Guardian came home with me today, but not before I took it to the range to try it out. The Guardsman has a 4" barrel, a full-size square butt and a rear sight that is screw-adjustable for windage. This one was made in 1965, and aside from a tiny bit of rust pitting on the bottom of the grip-frame it is in showroom-new condition.


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Despite H&Rs rather famously bad double-action triggers, this one is alright. It's no vintage S&W, but it's not bad. I loaded some 90gr HBWCs over 2.5gr. of Unique with a Federal magnum Small Pistol primer to try it out, and after picking it up at the counter I went next door to their indoor range. Running a target out to seven yards I was easily able to produce a reasonable double-action group. The gun shoots a bit high at that range, but not bad. It's a comfortable and very pleasant gun to shoot with these target loads.

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After this I decided to run a target out to 25 yards and have a go. Embarrassingly I loaded an empty case in one chamber... hey, they look just like the wadcutters... I was, uh, distracted. yeah, that's it. Since the gun shot slightly high at 7 yards I used a 6-o'clock hold at 25 yards, basically with the paper sitting on top of the front sight. I fired single-action,and the results were impressive-

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That's a 1.9" group- pretty good for an 'economy' revolver! I love this gun; it may be simple and let's not deny it, a bit ugly, but it's an honest, solid and good-shooting little gun. Money well spent, and not much money at that! I paid $150 for this and a Davis D32 derringer. I'd feel like I got the best of that one without the derringer thrown in. This gun is going to getting a lot of range time.
 
These weren't expensive guns but were sort of the Hi-Point of their day. A gun for those on a budget but felt the need for some protection. Plus they are good trail guns. About 9 months I sold one just like that with a 2" barrel. It was a good shooter too. Shot right to the sights when I took it to my buds land and did some plinking around the pond.

And I am glad you aren't planning to cut it down. Sometimes guns work just the way they were designed and built. Pics of the derringer would be nice. And did you shoot it too?
 
.455_Hunter said:
I wonder if this was bought by a cash conscious family when they detected things were getting a bit pear shaped in the mid-60's?
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H&R may not have been S&W, Colt, or Ruger back in the day, but they were popular as H&R made millions upon millions of revolvers throughout the 20th Century. It's a pretty safe bet that the casual gun owner who only owned a gun for defense likely owned an H&R. Colt and S&W were too expensive for something they weren't going to shoot often, if ever.

The H&R's were quite simply the gun for the Everyman. That's largely why I have such a interest in them because it's been decades since H&R ceased making revolvers and they've kind of been forgotten about as they were never as good as the other, more well known brands. Didn't mean they were junk, they weren't made from pot metal, and the H&R revolvers all have a unique, utilitarian look to them.
 
ThomasT said:
These weren't expensive guns but were sort of the Hi-Point of their day. A gun for those on a budget but felt the need for some protection. Plus they are good trail guns. About 9 months I sold one just like that with a 2" barrel. It was a good shooter too. Shot right to the sights when I took it to my buds land and did some plinking around the pond.

And I am glad you aren't planning to cut it down. Sometimes guns work just the way they were designed and built. Pics of the derringer would be nice. And did you shoot it too?
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This was at three yards. Yep, one barrel shoots 4" high at 9 feet.
Here it is with a couple .32 ACPs for comparison-
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I used to look at these 4-inch H&R 32 Longs on GunBroker, and they almost always went for more than $150 if they were in this kind of shape. And that does not include shipping, or FFL fees. 32 Long has a following, and the market is not swamped with decent guns with decent sights for it. The 2-inch barrel round-butt version of this gun goes for less; they were more popular when new.

I finally managed to get an early version, with the odd slab-sided rectangular barrel H&R put on them:

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Mine is actually a little cleaner than this one. I haven't shot it yet.
 
That little H&R is sweet. I have bid them to about $125 or $150 a bunch of times but never seem to score. I want to find exactly the gun that you found as I have 2 and 3 inch 32s already. A 4” or 6” would be great, especially if it had adjustable sights. That little d32 is another cheapo I have chased, but they always go higher than I’m willing to go. You did extremely well with this buy, and like always I’m in hulk mode cause I’m green with envy.
 
sean m said:
Does the mainspring strut have the plastic end? I've had to replace two that broke in the past. Numrich still has replacements when I last looked.
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Those struts are not hard to make if it comes down to it. A hunk of aluminum, a hole saw or sanding drum, saw, and drill. I made 2 for my grandpas guns. Both of his are 22s. I used the one in my 999 as a basic pattern.
 
Nice find.

I bought a 733 (nickel finish) with short barrel and round butt earlier this year. When I got it, I read about the plastic part on the strut breaking. I intended to get the dimensions off the plastic part so I could make a replacement from mild steel. After I got it home I removed the grips and placed a little lateral pressure on the mainspring popping a grip panel off. Naturally, that plastic part shattered before I could get the dimensions. Numrich had the replacement part.

I'd like to find one like yours.
 
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Mr. PEARCE,

I have an H&R 732 that is about identical to yours. I bought it so that my Dad could shoot it as he was having a hard time with .38 Specials and he wanted a small, light gun to shoot. I came across a COLT Police Positive, also in .32S&W Long and shot both of them. The H&R turned out to have the better trigger and I ended up selling the COLT. Loaded with .32 S&W Long wadcutters, it is very easy to shoot and accurate as well. I wish H&R was still around and sold these in a 5 shot version with the 4 inch barrel and chambered for the .32 H&R magnum. The 4 inch barrel would help the little magnum get up and bite.

Jim
 
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