Today I loaded up some food for my Ruger Single Six Magnum Vaquero:
Yeah, my reloading bench is cluttered.
What looks like a copper wash on the bullets is Hi-Tek coating applied in lieu of a traditional bullet lube. The appearance of the loaded rounds remind me of oversized high velocity .22s, or the old Winchester-Western Lubaloy bullets.
Several years ago I got this Ruger Single Six Magnum Vaquero chambered for .32 H&R Magnum. Because of the color case hardening and the faux ivory grips, I nicknamed it the "Cowboy Pimp Gun."
TBH, I haven't shot it a lot because typical .32 H&R loads with 85 - 100 grain bullets shoot low and I didn't want to file the front sight shorter to raise the point of impact. It also had a really stiff trigger. I recently remedied both of those issues.
To fix the heavy trigger pull I got a spring kit from Wolff Gunsprings, which included a reduced power trigger spring and several hammer springs. I installed the Wolff trigger spring and replaced the factory 23 lb. hammer spring with an 18 lb. spring. This is a major improvement giving the gun a light trigger pull. I don't have a trigger pull gauge so I can't really say what it is now.
To raise the point of impact I loaded up some 120 grain cast RNFP bullets from Matt's Bullets over 3.2 grains of HP-38. They probably run around 800 FPS, but I can go up to 3.7 grains of powder. Because I wanted to ensure that the gun will reliably set off whatever ammo I put in it, I used CCI primers which are harder than other brands.
I brought the gun to the range today and did the Old West Shootist's drill, and was pleased that this load shoots to point of aim at 10 yards, and that it reliably set off the CCI primers.
I love it when a plan comes together. Now that I've got the issues worked out with the gun I expect to shoot it a lot more.
A friend and I were recently discussing home defense and carry guns. We live in an urban/suburban environment. Wild animals aren't really a concern but two-legged cockroaches are. Primary concerns for carry guns are concealability and reliability. Another consideration is that we're both in our late 50s with hand issues.
Both of us used to favor semi autos for concealed carry. He changed over to a Kimber K6S .357 snub, mostly due to problems with grasping the slide on an auto.
In the past I've pocket carried guns like a Ruger LCP .380, a Ruger LCP II Lite Rack .22 LR, and a Keltec P32 in .32 ACP. The problems I've encounterd have been in the case of the LCP .380 is that recoil is extremely unpleasant, while the P32 has had some reliability problems and seems picky with regards to which ammo it functions with. Likewise, the LCP II is very ammo sensitive.
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| Ruger LCP II Lite Rack .22LR |
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| Keltec P32 .32ACP, with regular and extended mags. |
So, earlier this year I changed over first to a S&W Model 632 Airweight and now a S&W 432UC, both in .32 H&R Magnum for pocket carry.
The 632 was retired because it was a gift from my late father, and it's one of only 1471 made in the 1990s. The 432 is new production and has better sights.
The .32 Magnum in a J-Frame is a good choice for concealed carry in my opinion. J-Frames, especially the Centennial-style with an enclosed hammer, is snag-free and can be fired from within a pocket without jamming. In my experience they've been more reliable than subcompact semiauto pistols. The .32s give you 6 shots vs. 5 shots in a .38, .357, or 9mm J-Frame.
The ammo I carry is .32 H&R Magnum 100 grain wadcutter from High Desert Cartridge Company. I've run this over my Garmin chronograph from the 432UC, where it ran a bit over 800 FPS. Per Steve at HDCC it will meet the FBI's minimum penetration requirements in ballistic gel. In effect, this gives me a 5/16" hole punch that will reach an assailant's vitals. Compared with 85 grain JHPs in the same gun it's easier to control.
I should note that my 432UC was not perfect out of the box, however. It has a flaw in the finish which really shouldn't have left the factory but considering it's a carry piece I'm willing to overlook that. Also, the factory grips didn't suit my hand at all so I went on eBay and found a set of the old Uncle Mike's Boot Grips that I like. Finally, the trigger was very heavy, so I got a reduced power rebound slide spring from Wolff. This brought the trigger pull down to an acceptable weight without compromising trigger return, or ignition as a lighter hammer spring might.
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| S&W 432UC .32 H&R Magnum |
I use a Simply Rugged Pocket Protector holster and carry a reload in a Quickstrip.
This is comfortable to pocket carry all day.
Revolver Guy has an unflattering review of a 432UC Ti up. Something he noted is that it's fitted with a short, "California" firing pin to improve its drop safety. It turns out this hurts ignition reliability. I already had on hand an Apex "extended" firing pin, which is actually the same length as the original J-Frame firing pins, so I installed it. I've not had any failures to ignite.
Note, a Colt D-Frame like the Detective Special will get you a 6th shot but be slightly larger, and unless you install a hammer shroud isn't as snag free. It's still nicely pocketable.
Last week I went looking for snap caps in .32 S&W. I wanted a set I could use in anything from my antique S&W No.1-1/2 Single Action up to my guns in .32 H&R, or a .327 Federal if I ever get one.
On eBay I found the seller Lynx Arsenal which had what I need. I ordered a set of 10 and they came within a week. The "bullets" and "primers" appear to be 3D printed. They are loaded into Starline brass.
I've been using them for dry fire practice and so far they are holding up. If the "primers" ever break down I'll replace them with RTV silicone, which I've done in the past.
This week I've been off and thus had time to hit the range a few times. I've taken a few revolvers and run several loads over my Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph.
The Garmin is so compact and easy to use I just leave it in my range bag.
Among the guns I've taken is a new S&W Model 432UC. This is an Airweight J-Frame in .32 H&R Magnum. My intention for this is to replace my 1990s-vintage Model 632 Airweight as a carry gun. The 632 is a collectible, but more importantly, was a gift from my late father. I wouldn't want it taken into evidence should I ever need to use it.
I ran a few loads over the Garmin from the 432UC.
Factory loads:
High Desert Cartridge Company .32 H&R Magnum 98 grain wadcutter:
811 FPS / 143 ft. lbs.
Black Hills .32 H&R Magnum 85 grain JHP:
948 FPS / 170 ft. lbs.
A couple handloads:
.32 H&R Magnum, Lee TL314 90 grain SWC
3.6 grains Accurate No.2
930 FPS / 173 ft. lbs. ME
.32 S&W Long, Lee TL314 90 grain SWC
2.2 grains Titegroup
682 FPS / 93 ft. lbs. ME
Of these, the HDCC 98 grain wadcutter is my choice in a carry load. It's very controllable in the Airweight and should give plenty of penetration, enough to poke a 5/16" diameter hole well into an attacker's vitals.
I also chronographed some .38 Special.
Colt Detective Special 2"
Hornady 148 grain HBWC over 2.7 grains of Red Dot
697 FPS / 160 ft. lbs ME
Colt Detective Special 2"
Hornady 148 grain HBWC over 2.9 grains of Accurate No.2
750 FPS / 185 ft. lbs. ME
S&W Model 66-2 2.5"
Hornady 148 grain HBWC over 2.9 grains of Accurate No.2
748 FPS / 184 ft. lbs.
NOTE: The Colt is chambered for .38 Special while the S&W 66-2 is chambered for .357 Magnum. The longer chamber with .38 cartridges leads to some velocity loss.
S&W Model 15-3 4":
Hornady 148 grain HBWC
3.0 grains HP-38
727 FPS / 174 ft. lbs. ME
S&W Model 1905, 4th Change .32-20 4"
Desperado Cowboy Bullets 96 grain RNFP over 3.5 grains Titegroup
792 FPS / 134 ft. lbs. ME
S&W Model 10-8 3"
Hornady 158 grain LSWC over 3.5 grains Titegroup
726 FPS / 185 ft. lbs. ME
This load does about 775 FPS from a 4" barrel.
I've found that 3.5 grains of Titegroup under a 158 grain bullet in .38 Special approximates factory loads and is both accurate and pleasant to shoot in K-Frame and larger guns. The same bullet with 3.5 grains of Bullseye is roughly equivalent but in 2025, Bullseye is nearly impossible to find. In contrast, Titegroup is readily available.
After having good luck with the Lee TL358-158 mold in casting bullets for .38 Special, I recently picked up a TL314-90-SWC mold to use for my .32 caliber revolvers. The weather was nice today so I decided to break it in.
Waiting for the lead to melt:
Here's one of the bullets from the new mold along with one cast in my TL358-158 mold, which is already lubed with Lee Liquid Alox:
The new mold was especially easy to cast with. The bullets dropped freely from the cavities with at most one rap with a mallet on the bolt holding the handles together.
Bianchi Speed Strips and their near-clones, the Tuff Products Quickstrips are a popular option for people who CCW a revolver to carry reloads. Being flat, they are easier to carry concealed than a speed loader.
Quickstrips are available for a variety of calibers and also in versions that carry 8 rounds. These have an advantage even if you're carrying a 6 shot revolver. This is my S&W 632 Airweight in .32 H&R Magnum.
As you can see, this allows you to space out the rounds in the strip to make loading 2 rounds at a time easier.
Incidentally, I don't carry a reload with the expectation I'd ever need it during a fight. Rather, it means that if I do have to defend myself with the gun and survive, I can remain armed afterwards.
The ammo is .32 H&R Magnum 98 grain powder coated wadcutters loaded by High Desert Cartridge. HDC says it's specced for the new S&W Ultra Carry revolvers in .32 H&R with a 1-7/8" barrel, which is the same as my older gun. I put just shy of a 50 round box through the gun yesterday and while I didn't chronograph it, I found it very clean shooting and accurate. It's my new carry load for this piece.
Yesterday I got out to do some shooting with a friend.
Top to bottom:
I ran a couple different handloads through the Colt. Both were loaded with Lee TL358-158 cast semiwadcutters in mixed brass. The first batch were over 3.8 grains of HP-38 while the second batch were over 3.5 grains of Titegroup. In a medium frame gun like a S&W Model 10 these are very mild. They jump a bit more in a compact snub but remained controllable, especially the Titegroup loads.
This is a great little gun. Colt should reintroduce it now that they've got back into wheelguns.
Next up was the Airweight. The last time I had it out I had several light strikes due to a reduced power hammer spring I'd installed. Before trying it again I put a 9.5 lb. Wolff hammer spring in it, which is actually a pound heavier than stock. This time it ran flawlessly
18 rounds from 10 yards, shooting .32 H&R Magnum 98 grain wadcutter rounds from High Desert Cartridge, which will be my new carry load. HDC uses powder coated bullets in this load and it burned very cleanly.
The Charter Arms Professional was bought by my friend around 2019. It was an inexpensive revolver but we've been impressed with it for the cost (about $300 at the time). It's a 7 shooter comparable in size to a Colt D-Frame (e.g., the Detective Special). He spent a lot of time working on the action and it's extremely smooth.
Another gun I brought out was my S&W Model 28-2 Highway Patrolman. This is an N-Frame .357 Magnum. I've owned it since the late 90s, when I traded an Astra A-75 towards it. If I remember correctly, the big Smith was priced at $250.
It's been ages since I've fired full house .357s from a revolver so we put 20 rounds of Federal American Eagle .357 158 grain JSPs through it. This is a screen cap from a video showing the gun in full recoil. In contrast, shooting the .38 Specials I had with me was a very mild experience due to the gun's 41 oz. weight.
Aside from the wheelguns I also ran some rounds through my 2nd generation Keltec P32. I found that it dislikes the Fiocchi and Aguila FMJ I had on hand, giving me at least one failure to eject per magazine. My friend gave me some PPU .32 ACP FMJ with which it functioned 100% through two mags. The PPU also functions 100% in his Gen 1 P32, so we're going to split a case.
The Tuff Products Quick Strips that I ordered the other day to use with my .32-20 Hand Ejector arrived today. They'll be perfect for packing reloads.
They can hold 8 cartridges each but I'll be loading only 6, which will give me a little more to hang onto while using. They also fit .32 S&W, .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Magnum, .327 Federal Magnum, and 9x19. So, in the highly unlikely event you're packing a S&W Model 547 which is a 9mm K-Frame that doesn't use moon clips, these have you covered.
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