So after working with and doing development on the .32 H&R, there was no question about which caliber I was going to get. The recoil characteristics were just night and day different. I carry 148 grain full wadcutters in my .38 Special 442 and have for years. They make the gun quite manageable and do great in terms of penetration.

What surprised me with the .32 H&R was just how light the recoil was. It was like shooting a .22 Magnum. Super light recoil, and as a bonus, you get 6 rounds instead of 5. Some have mentioned just carrying a rimfire, but it has been my experience that rimfire revolvers have always needed much heavier springs, which equates to much heavier trigger pulls to make them reliable. The .32 H&R eliminated that issue.

The real surprise for me was the penetration. I honestly did not expect much in that department. I figured it would go 14", maybe 16" I was way off base. Multiple people tested the 100 grain poly coated wadcutters. One report gave 22"s, and another came back at 24"s.

In fact, Jeff "Tank" Hoover, a writer for American Handgunner shot one of the .32 H&Rs with a bunch of different ammo, including the 100 grain poly coat wadcutters, and he got 24"s of penetration.

You can read about that in his article here:

S&W Ultimate Carry: Ballistic Testing

As promised, I have most of the results from shooting a variety of factory ammunition from the 2” barreled Smith & Wesson Ultimate Carry (UC) in .38 Special and .32 H&R Magnum.

americanhandgunner.com

It really has proven to be a "Goldilocks" load. Super light recoil, and good penetration. Pretty hard to beat.

I decided that since I got my new 432 BUG that I really needed to familiarize myself with it, and the only way to do that is shoot it, and shoot it a LOT. When I was working on the Job, I used to shoot my 442 quite frequently, all the way out to 50 yards. In fact I cannot tell you the number of people who told me that snubby revolvers were only good for "bad breath distance" and you can't hit anything with that past arms distance, etc, etc. Only to show them on the range how very wrong that thinking was.

So my idea is to shoot the heck out of this gun over the next year or so and post up the results here. See how it does accuracy wise and how the gun holds up. Not so much a torture test, but to get used to shooting a J Frame a good bit once again. Plus using one with such dang nice sights will be a very nice change of pace! Plus I will take my old 442 Centennial along with some 148 grain poly coated wadcutters and see how they do as well.

It will give me an opportunity to shoot the Old School along side the New School and see how it all shakes out.

 

Let me know when you want to sell it!!

Great write up as well

 

I was looking at a S&W 32H&R that Karl the Enabler has, just couldn't stomach the cost of ammo as I'm not reloading yet.

 

Nice write up - how expensive are the 32s?

 

Great write up. P.S. Your ammo rocks!

 

Thank you for the kind words, I appreciate it.

Guys have kept me CRAZY busy trying to keep up with demand/orders. The .32 wadcutters have been SUPER popular. Of course so have the .38 Special 148 grain poly wadcutters. This next week i am planning on trying to get a couple of other things (like the 148 grain+P heavy hardcast flat point ) back in stock.

Since the J frame project took off a lot of stuff had to take a back seat. Trying to get a few things back in stock this week. There are just not enough hours in the day!

With bears coming out of hibernation very soon I am going to try and get a good supply of the .45 ACP 250 grain +P heavy hard cast ammo back in stock too. That is my personal favorite when I am hiking in bear country (Grizzly or Black).

Like I said, definitely need more hours in the day.

But still gotta take some time out to have fun and shoot things that we enjoy, like this new little J Frame. After carrying my old faithful 442 for more than 20 years I am actually pretty excited about this new gun.

 

Wow, not gonna lie kinda jealous.

Great write up as well

 

Nice write up, now I really need one.

 

So I assume the black finish guns are aluminum airweights are the silver finish guns full stainless steel non air weights ?

 

No,

They are all aluminum frame guns just like 442/642 type series from S&W. The only difference is the finish. Blued guns start with 4 and silver color start with 6.

 

Great write up! I am trying to source one but none of my LGSs seem to have any allocations. I will definitively be looking into your ammo as well, that 32 sounds like a great little round

 

Going to pick this up in the AM, but dang maybe I should find a 432.

WELL DONE SIR!
that thing is NICE

 

View attachment 1521973
Going to pick this up in the AM, but dang maybe I should find a 432.

WELL DONE SIR!
that thing is NICE

I have carried a 442 as a BUG for 20+ years. Very good gun.

Most the time in my front left pocket (I am right handed). It has been one of those things don't leave home without. I worked as a criminal investigator for a good part of my career and any time I was approached by someone that was an unknown threat, I simply slid my hand in my pocket in a casual and non threatening manner. I had a full firing grip on my 442. That was a lot less threatening from a public perception standpoint than putting my hand on my service gun. Once I determined that they were not a threat, I simply removed my hand from my pocket, or went "hands on" with them or whatever I needed to do.

That gun served me well. Still does.

That said, this new 432 UC has a number of features that make it worth upgrading.

Substantially sights, much lower recoil and added capacity all add up to a better gun. No doubt about it. I don't plan on getting rid of my faithful and well worn 442, but I am going to give the 432 a thorough eval and in all likelihood I expect that it is going to work exactly as anticipated.

BTW, the front sight is REALLY bright!

I tried to get a decent pic, and it is harder than I thought. I partially closed the door with the light off to minimize the light in the room and man that sight just POPS!

 

^^^ I've carried one of those (minus the lock) for the last 20 years. The new Ultra Carry version of the 442 should be pretty sweet (I pick mine up next week).

 

Mackay these are super nice. I would love to have a six shot Scandium Airlite in 32.

 

That 442 is beautiful with the wear, if you move it let me know

 

I appreciate the compliments about my old 442. It has been a trusty companion for almost 25 years now and in spite of its wear, it is still going strong. I don't think I could ever sell it. It has been my "always" gun for far too long. Still will likely carry it, just not nearly as often.

 

Neat J frame, I wish S&W would offer a 5-shot in 44Special.

 

I’ve got another thread going about receiving my UC 642-I haven’t shot it yet, but excited to do so. The one I am really looking forward to is the 632 I’m waiting on. I’ve been wanting to try 32 H&R mag at the range and as a carry round for years.

REALLY hard to find 32 H&R mag ammo in Alaska. Seems like you see some 32 S&W long. So I’m buying the 632 as a gun I’ll shoot little but carry a lot I think.

I had been looking at you site-love the approach you took with the round you’ve loaded up for it…and the I saw a banner on your site ‘We ship to Alaska’ How’s that work, if I may ask?

 

I’ve got another thread going about receiving my UC 642-I haven’t shot it yet, but excited to do so. The one I am really looking forward to is the 632 I’m waiting on. I’ve been wanting to try 32 H&R mag at the range and as a carry round for years.

REALLY hard to find 32 H&R mag ammo in Alaska. Seems like you see some 32 S&W long. So I’m buying the 632 as a gun I’ll shoot little but carry a lot I think.

I had been looking at you site-love the approach you took with the round you’ve loaded up for it…and the I saw a banner on your site ‘We ship to Alaska’ How’s that work, if I may ask?

As far as shipping to Alaska, it is not too difficult, just requires some extra legwork. I ship the ammo to a shipping company that is located in Washington state. They transport goods back and forth from AK. The buyer simply creates an account with the shipper and pays for the ammo to be shipped (ground) from the transportation company to wherever they are in AK.

It has been surprisingly cost effective if the buyer buys in bulk quantities. I have had a couple guys buy 1200-1500-rounds of ammo among a couple friends and the shipping fees were in a couple cases around $100. Dang cheap for getting ammo to AK.

 

Here is a very informative article on the genesis of this piece.

The Lipsey’s – Smith & Wesson Ultimate Carry J-Frames, Part I – RevolverGuy.Com

revolverguy.com

 

I love my Smith revolver chambered in .32. Soft shooter, six shots, super easy carry. Ammo seems to be coming back around, although I might try some of the OP’s custom loads. The new Ultimate Carry has a much nicer sight picture than my original S&W with the ramp front and channel rear sight.

 

Macky, any idea where to source one of these 632's?

 

Lipsey's says this series will not be a limited edition and that they will continue to sell them as long as there is interest. I think that means that if you are not in a hurry, you can ask your LGS to get one when they can.

 

Nice looking gun, especially without the Hillary hole. Wish they'd make more of their guns without it, especially their "Classic" models.

 

150 rounds through the Lipsey's Ultimate Carry 432 .32 H&R J Frame with Lost River Ammo 100 grain Poly wadcutters.



Finally have a few minutes to sit down and post about shooting the 432 UC for the first time before I have to get to work cranking out ammo!

On Sunday I went out and shot 150 rounds. Dang wind was blowing. Some times it was calm, but there were some gusts that made life difficult to say the least. I lost my final target in the end.


I had brought along my S&W 442 and G21.5 w/RDO as well. I figured I would see how the recoil was, shooting the 442 and 432, shooting them side by side, with the 100 grain and 148 grain poly wadcutter loads.

My first six rounds at 15 yards with the 432:

I shot six more for a total of 12 rounds then decided to adjust the rear sight. The rear sight is dove tailed in and has a set screw. I had a screw driver set, Brownell's brass hammer, along with a brass rod in case I needed to tighten any loose screws or whatever.

So I loosened the set screw and went to adjust the rear sight in the dovetail. Ha! That sucker is soo tight in there! Good news bad news (not really that bad). I tapped on it a few times with the brass rod while sitting on the tailgate. The good things is that the rear sight is so perfectly fit in there that the odds of you losing your rear sight if the set screw comes loose are extremely slim. After tapping on it a number of times and it not budging, and knowing my propensity for totally screwing up very nice things and totally regretting it, I decided I would wait until I got him and use proper tools and do it right! Sometimes I do learn from my own previous mistakes....

I may have a 1911 that still looks like a dog chewed on the rear sight from me adjusting the rear sight at a match with a Leatherman and a rock..
Not going to do that this time!

So I went back to shooting.


I shot my 442 with the old trough sights and there is just no comparison. So I cheated and used the CT laser grips. I will say that with 20 years of using CT laser grips, and thousands of rounds, the little 442 will stack them still. The laser grips are a definite advantage if the light is in your favor, like being indoors or on overcast days.

I might consider some CT grips for the 432. The sights on the 432 are the best I have ever used on a J frame, no question about it, but having both would really be exceptional. I was considering this, but I REALLY like the shape of the grips on the 432. They are the best grips I have ever used on a stock J Frame. By a long shot.

So the wind started really picking up and I was having trouble keeping the IDPA target even stapled down. It finally blew off and I was unable to recover it. You can kind of see on the paper behind it how pretty consistent at 15 yards the .32 H&R was. To the upper left are some .38 148 grain WC holes as well, but the lower left are the main group from the 432.

In the end I had 3 boxes of 100 grain wadcutters through the 432. Pretty comfortable gun to shoot. Definitely a home run for Lipseys.

I shot the G21.5 after that at some rocks that I lasered in the mid 80 yards out to about 120 yards . That gun is a freaking tack driver. I am going to take it out on a nice day and set some steel up at extended distances and see what it can do. The Marksman barrels in the 5th Gen .45 guns are pretty exceptional.

I would have put some .45 on paper but my target I set aside for the G21 is probably in Wyoming by now...

 

250 rounds total now. Lipsey's 432 Ultimate Carry J Frame and Lost River Ammo


Yesterday's weather was far nicer than the wind storm I tried to shoot in last Sunday.

I took my 432 UC and my G21.5 out to the range.

After adjusting the sights at home (purely guessing) I was back on the range to give it a try.

The first six rounds at 10 yards:

Once again, the ammo was my own making, these, which have been immensely popular:

The first 6 rounds after the initial sight adjustment:

Obviously my guess was not quite on the money..

I ended up splitting the difference and getting it closer to the center...

The HKS Speedloaders came in too, so I used those while I was on the range. It is interesting to note, that even though they hold 6 rounds of .32 compared to 5 of .38, they are still a tad bit smaller. Aside from visually noticing the difference, I could tell just by handling them and slipping them into my pocket.

Went to 7 yards and put a bunch into the target, shooting two handed.

Backed up to 10 yards and shot strong hand only, then weak hand only:

I had a few rounds left that I shot at some distant shotgun shells that were littered on the ground, and watched them fly off. At least the one that I hit..

So now I have 250 rounds through the gun. The sights are miles above the old school design of the traditional J Frame. There is no question about it. The .32 is quite comfortable to shoot. The recoil makes putting one hundred rounds through the gun an enjoyable experience.

So that is it until next time. Going to load up the speed loaders and carry at least one of those in my pocket when I carry the 432 as my BUG pocket gun.

 

250 rounds total now. Lipsey's 432 Ultimate Carry J Frame and Lost River Ammo


Yesterday's weather was far nicer than the wind storm I tried to shoot in last Sunday.

I took my 432 UC and my G21.5 out to the range.

After adjusting the sights at home (purely guessing) I was back on the range to give it a try.

The first six rounds at 10 yards:

Once again, the ammo was my own making, these, which have been immensely popular:

The first 6 rounds after the initial sight adjustment:

Obviously my guess was not quite on the money..

I ended up splitting the difference and getting it closer to the center...

The HKS Speedloaders came in too, so I used those while I was on the range. It is interesting to note, that even though they hold 6 rounds of .32 compared to 5 of .38, they are still a tad bit smaller. Aside from visually noticing the difference, I could tell just by handling them and slipping them into my pocket.

Went to 7 yards and put a bunch into the target, shooting two handed.

Backed up to 10 yards and shot strong hand only, then weak hand only:

I had a few rounds left that I shot at some distant shotgun shells that were littered on the ground, and watched them fly off. At least the one that I hit..

So now I have 250 rounds through the gun. The sights are miles above the old school design of the traditional J Frame. There is no question about it. The .32 is quite comfortable to shoot. The recoil makes putting one hundred rounds through the gun an enjoyable experience.

So that is it until next time. Going to load up the speed loaders and carry at least one of those in my pocket when I carry the 432 as my BUG pocket gun.

Nice write up-I’m going to shoot my new 642 UC likely tomorrow for the first time-I’ll bear in mind your sight adjustments!
Thanks

 

My LGS said today that he should start getting them in the next 1-2 weeks.
I’m down for one…

 

I have been searching for a 432 Ultimate J frame and come up empty every time.

 

350 rounds of 100 grain wadcutters through the Lipsey's 432UC!


Friends,

Today I went out to do some more T&E on a .45 ACP 250 grain Poly Coat +P load I have been working on. Absolute Hammer!

It has been running like a sewing machine through the Gen 5 G21. I took along an S&W 4506, as well as an H&K USP to use those as test beds and get velocity numbers.

The G21 is the clear favorite just as far as shooting comfort and ease of making fast hit BTW, but that is for another thread.

Anyways, while I was out, I ran 100 rounds through the Lipsey's 432UC.

I was shooting the same ammo as before. The 100 grain Lost River Ammunition Company poly coat wadcutters.

Such a great little gun. Finally got the sights centered to when I want them.

At 10 yards I was putting them right above the green dot. It is clear these sights are oriented for closer range defense type shooting, which is perfect for thi style gun. My 50+ year old eyes are not doing the gun justice when it comes to the gun/ammo combo and true mechanical accuracy combination potential.

I fired my first 12 and knew I had the sights right where I needed them in terms of windage adjustment.

Then I fired the rest for a total of 30 rounds. This was offhand at 10 yards.

Next I backed off to 25 yards to see how I would do. This is where it was obvious that my eyes are struggling with the irons. I was having a hard time getting a crisp picture. This is really where red dot sights and even laser grips have a pretty notable advantage if the conditions are right for them.

It was obvious (to me) that the gun and ammo is capable of far better. I was definitely limiting the performance here. Normally with an RDO on a revolver and sandbagged it is pretty easy to shoot little groups, but I was struggling. I know this gun is capable of much better. It shoot well, but I know a person who can see those iron sights clearly like I did in my 20s would have shot a much tighter group.

More to follow...

 

With 60 rounds down, and 40 to go, I brought it in closer.

I practiced between 3, 5 and 7 yards.

I shot both hands, strong and wrong hand only.

40 rounds into the head box.

At such close range, the gun was extremely easy to shoot a ragged hole for the most part.

That brought me to 100 rounds.

I did note that the trigger has lightened up. I don't have a trigger gauge, but it feels lighter than when it started by at least a couple pounds. It was already smooth, and now is just a bit smoother. Simply a great action on the gun. Extremely hard not to like.

With 350 rounds through the gun, I would say it is starting to break in nicely.

On an interesting note.

When I was done shooting, I noted how quite clean the gun was. If I had been shooting regular lead, there was no doubt, I would have had to of been breaking out the toothbrush and scrubbing on the gun. But the 432 is quite clean thanks to the poly coat projectiles. They are really hard to beat.

This is after 100 rounds.

All for now.