32 H & R Magnum
The .32 H&R Magnum was created through
joint efforts of Harrington & Richardson and the Federal Cartridge Company.
Although word of the new cartridge leaked out about a year earlier it did
not appear on the market in its 5 shot revolver until 1984. Advertised velocities
for its factory loads with 85 grain jacketed hollowpoint and 95 grain
semiwadcutter bullets is 1100 and 1030 fps respectively. These bullet speeds
earn the .32 H&R Magnum muzzle energy ratings of 230 and 225 foot pounds,
slightly more than the standard 158 grain
.38 Special.
Thompson/Center and Ruger offer factory guns in this caliber.
Since the .32 H&R Magnum is nothing more than a lengthened version of
the older .32
Smith & Wesson Long, and in turn is a lengthened version of the standard
.32 Smith &
Wesson, all three cartridges can be fired in revolvers chambered for
the magnum version. In this respect, this family of short, long , and longer
cartridges has something in common with another family called
.38 Special,
.357 Magnum,
and .357 Maximum.
Due to its nominal .315 inch bullet diameter, the best bullets for handloading
the .32 H&R Magnum for revolvers are probably the
Hornady 85 grain Jacketed Hollowpoint
(.312 inch) and the 90 grain semiwadcutter (.314 inch), since contender barrels
in this caliber are bored for the more common .308 inch bullets, the Speer
100 grain Plinker and 110 grain Varminter, and the
Hornady 100 grain Short Jacket are
excellent choices.
Source: Hodgdon Data Manual, 26th Edition
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