H&R model 732 info needed

[drgriz]

i have been offered an H&R 732 for purchase, a "make me an offer" gun. I have no idea what to offer. it is a 6" barrel revolver with model 732 H&R inc.
worcester mass, usa on one side, "SIDE-KICK" on the other. plastic grips. ser# on grip strap AC11424. the gun is in used looking condition with some minor pitted rust on the cylinder over one of the chaimbers that has been removed with some steel wool or a fine wire brush, thus removing some of the blueing as well. no new rust has formed on the void yet. there is some mild rust, not ptiied yet on the frame, 1/8"pots times three, and on the trigger guard as well, two spots. the hammer has light surface rust also some on the muzzle face.

looks like a cheapie, but what do i know? that's why i am asking for help. there is a cleaning kit, oil, 30 rnds of amo in a wooden winchester amo box. there is also a receipt for $39.00 in it from the first owner.

thanks

[b.goforth]

the H&R model 732 was manufactured between 1957 and 1986, the "AC" letter codes indicate manufacture in 1966. the 1966 catalog lists suggested retail price at $39.95 and barrel lengths of 2 1/2 and 4 inches (are you sure of the barrel length of this revolver).

the model 732 was the same as the model 929 introduced in 1956 except the 929 was 22 rimfire and the model 732 was chambered in 32 S&W Long.

yes, they were inexpensive firearms but good quality and dependable, at that time (1966) the 32S&W Long was considered an acceptable defense round.
bill

[Alpo]

My book lists 45 dollars for 60% up to 65 for 80%. From your description, I would say it is 80% or less. Iffen it was me, I'd lay that 39 dollar receipt on the table alongside of a 50 dollar bill, and say, "There you go. Take it or leave it."

[ibtrukn]

I'd lay 39 dollars on the receipt an "take it or leev it"

[drgriz]

thanks, measured twice at 4, wrote 6.

[b.goforth]

thanks for the clarification of the barrel length. if you check some of the auction sites i believe your will find this model going for about double what the other posters are giving as books value.
bill

[camo]

I was wondering if anyone could fill me in about a revolver I came across. it's a double action H&R chambered in 32 S&W and has "The American" engraved on the top of the frame. the only number I could find was on the bottom of the grip and it is 82 555. any information regarding the value, date of manufacture etc. would be greatly appreciated.

[Jim Hauff]

Camo,
You have, as you know from the markings, an H&R handgun from pre WW2.
IF it is a 6 shooter and the top strap is stamped "THE AMERICAN / DOUBLE ACTION" and the left side of the barrel is stamped ".32 S&W CTGE" , then you have an AMERICAN DOUBLE ACTION 2nd Model - made for smokeless powder after 1905. With a s/n in th 80K range - it was, most likely made in the 1907-08 period - nearly 2/3 of a million of this model were made between 1905 and 1941 and they were serial numbered in sequence.
RETAIL value of this model is not high, unless the piece is in EXCELLENT or AS NEW condition. It was made in Nickel finish with a 2.5" barrel as standard - extra value will be added by Blued finish and 4.5" or 6" optional barrels. Standard grip panels are molded black, hard rubber - optional are "mother-of-pearl", checkered walnut and ivory. Any thing other than standard will add collector value.
Current RETAIL values range from: 100% - $225 down to <60%/POOR - $50.
Your gun should look like the attached picture.

[Bret]

I am looking for technical specs on the 732.

What is the land twist rate?
Does the twist advance or is it the same for the whole length?
What shape are the lands? (they look square but I don't have a loop)
Nominal weight of the 4" model?
Stock trigger pull weight?
Nominal bore diameter?
Nominal groove diameter?

These are probably not terribly important but I like to know as much as I can find out about any gun I own and I recently bought one of these. I like the way it shoots and, while I haven't yet shot any personally accuratized shells from it, it appears to be a generally accurate piece. I find that I really like this round. I didn't know that it would also fire the .32 S&W (short) shells. Nowhere does it say that in the instruction manual I bought subsequent to the purchase of the gun but it makes sense as the round is just a shorter version of the "Long". I'm not sure firing the shorts would be good for the transition cone but I'm sure it would do it.

Bret in Phoenix

[Lanrezac]

The main problem with firing shorter cartridges from firearms chambered for longer ones - 32 S&W in your case, 38 Special in a 357 Magnum revolver, 22 Short in guns made for 22 Long rifle - is not the forcing cone, but a build-up of fouling at the mouth of the shorter case, which can then make it hard to chamber the longer cartridge. This is not serious, at least with proper cleaning.

(Of course, this applies only to straight-sided cartridge cases. Obviously, one should not fire under-length tapered or bottlenecked cartridges in a gun mean for longer ones, except for deliberately "fire-forming" cases for reloading.)

I'm afraid I can't answer any of your real questions - H&R revolvers generally don't get that kind of detailed description.

Just my $.02!

[Bret]

Thanks for that note. I hadn't thought about the build-up of powder residue but I see that without proper cleaning that would be a real problem. Fortunately I was taught cleaning by my father who was an Airborne Ranger combat instructor. (He wasn't the standard crazy father that sounds like.) He taught me that a gun should be CLEAN AND OILED not just clean and wiped. I have used that knowledge with every gun I ever owned and never had a problem caused by fouling.

Bret in Phoenix

[Lanrezac]

That's good training, Bret! With care like that, you should never have a problem with the 732.

32 S&W Long is a favorite cartridge of mine. It is extremely pleasant to shoot, but hard to find at reasonable prices. I usually get it at gun shows, but paying admission to try to save money doesn't make a lot of sense. If you do go, Fiocchi and RWS ammo in that caliber is excellent, and MagTech and PMC is OK.

I much prefer wadcutters to round nose lead bullets. Unlike 38 Special, where the wadutter load is a lighter bullet loaded to a lower velocity than the standard load, in 32 Long, the wadcutter and RNL weight and speed are the same - but the wadcutter is a better shape for pretty much any purpose.

I have read that 32 Long is an easy and economical cartridge to handload, but I have never gotten into reloading.

Good luck!

[Bret]

Hi Lanrezac, I agree with you about this cartridge being pleasant to shoot. It actually reminds me of a .22 but with just a bit more oomph. Minimal kick and noise really makes a nice round.

I don't ever have a problem finding cartridges as I reload every caliber I own with the obvious exception of .22 LR. Taught to do this by the same dad (I suppose I should say this training was some 45 years ago). I've reloaded everything he or I owned.

The first thing I did was buy the dies to reload the .32 which gives me total control over the process and the results. For me this is the only way to go as I have found commercial ammo to be not only scarce for this caliber but sometimes less than consistent.

And I suppose the wadcutters are best but I prefer to fire jacketed bullets as it leaves the barrel easier to clear afterwards. (I didn't say I wasn't lazy.) I'm experimenting with the Berry hollow-base, copper plated, wadcutter. If they aren't accurate enough there is always the Ranier plated jobs to try or the Hornady XTP. I found a good deal on some of those and picked them up so they will probably be next.

I've used the Berry plated bullets in my .30 carbine revolver (Blackhawk) with good results. That pistol is the reason I decided to find a more sedate cartridge to fire regularly. Not that I dislike the Blackhawk but it does tend to kick and the sound of that round out of a pistol must be heard to be believed.

I just made some cartridges that were within .02 grains of being exactly alike. I understand that this doesn't mean they will fire that uniformly but any deviation from accurate should be my own problem and not the round. Normally I don't go to this extreme but for a new gun I really want to see what kind of grouping the thing is capable of.

I'm going to bench the first couple of cylinders to get that data and then I will try it hand-held and see what I get. I don't expect to be completely accurate with a new pistol but I should be able to do alright. I've read that this is a particularly accurate round. I like that. I didn't know that when I bought the thing but it sure is an added perk.

[Lanrezac]

Whoa, you know more than I do! That happens a lot when I try to give advice.

You are certainly right about jacketed bullets being cleaner to shoot than factory soft swaged lead. I have heard that at modest velocities (like 32 Long) hard cast lead is just as clean and cheaper to boot, but as I said, I don't handload.

You might want to post in the Ammo & Reloading subforum and ask people about favorite 32 Long bullets and loads. People like giving that kind of advice, and more people than you'd think have played around with 32 Long. They might know something about the lands and grooves of different revolvers for it, too, which was your original question.

Thanks and HTH!

[Bret]

Interesting. I hadn't heard that about low velocity hard cast lead but I don't read a lot about reloading except in the manuals. I'll look that up and if it's so then I'll have to try it because I want as the loads accurate as I can make them.

Maybe I will try in the reload section for my original questions since I haven't got the answers here.