Lipsey’s – Smith & Wesson 432UC Field Test

The Lipsey’s S&W UC J frames introduced last year have raised quite a ruckus in the industry, and rightfully so. Mike wrote an excellent three-part series on the evolution of these guns from concept to production. This installment will be focused on the end user application of the .32 H&R version.

SECOND TIME’S A CHARM

The .32 H&R Mag chambering was a request from Lipsey’s Senior VP and Product Development Manager, Jason Cloessner. He asked Andrew Gore (S&W’s Handgun Project Manager) if he would consider it midstream. Fortunately, Gore and his team were bought in to the project and appreciated the value of the suggestion.

The thought process was very similar to the ideas that originally birthed the .32 H&R Magnum in the 80’s—a cartridge that gave adequate performance in a small light revolver, with less recoil than the .38 Special and an extra round in the cylinder. There are some hardcore practitioners out there that shoot their J frame .38’s as much as a duty gun, but most people don’t. The primary reason folks avoid shooting these guns is recoil, plain and simple. Revolvers that weigh a pound or less just aren’t that much fun to shoot with most .38 ammunition. The .32 H&R changes that.

THE 432UC

As an advocate of .32 caliber snubs, I was ecstatic when the news dropped that the 32 H&R Mag would be an option with the UC revolver. When Mike reached out and asked if I would test one, I jumped at the chance and requested the 432UC as my first choice- mainly for the aesthetics of the black nitride finish. S&W’s Media Coordinator, Alexa Long, sent a production sample of the 432UC to my FFL dealer in short order.

I knew what to expect from the coverage the UC had garnered, but having one in hand was cool. The Black Cherry grips contrasted nicely with the matte black nitride finish, so did the titanium studs visible on the port side and the subdued badging. If Darth Maul dropped his light saber and had to go for his back up gun, this is what it would look like.

Handling the gun, the VZ Grips felt good in my hand and the finger grooves had ample clearance to comfortably house my middle and third finger; My pinky wrapped underneath. VZ listened to feedback during development and was quick to make requested changes. The resulting high horn, well radiused, and fully enclosed backstrap design is outstanding in its functionality.

The latest generation J frame MIM trigger and thumb piece worked well for me, and I’m pleased that they were maintained. I usually swap for this thumb piece on older guns that I carry a lot. The part gives some people trouble, but my thumb has always ridden clear of it when shooting.

The XS Sights lime green front sight lived up to its advertising for visibility and promised to be quick to acquire with the half-moon rear. The serrations on the S&W rear worked to diffuse glare and the U-Notch provided ample daylight on either side of the front dot.

The cylinder had a slight bevel on the flats at the front, just enough to break the sharp edge. The charge holes were chamfered a bit more. That’s a feature I was truly glad that they included.

WORKING WITH THE UC

Fetching some dummy rounds, an HKS 32-J speedloader, and a few 8-round Tuff Products QuickStrips, I went right to work. The chamfer quickly proved its worth with the dry loading reps. The .32 may benefit more from the chamfer than the .38 version because everything is smaller. You must be a little more deliberate in your handling as things get crowded in a J frame cylinder with six holes in it.

On the plus side, empty .32 cases are shorter than .38 Specials, making it easier to successfully eject them with the J frames diminutive extractor rod. It’s not a huge difference in case length (1.075” vs. 1.155”) but every bit helps.

Improving the trigger was one of the primary goals for this project, but I tried not to expect too much before dry firing the gun. The new J frames I’ve handled over the last several years have displayed uniformly stiff trigger pulls. The UC’s trigger was superior to any new J frame I could remember handling, when ran with purpose. Pressing the trigger slowly, it had a definite two stage feel to it. Rolling the trigger made the hitch much less noticeable.  It’s not fair to compare it to a 442 that I’d carried and shot for 25 years that had “Black T” applied to its guts by Walter Birdsong in 2001. I dug out an M&P340 of more recent make and ran it a little. It made me appreciate the mojo that S&W engineers put on these UC guns.  The trigger on the 432UC is pretty good and I suspect it will get better with wear.

The trigger reset mirrors the feel of the trigger press. Reset was responsive when I came off the trigger sharply. Pinning the trigger rearward and then slowly letting it out made the reset feel like two separate stages. The return felt sluggish when so released, I suspect the lightened rebound slide spring is the culprit- you don’t get something for nothing. For my sample at least, the trigger does well when treated like a fighting gun. Its good to go for its intended purpose.

SHOTS DOWNRANGE

I gathered all the factory ammo I had on hand plus some handloads and a care package of .32 ammo that DoubleTap Ammunition was good enough to send. Mr. McNett and company are repping the .32 H&R Magnum as well as anybody out there right now with three available loadings.

I started out by running everything I brought over the chronograph and shooting offhand groups at 15 yards:

Expecting ping pong ball sized groups from a sub-2” DAO J frame at that range without a rest isn’t completely reasonable. I used a sight picture that had the top of the green orb even with the top of the rear sight blade, like normal pistol sights.  This sight arrangement put all but the lightest bullets 2-3 inches high at that range. I used a 6 o’clock hold for the heavier bullets; “base of black” on a B8 target. Most groups would’ve stayed on a baseball, a few went to a softball. One would have needed a small dessert plate; the DoubleTap 60 gr. copper HP canceled that one out with a golf ball sized group at the point of aim (golf clap, DoubleTap). Considering the job description of this gun, its practical accuracy was very good.

The DoubleTap 60 grain solid copper HP proved to be particularly appealing as a carry load in the 432UC. It impacted to the sights with a conventional sight picture at 15 yards, and the recoil was light even though it generated an impressive 1,137 fps average from the short barrel. Monolithic copper bullets penetrate adequately despite their light for caliber weight. They also expand consistently and reliably when travelling above the minimum velocity threshold for the intended cartridge. The bullet’s rounded ogive lends itself to swift and sure reloading, too- it’s an excellent choice in a compact .32 H&R Magnum revolver.  It averaged 13” penetration in clear gel with uniform expansion at the Louisiana Media Day.

The 80-85 grain bullets (Federal Personal Defense JHP and Hornady Critical Defense) expanded less than the solid copper bullet, but penetrated deeper- 15-17 inches. Recoil was also very light with these rounds. Hornady’s 80 grain FTX averaged 925 fps and hit very close to the point of aim.

The Federal 85 grain JHP impacted a couple of inches high and averaged 880 Fps. One of the deciding factors in choosing a carry load currently is availability. I exhausted my supply of the Federal 85 gr. JHP and have been unable to replace it. 32 H&R ammo is in short supply locally, and the selection online isn’t much better. I’m hoping that this gun will help upgrade production status for the .32 H&R with manufacturers; and get others on board.

Cast bullets like Lost River Ammunition Company’s wadcutter and DoubleTap’s 120 grain hard cast offer no expansion but plenty of penetration. In a small defensive revolver, deep penetration is preferable to violent expansion that impedes adequate penetration. I didn’t have any of the Lost River 100 grain Poly Coat Wadcutters, which averaged 794 fps at the media day. The DoubleTap heavy hard cast were a little inconsistent from the short barrel and impacted 3-4 inches high of the sights at 15 yards. I suspect powders with a slower burn rate were chosen by DoubleTap envisioning this bullet to be used with longer barreled handguns for hunting.

Several handloads were tested with the UC, a few of which were pushing maximum. The VZ grips were well suited for recoil control; the exception being loads pushing 100 grain bullets above 950 fps. The heavier weight and higher velocity made recoil noticeable. Not punishing, but enough to be unpleasant. Most of the ammo I’ll shoot in this gun will be with 85 grain and lighter bullets, future 100 grain loads will be held to about 900 fps for civility’s sake.

A handload developed for a Ruger LCR pushed Hornady’s 85 gr. XTP to 1,025 fps from the UC. It cracked louder and was snappier than the Federal 85 grain factory load. It shot a little higher and wasn’t as accurate.

Lehigh Defense’s 75 grain solid copper Xtreme Defense bullet showed a lot of potential in the UC’s short barrel. Recoil was reasonable and it hit close to the sights while yielding 990-1,080 fps depending on the powder used. Underwood loads the 95-grain version in the .327 Federal, but I’m unaware of any factory load with the 75-grain bullet in the .32 H&R.  It would seem a good candidate for Black Hills to offer in their “Honey Badger” lineup.

I didn’t have any of the Lost River wadcutters, so I ordered some 98 gr. Hi Tek coated .313 wadcutters from the Missouri Bullet Co. to attempt to replicate them. The first attempt had them a little warm at 939 fps with noticeable recoil. The second run gave 776 fps, not quite as fast as desired. Third time was a charm using Hodgdon Universal Clays for an average velocity of 842 fps and hitting basically to the sights.

DIALING THINGS IN

I read Mike’s 3rd installment on the UC revolvers that detailed the media day shooting they did in Louisiana. His diagrams explaining the sight pictures he used made lots of sense and gave me a mission for the next range trip. I started with the “ball in the bucket” technique, lowering the front sight to where the bottom of the green orb nestled into the round bottom of the rear sight. This method was more repeatable for me than a “conventional” sight picture, it was easier to consistently align the round surfaces than the round top front to the flat top rear. It usually produced better groups than using a standard picture and a six o’clock hold.

I found that heavier bullets with higher velocity required the adjusted sight picture, sedate ones not so much. Throwing every conceivable load with every bullet weight available at the 432 makes sense for determining what ammo you ultimately want to run through it. It’s not the best method for establishing a consistent sight picture to use. When you narrow the ammo down, you can settle on how you need to hold the sights.

On the next range trip, a pile of .32 Long factory wadcutters and handloads were packed. Sellier & Bellot 100 grain .32 Long wadcutters struck precisely to the point of aim with a conventional sight picture (as intended by the designers) at 15 yards. They ran a leisurely 640 fps but grouped very well from 3-25 yards. A 32 H&R handload with MBC’s 78-grain coated RN and Trail Boss powder shot well with a normal sight picture. I loaded the same bullet in .32 Long cases and was able to get more consistent velocities with a little less powder. Velocity dropped from 730 fps average to 690 fps, but it remained accurate. All the .32 Long loads were incredibly pleasant to shoot and would make great all day practice loads. Because of this, using .32 Longs would also make it infinitely easier to teach J Frame proficiency to new shooters.

A CASE OF MAGNUMITIS

There are those that wish this gun had been chambered in .327 Federal Magnum. There’s a reason that previous J frames chambered in .327 had steel frames. The extra weight (and strength) made those guns tolerable with .327 recoil. S&W probably could’ve made this one from Scandium and chambered it in .327, but the price would have gone way up, and it would suck to shoot with .327 Magnums. It would defeat the whole purpose of chambering it in a .32.

That’s where this gun shines- the light recoil makes it much easier to shoot well and recover quickly if follow up shots are required. The .32 H&R Mag chambering in a gun this weight makes good shot placement more attainable; Hats off to Gore and his team for making it so. Hopefully, the UC guns will be successful enough to convince S&W to bring some .327 revolvers back as well.

PACKING THE 432UC

The 432UC was a dream to carry in a Harry’s Holsters Icon 2.0 AIWB holster. It hid under minimal garments and made all day carry no trouble. Pocketing a QuickStrip and snapping a Simply Rugged Holsters 2X6 pouch on my belt gave two full reloads that were discreet and painless to tote.

This is where the hammerless alloy J frame and the VZ grips excelled. I wore this combination doing chores and relaxing in the evening after work for many nights. A 32-J speedloader or two could join the ensemble for a trip to town or a walk in the desert.

Swapping the VZ grips for a set of Hamre Forge’s “Hamre Hook” grips allows carrying belt and holster free. The Hamre Hook lets you securely carry the UC even while wearing sweatpants or board shorts, it takes away the excuse of “it’s too much trouble” to carry when you are checking the mailbox or whatnot.

DoubleTap’s .32 Snakeshot load can be subbed in to occupy the first chamber if your evening walk might involve CQB with snakes. That load will take care of business if you end up danger close and must shoot one. The hardcast wadcutter loaded on top of the #9 shot allows the round to still work for bigger critters if needed. It makes prepping for Mr. No Legs a more palatable exercise; you don’t have to completely sacrifice a round of defensive ammunition in a limited capacity revolver.

The black nitride finish worked as advertised and demonstrated excellent resiliency to the sweat bath it often got. This one has been carried next to bare skin or a t-shirt in the brutal heat of a NM summer. Often the gun was wet with sweat when it and its holster were doffed. The VZ’s were purposefully removed at each cleaning; no corrosion or rust was observed underneath.

A WORKOUT WITH THE 432UC

On a hastily planned range trip, I packed a shot timer instead of a chronograph. It had been six weeks since I’d shot the 432 UC, I started by shooting Justin Dyal’s 5 Yard Round Up cold. The time limit is 2.5 seconds per stage. I shot it by stage: (1) 1.93 sec (2) 2.29 sec (3) 2.82 sec & (4) 2.06 sec. Stage 3 is 3 rounds from a strong hand only low ready. One of these shots wouldn’t count, so my final score would’ve been 92/100 (-5). I reshot that stage only and made it in 2.46 seconds. Had I made time originally, my score would have been 97/100.

I then fired Wild Bill Hickok’s Gunfighter Challenge that Claude Werner wrote about recently. Six shots onto a 5” square, one of which must impact a 1” square in the center. Firing is strong hand only, no time limit. I confess I failed this sucker the first time out with 2 shots out of the big square. My second attempt was better, but I still missed one. This is a good drill, quite challenging with a snub DAO revolver. Both drills were designed around full-size handguns, the 432UC performed well considering that.

My wife shot the 432UC on this trip and enjoyed it with the .32 Longs. She fired one cylinder of the 32 H&R coated wadcutters loaded to 840 fps and commented that the recoil was unpleasant with them. She’s a good shot, she felt like the gun was shooting a bit left for her. I gave her no instructions on a sight picture, and she shot the light lead RN’s and wadcutters from up close to around 15 yards. She engaged single and multiple targets with controlled pairs and failure drills accurately and quickly with the .32. I asked her how she was using the sights and she said she was lining up the tops of front and rear, like “normal” sights. I finished up shooting pairs and headshots using a flash sight picture. This type of shooting is where the sights, trigger, and caliber of the 432UC let it shine.

Back at the house, I reviewed all the targets I had saved from the 432 and realized that most of them showed point of impact favoring a bit left (Wives know stuff). It was consistent enough that I decided to move the rear sight slightly to the right, keeping it within the confines of the dovetail. The UC guns allow for a little windage correction with the rear sight, a nice benefit to the system used (I plan on shooting that Gunfighter Challenge again next time out to confirm the adjustment). My sample made it out of the factory without a set screw in the rear sight. The sight was snug enough in the dovetail that I didn’t notice this until I went to move it. Other than that, the quality control on this gun has been quite acceptable. This one has fired 360 rounds to date with no drama, I’ll keep you posted on its durability.

WRAP UP

In summary, the 432UC is easier to shoot fast and recover with than one in .38 Special. The .32 chambering makes it non-punishing and lends to one’s ability to deliver needed accuracy. It’s nice to put 100 rounds through a small light revolver at one setting without your shooting hand stiffening up afterwards. The sights are superior to almost any seen on a J frame, the trigger is good. The retail price asked for the features included is fair, and the internal lock that could affect reliability is gone.

The UC project demonstrates what can happen when management listens to good ideas from end users and teams up with industry leaders (XS sights, VZ grips). Allowing the engineers to clean up identified issues and make needed upgrades was a good thing, too. The collaboration resulted in an efficient and effective carry gun for shooters of all skill and experience levels. The sixth round in the cylinder is a welcome bonus. This revolver was a long time coming- thanks to Lipsey’s and S&W for making it happen.