Is This Really The Ultimate Carry J-Frame? 

Brings back memories. A very long time ago working midnights patrol a hammerless J frame in the pocket of your tuffy jacket was a comforting friend. It was your only back-up in over 225 square miles on those 0300 traffic stops and other various encounters. It would fire and function through your pocket, yes your jacket was toast but you were not. It would fire the same round as your service weapon the .38 plus P, that we were informed “would handle any threat we might encounter”. Semi-autos are the only way to go, but they won’t do it all. Like being reliable in a pocket. Nice to have your hand on the gun and a smile on your face as needed in some circumstances when it might go either way.

Great video. I was so looking forward to Chris reviewing this revolver. The specs made a lot of sense when they talked about it at the beginning of the year. I value Chris’s experience.

Just have to say, Lucky Gunner is the best gun channel on RU-vid bar none . My dad was a gunsmith, so I grew up in a house of guns and I’ve been behind a gun for 35 years, this is the most informative REAL gun channel I have ever come across on RU-vid. Thanks Chris, you are a breath of fresh air in a gun world full of misinformation 🙏👍

Always good to see some revolver support.

I always appreciate Chris’s interest in snubby revolvers, as I share that as well. I love how excited he was in this video. Clearly was a fun video to make for him. Great job, Chris!

I’m currently carrying a 2” LCRx in 327 Federal. Very happy with the performance to recoil. Feels like 38SPL+P, but with that sixth round.

I’ve had my 442UC for a couple of months, 300+ rounds. Sight picture, grip, trigger, and fit and finish are exceptional straight out of the box. I have 6 other J frames and have spent a boatload of gunsmith dollars trying, without success, to achieve what the UC provides. Thanks to Lipsey’s.

I got my stainless 32 HR magnum a few weeks ago, the 32 magnum is a great load for EDC carry.

Now I feel better about my carry choice. I have many to choose from, but I find myself carrying my 38 J frame the most.

I always love any revolver content. I saw these advertised at shot show and haven’t seen any in the wild yet. I’m a 38 guy and reload light loads and wadcutters for range sessions. Chris you have put out some extra good stuff on carry options for revolvers. Thanks.

A J-Frame is so easy to carry. I bought one for fun and ended up loving it.

Chris sold me on the .32 snubbie years ago. Pay attention to local laws and to who is training you for your concealed weapon permit. Texas used to limit licenses to .38 caliber and higher. When I obtained my Nevada CFP twenty years ago, the instructor refused to certify any caliber less than .38 Special or .380 ACP. The defensive handgun mission isn't gunfighting and if my NRA Personal Protection Inside the Home course was correct, 98% of the time that the defensive pistol is deployed, no shot are fired. No less a gunfighter than Bill Jordan expressed a wish for an air weight .22 WMR revolver in his "No Second Place Winner. The .22 WMR from a two-inch revolver barrel develops about the same muzzle energy as a .22 LR from a 4-3/4" semiautomatic pistol barrel--the .32 S&W Long produces 115 to 135 foot-pounds muzzle energy with lead wadcutter or round nose lead projectiles and the .32 H&R Magnum is up there with .38 Special loads (Chris pointed this out in the video). Chronographs were rare back in the Sixties and the standards for bullet test media have changed. The .32 is easy to shoot well. The self-defense mission is very limited and performance requirements are also limited--no need to lug around a pair of Smith and Wesson Model 29 revolvers with 6.5-inch barrels and bear-busting magnum loads all of the time. Ranges seldom reach 25 yards and are mostly under 25 FEET. One, two or three attackers are far more common than a dozen or twenty, with around 2/3rds of reported assaults being carried out solo. Playing the odds, a .32 H&R Magnum's 225 foot-pounds muzzle energy is going to work most of the time; "work" means that the attacker stops attacking, either by falling down and not moving or running away (shot, not shot, doesn't matter as long as the monster goes away). One reason for that 98% no-shots-fired figure is that robbers rely on intimidation to dominate and control the victim. When the victim demonstrates ability, intent and opportunity to really HURT the aggressor, Plan B is aggressor runs away. I had an interesting encounter with a dog pack over 40 years ago. I had gone for a desert hike and had misjudged my time. It was after dark, and a dog pack began stalking me. I stopped under a streetlight and commanded the dogs to go away. They charged. I had a .22 Ruger semiautomatic pistol with just one nine-shot magazine and accepted that I was going to be mauled, so I dropped to one knee as I drew my pistol, aimed and snicked off the safety and I was pressing my trigger when the dog I was going to shoot turned tail and ran away--followed by the rest of the pack. No shots fired. There were about six dogs. First rule of gunfighting is having a gun. I knelt for maximum headshot accuracy--a high-speed .22 LR from a pistol produces 85 foot-pounds energy at the muzzle. My popgun 22 was superior to the .45 I didn't have with me. At the time, I was out of .45 ammo. That's a second drawback to the .32 H&R -- ammo supply. Given the advantages over .38 Special, the extra effort to source .32 H&R or at least have a box or two of .32 S&W Long on hand is worthwhile. Gee, Chris, can you recommend a good source of .32 revolver ammunition?

I was waiting for you video on this gun! It looked right up your alley.

This is Tim. I carried a 30-1 S & W in 32 (3" RB, yes, with pearl handle grips) for 35+ years as a backup/off duty. I still do but now use BB hard cast.

I really like a j frame. I’ve carried one for 20 years, it’s the gun I take when I don’t take anything else.

So glad to see you as always, Chris !

ive been waiting for you to review this! Thank you!

Thanks for posting... You've "given me something to consider"!

Been waiting for you to review this!

I absolutely love your revolver content. Keep it up!

Great review as always, haven't tried it yet but i do love my ruger lcr .327

Fantastic video Chris. I never get tired of revolvers, and this video is another great addition to your carry series. I recently picked up two 32 S&W long revolvers, and man I love them

For those of us who ARE familiar with 32 HR MAG, you slighted us by not addressing why S&W chose not to chamber it in 327 FED MAG. Maybe it was to save weight? Maybe so the cylinder is a fuzz shorter? Surely they had specific reasons since you can shoot 32 HR in a 327 chambered gun.

Those Cherry grips though! Damn that’s good looking!

Great vid. Keep ‘em coming Chris

Chris pretty much sold me on the benefits of .32 after his 2019 video, and I also carry a S&W 43C - in no small part thanks to this channel's coverage of different carry options. Soooo I suppose that means I'm also in the target market for the 632UC. It's too bad I can't currently afford it, but it's on my radar!

Dude been in love with the 32 mag since I was a kid

I put a big dot front on my 649. Shrouded hammer so you can shoot single action if you need to, but it won’t snag. Yes, it’s about 24oz loaded, but you can shoot 357 comfortably. I remember some poor sod at the range that was having trouble knocking down 6” plates at 20yds with a full size semi. He kept giving me sideways glances as I’d drop 5, reload, reset, and do it again and again. I’d never seen anyone rage quit target shooting before. One of my favorites.

Very informative evaluation. Thanks for posting this content.

Interested in this revolver. Thanks for the thorough review.

Yes! I've been waiting for this review

Good for all involved producing this. I hope that 32 gets some more love it's really the round for the snub nose especially the airweight. On the other hand the J frame doesn't conceal that easily and isn't that comfortable IWB so if I'm not carrying my Kel-Tec P-32 in warmer weather, I think I'd want to carry one of my steel J frames and mix it up between wadcutters for antipersonnel accuracy and something a bit hotter and harder for barrier penetration.

Great review. Keep up the good work.

I just got my 632 and have put about 150 rounds through it. Fit and finish were great, and I'm seeming to be even more accurate with it at close distances than my semi autos. Those sights are just awesome and the .32 HR federals shoot much more pleasent than .38s while not feeling wimpy. So stoked to have another great option to my HK P2000 for my EDC. Cheers!

Very informative.

Just ordered another case of ammo from you guys. It was only $10 more than the cheapest I could find. A small price to pay to thank you for your quality content. I'll keep buying. You keep making great content.👍👊

My 39 year old S&W Chief model 36 is the ultimate carry gun! My first off duty. Usually carry a 9 mm now but the Chief is still a great pocket carry. Made some good pinches with it back in the 80’s. I know guys who still edc their Chief. The old timers had ones made in the 1950’s!

My daily carry was a ruger lcr in 32. Now you've sold me on yet another 32. Great under appreciated round.

Thank you. Good explanation and perspective.

Great review of a great gun! ❤

Thank you Chris for another outstanding and practical video, especially regarding the 32 H&R Magnum. My thoughts are as follows. The sights on the Lipsey's J frame are nice however I seem to have no sighting issues (at ranges I expect to use the J frame) with my 642 Airweight. Granted both pistols are not going to be used for 25 yd. matches. As far as triggers go, a 13 or 14 # trigger return spring from Wolff Gunsprings will reduce double action pull of the J frame to 9 - 9.5 lbs. The grips on the Lipsey model look really nice however the large Hogue grips that cover the backstrap really softens recoil to the web of the hand. Not having the good fortune to handle the Lipsey model, I shouldn't compare the two. Keep the great videos coming.

Chris should fist fight yankee marshall.

I'd love to see this concept advanced to a slightly larger gun with a 3 inch barrel, and 6 shot (38) / 7 shot (32).

*Inserts revolver video directly into my cranium*

Great review, heard the recent P&S episode about these, may pick one up. You should do some ballistic tests for Underwood / Lehigh 32 rounds - would love to see how they perform compared to traditional FMJ loadings.

Had the pleasure of handling a 432UC when I picked up my wife's Dan Wesson Specialist OR .45ACP. To be fair, the Ultimate Carry was already on my list of acquisitions. So two days later I decided to go back and grab it. Unfortunately, the gentleman in front of me had _literally_ purchased the revolver a few minutes before I had arrived. Needless to say, we both had a good laugh. Smith & Wesson clearly has a winner here with this new Ultimate Carry J-Frame. I surmise they will be in short supply for quite some time. Thereby driving up demand for more [affordable] .32 H&R Magnum ammo. Nevertheless, I hope this new offering from Smith & Wesson prompts the ammo manufacturers to consider producing .32 H&R Magnum in higher quantities. Side note Chris - You forgot to mention the fact that these new Ultimate Carry revolvers have deleted the Internal Lock System [IE - Hillary Hole] we all despise. Perhaps one of _thee_ biggest selling points for this new series of Ultimate Carry J-Frame Revolvers. As always... Stay classy my friend.

Would love to see a review with .22 Magnum 351 PD thrown into the mix versus all of these models! Love your content btw, I appreciate the seemingly unbiased opinions that you have. I never feel like you're trying to sell me something but rather endorse it based on data/facts.

Great one Chris

Great great review. Thanks for sharing

Chris, your video on .32 helped sell me on a Taurus 327 earlier this year. I've now sworn off .38 snubs and quit carrying my 642. .32 Long and .32 H&R Mag are extremely pleasant to shoot, and even .327 Federal is manageable in the Taurus. Hopefully, I can can acquire one of these new .32 J-Frames at some point in the future.

Good video, as usual. I do like this gun quite a bit. The sights are excellent. One of my current most carried guns is a Ruger LCRx .327 Federal with Federal HST’s. I put the XS big dot luminescent front sight on it as XS stated their tritium sights were designed for point of impact for the .38 special and not the .327. I wouldn’t personally trade my LCRx for one of these, but they are a very nice option

Thank you for your work.

32 magnum is very underrated for a j frame

30 April 2024 - Thank you for your comprehensive review. Your information is clearly and completely stated without hesitation or repetition. Your concise well thought out and practical level-headed advice is unparalleled. Again, I thank you!

I’ll be honest this video totally sold me on this gun. Been wanting a snubby in the edc rotation, this might just fit the bill

Dang, I wish i could afford one of these right now, but I can't so I guess I'll be holding on to my (much heavier) five shot NEF model R73 H&R .32 magnum. It's in awesome condition and I only paid 20% of what the 432UC costs. Thanks for posting Chris...bang up job :) as usual.

Just got the 432 uc black, 32 h&r love it!!!

Excellent as usual

I have carried J frame, concealed hammer revolvers for 51 years. As an off duty revolver and now as a retired police officer as a concealed carry choice. I own Model 40, 640 and 642 revolvers, (all in .38 Special and .38 Special +P) and I bought a Model 332 Airlite/Ti .32 H&R Magnum for my wife in the early 2000's (2002 or so). S&W dropped the cartridge and the revolvers have become extremely expensive on the used market. Hers is not for sale. IMO the sights and trigger job of the Lipsey's models are designed to separate you from your $$$ and have -0- benefit for close range self defense purposes except in someone's vivid imagination. The option of the .32 H&R Magnum is THE BEST feature of this revolver and I hope it indicates a return of this cartridge to the S&W lineup. For close range self defense the .32 H&R is just as useful as anything in the .38 Special chambering and gives you 1 extra round. Anyone choosing to buy this revolver and NOT getting it in .32 H&R Magnum is making a mistake. Going from 5 to 6 shots is a MUCH more useful increase in capacity than going from 8 shots to 11 or 12. The only drawback to mere mortals is the ammunition availability. I am a handloader and don't give it a consideration as I use all handloaded ammo for practice shooting. My wife uses wadcutter handloads loaded in .32 S&W Long cases for practice. This revolver, in .38 Special, offers NO useful advantage over any other J frame in .38 Special, but it is the lowest cost way to get a J frame in .32 H&R Magnum at present.

Just wanted to say I have will sometimes carry my grandfathers Chief Special and am not anywhere near in the market for another revolver. I just clicked the video to give LG a view and a thumbs up. 👍🏻 Good day

Nice review. I might have to check one out. That said, I've always been a D frame guy. Still carrying my Third Issue Colt Detective Special.

Great review

As always Chris, fantastic review. My still all around favorite vidio was the End of the Sig P239. Oh, tried to order ammo from u. Massachusetts not authorized.

Great video, thanks. I have a old Tiger I frame in .32 and its a tiny gun, accurate and fun to shoot. .32 is more popular in Europe as its a target cartridge, or used to be. That's why you can still get Euro target grade ammo in .32 Long.

My birthday is next week. Love it. Thanks Chris.

Hello Chis Baker! I like my 638 well enough. I shoot it well. Thanks for the share!!

The Taurus 856 UL is a 6 shot .38 special for less than half the price. You can get 2in or 3in barrels. Optics ready models too. It’s been my go to carry for a while now - it’s so comfortable and conceals nicely.

Thanks for the video. I've gone back to carrying revolvers. Always carry 2. 1 of which I can access with either hand. New York reload plus strips.

Shit, only extremes of the bell curve use Snubbies? Well I ain't no expert, so I guess I'm on the bad end of that extreme 😂

Well done review, my go to for some 16 years is my M36 in nickel. Except for short foray with a shared carry SIG 365. Mid 2019 - 2020. When the SIG and its second broken firing pin caused me to consider it untrust worthy. I purchase a 642 PC; I briefly considered a LCR in 9MM, but in the end the 642 won me over. It's now my EDC pocket.

I have a Performance Center 640 and want to change the grips. Thank you for showing the VZ grips.

We are blessed to have so many options available. I used to carry a J-Frame (.38 Spl.), and now carry a small semi-auto. The revolver has always served me well. Well placed hits are what matter. It's not so much the weapon but rather, the nut behind the butt. :)

You put out some of the most approachable but interesting revolver content online and I really appreciate it. I know it hasn't really been your thing in the past, but would you consider doing some content on predator defense loads? It's one of those things where documented use is somewhat rare, acceptable penetration standards in grizzly skulls aren't as well established as for normal defensive ammo, etc, and I think people almost always default to either .44 mag or just bringing a rifle, but I think it would just be kind of interesting to explore that. Maybe it's a case where handguns in general are not that useful and it's just a security blanket until you move up to rifle calibers, or maybe it's a case where we assume we need more than we actually do and the faster follow-up shot from a .357 is enough to overcome the disadvantage in muzzle energy and penetration. Likewise, maybe the little .44 snubbies marketed for survival kits are sacrificing too much velocity with the shorter barrel and you really need a 5+ inch barrel to achieve acceptable penetration. I don't know anywhere near enough about this to do any more than speculate, and I live in the northeast where I don't really have to worry about it, but I think it would be interesting and, if a chance for an Alaska hunting trip ever pops up in my future, it might be nice to know

Great video.

Here in People’s Republic of California, 38 special is the more sensible cartridge for a snub nose revolver. The other cartridges Chris mentioned are hard to come by. Due to background checks prior to ammo purchases, online/mail orders need to be shipped to an FFL or gun store for pickup. I agree that small frame revolvers are carried by either the inexperienced or the well-trained. As one gets older spare tire around the waist makes IWB carry unpleasant. This is where snub nose revolvers really shine as one can carry in a pocket holster, inside the pocket of a trousers or jacket the choice is yours. During late fall or winter, with a small revolver inside your front jacket pocket and hands tucked inside gives one a very secure feeling.

Excellent, thanks

thanks. my 442 with Altamont grips is great. 38+p. nobody aims a J Frame in a self defense situation (or any pistol/revolver)... that said you are a great reviewer as always.. thanks.

I have carried a 642 for some time now and have always found it perfect to carry in the pocket. I picked up a kahr cm9 recently to try it as another pocket carry option and for the same size and weight as my 642 I’m getting 6+1 9mm with a flush mag and a much faster 7 round reload from a spare mag. Kahr has a very similar double action trigger feel to my broken in 642 as well. I feel like recoil is also mild on the kahr compared to the 642. It would be cool to see a comparison video to get your take. Thanks for the content.

I have a 632UC and put an APEX kit in it. I felt like it was better stock and actually felt like it crept up slightly in pull weight. Caveat: I do not own a trigger pull scale so that is just my subjective opinion. Overall - I love mine and it has replaced my M&P340PD as my daily BUG at work and lawn mowing / grocery store run gun on days off. Happy to see someone listen to customers and make a gun people have been asking for.

Thanks for the review. Likey my SW642 with Hogue grips.

I was never a j frame fan until I bought one ; short version....now I have seen the light. For around town casual carry, it is my go-to. This version is whispering my name....

Excellent and Outstanding!!!

I was really curious to see what you guys were gonna think about this one. I've been eagerly awaiting for my local gun shops to get the 32 version in either finish. So far- no dice.

I have a 432PD j-frame in 32H&R Magnum that my father bought about 30 years ago. I bought the 38 at the same time. I traded the 38 for a small boat, trailer & motor. My dad passed away in 2012, and I have the 32H&R Magnum now. I will never let it go! I currently carry a Glock 32c in 357Sig, backed up by my J-frame.

Thanks Chris for the review. I will stick with LCR and SP101. You did make me want to look at 32.

For those of us who can only "pocket carry", I fear that the raised rear sight with its point, might catch on the pocket holster of choice, making that move a bit sloppy, having to unholster the gun once drawn from the pocket. (it once was taught to thumb away the pocket holster upon draw.)

Chris Baker, my first ever handgun was a Smith K-frame because of your first series on revolvers and how much you talked about your 3" 66 as the greatest American something

I use the same grips on my LCR .38 & a 442. No clothing snag & they really don’t hurt too bad with a high grip.

Great stuff, Chris. Cheers!

Preach on Chris! Now, when are you going to review the Charter Professional in 32H&R?

Probably won’t get love for this but I always have my scandium 357 Jframe on me even when I use it as a back up . I just love Jframes . I put a rubber packmyer grip on it and that helps my hand from feeling a little tingly when I shoot .

Great info

Ive been waiting for this review. I’ve been considering this is as my first j frame

Great vid

I reload for and really enjoy 32acp pocket autos. This video makes me really tempted to try a 32 revolver. Ammo availability argument lost merit when we had the covid driven ammo shortage. Better approach is to order ammo online and stock enough to take care of basic needs.

Wow what a coincidence, I was on my motorcycle in warm weather today and carried a jframe 3" magnum today.💥💥💥💥💥

Could have been the shortest video of all time: Is this the ultimate carry J-frame? Yes! Thank you for watching. But we are glad you didn't, love this channel...keep the content coming!

Thanks for the attention to detail on this revolver, w/out your info, I would've been like "whatever"

Do love those vz grips. I've a 442 that I think I'll upgrade with those. Intrigued by the 32-mag as an alternative to .38spl too… but I don't know about snubys anymore for edc. We seem to live in a time where folks seem to carry a near military-esque patrol loadout. 5-6 shots from an 'in your face' belly gun seems an option of last resort… then you go to your flick-knife. Then harsh language. lol.

I was think about one but none of the gun stores in my area carry ammo that will run in that gun. Ultimately I settled for an 8 round 22Mag which is available just about everywhere.