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Smith and Wesson Model 632

Smith & Wesson 632

The modern Smith & Wesson 632 revolvers are a pair of J-frame revolvers chambered for the high-pressure .327 Federal Magnum cartridge.  One of the 632 revolvers was discontinued within two years of introduction, while the other has been in continuous production since 2009.

Both revolvers target the concealed carry market but from different angles.

S&W 632 PS

Officially introduced at the 2009 SHOT Show, details on the 632 PS leaked out in January 2008.  It is a small-framed revolver that holds six rounds in the cylinder.

Smith Wesson 632PS

The 632 PS has a 3″ ported barrel using the Smith & Wesson PowerPort technology.  The port is on the top side of the barrel, forward of the front sight ramp.  Because of this, the sight radius on the gun is about 1/2″ shorter than one might expect on a 3″ barreled revolver.

Unlike some of the other J-frame revolvers, the 632 PS has a full-length extractor rod.  The underlug is long enough to fully protect the extractor rod

Similar to the NightGuard line of revolvers, the S&W 632 PS has a matte black finish.  The front sight is a pinned ramp.  The rear sight is an adjustable, target-style sight.

This model 632 uses an exposed hammer, which allows the owner to shoot in double-action or single-action mode.

Smith and Wesson 632 PS

At the 2009 SHOT Show, I got a chance to handle this gun.  I had been hoping to see a J-frame in .327 Magnum, but this was not the gun I envisioned.  I was hoping for something more like the 642 revolvers, and this was not it.  However, I found myself liking the gun more that I thought I would.

The first thing that struck me is the cylinder seemed much thinner than what I was expecting.  I thought I would pick up the gun and see a cylinder roughly the same size as a Model 10 in .38 Special.  Not so.  The cylinder is definitely less bulky, and it still puts six of the magnum rounds at your disposal.

It had a decent trigger, good sight picture, and felt good in my hand.

However, I had a serious problem with this gun. Like most modern Smith and Wesson revolvers, it has the internal lock.  There have been demonstrable problems with the internal locks, and I cannot recommend any of the company’s guns that have one installed.

I left the show thinking that if S&W made this revolver without the lock and with a non-ported plain 2″ to 2.5″ barrel with the internal hammer, they would not be able to keep up with demand.  As it turned out, I had to wait until the 2010 SHOT Show to see the gun I wanted.

At the time I am writing this (September 2013,) this gun is still in the Smith & Wesson catalog.  It is listed as the “632” though it is also referred to as “632 Pro Series – PowerPort.”

S&W 632 Pro Series – Night Sights

The 632 was a J-frame, “hammerless” revolver with a 2 1/8″ barrel.  The cylinder held six rounds of the potent .327 Magnum.  The frame was stainless steel and the guns weighed only 23 ounces (unloaded).

Smith Wesson 632

Unlike many other J-frames, the model 632 had tritium, three-dot sights which made for a good sight picture.  Additionally, the sights were dovetailed, meaning adjustment or replacement was feasible.

This model 632  did not have an internal lock.

Smith & Wesson literature alternately referred to this gun as 632, 632 Pro, 632 Pro Series and 632 Night Sights.  These various names caused an unfortunate amount of confusion.  When talking about the 632, no one knew which gun you meant.  For an added layer of complexity, there was another Smith & Wesson 632 revolver that saw production in the early 1990’s.  Those guns were chambered in .32 H&R Magnum, and marked “.32 Magnum.”

Smith and Wesson 632

The 632 felt good in my hand, as do all of the 640/642 style revolvers Smith & Wesson makes.  The three-dot sights are a vast improvement over the fixed ramp front and narrow rear notch that many of the J-frames wear.

A lot of people are skeptical of the .327 Magnum cartridge, but I think this round has a lot of possibilities as a defensive load.  This model 632 is exactly what I hoped S&W would introduce in 2009.  MSRP was $916.

Unfortunately, this gun is no longer in production.  I do not have an exact date the gun was pulled from production, but it looks like it was pulled in 2012.

Smith Wesson 327 magnum

Smith & Wesson 632 Information Sheet

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Handguns

Smith & Wesson Model SW1911 Sub Compact – Pro Series Pistol

Smith and Wesson SW1911 subcompact

Smith and Wesson has brought a new subcompact 1911 in .45 ACP to the market in their SW1911 line.  The SW1911 Sub Compact Pro Series is a tiny 1911 with an obvious eye on the concealed carry market.

The SW1911 features a Scandium frame, carbon steel slide, and stainless steel barrel, which all weighs in at only 24 ounces unloaded.  The gun is offered in matte black.

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news

Smith & Wesson Model 57 Classic in .41 Magnum

The Smith & Wesson Model 57 Classic is a modern version of the original 57 that was introduced in 1964. The Classic Model 57 was introduced by S&W at the 2009 SHOT Show. 

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Ruger to Unveil a Show-Stopper at the 2009 SHOT Show?

Ruger logoIn recent years, Sturm, Ruger & Co. have deviated from the larger, bulkier pistols they were known for and have been producing slimmer and smaller pistols such as the SR-9 and the LCP.  The SR-9 has achieved moderate success, while the Ruger LCP has been an undeniable sensation.

The question is: What will Ruger introduce at the SHOT Show?

Michael Bane has made several comments about some new firearms he has seen that will be announced at SHOT.  Bane even went so far as to refer to Ruger in his Christmas Eve podcast as the “Makers of the product that is going to absolutely, stone-cold, rock the 2009 SHOT Show in Orlando.”  That is a pretty strong statement.

Back in November, Massad Ayoob suggested that Ruger may be introducing an SP101 revolver with an alloy frame chambered in .38 Special.  While I think this would be a profitable gun for Ruger to bring to market, would it be the gun that “rocks” the SHOT Show.  I don’t think so.  After all, several other manufacturers already make lightweight .38 revolvers.

What would excite the public?  How about a 9mm LCP.  There are a lot of people that really like the LCP, but dislike the .380 ACP cartridge.  In my opinion, a LCP chambered for the 9×19 cartridge would be a big hit.  Enough to “rock” the SHOT Show?  Maybe.

How about a completely new Mini-14?  Something along the lines of a Kel-Tec SU-16, maybe.  Think of a Mini-14 that would be completely synthetic and stainless, that folds up nicely into a compact size, that can be marketed as a survival tool.  The SU-16’s are popular, but imagine the same gun with the Ruger name and Mini-14 heritage attached to it.  It might be a winning product.  And lets face it…anything .223 is selling right now.

I do not believe that Ruger will be announcing a new full-sized pistol that would cut into the SR9 market.  I also can’t see a new 10-22 being terribly revolutionary.  I expect that the “show-stopper” Bane has predicted is coming from the concealed carry market or the black rifle market.

Regardless, stay tuned.  I will bring you all of the new product announcements from the SHOT show.

Update: The gun was the Ruger LCR. I don’t know if it was quite the show stopper that Bane claimed, but it certainly was popular.