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  4. Meet the New Smith & Wesson Ultimate Carry J-Frame in .32 H&R Mag and .38 Spl

Billed as the ultimate small-frame carry revolver, S&W debuted a new line of DAO aluminum J-frame snub-nosed wheel guns at SHOT Show this year. 
 
The new Ultimate Carry line is offered in a Model 642UC (stainless) and 442UC (black) Airweight Centennial format in a five-shot .38 Special as well as a new 632UC and 432UC in six-shot .32 H&R Magnum. All feature a fresh style of .140-inch XS Tritium front sight with a dovetailed .160-inch black serrated Novak-style U-notch rear sight and flush-cut "High Horn" VZ G10 boot grips. Going past that, the internals have been beefed up with titanium pins (rather than the standard aluminum) as used with the Scandium frame models to add durability over the years and a much-improved trigger pull. 
 

New Smith Wesson Ultimate Carry J-Frame in 38 Spl
The weight on the Smith & Wesson Ultimate Carry is right at 16 ounces. Note the enclosed ejector rod shroud, beveled cylinder front edge that aids in carry, and VZ G10 boot grips that have been updated to provide a higher backstrap on the gun. (Photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
New Smith Wesson Ultimate Carry J-Frame in .38 Spl
These are "no lock" guns, which purists will appreciate, and have genuinely nice sights, which is rare for an Airweight. Lipsey’s, the distributor for these, says the .38 Special sights are regulated at 15 yards with Speer's 135-grain Gold Dot +P in addition to standard pressure 148-grain wadcutter loads, while the .32 H&R Magnums sights are regulated at 15 yards with Federal 85-grain JHP in addition to 100-grain weight ammo traveling 800 FPS like the Buffalo Bore .32 S&W Long offerings, which basically feels like firing a .22 Mag. 
New Smith Wesson Ultimate Carry J-Frame in .32 H&R Mag
The .32 H&R Mag offering is a six-shot cylinder on the same sized frame, offering both an extra round over the standard .38 Special J-frame, while also bringing a more manageable recoil, which should play well for those seeking a snub nose that still has a bite but tones down the bark. 
New Smith Wesson Ultimate Carry J-Frame in .32 H&R Mag
The six-shot S&W 632UC in .32 H&R Magnum. Note that Smith has chambered the charging holes in the cylinder and included a speedloader cutout on the grip on this series for easy reloading. 


Double-action-only Airweight Centennials normally have a downright brutal trigger pull that pushes the 12 to 15-pound range (not a misprint), but the DAO Ultimate Carry models on display at SHOT '24 felt tremendously better than that due to redesigned internal geometry and improved springs.

Check out the below video: 

 


 
The MSRP for the Smith & Wesson Ultimate Carry J-frame is $759 across the series. 
 
For those who have questions about the ballistic performance of .32 H&R Mag out of a short-barreled revolver, see this recent test by Caleb "Mister Revolver" Giddings. 

 

 

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