This is an interesting one. I believe Teddy Roosevelt actually was a big component on making the .32 S&W long a success for Smith and Wesson. He liked the bullet alot and actually recommended it for law enforcement agency for its shot-ability and accuracy. So my thinking is if it was good enough for police departments for many years it should be good enough for self defense in any situation. A well placed S&W .32 long on target is way better than a well missed S&W .500 magnum.