.32 s&w ballistics?
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Cal44
Member
I believe there are two rounds. One called .32 s&w and the other named .32 s&w long.
.32 s&w short is just another term for .32 s&w.
There are a few youtubes covering this. Search there.
The info is not as comprehensive as you probably want, but there is a little out there.
.32 s&w short is just another term for .32 s&w.
There are a few youtubes covering this. Search there.
The info is not as comprehensive as you probably want, but there is a little out there.
Advertised as being effective at card table range, it was a pure bred pocket pistol, and always an underpowered, short range belly gun. 90 ft. lbs. at the muzzle, 88 grain bullet, all it would take is probably a thick pocketbook, a leather jacket, a watch, or cell phone to stop a round from it. I dont' think anyone takes the time to gel test them, because nobody thinks they are worth it. They are considered true rat guns, because it is about the only thing it is considered worthy of shooting, with any effectiveness.
I'm interested in penetration tests myself, but everyone who buys one does so for antique, cheap plinker, oddity, ect. The cartridge has not been a self defense favorite for nearly a century, and considering the .32 S&W Long, or .32 Colt New Police as it is also called, came after, the better performance of the long cartridge simply negated any real reason to carry the old underpowered one for self defense, or otherwise.
If you were to think of using an Iver Johnson pocket revolver for self defense, I'd suggest carrying a heavy rock, and smashing the attacker on top of the skull, this will probably be more effective.
I'm interested in penetration tests myself, but everyone who buys one does so for antique, cheap plinker, oddity, ect. The cartridge has not been a self defense favorite for nearly a century, and considering the .32 S&W Long, or .32 Colt New Police as it is also called, came after, the better performance of the long cartridge simply negated any real reason to carry the old underpowered one for self defense, or otherwise.
If you were to think of using an Iver Johnson pocket revolver for self defense, I'd suggest carrying a heavy rock, and smashing the attacker on top of the skull, this will probably be more effective.
robertrwalsh
SWCA Member
The .32 S&W would probably reliably stop an angry hamster, if you got a good hit with it. Dubious on a guinea pig.
Haha thanks guys. My girlfriend actually got a Rossi revolver for 150 bucks. We went to the range and she loves it, shot it well, and seemed very confident with it (not knowing that it is apparently an even worse choice than a 22lr). I was impressed myself with the accuracy of the gun but it's a shame it's not very useful for defense. With a bigger piece of lead but very weak muzzle energy and probably nothing great as far as penetration would you guys choose a .32 short or a .22lr? She really likes it though so now I have to convince her to part with it for something better haha. She is very recoil sensitive, I think a .38 revolver would be ideal for her.
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If the Rossi is only a 32 S&W, and not a 32 S&W Long, than that's unfortunate, Long was actually a popular police cartridge... in the 1890's to 1930's. I've seen that Buffalo Bore makes some very stout rounds for the Long, with a heavy enough bullet for the .31 caliber, and enough energy to make it somewhat legitimate, enough to even perhaps say, let people on the net give a thumbs up to having someone who likes the pistol carry it. I'd double check the revolver, just to be sure, that it truly is only original 32 S&W and not the later cartridge.
As much as I don't trust a 22lr for self defense, and preach against it to everyone and anyone when the time comes for debate, its probably a better choice than the original 32 S&W, it will probably punch deeper. And than again, there is the .38 special as the great universal, which is my general ideal for beginners, and for anyone for that matter. Also consider the .32 magnums, which have enough power for caliber, and extra weight as well, and can also fire the 32 S&W and 32 S&W Long.
As much as I don't trust a 22lr for self defense, and preach against it to everyone and anyone when the time comes for debate, its probably a better choice than the original 32 S&W, it will probably punch deeper. And than again, there is the .38 special as the great universal, which is my general ideal for beginners, and for anyone for that matter. Also consider the .32 magnums, which have enough power for caliber, and extra weight as well, and can also fire the 32 S&W and 32 S&W Long.
Cal44
Member
This article talks a little about the buffalo bore loads for 32 s&w long and 38 s&w:
His results from a 2" revolver:
"The Buffalo Bore 115 .32 S&W Long yielded about 771 from a S&W 2″ barrel, while the 100-gr. WC delivered 852 fps. from the same gun."
The .32 S&W Long & .38 Smith & Wesson | American Handgunner
That's 151 and 161 ft lbs muzzle energy respectively.
That's right in the middle of the 38 special loads tested by the "ballistics by the inch" people for a 2" snubbie.
Of course, a BB sells 38 special ammo that would test higher.
38 S&W short is another matter. No ammo except very weak round nose available that I can find.
Dave
His results from a 2" revolver:
"The Buffalo Bore 115 .32 S&W Long yielded about 771 from a S&W 2″ barrel, while the 100-gr. WC delivered 852 fps. from the same gun."
The .32 S&W Long & .38 Smith & Wesson | American Handgunner
That's 151 and 161 ft lbs muzzle energy respectively.
That's right in the middle of the 38 special loads tested by the "ballistics by the inch" people for a 2" snubbie.
Of course, a BB sells 38 special ammo that would test higher.
38 S&W short is another matter. No ammo except very weak round nose available that I can find.
Dave
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We fired 18 rounds of .32 s&w short through it with no problems. We got it used and it came without the original box or manual or anything. Owner said it fires .32 s&w so thats what we bought for it. Is there a way to tell if it will shoot both short or long? Or if we should be using just short or just long?
shouldazagged
Absent Comrade
The .32 S&W sounds like a fun plinker that could serve her as a transitional gun to a .38 Special.
Personally I draw the line under .38 Special +P or its equivalent (the Buffalo Bore standard pressure 158 grain LSWCHP-GC) for self defense. But ultimately she'll decide what she wants to carry and shoot, and all you can do is suggest.
Personally I draw the line under .38 Special +P or its equivalent (the Buffalo Bore standard pressure 158 grain LSWCHP-GC) for self defense. But ultimately she'll decide what she wants to carry and shoot, and all you can do is suggest.
If it is made by Rossi it will almost certainly chamber .32 long. They weren't even making guns when the .32 S&W was popular (the nineteenth century). Joe
gwpercle
Member
My grandfather told me many years ago " the secrete isn't what you shoot them with it's WHERE you shoot them " in this case it was hogs and his use of a single shot 22 LR to hunt them with. He always dropped them with one shot into the ear which went into the brain. He knew where to shot them.
That 32 S&W into the head will do enough damage. And a hit with a 32 is a lot better than a miss with a 44 magnum. Only hits count so accuracy and shooting well with it has a lot going for it.
If she likes it and can shoot it, it beats fingernails. Let her practice and if later she feels like moving onto something bigger then do so.
Gary
That 32 S&W into the head will do enough damage. And a hit with a 32 is a lot better than a miss with a 44 magnum. Only hits count so accuracy and shooting well with it has a lot going for it.
If she likes it and can shoot it, it beats fingernails. Let her practice and if later she feels like moving onto something bigger then do so.
Gary
What does it say on the barrel? As was posted earlier I doubt if is a .32 S&W because that cartridge is old as the hills. It is probably a .32 S&WL (Long). If you can't determine from the barrel marking try a Long to see if it will chamber. Even if it is a .32 S&W leave her alone and let her shoot what she wants too and is comfortable with. Larry
I actually have some penetration data on the .32 S&W cartridge. It's from "The Book of Pistols and Revolvers" by W. H. B. Smith. It was published in 1946 and my copy is the 5th edition of 1962. I'm pretty sure the ballistic data is pre-WW II. Penetration data for many cartridges is given as the number of 7/8" soft pine boards! For the .32 S&W it's 3 boards with an 85 grain bullet at 720 ft/sec and 98 ft-lbs of muzzle energy. For comparison, the .32 S&W Long is 4 boards, the .45 Auto is 6 boards and the .357 Magnum is 12 boards.
This cartridge was introduced in 1878 and was the most popular pocket revolver cartridge of its day. S&W made hundreds of thousands of break-top revolvers for this cartridge well into the 20th century. Those of you who belittle the cartridge need to realize that it pre-dates what we consider effective self defense loads by at least 21 years (the .38 Special) and it would be another 70 years before a revolver as light as the .32 Breaktop would be available in .38 Special! I'm sure the .32 S&W killed a lot of men and scared off a lot of would-be assailants.
This cartridge was introduced in 1878 and was the most popular pocket revolver cartridge of its day. S&W made hundreds of thousands of break-top revolvers for this cartridge well into the 20th century. Those of you who belittle the cartridge need to realize that it pre-dates what we consider effective self defense loads by at least 21 years (the .38 Special) and it would be another 70 years before a revolver as light as the .32 Breaktop would be available in .38 Special! I'm sure the .32 S&W killed a lot of men and scared off a lot of would-be assailants.
I think my philophy works here.
"Never plan on pulling the trigger only once."
"Never plan on pulling the trigger only once."
Hindsight is 20/20, or like regular sight only more finger pointy. I understand your historical perspective HKsmith, but let's also keep in mind other historical aspects at play.
Back before central heating, and automobiles, people tended to dress much, much, much heavier than today, and since they didn't drive there car here and there, and use it as mobile storage for key daily items on their daily routines, they often carried a great deal more gear on themselves. This means that it was very common back in those days to wear a coat, and overcoat, heavy wool layers, and have many items hidden away in coat pockets.
This invariably lead to many scenarios in those days of common pocket pistols, severely under powered, coming up against targets wearing heavy layers of heavy materials, with many a pocket book, flask, wallet, package of tobacco, badge, or trinket conveniently placed in chest level coat pockets, right in the way of a heart or upper torso shot. Of course, the most famous was Teddy Roosevelt's infamous assassination attempt, where even a mighty .38 lost enough heat from a steel glasses case and 50 page speech to lodge in the chest wall, and fail. By no means was he the only one in the period to stash items into internal coat pockets, and the only one to be shot in the chest, or to have rounds ground out in various daily items carried within.
Needless to say, for the close range kills the .32 S&W made, the chances of its failure to stop were, well, very high indeed. Its an interesting concept: we have better handguns, calibers, and loads today, and although people are bigger and thicker, today's style of clothing, as well as the tendency to carry very little in day to day activities upon one's person, actually leads to softer targets, whereas in the olden days the pocket pistols were gutless, and people dressing to stay warm and carrying half of their meager possessions upon them down the street, makes for much tougher shots against much harder targets.
True stories abound of that age, of bullets coming to rest in clothing and items, the old stories of heavy nickel badges stopping pistol rounds, ect, and the rounds of the era didn't help much. There is a reason why the .38 special took off, why .44 special enjoyed great success, and why the .32 S&W regular and long eventually faded from the mainstream into obscurity. Perhaps they would work better on today's half naked, half starved meth addicts as far as penetration goes, but I'll stick to 38 +p as bare minimum.
Now that I'm going on to long again, I'll say the only reason i consider the Buffalo Bore round to be interesting is that with 115 grains and a .31 bore, the sectional density, along with the extra power, might just be enough to do the trick. I'd never really suggest it, but if the woman likes the revolver enough, and can use the hotter round, than perhaps it could be considered at least somewhat maybe adequate.
Back before central heating, and automobiles, people tended to dress much, much, much heavier than today, and since they didn't drive there car here and there, and use it as mobile storage for key daily items on their daily routines, they often carried a great deal more gear on themselves. This means that it was very common back in those days to wear a coat, and overcoat, heavy wool layers, and have many items hidden away in coat pockets.
This invariably lead to many scenarios in those days of common pocket pistols, severely under powered, coming up against targets wearing heavy layers of heavy materials, with many a pocket book, flask, wallet, package of tobacco, badge, or trinket conveniently placed in chest level coat pockets, right in the way of a heart or upper torso shot. Of course, the most famous was Teddy Roosevelt's infamous assassination attempt, where even a mighty .38 lost enough heat from a steel glasses case and 50 page speech to lodge in the chest wall, and fail. By no means was he the only one in the period to stash items into internal coat pockets, and the only one to be shot in the chest, or to have rounds ground out in various daily items carried within.
Needless to say, for the close range kills the .32 S&W made, the chances of its failure to stop were, well, very high indeed. Its an interesting concept: we have better handguns, calibers, and loads today, and although people are bigger and thicker, today's style of clothing, as well as the tendency to carry very little in day to day activities upon one's person, actually leads to softer targets, whereas in the olden days the pocket pistols were gutless, and people dressing to stay warm and carrying half of their meager possessions upon them down the street, makes for much tougher shots against much harder targets.
True stories abound of that age, of bullets coming to rest in clothing and items, the old stories of heavy nickel badges stopping pistol rounds, ect, and the rounds of the era didn't help much. There is a reason why the .38 special took off, why .44 special enjoyed great success, and why the .32 S&W regular and long eventually faded from the mainstream into obscurity. Perhaps they would work better on today's half naked, half starved meth addicts as far as penetration goes, but I'll stick to 38 +p as bare minimum.
Now that I'm going on to long again, I'll say the only reason i consider the Buffalo Bore round to be interesting is that with 115 grains and a .31 bore, the sectional density, along with the extra power, might just be enough to do the trick. I'd never really suggest it, but if the woman likes the revolver enough, and can use the hotter round, than perhaps it could be considered at least somewhat maybe adequate.
Thanks for the in depth responses guys. Really helps out. My concern now is that if this gun is supposed to fire .32 s&w long, were we risking injury to ourselves by firing the standard .32 s&w rounds? Or will most guns that fire the long round also fire the short?
.32 Magnum will fire magnum, long, and short S&W
.32 S&W Long will fire S&W long and short
.32 S&W short, or standard, will only fire the original .32 S&W
Same way that .44 Magnum will fire .44 Special and .44 Russian, and how .38 Special fires form .357 Magnums, shorter cartridges of otherwise exact same specification are safe to shoot from longer chambers, and the .32 magnums are parented off of the S&W Long, which was parented from the .32 S&W. No negative side effects for shooting standard .32 S&W from a long, but research on this forum and elsewhere points to inferior performance in longer chambers, but otherwise safe. Don't confuse it with the .32 Short and Long Colt, which are slightly different.
What is the model of Rossi you bought, and have you attempted to ask any Rossi smiths/dealers/officiandos about what exactly it is chambered for?
.32 S&W Long will fire S&W long and short
.32 S&W short, or standard, will only fire the original .32 S&W
Same way that .44 Magnum will fire .44 Special and .44 Russian, and how .38 Special fires form .357 Magnums, shorter cartridges of otherwise exact same specification are safe to shoot from longer chambers, and the .32 magnums are parented off of the S&W Long, which was parented from the .32 S&W. No negative side effects for shooting standard .32 S&W from a long, but research on this forum and elsewhere points to inferior performance in longer chambers, but otherwise safe. Don't confuse it with the .32 Short and Long Colt, which are slightly different.
What is the model of Rossi you bought, and have you attempted to ask any Rossi smiths/dealers/officiandos about what exactly it is chambered for?
All I know is that it is a Rossi Amadeo .32 revolver, and that it's really accurate which is a plus. I don't know a model number or anything like that. I will take it to a few gun shops and see if they can tell me more about it. If it can shoot .32 s&w long then that gives it a much greater capability as a defensive weapon. The only challenge then would be finding the ammo, as the only thing I've found in stores is the standard short round and they only had one type to choose from. So I probably would need to order online.
Cal44
Member
Try ammoseek.com to find places to mail-order ammo. I've bought 32 S&W long for my Smith recently from several mail-order outlets. Lots available, and low cost. There may be some S&W short also, but not many choices for that.
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gwpercle
Member
Keep those empty cases, 32 S&W and 32 S&W Long are not common.
With the price and availability of factory loaded ammo you might want to look into reloading or find a friend who can help you refill those empties.
I have a 38 S&W Top Break and thankfully can reload for it, otherwise it wouldn't get shot very much .
Gary
With the price and availability of factory loaded ammo you might want to look into reloading or find a friend who can help you refill those empties.
I have a 38 S&W Top Break and thankfully can reload for it, otherwise it wouldn't get shot very much .
Gary
