Between the .38 S & W and the .32-20, which of the two would be better for say a small in the woods gun for the occasional rabbit or grouse, or for say my wife to shoot?

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Vaya con Dios

the 32-20 I've always wanted one for cowboy shooting fun. Lymann makes a nice 115gr mold which would be nice on rabbits and great for paper punching.

I'd take a .38 Special over either one, but between the two, the .32-20 certainly has more respectable velocity, and more class in general. I mean, who ever wrote a song about the .38 S&W?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D8gncGLeic

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Formerly Model520Fan

Another vote for the .32-20. Why not .38 Special?

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Formerly know as Lucky Derby

32-20 for sure. i own and shoot both. also, most 32-20s that i have seen are more "belt guns" where many .38 S&W are concealed carry snubbies. i would still go with the 32-20 even if the barrel lengths are the same. make sure you use loading data for PISTOL, not rifle.

Either one is going to be a reloading proposition and the 38 S&W is easier to reload. Why are you trying to choose between these two specific cartridges?

Another vote here for the .32/20. I carry a Colt SAA in that caliber often when horseback
or afoot. The .32/20 is a great woods/trail caliber. I handload this caliber and once you get used to it, it is not as hard as many people make it out to be. I have personally used mine for skunks, varmints, killing feral trapped hogs, and to put down an injured cow. The .32/20 has done just about everything I ever needed. Also, there are so many good bullets to reload this round with like the Hornady XTP, Sierra Power Jacket, and when available, the Speer Gold Dot made for the 327 Fed Magnum.

I do agree that the 38 Special would be better unless you want to handload. I also carry the 38 Special alot, but when properly handloaded the 32-20 is capable of just as much accuracy and more power. The 32-20 from a revolver has been very accurate in my experiences of shooting the SAA, an Army Special, and a Police Positive.

Also, if you like the 32-20 then a carbine is a good companion gun. A 32-20 will kill a deer up close (within 75 yds even with factory ammo) no matter what people tell you. Mine has done it. Hogs too.

Get your wife a 32-20 revolver,,then you can get a companion 32-20 Winchester rifle or carbine... Mod 73, 92, 53, etc. or maybe a Marlin in that caliber .

With all that said,,it's hard to beat a K frame S&W adj site 38special revolver in 4" bbl for an all around useful woods packin' gun. Lots of used ones available at decent prices. An M&P isn't a bad choice either if you pick your loads carefully to print to point of aim.

Reloadings a snap w/38Special,,, cases, bullets & data are all over the place. Easy to make up loads ranging from powder-puff to +P.

A 38S&W is a very decent round when handloaded. Everyone seems to want to make it comparable to a 38Special, so why not just use a 38Special.

I have a 38S&W in a Terrier and I wouldn't sell it. Great little revolver and fun to shoot but for something to spend time and effort trying to snag some game with, I'd carry something different.

I do load for it occasionally and use standard 38Spec dia cast bullets and get accuracy that is what I'd expect from the gun. Normal dia for the cartridge is .360 I believe.

Other than the Victory model, you're really rather limited in 38S&W choices, but there are some out there for sure.
Anything in '38 Colt New Police' is the same caliber from the other guys.

The .32 Winchester is the princess of handgun calibers, in my opinion.

It also can behave like a princess too.

It's slim, dainty and versatile- it can also be very finicky to load depending on which firearm you are developing loads to use and the purpose of the loads.

There are two tools that I think are indispensable for handloading this caliber, the first of which is a Wilson case gauge. Sometimes if you get just a tad over zealous with your crimping, it is possible to crush the case a bit and it will swell out around the necked area. A good lever action or pump Remington this isn't so much a big deal (if it is slightly out of spec) because the action will forcibly push it into the chamber. If these same loads are used in a revolver, they will not go into the cylinder and it is almost impossible see that there is something wrong with the case.

The second piece of tooling that is needed is a n expander die from a .32H&R/.32 S&W Long die set- that is if you plan on using cast bullets. If the neck of the case isn't flared more than what usually comes with the typical .32 WCF die sets, the thin necks of the cases will simply collapse. This is a necessity.

That's just my two-cents.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

One point not mentioned yet in the thread is that the 32-20 cartridge was the "357 Magnum" of the "pre-357 Magnum" days before 1935. Handloaders were loading the 32-20 up, and were finding that given the barrel and chamber wall thickness of revolvers chambered for the 32-20, shooters found out that the guns chambered for the 32-20 could take some stoking and hold together.

That led to shooters using the same warm loads in both revolvers and leverguns and Remington pumps, and the 32-20 got a well-deserved reputation for being a serious, viable performer on small and medium-sized game. Then came 1935 and the 357 S&W Magnum, and the 32-20 got knocked off its perch.

FWIW, when loaded with IMR 4227, the load and ballistics of the 32-20 are not that much different than those of the 30 US Carbine. Lower in velocity a bit, but in the same seating section of the ballpark. When handloaded, the 32-20 can approximate the 32 H&R Magnum and the 327 Federal Magnum as well.

So yeah, IMO it makes a fine low-recoil, accurate handgun cartridge, especially if handloaded.

I have a 4" S&W M&P and a Uberti-made Taylors & Co 1873 Colt Single Action clone , a Marlin 1894C, and a converted 310 Martini Cadet with relined barrel all in 32-20 and when fed the right loads, they are tackdrivers. But as Andy Griffith pointed out just above me, the 32-20 can be cranky to load.

But fun to shoot!

Noah

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