Rethinking 32 S&W long ---‐-‐-‐‐--‐---‐---‐-----‐-

[max503]

I'd love to have a 32 revolver. It's one of my grail guns.

My uncle had one. I remember shooting it up in the north woods of Wisconsin when we were kids. You could hear hear the slug bouncing off the birch trees like a que ball.

 

[BSA1]

Seems like some of you are confusing being lethal with stopping power. I doubt of any criminals are reading this topic in order to learn that if they are shot with a 32 Long they should immediately stop their attack and lay down waiting for a ambulance to arrive.

It will be of small comfort to your family and loved ones if your attacker dies 1/2 hour after you do.

 

[Telecaster]

.45 isn’t an instant off-switch either.

I think I’ve read this thread a few hundred times before.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

Two other things people do not take into consideration, is the shooters ability to put hits on target and second, the willingness to put hits on target. The "Fight or Flight Response".

It's not the size of the gun in the gunfight; it's the size of the fight in the gunfighter.

To paraphrase the late, great Col. Jeff Cooper, owning a gun doesn’t make you a gunfighter anymore than owning a guitar makes you a musician.

 

[BSA1]

So is 32 S&W long really not viable?

Comments.

Don’t confuse being lethal with stopping power.

Our goal should be to stop an attack as quickly as possible with as few of rounds as practical. Nowdays in our illegal drug and alcohol society a attacker’s body may not immediately realize it is being damaged and shut down. Meth addicts suffer from brain damage that doesn’t function normally and can absorb a lot of damage to the body before the brain understands what is happening to it.

It will be of small comfort to your family and loved ones if your attacker dies 1/2 hour after you did.

 

[steelslaver]

Don’t confuse being lethal with stopping power.

Our goal should be to stop an attack as quickly as possible with as few of rounds as practical. Nowdays in our illegal drug and alcohol society a attacker’s body may not immediately realize it is being damaged and shut down. Meth addicts suffer from brain damage that doesn’t function normally and can absorb a lot of damage to the body before the brain understands what is happening to it.

It will be of small comfort to your family and loved ones if your attacker dies 1/2 hour after you did.

While that is true and one of the reasons I normally pack a 325 in 45acp, that doesn't mean that the 32s should be tossed aside. There are people, times and places where a 32 fits the bill better. Some people can not handle recoil for various reasons, and may well shoot a 32 better than a 357 or 45. A shot in the right place with a 32 is better than one in the wrong place with a 45. In the summer I could stick one of my alloy 32 in the pocket of my cutoffs and go to a picnic at the warm springs and even go swimming with it if I wanted. It might not impress the ladies as much as my 45 though

I will say this the 32 H&R is a decent step up from the 32 long and it rivals the 38 special for power. Any J frame 32 cylinder can quickly and easily be reamed to 32 H&R

None of the caliber debates matter if you do not carry a gun, if you are not proficient with the one you carry.

If someone is more apt to practice with and carry a 32 they are better off with it than a 45 that they don't do both with. I spend time at the range with both.

 

[rockquarry]

Perhaps an adequate but minimal self-defense cartridge if you shoot well and are aware of and comfortable with its limitations.

I had two S&W .32s from the 1970s, one with adjustable sights. I worked up some handloads and shot these guns enough to realize they offered nothing for my purposes that wasn't already covered better by my J-frame .38 Special snubnose guns. Big difference between a 100 grain .32 bullet and a 158 grain .38.

Minimal (and perhaps unsuitable) cartridges for the purpose have developed a fad following these days, like using a .223 for deer hunting; you seldom if ever hear of the wounded animals that run off because of poor shooting with an inadequate cartridge. The .223 can certainly work, but there are better and more humane cartridges for the task.

Again, in the hands of a skilled shooter, a .32 revolver using the Long cartridge may get by okay as a defense cartridge.

 

[badge]

I think whatever you decide to carry is far better than nothing at all. My 96 year old Former Marine Dad uses my old S&W 31 2" as his carry. His hands are Arthritic and he prefers a 1911 he cannot use it anymore. Use what you can I reckon.

 

[Jebus35745]

As Steelslayer says, the J .32 long reamed to .32 Mag is an ideal small package for carrying. Definitely cheaper than the light weight .32’s for sale. Had a model 15 converted to .327 by Andy Horvath and the 4” 16-4 barrel used was cut to 3”. Harder to conceal than a 2” J but a nice package.

Causing some thread drift here but I now carry an Sig 365, the crooks around here have hi-cap guns. Want more then 6 shots, Larry

 

[BC38]

...Causing some thread drift here but I now carry an Sig 365, the crooks around here have hi-cap guns. Want more then 6 shots, Larry

Ditto here. At least as long as I can still shoot a 9mm micro well.
When the day comes that I can't, then a 32 caliber seems like it might be a reasonable fallback alternative.

 

[fredcoyote]

Oddball .32 trio

Just recently within the last year caught wind of the old 32 cartridge. I never knew of the 32 magnum centennial which is what caught my attention. Buffalo bore hardcast wad cutters are potent pills I'm comfortable carrying. Long wad cutters a hoot.
Short reloads are pop gun fun.

Top-cheap Taurus 32 tackle box gun.

Middle- 65' Colt detective special with a numerich 32 Magnum conversion they used to sell.

Bottom- S&W 632 (one of two they're so cool!)

Next might be a 32 barrel for my Thompson?

Fight the Good Fight...

Fred

 

[old tanker]

The S&W Hand Ejector (.32 S&W Long) from 1903

Colt Pocket Positive (.32 New Police) dates to 1907

S&B makes a respectable version of the old flat pointed Colt N.P cartridge. Like the man said, "A pocket pistol you have beats a cannon in the safe at home."

 

[Warren Sear]

I enjoy my S&W .32, 3" barrel, square butt.

I am convinced it would be better than any .25 or .32 auto if needed.

I hand load my ammo, using various weight bullets that I cast.

Mine will easily completely penetrate two 2x6's. I was told the bullets would bounce off wood. That is not true, at least with the .32 Long, in my experience.

 

[BC38]

I enjoy my S&W .32, 3" barrel, square butt.

I am convinced it would be better than any .25 or .32 auto if needed.

I hand load my ammo, using various weight bullets that I cast.

Mine will easily completely penetrate two 2x6's. I was told the bullets would bounce off wood. That is not true, at least with the .32 Long, in my experience.

So it will penetrate 3"-3-1/2" of wood? That sounds pretty good. What kind of wood?
Penetrating that much pine is quite a bit different than penetrating that much oak.

 

[rockquarry]

So it will penetrate 3"-3-1/2" of wood? That sounds pretty good. What kind of wood?
Penetrating that much pine is quite a bit different than penetrating that much oak.

More of a novelty than something useful. If you already have a .38 Special you're in good shape with a much superior cartridge.

 

[BC38]

More of a novelty than something useful. If you already have a .38 Special you're in good shape with a much superior cartridge.

Yeah, I do. I also have a couple of 32's and a 327.
Still curious as to the answer to the question I asked Warren Sear though.

 

[Warren Sear]

So it will penetrate 3"-3-1/2" of wood? That sounds pretty good. What kind of wood?
Penetrating that much pine is quite a bit different than penetrating that much oak.

3" of softwood, probably pine. Definitely not oak.

 

[Warren Sear]

More of a novelty than something useful. If you already have a .38 Special you're in good shape with a much superior cartridge.

One advantage of the .32 over the .38 is the .32 will give one more shot in similar diameter cylinders. Is that significant? That is a question only the user can answer.

 

[rockquarry]

One advantage of the .32 over the .38 is the .32 will give one more shot in similar diameter cylinders. Is that significant? That is a question only the user can answer.

Not significant to most.

 

[BC38]

Not significant to most.

Opinions differ.

The 32 S&W Long is a pretty weak cartridge, but that is why a 32 H&R magnum is much better. Pretty much any modern 32 S&W Long can be reamed a little and handle 32 H&R magnums easily.

A 100gr H&R magnum generates the same ME as a 158gr 38 Special +P

A 90gr H&R Magnum generates the same ME as a 130gr 38 Special.

Having a sixth round with the same ballistic performance in the same size package with milder recoil can be an advantage.

JMO, YMMV.