Concealed Carry: .38 Special vs .32 Magnum(s)

[Grayfox]

What S&W should have done was the "Goldilocks Principle". 2 inch K-frame is to big, 2 inch J-frame is too small. Make something in between, that was just right.

That would be the Colt "D" frame revolvers. Detective Special, Cobra, Police Positive Special and Diamondback. Bigger than a J-frame, yet smaller than a K-frame. Small enough to conceal well, but still big enough to shoot extremely well. I'm very fond of these.

 

[Model 15-4ever]

Vive la difference!

If finding ammunition is not an issue, but weight/recoil is an issue, then .32 H&R Magnum has many advantages:

* For a lightweight revolver for slipping into a pocket, or carrying IWB with lightweight clothing (athletic, fleece, etc), an aluminium frame .32 Mag weighs very little;

* Since in those circumstances, you are probably not carrying a bunch of spare ammo, the extra round in the .32 Mag cylinder (as opposed to .38) is helpful;

* In a lightweight carry revolver, the .32 Mag recoils noticeably less than the .38 Spl, which makes hitting the target easier and faster.

Is .38 Special "more powerful"? Depends on how you compare them, but overall yes it is. But I find the difference not worth it in comparison to the recoil in a aluminium frame revolver. Heavy .38 Special +P loads are a much better fit in a steel frame gun in my experience. What about "Lite" loads in a .38 Special? Might was well use the .32 Mag and gain the extra round.

Ammunition at the moment is the problem with .32 Mag - like a lot of other great rounds. Factory JHP ammo is often made from unobtainium, and practice ammo is hideously priced. You just about have to reload for this round at the moment.

9mm has ruined everything with panache.

 

[John Patrick]

Right now on Ammoseek, the cheapest price for 32 S&W Long and 38spl practice ammo is almost the same. $17.78/box of 50 for 32 and $17.10/box of 50 for 38.

 

[Data]

Vive la difference!

* If finding ammunition is not an issue, but weight/recoil is an issue, then .32 H&R Magnum has many advantages:

* For a lightweight revolver for slipping into a pocket, or carrying IWB with lightweight clothing (athletic, fleece, etc), an aluminium frame .32 Mag weighs very little;

* Since in those circumstances, you are probably not carrying a bunch of spare ammo, the extra round in the .32 Mag cylinder (as opposed to .38) is helpful;

In a lightweight carry revolver, the .32 Mag recoils noticeably less than the .38 Spl, which makes hitting the target easier and faster.

Is .38 Special "more powerful"? Depends on how you compare them, but overall yes it is. But I find the difference not worth in comparison to the recoil. Heavy .38 Special +P loads are a much better fit in a steel frame gun in my experience. What about "Lite" loads in a .38 Special? Might was well use the .32 Mag and gain the extra round.

Ammunition at the moment is the problem with .32 Mag - like a lot of other great rounds. Factory JHP ammo is often made from unobtainium, and practice ammo is hideously priced. You just about have to reload for this round at the moment.

9mm has ruined everything with panache.

@ Model 15-4ever

Wow! Your post is very much appreciated. Excellent response, and the pics are huge plus! Thank you again. Two thumbs up!!

 

[PHS327]

Haven't shot one but have handled every variety of the Kimber. No love for the Kimber revolvers. And they're ugly.

Yeah, but how do they shoot?

 

[AJ]

Haven't shot one but have handled every variety of the Kimber. No love for the Kimber revolvers. And they're ugly.

No love for any Kimber.

Yeah, but how do they shoot?

No better than any other gun.

 

[John Patrick]

Yeah, but how do they shoot?

Since they don't fit my hand well, I can only presume not well for me. And aftermarket support is still slim, so finding grips which would help isn't an option either.

 

[BC38]

I believe it was Wyatt Earp who said "Speed is fine, accuracy is Final…". Bottom line,no matter the power or quantity of ammo, if you can't hit accurately ALL the time with it, it's not doing you much good. Find a weapon/caliber you can shoot, then practice, practice, and practice some more. Marksmanship is a perishable still. If you don't work to maintain it you WILL lose it. The guy that shoots 50 rds once a year is NOT the same as the guy who shoots 100/week. The latter will be far more effective even if his is a .22 than the .45 shot annually. I like a .32, and I'd buy a J frame in .327 if I could find one. I'd also reload for it and shoot it a lot. The ammo issue alone would make this tough, and prohibitively expensive,if you don't roll your own.

You can get a Taurus Model 327 on GunBroker for around $285.
Not a S&W, but a very reasonably priced and decenct quality j-frame sized 6 shot all steel 327 Federal magnum. I like mine a lot. BUT, a others have said, handloading your own is the answer to the ammo problem. If you don't reload then this one probably isn't for you.

 

[Model 15-4ever]

Right now on Ammoseek, the cheapest price for 32 S&W Long and 38spl practice ammo is almost the same. $17.78/box of 50 for 32 and $17.10/box of 50 for 38.

From reputable dealers with low shipping costs, I found the same thing. But you won't find any .32 H&R Mag ammo at those prices.

I've shot quite a bit of the commonly available PPU .32 S&W Long 98 grain LRN. It's an incredibly anemic load, which barely breaks 600 fps out of a 2" barrel. OK for low recoil practice I suppose, but doesn't hit anywhere close to POA.

 

[BC38]

From reputable dealers with low shipping costs, I found the same thing. But you won't find any .32 H&R Mag ammo at those prices.

I've shot quite a bit of the commonly available PPU .32 S&W Long 98 grain LRN. It's an incredibly anemic load, which barely breaks 600 fps out of a 2" barrel. OK for low recoil practice I suppose, but doesn't hit anywhere close to POA.

FWIW, they shoot 32ACP just fine, and it tends to be a bit hotter than 32SWL. Slightly lighter bullets, but right around 1000fps +/- 50fps, and the price is much more reasonable - around 35 cents per round.

 

[Amp]

I have carried a 640 and later a 340 for many years and they have been great.
A few years back I bought a K6s and have carried it as well. It holds 6 (.357) and hides under my belly very comfortably.
Now that the K6xs is out there I will have one soon.
They are selling local for $600-$620. Trigger is good out of the box. The rubber Hogues would be changed and I already have the holster from the K6s.

 

[John Patrick]

From reputable dealers with low shipping costs, I found the same thing. But you won't find any .32 H&R Mag ammo at those prices.

I've shot quite a bit of the commonly available PPU .32 S&W Long 98 grain LRN. It's an incredibly anemic load, which barely breaks 600 fps out of a 2" barrel. OK for low recoil practice I suppose, but doesn't hit anywhere close to POA.

S&B and Remington shoot to the sights of my 3" 30-1. Even Remington 32 S&W shoots close enough.

As far as shooting to the sights and practice, I don't care, so long as the given ammo reliably groups. If I've figured out that X brand shoots 2" high, I can still select the same POA and judge my shooting by factoring in the 2" offset.

I get that 32 H&R or 327 Federal ammo is expensive (as is good, carry quality 357 compared to practice 38spl,) but how much do you really need to shoot?

I don't shoot much 357 in my 357s, far more cheap 38spl.

 

[Sgt. Buzzard]

Instead they let Kimber eat their lunch with a true 6 shot lightweight revolver with decent sights. I can't find a K6XS to buy because they sell as fast as they hit the counter.[/QUOTE]

MSRP is $679. With reports of LGS asking $1200? I would make sure that store knew where I wouldn't be shopping anymore.

Anyway I spent a boat load of money a couple of years ago on a Kimber K6s 3" DAO. Very disappointed when I found the revolvers cylinder would lock up and not ah, rotate. Sent it right back and had it back in a week. OK that service was good but the consumer is not supposed to be the quality control person. There is a good number of reports complaining of this cylinder jamming problem.

Good luck to the new Kimber buyers, I'm sticking with J frames.

 

[dickydalton]

As I said above, I already have two K6S revolvers and even told you all where the new K6XS was only $619 delivered no one bought it so now I'll have one of them too.

 

[biku324]

Last year I broke the last good ash handle I had for my 8 lb sledge. At the nearby gianormous building supply big box store I found a choice between already warped, wide-grained handles and a fiberglass-handled 10 lb sledge for a couple of bucks more and took the heavier hammer home.

I simply would not have believed the extra striking, driving, breaking, and splitting power a slightly larger sledge would provide had I not experienced it.

 

[BC38]

Last year I broke the last good ash handle I had for my 8 lb sledge. At the nearby gianormous building supply big box store I found a choice between already warped, wide-grained handles and a fiberglass-handled 10 lb sledge for a couple of bucks more and took the heavier hammer home.

I simply would not have believed the extra striking, driving, breaking, and splitting power a slightly larger sledge would provide had I not experienced it.

Yeah, 2 pounds doesn't sound like much, but in this case it is a 25% increase in weight. That makes a HUGE difference, especially in an application where kinetic impact force is the only metric under consideration.

On the other hand, you aren't going to be able to swing that heavier hammer as many times non-stop either.

So there is a tradeoff.

 

[AJ]

Then you remember when Compton PD authorized .44 Magnum for on duty carry? Dirty Harry was based on one of their Detectives. In 1971 no one would watch a movie set in Compton but San Francisco, bingo! (SFPD did authorize the .41 Magnum)

A lot of the smaller Departments, Culver City, Torrance, Long Beach, Pomona and others have a long history of 1911s as duty pistols. Plus others who allow the off duty carry of 1911s. Eventually I carry a Colt Government off duty and eventually it was approved for on duty.

I was at the Marine Barracks at NWS Seal Beach as the Guard Chief. Seal Beach PD carried Colt Series 70's in .45ACP. Then I moved over to NS Long Beach as an advisor to the Security Department and I carried a Colt M1911A1.

 

[Data]

What is the consensus here on the S&W Forum ...

Question:

Does the .38 Special offer a greater advantage than the .327 Magnum or .32 H&R Magnum in context of a snub nose revolver with a 2" or less?

My take ...
While there is nothing wrong a with 5 shot .38 Special, it seems to me that perhaps Smith & Wesson could start producing a 6 shot .327 Magnum J-frame because of it's greater versatility and "relative" stopping power compared to .38 Special. Absurd as it seems, why is Smith & Wesson lagging behind the times when it comes to offering this new caliber? It seems to me that Ruger is the leader in revolver caliber offerings as for concealed carry options. Why? or Why not? What's your take on this subject?

Great post Data!

 

[mtgianni]

I'm a few months shy of 70 and been shooting since I was 5. I never thought I would see the time when I couldn't go to a shop with reloading supplies that didn't have a barrel of 5.56 brass next to their barrel of 38 special brass. Those times have come. Revolvers are as out of favor as the rimmed cartridges that fit them.
I expect that the percentage of any conflict I might witness would be a four legged creature rather than a two legged by a huge margin. I am comfortable carrying around my cast loads whether they are 7 rounds of 32 Mag or 5 of 38 special. I might have a 40 or a 22 lr in my pocket instead. I will not pack what I cannot get ammunition for.

 

[Sistema1927]

I love shooting revolvers in .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Magnum, .327 Fed Magnum, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, and .45 ACP.

I carry a Sig P365 9mm.