Our great-grandfathers' concealed carry choice?

PALADIN85020 · Jul 22, 2009

This .32 "lemon squeezer" dates from 1921, and is, I think a representative example of what a long-ago generation thought was suitable for concealed carry. The .32 short cartridge used in this gun would just be considered annoying today, rather than a serious defensive round. Were the crooks of the era pansies, or was this really a serious option, and why? Inquiring minds want to know.

P.S. - I think I posted this in the wrong section - tried to delete it, but couldn't find a way. Perhaps a moderator can do that. I'll re-post under "antiques." Sorry!

Dan Cash · Jul 22, 2009

In my great grandfather's day and even my grandfather's (Spanish American War era) day, any wound could be fatal due to infection or the inability to stop bleeding. The infection option offered an agonizing, protracted death.

Gor what it is worth, my great grandfather, for close to 40 years, carried a Smith in .44 Russian down the front of his pants.

Old Corp · Jul 22, 2009

Interesting post. Since I started working p/t at a large gunshop, I've found it interesting how many older gentlemen (age ~ 65+) come in and are interested in 'a .32 revolver'. I believe the accepted wisdom of 50-60 years ago was that a .32 filled in between the ineffective .22 and the 'over-powerful .38'.
I get some strange looks when I I tell them that currently all I have are a few different models in .327 Mag., and they can shoot the other, older .32 S&W rounds in it. Then I show them the cost diffference between all the .32 ammo and the easier-to-find .38 spl. That usually kills the .32 sale and seals the .38 revolver purchase.

USAF385 · Jul 22, 2009

Aww... Sepia tone.

That's a mighty fine shooter!

Iggy · Jul 23, 2009

Well, it's a 32 and some of it revolves....

feralmerril · Jul 23, 2009

Paladin, I had a blue one in .38 S&W just like that. Gave it to my daughter. The interesting thing was I bought it from a guy at work. He said it was his granfathers who was a town constable or city cop back east. He showed me a picture of his grandad and my coworker looked like a throwback to him! I told him it was wrong to sell the gun, but it sounded like his wife didnt want it in the house as they had kids. I told him I would sell it back, but he never came for it.
We were guards together at lockheed. He would draw a company gun out of the safe at work. Some people just aint into it even if they have a job packing!

Crazy K38 · Jul 23, 2009

back then ballistics info was 'well that made a hole use that one' and medical support was 'yup hes dead' so they really didn't need anything more than that due to lack of intellegence

DRB · Jul 23, 2009

My mother uses a lemon squezer in .38 S&W with the barrel chopped to 1 and half inches. She keeps it handy in the bedroom esp when my father is gone on a hunting trip. Still a usefull gun in either caliber. I would rather have a .32 Lemon Squezer then a .25 auto of any kind and it does make a bigger hole then a .22. The gun was made till 1940 and IMHO in model in .38S&W would be a good carry gun sure it is not as powerfull as more modern rounds but the guns are very compact and carry well. I kind of wish someone would bring them back a top break while considered obsolete is a still a very easy gun to reload. Heck look how long the Webley was around,

cowart · Jul 23, 2009

Old Corp said:
I've found it interesting how many older gentlemen (age ~ 65+) come in and are interested in 'a .32 revolver'.

They may be recalling old memories of references to 32-20 revolvers, which were at quite a different power level. Robert Johnson even wrote a song about this, comparing the 32-20 to the 38 special.

Robert Johnson - 32-20 Blues lyrics

tops · Jul 23, 2009

I also think it is because of the difference in medical care. A 100 yrs. ago it could have taken a day or more to get medical help and maybe bad help at that. Now if you don't kill someone dead an ambulance will be there in 5 min. that is better equipped than a hospital was 100 yrs. ago. Larry

digi-shots · Jul 23, 2009

I'm sure there were many choices of concealed carry back in the "good ole days". Here's a S&W Lemon Squeezer in .38 S&W (shipped in April 1917) in a vintage homemade ankle holster:

153 · Jul 24, 2009

100 years ago the average man was about 5'5" and probably rarely weighed over 100 lbs.

Those little .32's might look more lethal if your assailant was almost the size of todays 12 year old!

N_itis · Jul 24, 2009

9303 said:
100 years ago the average man was about 5'5" and probably rarely weighed over 100 lbs.

Those little .32's might look more lethal if your assailant was almost the size of todays 12 year old!

As well as being easier to shoot well if you were that same size.

+1 on the issue of medical care, too. I believe my Second Edition SCSW makes reference to "taking" any bullet in 1861 being a very, very bad thing in explaining the popularity of the earliest Smith&Wesson cartridge revolvers which were "ineffective" .22 rimfires.

tac803 · Jul 24, 2009

My Grandfather was a Deputy Sheriff during the days of prohibition, and I recall him showing me the "Lemon squeezer" .38 that he carried. Not sure if it was his primary or back up, but I believe he used to carry it in his overcoat pocket, with the badge pinned under the lapel of the coat. Personally, I'd feel a mite undergunned if that was my primary gun, but he lived to a ripe old age. Never had to shoot anybody, so it was a moot point.

Cruiser RN · Jul 24, 2009

People forget that the greatest medical discovery of the 20th century was Pennicillin.More people died from infection than anything else,so therefore ANY wound,bullet or otherwise, could easily be fatal.Medical and surgical care have improved and field care has improved so survivability of all trauma has improved with it.I wonder what people will think in the next century when they look @ what our favorite carry guns were "back in the day".God Bless........Mike

flop-shank · Jul 24, 2009

I think the desparity lies in the fact that information has been getting more readily available. As time went on there was a greater body of information, it was more readily available, and others built upon the work of those who had gone before them. Now that we're in the information age things have gone to a whole new level. If something works better than something else, it doesn't take long to figure it out.

danski · Jul 24, 2009

A gun shop owner around 1983 asked me what I thought was the caliber
that killed more people in the U.S. I said .38. He said to consider the .32 as so many tens of thousands of them were made from the1870s on.

Gangsters right up to the 1970s used .32s, either autos or revolvers more often than some might think. The hitman who took out Crazy Joe Gallo at Umberto's Clam house said he used a .38 and a .32.

Then again, I remember reading a newspaper editorial reprinted by
El Paso Saddlery. The editorial, from the 1880s in San Antonio, lamented
that the cost of repairing men at the public hospital was growing. The newspaper urged a law that only .45s be used for duels, etc.

ditrina · Jul 24, 2009

About a year ago when we had to clear out my folks house.. These surfaced.. They are exactly as you see them.. packed in a brown paper bag stuck in the rafters in the basement..
When I was a small boy I remember my father telling me these were my grandfathers.. It seems that my grandfather carried them to protect him from the "Rats"

that surfaced occasionally on the docks ... Oh yeah... GrandPa was a Longshoreman working the docks in New York..

The nickle one with the MOP grips is an Iver Johnson Arms and Cycle, Fitchburg Mass. USA.... And the Hammerless is an H&R.. Worchester Mass.. Both in Premier 32 S&W CTGE..

The H&R shows wear and use but the Iver Johnson, aside from some handling marks looks really great.. Bore is bright and shiney,,IMHO about 95% ....over all..

Now back in the safe they go,,Just some cool memories..

Iggy · Jul 24, 2009

32's and 38's worked just fine until Elmer Keith came along.

tops · Jul 25, 2009

W.D.M. Bell killed 1000 elephants with a 7mm Mauser. He said if you hit the heart or brain a little bullet is as good as a big bullet. Using his thinking a .22 is good enough.The trouble with using Bell's thinking is that most of us can't hit a fat hog in the butt with a tar bucket. Larry

Our great-grandfathers' concealed carry choice?

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