.32 Long Ballistics

cherrypointmarine · Jul 7, 2016

Hello All, I've got a question, and I am hoping someone out there can answer it. I know the M31's are popular, one goes up in the 4sale section, and it's gone PDQ. I bought mine last year from another Forum member, and I really love it, as does my wife. Now my question is, has anyone ever shot a HP round into ballistic gel? I would like to know what the round would do. Is it worth letting my wife carry it concealed? Now I know anything is better than nothing,but I am curious. Just for info purposes, I don't reload, and I mostly use Georgia Arms 100GR HP's. Thanks

Smith61 · Jul 7, 2016

I really don't think HP's are going to perform well at the velocity generated by that load. The latest thinking is a hard cast bullet with wide meplat in any smaller caliber is better at least as far as penetrating to vitals. BTW I have a 3" M31 and have carried it in the past with Hornady critical defense 60 gr HP in .32 ACP. Yup! But I have since switched to these for the very few occasions I carry her:

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=344

Tom K · Jul 7, 2016

According to the 2016 Gun Digest:

.32 S&W Long 98gr 705fps 115ft-lbs
.32 ACP 71gr 905fps 130ft-lbs

So it's about the ballistic equivalent of .32 Auto, give or take. At that low velocity a hollow point is unlikely to expand.

JohnRippert · Jul 8, 2016

I like the hardcast 100gr wadcutter from Buffalo Bore in my .32's

I do not have any gel data but it is supposed to have very good penetration and the wadcutter cuts flesh like it does paper.

cgt4570 · Jul 8, 2016

Several large city PD's issued the .32 to their female officers for many years. They must have worked.

steelslaver · Jul 8, 2016

Better to shoot a 32 well than something else poorly. I personally am a big bore guy who likes 44 specials and 45 acps, but i am a big guy with big hands and can handle the recoil. But, its not for everyone.

Everyone talks about stopping power and it is a factor in some cases, but not all assailants are going to be hyped up on adrenaline, rage or drugs. A well place round from a 32 should work and sometimes a well place one from a 45 won't.

cherrypointmarine · Jul 8, 2016

Thanks for all the input,guys. It's nice to be able to ask a question, and know someone will be able to help, usually more than one. Semper Fi

jeeps · Jul 8, 2016

We have a sw30-1 3" for a housegun loaded with good hardcast 95 swc with 3 grs of unique or a 100gr. Flat tip is the best to reach vitals. Don't waste your time with HP garbage.

Texas Star · Jul 8, 2016

cgt4570 said:
Several large city PD's issued the .32 to their female officers for many years. They must have worked.

No. They were seldom used. See Chic Gaylord's, Handgunner's Guide, 1960. Among other things, he had autopsy photos of bodies shot with various calibers.

But he discussed the ineffectiveness of the .32. If I had one, I'd probably use the hot Buffalo Bore load.

Cal44 · Jul 8, 2016

When I carry my 31-1, I have it loaded with the Buffalo Bore 100 grain wadcutters. I carry the Buffalo Bore 115 gr flat point round nose load for reloads because its faster to load.

These loads are shown below. I've posted this pictures before, but every thread needs a few pics.

This gun will be retired from carry in a couple months and be replaced by a 431PD I picked up recently.

It shoots the stronger 32 H&R Magnum -- and the Buffalo Bore 100 grn 32 H&R JHP hits about 1000 FPS out of a 2" barrel for about 220 ft lbs ME. This is up with high end 38 special +P and should expand well. It's also a 6 shooter.

wrangler5 · Jul 9, 2016

Big Cholla on this forum will ream your M31 chambers to take 32 H&R in a very short time and for very little money. That offers a number of additional defensive ammunition options from Hornady, Federal, Georgia Arms and DoubleTap (when you can find 'em in stock.) I would not be concerned about using any of these loads in a 31 cylinder that's been reamed for 32 H&R - S&W has been making 5-shot 38 Specials in that size cylinder for decades, with MUCH thinner chamber walls than in a 31.

Similar to Cal44, I have a 432PD in 32 H&R Mag, and plan to start carrying that (instead of my 38 Special J frames) if I can get the Buffalo Bore 100g JHP +P load to extract properly. That load averages 1100 fps from the 2" barrel, and gave the smallest group closest to point of aim of any 32 round I've tried, but the only cylinder I've fired took 2 hands and tools to extract the empties. (I have received several suggestions from Buffalo Bore to try to get normal extraction.) These are very potent rounds and I would not be uncomfortable carrying them as my defensive loads. But at the moment I do NOT intend to try them in the new chambers of my M31.

cherrypointmarine · Jul 9, 2016

I used to be in touch with another forum member here in Fl, and he was heavy into .32 and .32 Magnums. He was the reason I bought mine, I was going to trade with him, but he already had several M31's. He swore the magnum was the ultimate carry revolver. Light, and able to knock somebody down. I have been looking for one of those also, but the prices are up there. Thanks Guys

H Richard · Jul 9, 2016

Cal44, I'm with you on the 32 H&R Mag. Quickly becoming my favorite revolver caliber. I developed a hand-load using the Hornady 100 gr. XTP, and it runs over 1200 FPS from my 6" 16-4. Just last week I did comparison chrono with my 431PD, and that load does 1004 from the 2" 431PD. There are no high pressure signs at all. I chrono'd the Hornady Critical Defense 32 H&R the same time and it ran 942 fps with the 80 gr. bullet. I prefer my 100 gr load which is 20% heavier and 6% faster than the Critical Defense.

DWalt · Jul 9, 2016

I just pulled up my copy of the FBI bullet penetration test report. Of the hundreds of rounds they tested, not a single one was a .32 of any kind. The smallest handgun round tested was the .380. In the famous (or infamous) Marshall & Sanow book "Stopping Power," the .32 ACP with a 71 grain FMJ bullet is shown as having (bare) gelatin penetration of about 19"-20" depending upon brand. Among others with expanding bullets, the Federal .32 ACP 65 grain Hydra-Shok load penetrated 10" with an expansion to 0.47", which was about the best overall performance. M&S discuss no other .32 loads.

DocB · Jul 9, 2016

My favorite caliber. Time for another picture if I can find it. Here it is. . .a nickel M31 from the early 1970's. Lead round nose for backyard shooting. Buffalo Bore hard cast for carry. I like the way the screwdriver matches the gun too.

Cal44 · Jul 9, 2016

H Richard said:
Cal44, I'm with you on the 32 H&R Mag. Quickly becoming my favorite revolver caliber. I developed a hand-load using the Hornady 100 gr. XTP, and it runs over 1200 FPS from my 6" 16-4. Just last week I did comparison chrono with my 431PD, and that load does 1004 from the 2" 431PD. There are no high pressure signs at all. I chrono'd the Hornady Critical Defense 32 H&R the same time and it ran 942 fps with the 80 gr. bullet. I prefer my 100 gr load which is 20% heavier and 6% faster than the Critical Defense.

That sounds like a great load you developed.

A web site call "Pocket Guns and Gear" did a gel test of the 80 gr 32-naa critical defense round. I don't know for sure, but it's probably the same bullet as the 80 gr 32 H&R Critical Defense ammo.

Anyway, below is the write up on their test results.

Your chrono velocity for 32 H&R is slightly higher than the 32-NAA produced from the test gun.

Pocket Guns and Gear: Hornady Critical Defense 32 NAA 80 Grain FTX Clear Gel Test

Smith61 · Jul 11, 2016

wrangler5 said:
Big Cholla on this forum will ream your M31 chambers to take 32 H&R in a very short time and for very little money. That offers a number of additional defensive ammunition options from Hornady, Federal, Georgia Arms and DoubleTap (when you can find 'em in stock.) .

I think I'll PM him then, sounds like something I need!

wrangler5 · Jul 11, 2016

H Richard said:
Cal44, I'm with you on the 32 H&R Mag. Quickly becoming my favorite revolver caliber. I developed a hand-load using the Hornady 100 gr. XTP, and it runs over 1200 FPS from my 6" 16-4. Just last week I did comparison chrono with my 431PD, and that load does 1004 from the 2" 431PD. There are no high pressure signs at all. I chrono'd the Hornady Critical Defense 32 H&R the same time and it ran 942 fps with the 80 gr. bullet. I prefer my 100 gr load which is 20% heavier and 6% faster than the Critical Defense.

Is your load too hot to share on a public forum? Apart from the BB +P load that's sticky, I never saw a bullet over 1000fps out of my 432PD. The Georgia Arms 100g JHP got to 895fps, but with pretty flat primers (which GA Arms said was normal when I inquired.) The fastest of my own loads was a 100g coated lead bullet from Missouri Bullet over the published-max load of Red Dot, which made 831fps. (It got to 865fps out of the inch longer barrel of my 31-1.)

H Richard · Jul 12, 2016

I'll list the load, but make no guarantees for it's use. It is fine in my guns.
Hornady 100 Gr. XTP bullet, 6.3 gr. Accurate #5, CCI SP, OAL 1.325. I used Hornady brass. Chrono results were Lo=983.8, Hi=1026, Av=1004, ES=42.8, SD=15.03, group= 2" @ 10 yards. This is from the 431PD, 2" barrel.

wrangler5 · Jul 12, 2016

OK, I'll believe that load. I've gone up to 5.7g of #5 with a Rainier 100g plated bullet, WSP primer and Starline brass, and got an average 918fps from the 2" 432. Had an SD of only 10.4 and shot very clean. I was afraid mine might be too hot, as it is well over the max load in Accurate's data book, which is why I ignored it when I wrote my earlier post.

But your load reminded me that the H&R Mag round is limited by SAAMI because of the original H&R revolvers, which were pretty weak. (Buffalo Bore says their H&R Mag +P loads are OK in everything EXCEPT H&R guns.)

So thanks for reminding me. I'll go load up some more of these hot ones, and work my way up toward your load. My 432 seems to shoot smaller groups, and closer to POA, as the velocity goes up.

.32 Long Ballistics

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