.32 caliber?

[2damnold4this]

That was my intention. : ) Sorry if I was unclear.

[2damnold4this]

I don't know. Legend has it that the .32 long is a very accurate round.

I suspect that if they are equally as accurate, the .32 would score higher due to the bigger hole in the paper. I think I would enjoy punching paper with a .32 long in a full size revolver.

[ttman]

its good as a backup gun or as a go EVERYWHERE gun; think keltec 32 or taurus tcp pocket guns; small & light & thin.

[graysmoke]

I prefer the .32 caliber in the older European pistols, with all solid steel frames and slides.
Mine all have been well maintained.
Those older pistols were made with fine mechanics and craftsmanship.

[nutty ned]

.327 mag

[FrankenMauser]

Originally Posted by Bill DeShivs

.327 attempts to make a .357 magnum out of a .32 caliber. Extreme muzzle blast, higher recoil, slower follow up shots.

Slower than what?

Higher recoil than what?

Muzzle blast is not extreme. It's more on par with .38 Special in a snubby; and no where near .357 Mag (in any revolver).

[engineer88]

As someone that has owned the tiny pocket 380's and now no longer has any of them I can tell you I prefer the 32 in diminutive pocket guns. My P32 is very controllable and offers enough stopping power for a backup gun in my estimation. Ymmv, but I like the little 32's especially in a good quality fmj.

[carguychris]

Slower than what?... Higher recoil than what?

The other .32 cartridges listed.

I don't think Bill was comparing it to other pistol cartridges in general- at least that's not how I read it.

I have yet to fire a .327Mag revolver, but "American Rifleman" did some testing at the time of the cartridge's introduction and revealed that the cartridge's recoil impulse basically splits the difference between .38Spl+P and .357Mag. IOW it's probably not fair to describe it as "extreme" unless the revolver is very light, but it's certainly "snappy" in a sub-20oz gun.

OTOH .32 Long and .32ACP- two of the more common cartridges listed by the OP- are highly controllable if not downright pleasant in all but the tiniest guns IMHO. I can easily shoot beer-coaster-sized groups @ 7yds with a .32ACP Browning 1922 almost as fast as I can pull the trigger- one-handed.

Muzzle blast is not extreme. It's more on par with .38 Special in a snubby...

The jury seems to be out on this one. I need to try firing it.

[Old Grump]

That was my intention. : ) Sorry if I was unclear.

Is okay, I'm a little slow sometimes but we is on the same page now.

[jimbob86]

I'd love to have 4" or 5" barrelled Ruger with the sp101 frame in .327 Mag ....... the 3" seems a bit short for the power of the cartridge .... a 2" snubby? Not suited to the blast, methinks: turning all that velocity (a +) into noise and recoil (a -).

[Bill DeShivs]

...Than the other .32 cartridges.

[FrankenMauser]

Gotcha.

But... I don't understand why this attitude is so prevalent with .32 fans.

Whenever there's a discussion about the .32 H&R, the predominant comment is basically, "A .38/.357 can do better." .32 caliber fans know better. Sometimes, a .32 is exactly the tool for the job at hand.

Yet, we now have a .32 caliber cartridge that can surpass the .38 special, and edge into .357 territory. And, what happens?... The .32 caliber community puts .327 Federal down as 'too similar' to .357 mag. It's more tame, more controllable than .357, and easily achieves velocities the .32 H&R junkies were pushing for, for so long. ...But it still gets put down by the .32 caliber community.


If you were to apply this same concept to the Ford Mustang; we'd have Mustang junkies bemoaning the GT500, because it is too loud, too fast, uses too much fuel, the Ford GT can do better, and the Fiesta is easier to drive....



It's like wishing and praying to win the lottery. When you finally do, you complain that you have too much money.

[new_scopeshooter]

Can I add this to the mix? What is a .32 police positve/new police?
I have two old colts. One is marked .32 ploice positive the other is .32 new police

[gak]

I voted .32 Fed (.327)/.32 H&R Mag... The .32 H&Rs I've had -- several Ruger Single Sixes and a delightful S&W Airweight (431PD) have all been a hoot to shoot. I love the round, even in its much-criticized factory loadings. But I also applaud the .327 as just being more of a good thing, and can still shoot the .32 "Specials" (we all know should the H&Rs have been called).
OTOH, remember James Bond's primary gun early on (after Q took his .25 Beretta away) was a PPK in .32 ACP I had a Beretta .32 ACP ca early-mid 60s production (sort of a forerunner of the Browning BDA IIRC) and it was just ok.

[2damnold4this]

Can I add this to the mix? What is a .32 police positve/new police?
I have two old colts. One is marked .32 ploice positive the other is .32 new police

If I'm not mistaken, those are different names Colt used for its version of the S&W long.

[new_scopeshooter]

Is that one of those times they didn't want to put S&W on their guns? Lol

[2damnold4this]

Yep

[carguychris]

Regarding the Colt PP, it was built in .32 Long Colt and .32 Colt New Police.

The latter cartridge is indeed a renamed version of .32 S&W Long. Some Colts in this chambering were labeled ".32 COLT N.P."

The former cartridge, however, uses a smaller-diameter case and was originally loaded with a 0.313"-caliber heeled outside-lubricated bullet. IIRC it was also offered with a 0.299"-caliber inside-lubricated hollow-base bullet. It is a lengthened version of the .32 Short Colt. Neither Colt cartridge is compatible with the .32 S&W family of cartridges because of the smaller case. .32 S&W cartridges will not chamber in these guns; the reverse will work, but the case will be so loose it will probably rupture upon firing, so you shouldn't try it!

.32LC is an obsolete cartridge that AFAIK has not been offered commercially in years. Ammo generally sells for $40-$100/box on the collector market depending on brand and age. .32SC is reportedly somewhat easier to find.

More info here:

http://www.coltforum.com/forums/colt...long-colt.html

Also, the lengthened Colt Police Positive Special was offered in .32-20 Winchester, a .32-caliber cartridge than hasn't been discussed here yet. It was one of the most popular .32-caliber cartridges from 1900-1950, although its popularity has fallen off since then.

[MLeake]

Every caliber has its collectors and afficionados, and I don't mean to knock the .32 in its various iterations.

My personal take on the .32 is that the only one I've really entertained the thought of buying has been a Kel-Tec P32, and that's only because it's so amazingly slim. It's probably the only pistol I could comfortably carry in a Levi's front pocket.

So far, though, I've managed to conceal my bigger guns well enough that I never have bought a P32.

The only other .32 I might consider would be if my uncle chose to give me his Walther PPK .32 that he carried, concealed, in East Germany and Viet Nam in the '60's. But he will never give that one away, and if he does, it will be to his daughter.

[Chris_B]

Only reason I have a .32ACP is because that's what a classic old pistol of mine shoots- Colt Model of 1903. It works well and is accurate. A real fun pistol and seems like it's tough as nails even at 81 years old. I actually like it being in .32 as I doubt the round will ever really beat the pistol up

[2damnold4this]

The former cartridge, however, uses a smaller-diameter case and was originally loaded with a 0.313"-caliber heeled outside-lubricated bullet. IIRC it was also offered with a 0.299"-caliber inside-lubricated hollow-base bullet. It is a lengthened version of the .32 Short Colt. Neither Colt cartridge is compatible with the .32 S&W family of cartridges because of the smaller case. .32 S&W cartridges will not chamber in these guns; the reverse will work, but the case will be so loose it will probably rupture upon firing, so you shouldn't try it!

I did not know this. Good info

[hartlock]

I used to carry a Beretta Tomcat .32 auto. I used it to shoot
a fellow that attacked me. One shot with Hornady hollowpoint
did the deed! I dont carry it anymore, went to a .45 compact
auto. But, when needed, it did the deed. Just my 2 cents.

[thibaultfelix40]

The 32 s&w long can be souped up alot in a strong gun but I don't do it any more. My Colt Police Positive not the special has a short cylinder and is a very light revolver despite its 6"barrel. It is a very sweet little gun. I would have no compunction in reccomending an old type police positive as a SD gun, I have carried mine as such. Parts and gunsmiths who can work on these guns can be hard come by. The newer guns and bigger calibers are good guns too.

[carguychris]

The 32 s&w long can be souped up alot in a strong gun...

FWIW several gunsmiths used to offer .32 H&R Mag conversions for .32 Long Colt Police Positive Specials and postwar S&W Model 30s and 31s. Conversions of the latter S&W models were reportedly popular for a while because the guns can easily handle it, and S&W never offered an all-steel fixed-sight J frame in .32 Mag, so they fulfilled a market need.

OTOH I'm not sure I would try this with a Colt PP or a prewar S&W .32HE or .32RP. They're old enough that they're getting hard to repair, and the early 20th-century metallurgy in these guns truly isn't as good as what was used in the postwar period.

[rodfac]

I'd say that it doesn't have a real niche to fill. A hot loaded .38 Special will probably do as well as the .327 Mag...if not then a .357. That said, I've got several .32's and do like tinkering with them. I find them a challenge to find a load that's as easy to assemble as one in .38 Special or .357. Defects in lead alloy .32 bullets make a bigger difference in group size than in .38..in that regard it's harder to cast good target grade bullets in .32.

But a good .32 fits nicely into Ruger's Single Six size frame and makes for a light weight woods loafin' gun...on the flip side, when paired with the bigger Blackhawk or one of the excellent S&W M-16's, the gun's too heavy for its caliber...

Rod