Seems like most responses have centered on CC use for a .32 of whatever persuasion....I'll take a different tact...carry as a trail/hiking round.
I have four .32's at present: a pair of Ruger Single Sixes in .32 Magnum (H&R), a Smith & Wesson 16-4 in the same .32 H&R, and a Colt Police Positive in .32 Long. All are fun to shoot with recoil that's little more aggressive than a .22 LR. And all are wonderfully accurate.
I load for them all as factory ammunition is expensive as hell...and also cast my own bullets from Wheel Weights, saving on expense, that makes these guns cheaper to shoot than .22 LR. On average, using Bullseye in a mid-range load, powder comes to 7/10 cents per shot...figuring primers at $35 per thousand the last time I bought them, I'm getting good reloads for 4.2 cents per shot....granted I've accumulated the dies, presses, molds et. al. over the past 50 years so that cost is long gone..but still it's remarkably cheap shooting.
As to use, at 20oz. loaded, the Colt is a fine choice for walking the dog out along the local trails on our farm, as are the pair of Rugers, at a slight increase in weight. The Smith is a 4 incher but with that ridiculous under-bbl. lug that they cursed the gun with and only add's unnecessary weight to an other wise outstanding K frame.
For accuracy, all four do well, with the pair of Rugers and the Smith able to keep a cylinder-full well inside 2" at 25 yds from a rest, and the Colt, despite its hog wallow rear and finger nail front sights, does as well from the 15 yd line.
All are fun, cheap to shoot, and have plenty of smack if you need it for close in work on skunks, porcupines, or suicidal coyotes. They're great guns in two fine calibers, but like Unclenick says, loading those small powder charges, not to mention the skinny cases, can be challenging with arthritic fingers and a powder dispenser more designed for bigger charge loads.
1st Pic of the Colt Police Positive. 2nd Pic of the Rugers.
YMMv, best regards, Rod
