[Krag]

John Moses Browning: FN Mle. 1900
Tom Horn (famous gunfighter): .32 revolver (brand?)
Pres. Theodore Roosevelt: FN Mle. 1900 & Colt M1903
Alice Roosevelt (TR's daughter): .32 revolver (brand?)
Sgt. Alvin York: Mauser M1910

- and -

My father: Ruger SP101 in .32 H&R Mag

[Tropical Z]

.....and ME---Kel-Tec P32.In my pocket as I type. :D

[Jeff Timm]

Paris Theodore, M1922 Browning.

Geoff
Who is old enough to remember the Quell System. :eek:

[Old Dog]

Bad, bad Leroy Brown ... (baddest man in the whole damn town ...
he got a .32 gun in his pocket for fun ... and a razor in his shoe)

[Dr.Rob]

Actually Teddy Roosvelt bought thousands of Colt .32 New Police revolvers --the first 'official' arm of the NYPD. Teddy carried an SAA .45 up San Juan Hill didn't he?

Dillenger carried a .32 often, but it is said he was a terrible shot.

Bonnie sprung Clyde with a Colt .32 auto hidden in her skirt.

[P. Plainsman]

My father: Ruger SP101 in .32 H&R Mag

The gun I'm carrying right now.

(Not nec. putting self forward as "knowledgeable" shooter... ;))

[CARRY'IN]

If it's got the juice to come out the other side, .17 to .70 all works.

[GaryP]

And me; Walther SS PPK/S in .32acp --- when dressed in Formal attire! :what:

:evil:

[Jeff Timm]

Robert A. Heinlein: .32 Colt Pocket Auto.

Geoff
Who hopes he remembered that right. :eek:

[StrikeEagle]

Bad, bad Leroy Brown ... (baddest man in the whole damn town ...he got a .32 gun in his pocket for fun ... and a razor in his shoe)

LOL! :D

StrikeEagle

[Old Fuff]

Dr. Rob:

Teddy went up the hill with a Colt .38 D.A. revolver in the 1892 model series. Suposedly it had been recovered from the Battleship, Maine. The movies and television of course arm him with a Colt S.A.A.

[MICHAEL T]

Growing up I remember many a old man carrying 32's most top break type. In fact my father was shot by a 32 in a little disagreement. Country Doc, came to house. My father and him downed a couple shots. Then he removed bullet from my fathers leg.Together they killed rest of bottle before he left. Today need 30 police, a dozen EMTs and firetrucks, flashing lights everywere and yes also need air support. That just for the victim You need double that plus SWAT to get the shooter .Forgot must advise all TV stations for 50 miles so they can report live and add to the air traffic with their choppers.

[Tropical Z]

Its definitely insane these days.Government loves to show overwhelming power. :cuss:

[grendelbane]

Robert A. Heinlein: .32 Colt Pocket Auto.

I remember one of Heinlein's characters carrying a .32 Colt.

The only reference I can find to his own personal weapon is a Remington model 51, in .380.

The old science fiction writers seldom used contemporary weapons. Doc Smith was an exception. Some of his characters were using S&W .357's when they were really exotic. Others used 1911s.

I have noticed that the older generation favored smaller calibers. I believe that part of that can be attributed to ergonomic improvements in handguns over the years. IOW, it doesn't hurt as much as it used to when shooting some of those old guns. I have a Colt 1917 that I love, but shooting it with its original grips is quite an experience. With Pachmayrs, it is a sweetheart!

And what's up with the sights the old timers preferred? I can't even see them!

In many ways the "good old days" weren't.

[JERRY]

dont forget that Charles Bronson wacked a lot of sub-humans with a .32 revolver and .32 auto in most of the Death Wish movies....... :rolleyes:
as did Bond, James Bond.

[MICHAEL T]

Old timers I knew didn't use sights unless they were poping tin cans. If they were shootin on the draw was mostly point shooting. Remember all this 2 handed and fancey sights is fairly new.Look at the sights on a S&W mod-10 That was the basic police pistol for many years.
People I grew up around ,shot 1 handed even when using sights. Remember only Bulleye shooting in those days. No run and gun games. I still perfer to draw and shoot one handed but that the way I was taught. FBI taught point shooting for years.

[hillbilly]

There's a reason why all the people listed were carrying before 1920.

It's because in that era, if you wanted any, and I do mean any sort of "power" in a gun that was actually small enough to stash in your pocket, that meant a .32.

Remember. There was a day when .38 Auto was the "most powerful handgun in the world."

There was a day when .38 Super was incredible, mind-blowing power in a handgun.

hillbilly

[Sharps Shooter]

Not only that, but there are people like my Dad who still insist that the 9mm Luger was the most powerful handgun in the world when he was growing up - he was born in 1929! Out of respect and love, I don't argue with him. :) Besides, he got me started with hunting and guns. He carries a .32 ACP Beretta Tomcat.

[Onmilo]

My dad was a radio operater on a B-17 bomber during WW2.
He carried a .32 acp Ruby pistol on most of the mission flights.
He felt it was lighter and a lot more comfortable to pack in an aircraft than the issue 1911A1 pistols.
Thankfully the aircraft was never shot down and he didn't have to use the pistol in defense of his life during the war.
Dad brought the gun home after the war and he did use it to kill our dalmation dog after the dog went mean.
I still have that Ruby and I regularly carry a Kel-Tec P32 in my pocket on my own property.

[ZeroX]

Didn't Doc Holliday carry .32s?

[Harry Paget Flashman]

Gavrilo Princep used a Model 1910 Browning .32 to assassinate Archduke Ferdinand and his wife in 1914, starting WWI. Each were shot just once. 8.5 milllion deaths resulted.

[logical]

They all drove Model T's too.

[shooter58]

My dad carried a Colt 32-30 during the early years of the 20th century, and he was noted for being a man not to get into a fight with, either fists or guns. This was along the south Texas frontier, when Pancho Villa was still a threat. He taught me a real respect for that .32..... "what counts was where you put the bullet".

[halvey]

With the Kel Tec .380 and even the PM9, it seems like in todays world, the .32 is kind of useless. ;)

Actually I was all set to buy a Walther .32 until I talked to one guy at the range shooting one one day.

He wore big shooting gloves and mentioned he was a member of the CFA - Cat Fanciers' Association. :barf:

;)

[Vern Humphrey]

I carried a Colt Model 357 my first tour in Viet Nam and had to use it twice. I don't remember thinking, "Gee, I wish this was a .32 ACP." :p

[Dr.Rob]

A 32.-20 is a BIG difference over a .32 acp or .32 SW Long.

[Vern Humphrey]

A 32.-20 is a BIG difference over a .32 acp or .32 SW Long.


In fact, it will shoot rings around the .32 Magnum.

[nero45acp]

While I'm under no illusions as to it's limitations, I don't feel under-gunned carrying my S&W 432PD .32 H&R Magnum.




nero

[P. Plainsman]

I don't feel under-gunned carrying my S&W 432PD .32 H&R Magnum.
I figure it's comparable to carrying a small .380 ACP -- marginal but not delusional.

That said, I will probably be switching my .32 Mag carry for an Airweight .38 in the next month or two. Five + five (speedloader) rounds of the "FBI load" on tap is somewhat more reassuring.

I love .32 Mag sixguns, however.

[Jeff Timm]

Flashman commented: "Gavrilo Princep used a Model 1910 Browning .32 to assassinate Archduke Ferdinand and his wife in 1914, starting WWI. Each were shot just once. 8.5 milllion deaths resulted."

Actually, it was a Model 1900. Provided by Serbian Intelligence.

Geoff
Who watches the History Channel (TM) with a grain of salt. :scrutiny:

[dogngun]

Both Buffalo Bill Cody and Bartholomew (Bat) Masterson owned, carried and endorsed the Savage .32 ACP automatic pistol. Buffalo Bill even bought them to give to close friends, while Bat Masterson carried one in New York City when he wrote for a newspaper.

I love my .32 Keltec.

Mark

Forgot : John Dillinger carried a .32 Ortgies pistol as a backup to his Colt Army Special revolver.

[Chris Pinkleton]

Robert A. Heinlein: .32 Colt Pocket Auto.

The only reference I can find to his own personal weapon is a Remington model 51, in .380.

I believe grendelbane is correct. The only reference to Heinlein's personal weaponry in Grumbles from the Grave involves RAH dispatching a stray tomcat with a .380 that was foolish enough to mess with RAH's own kitty, if my memory isn't playing tricks on me.

Actually I was all set to buy a Walther .32 until I talked to one guy at the range shooting one one day. He wore big shooting gloves and mentioned he was a member of the CFA - Cat Fanciers' Association.

Better hope RAH's ghost isn't checking up on this thread, halvey. To quote the master: (from memory, I hope correctly) "There are only four things worth drawing. The first three are women -- the last one is cats." :)

Sorta-back-on topic: My friend has one of those Browning-designed .32 autos, and its sights may be poor(but you could say the same for the 1911), but it sure does feel sweet in the hand while shooting!

[DHart]

More power to 'em. :uhoh:

But make mine a 9mm or .38 spl +P at BARE minimum. :cool:

[Newton]

I recall reading a story about a Kel Tec P-32 loaded with Walmart FMJ that put a rapid end to an attack. One through the neck earned the attacker a toe tag.

.32ACP really hurts, but loading it with JHP is probably ill advised.

[Marko Kloos]

I really like the little .32ACP, to the point where I generally prefer it over a .380 if they're available n the same gun (i.e. Walther PPK.)

The .32ACP has a lot more penetration than many would guess, and while there are more effective choices for self-defense, a .32 will certainly get the job done if the shooter does his.

My wife uses a .32ACP Beretta Tomcat as a carry gun.

[Stevie-Ray]

P32 stuffed with Geco, here. Not my main choice, you understand, but during a hot summer like this one, it's in the shorts pocket.

[nero45acp]

As to the penetration of a FMJ .32acp, about 14 years ago I had a dumb attack and caused a negligent discharge with a pre-war Walther PPK loaded with FMJ ammo inside my apartment.

The .32 went through the headrest part of a lazyboy recliner, and then through the living room wall (2 layers of drywall), into the hallway closet and through the (hollow-core) closet door and into the bathroom. It went through the outside and inside layer of a fiberglass bathtub, and put a big chip on the other side of the fiberglass tub before it's energy had been spent.


nero

[earthworm]

Add me to the KelTec .32 crowd.Not my first choice,but the KelTec in your fist beats the Glock in your car.

[deputy tom]

Me.Seecamp .32 acp today.tom. :cool:

[Jim101]

Earthworm,

Put very well....I picked up a Kel-Tec .32 about 2 weeks ago at a local gun show...love it....."Silvertips", the best..

Jim