Penetration of the .32 S&W?

[.455_Hunter]

Greetings,

Anybody have a clue to what the nominal bare and/or clothed gelatin penetration values are for the classic .32 S&W load? The standard factory specs are a 85 to 88 gr. LRN slug at 680 fps for about 90 fpe.

Thanks!

 

[PTK]

.32 S&W "short", the original .32 S&W, is widely regarded as a joke nowadays, with less penetration than the .22lr out of a similar barrel length., and about half the energy of the .32 ACP.

That said, it'll still kill. I'd expect about the same penetration as a .38 S&W, but with less energy.

 

[.455_Hunter]

My guess is 10-15", about the same as a premium JHP from a "real" combat caliber. Of course, the damage will be much less, but a hole in a vital organ is still a hole.

 

[PTK]

I'd say it would be on the lower end of that 10-15", honestly.

I've done some informal testing with my .32 top break and modern smokeless ammo, along with handloaded BP ammo - the BP ammo, using a 92 gr round, is far more potent, though still weaker than the .32 ACP.

 

[woad_yurt]

My scientific test results....

I have some old Iver Johnsons in .32S&W. At about a 7-8 foot distance, I shot right through a wet, treated 2X4 that had been outside in the weather for about 6 months.

 

[hhb]

The .32 Long rrevolver is an excellent choice for a female that's recoil sensitive. The perp doesn't have a clue what caliber is being unloaded through the barrel at him.

 

[Old Fuff]

Once upon a time during the Dark Ages before we had jelly, handgun cartridges were tested for penetration by shooting the bullet through soft white pine boards that were 7/8” thick and mounted in a frame one inch apart, measured center to center of the boards. The distance was 15 feet.

This of course didn’t tell us much, but did offer a consistent standard, which was slanted to favor smaller diameter jacketed bullets going at higher velocities. But I did say it was before modern “tacticalism” arrived.

Anyway here are some results you can kick around. The number represent the boards that were penetrated.



.25 ACP 3
.30 Luger 11
.32 ACP 5
.32 S&W 3
.32 S&W Long 4
.32-20 (Revolver) 6
.357 Magnum 12 (The original load/8 3/8” barrel)
9mm Luger 10 (Ball ammunition)
.38 Special 7 (Std. Police load.)
.45 ACP 6 (Ball ammunition)

 

[rgs1975]

Here's a short video I made of a 98 grain Lead Round Nose .32 S&W Long vs. Watermelon. Gun used was a S&W Model 16 no dash with 4" barrel.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=CEEaImN8VQM

 

[Old Fuff]

To Continue...

In the Old Fuff's opinion any cartridge that will drive a bullet through 3, 7/8" boards is lethal. There are better choices of course, but they usually involve a larger gun that is almost always a pistol.

The little S&W Safety Hammerless has a cylinder that isn't thicker then many small pistol slides. The barrel can be shortened to about 1 1/2" without doing away with the ejector system. It is more reliable then run-of-the-mill vest pocket pistols of similar size, and unquestionably safe to carry fully loaded.

I don't believe a revolver specifically chambered to use the .32 S&W has been made since the end of World War Two. For the record, the OSS purichased some Iver Johnson snubbies in .32 S&W during the war. Obviously they knew something that our Internet experts don't. Since the cartridge is still available (but not often available in most shops) someone must still be carrying these little revolvers. I would prefer the S&W to anyone's .25 automatic.

 

[.455_Hunter]

Old Fuff,

I think this is an example of what you described...

http://armsbid.com/ks7pix/7mcwa03.jpg

Looks like an excellent pocket carry gun to me, much better than a .25 acp or .22 LR.

 

[Old Fuff]

I think this is an example of what you described...

Yes, except that another 3/8 to 1/2 inches can come off the barrel, and perhaps 1/8 inch off of the butt without hurting anything.

 

[rgs1975]

This is the new ultimate 32 caliber pocket gun. S&W Model 432PD. You can chamber a .32 Magnum, .32 S&W Long or .32 S&W. Airweight J frame, extremely light in the pocket. No hammer to snag on the draw. 6 shots as opposed to 5 in most .38/.357 pocket snubs.

 

[461]

rgs1975- How does that 432PD shoot? I'm looking at a used, hammered model right now and thinking pretty hard on it.

 

[rgs1975]

461,

Quite honestly I don't know HAHA.

I just bought it yesterday and still have my state mandated 10 day waiting period.

I'll be using it mainly with .32 S&W Long but I'll throw a box of the magnums through it just to see what it's like.

 

[BillinNH]

Does the 432PD chamber 32ACP?

Bill

 

[rgs1975]

Dunno about the 32ACP. Don't have any to see if they fit.

 

[oneounceload]

shouldn't handle 32 acp - that is a rimless round, 32 S&W, 32 S&W long are rimmed revolvers rounds - I reload the 32 S&W for an old H&R revolver - 2.5 of Unique with the standard round nosed bullet or 2.7 with a 60 gr gold dot - you get a lot of loads from a pound of powder!......

 

[461]

.32acp can be shot in .32long and .32Mag chambers as it has a bit of rim to it. The only downside is that with the small rim, the acp rounds will sometimes slip under the extractor star causing it to get stuck upon ejection.

I've got several .32Mags and shoot the acp's once in a while if I find them dirt cheap. I usually shoot them in my Single-Sixes as there is no extractor star to worry about.

 

[MachIVshooter]

shouldn't handle 32 acp - that is a rimless round, 32 S&W, 32 S&W long are rimmed revolvers rounds

.32 is semi-rimmed. I've shot them through my SP101; Works just fine. Occasionally, the ejector slips past them, but the .32 ACP is a low pressure round, so it's not hard to poke/pry them out.

 

[RyanM]

According to MacPherson's equations a .312" bullet that weighs 85 gr at 680 fps should penetrate almost exactly 18" in bare gelatin (18.01").

According to my own equations, denim only reduces penetration by about 1/2", assuming the bullet is a hard enough alloy to not get deformed by the denim.

Also getting a wood penetration of 4-3/4" in white pine, if the bullet doesn't deform at all. 3 boards corresponds to it flattening out to about .420", which is probably about right for a soft lead bullet hitting wood.

Keep in mind that gelatin is one thing and people are another entirely. A soft lead bullet at that low a velocity is quite likely to glance off bone if it hits at any kind of angle. Generally, you want at least 800 fps on a reasonably heavy, hard bullet, to punch through bone reliably.