By whom? It has been almost universally considered obsolete as a duty round for centuries.The .32 SWL at least penetrates to the 12" minimum, so it can be considered effective,
Kinetic energy is not a viable measure of merit for defensive effectiveness.The .380 being superior to .32 SWL in terms of ballistics, about the only measurable way it could be figured that way is by energy ft-lbs and that alone isn't enough to consider it superior.
I don't know about that, but I think we can safely assume that in terms of terminal performance, the .32 Magnum is better than the .32 Long.IMO, if a bullet expanding to .43" and goes 12 inches is acceptable, then the .32 H&R Mag ammo that does about the same specs as those .380 hollow points do, but is doing it with a bullet that's 10 to 20 grains lighter, that's just as good.
I don't know what qualifies as a "duty round" but I don't see what the deal is with something being considered obsolete being used for self defense. Being obsolete does not mean it is ineffective and while I've yet to see any writers in gun rags or any LE organizations actively recommend .32 Long, I've also yet to see the same groups discourage its use.By whom? It has been almost universally considered obsolete as a duty round for centuries.
I know of no one who would recommend a .32 Long for self defense.
I don't know what qualifies as a "duty round" but I don't see what the deal is with something being considered obsolete being used for self defense. Being obsolete does not mean it is ineffective and while I've yet to see any writers in gun rags or any LE organizations actively recommend .32 Long, I've also yet to see the same groups discourage its use.
Rounds that are customarily used by law enforcement agencies.I don't know what qualifies as a "duty round"
Backwards. Rounds that proved to be less effective were dropped from LE duty.Being obsolete does not mean it is ineffective
There were a number of them, back when the gun was still generally available. No reason to write about it now.while I've yet to see any writers in gun rags or any LE organizations actively recommend .32 Long, I've also yet to see the same groups discourage its use.
The difference between the .380 and the .32 Long is the .380 has hollow points that expand and .32 SWL does not. The .32 SWL at least penetrates to the 12" minimum, so it can be considered effective, but shot placement is critical, while most .380s whose hollow points expand often fail to meet the 12" minimum.
The .380 being superior to .32 SWL in terms of ballistics, about the only measurable way it could be figured that way is by energy ft-lbs and that alone isn't enough to consider it superior.
The expanding hollow points are nice tho if you get the ones like Fiocchi or the new Federal Hyrda Shok Deep that expand very little, but go 12 inches.
IMO, if a bullet expanding to .43" and goes 12 inches is acceptable, then the .32 H&R Mag ammo that does about the same specs as those .380 hollow points do, but is doing it with a bullet that's 10 to 20 grains lighter, that's just as good.
If only one of the ammo manufacturers designed a .32 bullet that weighed more than 80 grains and was designed to expand more at snub .32 Mag velocities (900 fps) and hit 12 inches repeatably, it'd be perfect.
I never said that .32 Long is a great choice for SD, but I cannot say that it's horrible either because while it doesn't expand, it does everything else the FBI specs demand. There are worse choices for SD that many rely on or come here on forums and ask something to the effect of "so and so has this ailment, can't take recoil, needs something for protection, is .22 LR or .22 Magnum a good choice?"I love smaller and obsolete calibers, but it’s a bit of a stretch to say that .32 long is a solid choice for SD. Police did use it, in an era where miscreants were, on the whole, a lot less materially blessed than they (and we) are today, and the pistol was a badge of rank, to be used in extremis against lawbreakers who as a rule tended to be armed with fists, knives, and clubs, not firearms.
I have no doubt nobody is discouraging the use of .32 long...... for the same reason nobody is writing articles telling folks they shouldn’t use .32-20 or .36 cap and ball.... any of them are better than a sharp stick in a pinch, and all have killed a lot of men over the years, but there are many, much better options, available.
Has every member had a chance too post at least twice?
Looks like we are beating this to death, slowly.
There's a group of people that uses reason and facts to make their argument and those that use their gut to dispel the usefulness of a caliber they don't like. Just because there isn't a lot of options out there for a .32 defense ammo that comes up just short of passing the FBI's criteria doesn't mean it's always going to be that way. The more .32's improve in popularity, the more demand for more ammo, ammo variety and bullet variety is going to go up and then we'll get improvements in .32 Mag and .327 that will make it indistinguishable from .38 and .357 for self defense in terms of terminal effect.I think what we see in these threads is that there is a very dedicated group of us that still sees real need for the 32 caliber handguns. I'm 64 and have sever arthritis in both thumbs. I really enjoy my target shooting with the many 32acp and 32 S&W handguns that I own. Will carry the LCRx with 32 H&R magnums and will also carry either a Makarov or my recently acquired CS9 S&W. My handguns range from 22 short to 10mm, 357 Sig, 45acp, and even 45 long Colt. Personally I'm a little happy that folks undervalue these 32 caliber guns because you can still purchase 32 ammo at pre-crazy prices !!
I think what we see in these threads is that there is a very dedicated group of us that still sees real need for the 32 caliber handguns. I'm 64 and have sever arthritis in both thumbs. I really enjoy my target shooting with the many 32acp and 32 S&W handguns that I own. Will carry the LCRx with 32 H&R magnums and will also carry either a Makarov or my recently acquired CS9 S&W. My handguns range from 22 short to 10mm, 357 Sig, 45acp, and even 45 long Colt. Personally I'm a little happy that folks undervalue these 32 caliber guns because you can still purchase 32 ammo at pre-crazy prices !!
Very good points made in the above posts and one touched on another benefit of the 32's. The 32 H&R magnum forced me into reloading due to the high cost per round. Plus you can load the 32 Longs a little hotter when you roll your own !
My bottom line is .32 isn't perfect, but for some people it's more perfect than .38 or .357 is, especially in snub revolvers.
For longer barrels I really like .38 and .357. I have the .327 SP101 4" and that was mainly because I wanted something double action that wasn't too large and heavy, but had a decent sight radius and I could load down for small game, but was still able to shoot a powerful magnum.Agreed. .32 is what works best for me in a snub.
.38 Special is reserved for my 4" SP-101 and 6" Colt OMM at the range. If I could effectively/competently utilize a .38SPL in a snub for self-defense I would. The .32 just flat out works better for me. It's great that we have choices and can use what works best for us.
Frulk, are the birds head grip frames on those Rugers easy to shoot accurately? Do your hands slip and need readjustment a lot under the recoil of the .327/.32 H&R? I’ve only seen them in the shop cases, I’ve never held nor fired a revolver that had that grip style.I consider the Single Seven my trail gun, displacing the Single Sixes in .32 H&R which held that designation previously.
It really is a nifty and compact firearm that’s capable of packing a significant punch when required to.
Here it is on far right with a couple of Single Six .32 H&R's and 2 New Model Vaquero .45 Colts on top.
View attachment 945694
I heard some early reports of the cases splitting and separation. I don't know if Hornady ever addressed the issues but maybe the lack of them on the shelves could be because of the issues.I'd like to find some of the Critical Defense 327 Federal that was recently released. But it's Unobtainium these days.
Frulk, are the birds head grip frames on those Rugers easy to shoot accurately? Do your hands slip and need readjustment a lot under the recoil of the .327/.32 H&R? I’ve only seen them in the shop cases, I’ve never held nor fired a revolver that had that grip style.
They look amazing, very cool indeed .I happen to like the BH grips myself. My hands seem to be comfortable when using them. The larger limitation to being able to shoot the BH SS7 accurately is the rudimentary sights (rear shallow frame notch) and the fact there’re polished stainless steel. Bluing would be my preference.
That being said Im able to shoot it to a level if accuracy I’m satisfied with. It really dies have a high cool factor and is fun to pull the trigger on.