.22 mag handguns?

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Don't mean to distract away from the topic, but a lot of people here have mentioned the Kel Tec P32. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the P32 basically the same size as the P3AT is? I know it's a few ounces lighter, but it looks like the frame and the slide of the P32 is the same size as the 3AT's.
 
TTv2 said:
Don't mean to distract away from the topic, but a lot of people here have mentioned the Kel Tec P32. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the P32 basically the same size as the P3AT is? I know it's a few ounces lighter, but it looks like the frame and the slide of the P32 is the same size as the 3AT's.
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Same size, but a better pistol, IMO: holds one more round, slide locks open after last shot, less snappy, more controllable.
 
S&W long recoils the same (as far as I can tell) as a 22, but throws a much bigger chunk of lead. It used to be a common police round. IMHO, anyone considering a 22 for SD should really try it first.

32acp is a higher-pressure round than the S&W and noticeably snappier. My wife and daughter prefer 32 revolvers for HD. That's what I leave loaded for them if I'm going to be away for the evening. My wife's large dogs make it pretty much a moot point, but those are the SD firearms they feel most comfortable with.
 
MedWheeler said:
I've yet to see a case in which a woman who has been targeted for rape or robbery (but not specifically for assassination) has deployed and fired in defense with a .32 caliber firearm and failed to prevail.
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This comments beg the question of how many rape and robbery cases you have seen where a woman has successfully used a 32 caliber firearm?

What is your database for your observations?
 
TTv2 said:
Don't mean to distract away from the topic, but a lot of people here have mentioned the Kel Tec P32. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the P32 basically the same size as the P3AT is? I know it's a few ounces lighter, but it looks like the frame and the slide of the P32 is the same size as the 3AT's.
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They're almost exactly the same size. I have both and my pocket holster and crimson trace fit both of them.

Where the 32acp really shines in a tiny gun like this is in follow up shots. My groups from rapidly point shooting at 3 yards are a few inches tighter with the 32. While the 380 is definitely more powerful, I would rather have the accuracy and control in such a tiny gun. The way I look at it is that neither one of these rounds is going to incapacitate someone rapidly without putting a hole through a major organ or a CNS hit. The 32acp has a long police and military record of doing just that with standard ball ammo, which is what I use.

I don't step up to HP ammo until 9mm because HP ammo in 380 out of the tiny short barrels is a recipe for under penetration in actual flesh. I've seen a dead pig shot in the rear thigh with Critical defense HP ammo out my buddy's Ruger pocket 380. It expanded nicely, but it only penetrated about 4-5 inches. My 32 with Fiocchi FMJ put a hole right through the same piece of meat which was at least 8-10 inches thick.
 
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^I agree with you on not using hollow points in the .32 and .380... velocities are too low and penetration is suspect. Best to use the best feeding bullet, which is round nose FMJ.

And I advise the OP choose the same for his wife if he doesn't get her a 9mm.
 
toivo said:
Ruger has just brought back the 3" version of the SP101 in .327 Federal. It's SA/DA, and in addition to .327 Fed Magnum, it can shoot .32 S&W, .32 S&W Long, .32 HR Magnum, and .32 ACP.
View attachment 776596
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This was my first thought, too. I've only dry-fired one in a shop, but it seemed satisfactory. I'll bet it would be a handful with .327 Federal, but fun with the lighter .32s, and you get "six for sure." I've been doing a lot of dry-fire practice with my GP100 lately, and I'm becoming more of a fan of the trigger and grips of that bigger version.

I just wish Ruger fitted these with some sort of screw-on hammer shroud, so you could choose between DA/SA and DAO for coat-pocket use.

Of course, it's huge and heavy compared to a P32.
 
Buck13 said:
This was my first thought, too. I've only dry-fired one in a shop, but it seemed satisfactory. I'll bet it would be a handful with .327 Federal, but fun with the lighter .32s, and you get "six for sure." I've been doing a lot of dry-fire practice with my GP100 lately, and I'm becoming more of a fan of the trigger and grips of that bigger version.

I just wish Ruger fitted these with some sort of screw-on hammer shroud, so you could choose between DA/SA and DAO for coat-pocket use.
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Or if they just made models with a shrouded hammer like the S&W's have. I'm surprised Ruger's never bothered doing that because I know there's a Charter that has a shrouded hammer for a single action shot.
 
chicharrones said:
Maybe they'll do that with the LCR line someday?
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They could easily do it now as all it requires is to make a mold for the polymer housing. Actually, they could do it if they just changed the hammer on the LCRx so that it's more rounded and not flat and "hooky."

Idk, maybe a rounded hammer that would be something an aftermarket manufacturer could come out with.
 
BSA1 asks me (referring to my not having seen the .32 fail as a defensive weapon.)

What is your database for your observations?
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The "database" of anyone's observations is...

... their observations.

If I say I have not seen something, that's exactly what I mean. I haven't seen it. I haven't heard about it. That's it. Nothing more. I pay close attention to every case of self-defensive firearm use I can find, but I certainly don't find them all. Maybe I should try harder to seek out compilations of self-defense firearm failures. Some anti-gun site out there has got to have one running.

But, as it stands now, I'd be hard-pressed to find ten cases a year of any law-abiding citizen failing to prevail in a self-defense situation in which they were targeted for rape or robbery (but not specifically for assassination), and were able to deploy and fire a defensive weapon in any caliber prior to being injured or killed. This takes into account the estimate of firearms being used anywhere from half a million, to over 1.5 million, times a year in self-defense (and quite a few of them each year are .22 caliber weapons.)

You said "the .32 just doesn't get it done" in cases of self-defense. Is that based on your observations of self-defense cases? This would mean that your "database" shows that an overwhelming majority of persons targeted for rape or robbery (but not specifically for assassination) who have been able to deploy and fire a .32 caliber weapon prior to being injured or killed have still gone on to be injured or killed at the hands of their attacker(s.)
 
I am not one who despises the .22 rimfires as defensive handguns and occasionally carry them myself.-In fact I generally stick a PMR30 and 5 magazines in a case that looks like a zippered bible cover in my vehicle on trips. As much as I like the PMR30 I frankly think that the .22 mag is less than stellar in a handgun....especially handguns with less than 6 inch barrels. It is very loud but the power gain over .22lr, while real, is not worth the blast in shorter barrels IMO. I know the OP said his wife is not a snubby fan but in snubbies the .22lr is very efficient due to a decent expansion ratio. The longer .22 mag is not efficient and is only a little faster in short barrels but requires much harder primer strikes and thus generally heavier trigger pulls. Those heavier trigger pulls remain in longer barreled revolvers. In autoloaders the options in .22lr are much greater including more ergonomic and smaller options. My wife started with my LCR.22lr and moved into the LCR .38spl. Light handloads aided the transition. Within reason bigger is probably better but I have always felt ALMOST equally armed with 8 rounds of .22lr compared to 5 of .38 spl.
 
Automag II Compact (3.375" barrel) with Speer Gold Dot "short barrel" ammo.
These can still be found on gunbroker. Mine was the full size but it shot extremely well. Speer short barrel ammo wasn't around back then though.
 
The brand new Shield 380EZ could be the answer here. Its designed to be easy to load, easy to rack and with low recoil. It has a fairly light trigger at around 5 pounds and is only slightly bigger than the original Shield. The barrel is 3.675 inches long so there should be more velocity than the small pocket 380s and the magazine holds 8 rounds
 
I have had the opportunity handle/shoot PMR30. Pretty cool and alot of capacity. I little picky on the brand ammo it likes. Maybe not a defense gun because safety glasses are required. It was getting hit on the face with debris. Not if this is because of the ammo or gun or both.
 
chicharrones said:
As the owner of a TCP in .32 ACP and an owner of a NAA Guardian in .32 ACP, I can tell anyone that the Guardian is not a pleasant gun to shoot.

A Ruger LCP is more pleasant to shoot than a Guardian and the TCP732 feels like a pussycat in comparison to either.

If I didn't have the TCP, I'd have the Kel-Tec.

I've wished Ruger would put out a .32 ACP LCP for years. It would make a great softer recoiling pocket gun for those that can't handle shooting a flyweight .380 pocket gun.
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200% agree on a ruger lcp 32acp, but i find my naa guardian 32acp to be quite ok. the naa is not intended to be a fun range toy but i can happily run through a 50 round box and keep smiling.
 
One thought on the .32’ revolvers. You might find a .32 can potentially have an easier trigger than a .22 revolver because the hammer has to hit rimfire cartridges so much harder. A lot of .22 revolvers have beastly triggers.

Of course that’s not a rule, it depends on the model.
 
Armscor offers a bunch of 1911s with dual cartridge capability, 9 mm and their proprietary .22 TCM, a magnum-like bottleneck cartridge that delivers a bunch of energy for a small bullet. But these are 1911s and have the condition 1 problem for non-believers like OP’s wife. Also I think these are all full size 1911s, not even offered smaller at all like Commander or Officer type. So not suitable, but I thought this was an obvious contribution to the discussion for completeness.
 
Rock Island is making a 1911 style 22 mag pistol. Seems this would be perfect since she’s used to the platform. Holds 14 rounds if I remember correctly.
 
rugmar said:
Rock Island is making a 1911 style 22 mag pistol. Seems this would be perfect since she’s used to the platform. Holds 14 rounds if I remember correctly.
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That is what I just said. Armscor’s US brand is Rock Island. But to be precise, it is not .22 WMR. It is their proprietary bottleneck mag cartridge. Faster than most .22 WMR for a similar weight bullet.
 
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