.32 for within a room defense?

[el Godfather]

Dear THR:
Assuming under 10 yards (large room), what is your take on using .32 acp as SD weapon? Sufficient or not? If not, what is the minimum power that you are comfortable with in this range?

I know we are bound to get posts emphasizing on placement so for the purpose of this thread lets just focus on caliber only.

Thank you

 

[Paladin7]

There are way better choices nowadays than the 32.

Yes it would work at a bare minimum level. I'm not comfortable with that level of performance, when there are 38's, 9mm, 40's and 45's that will do that job more effectively with minimal flash and recoil given that you are considering shooting in an enclosed room...

 

[verdun59]

My guess is that you will get 1,472 responses saying .45acp
is the only thing that will et the job done.

 

[el Godfather]

BUT .32 beats out most on 'concealability' and thats the key when discussing within the room SD issues.

 

[usp9]

The .32acp is lethal.

It also has some of the most respected, world class guns associated with the caliber. A plus in some ways.

 

[okc-zee]

There are definitely some 9's out there now about the same size and just as easy to conceal as a 32...Much better caliber choice IMO if your concern is conceal ability...as said already, 38 spcl j frames,shield 9/40mm,even a 380 lcp I would consider over a 32...just my honest opinion...

 

[M2 Carbine]

32 ACP will most certainly kill but will it stop a determined person from continuing their attack?

Probably not.

If you are in a room (home defense) there shouldn't be a reason you aren't using a larger caliber, high capacity gun.
So I would suggest you use the largest caliber gun that you can handle well and you can afford.

And for HD I would also suggest you equip that gun with a laser or better yet a laser/light and LEARN how to PROPERLY use them.

Personally, at present, I'm favoring this 357 SIG converted Taurus 101 40 S&W for a nightstand gun.



And this Beretta PX4 9mm.




If outside, there are some very good 9mm guns that are almost as small as the 32 pistols, like the Shield, Bersa, RAMI, LC9C, NANO, etc.



.

 

[el Godfather]

It's not HD question, rather SD. ^

 

[el Godfather]

The .32acp is lethal.

It also has some of the most respected, world class guns associated with the caliber. A plus in some ways.

Spot on.

Within 10 yards I cannot see how an offender can continue attack after being hit once or twice with .32acp.

 

[JERRY]

shot placement will be the deciding factor.

a .32acp through the pump will give the defender better results than a larger caliber in the gut. and the other point is, don't count on even large calibers to do the job with just one shot. see the latest Oregon trooper shooting. one shot to the chest with a .40cal killed the bad guy, eventually, after he ran back to his car and drove a mile away.

 

[MedWheeler]

I'd have no qualms rocking one, were it all I had. Seriously, the likelihood of me being targeted by someone who not only wants to accost my room, but would continue such an attack when faced with even .22LR fire, is so low as to be virtually immeasurable. A lot of breakdowns in my personal-safety plan/practice would have to occur first.

 

[Vodoun da Vinci]

Personally I practice SD pistol craft at 21' - 7 yards. The chances of you needing to defend yourself with a handgun at distances outside of this are slim. I have 9mm, .45 ACP, .357 mag, .38 Special, .22 and .32 ACP pistols available and practice with all of them at 21 - 30 feet shooting both bullseye and rapid fire point shooting.

My bedside gun is a .32 ACP Colt Model M. My concealed carry choice will likely include my .32 ACP. Better choices? Of course - one should bring the biggest caliber he can comfortably shoot and accurately hit with. I am spot on with my Colt 1903 in .32 ACP and can deliver triple taps to center mass or upper chest/throat base in less than a second while moving laterally to cover.

I cannot do the same with any other caliber reliably and have trained and tried many times to outshoot myself with a larger caliber.

I think the .32 ACP is not the best choice but I think it is highly under rated. With hand loaded or hot ammo I'm seeing 14"+ penetration with a 75 grain projectile and this will incapacitate/kill if vital area are hit. If vital areas are not hit it won't matter if you do it with a .45.

VooDoo

 

[willypete]

Dear THR:
Assuming under 10 yards (large room), what is your take on using .32 acp as SD weapon? Sufficient or not? If not, what is the minimum power that you are comfortable with in this range?

I know we are bound to get posts emphasizing on placement so for the purpose of this thread lets just focus on caliber only.

Thank you

Better than harsh language.

Barely.

12 gauge.

You know you're going to get posts emphasizing shot placement, so let's just focus on caliber? Sounds like you already know the answer to your questions...

Within 10 yards I cannot see how an offender can continue attack after being hit once or twice with .32acp.

Then you need to read more.

 

[C0untZer0]

Within 10 yards I cannot see how an offender can continue attack after being hit once or twice with .32acp.

You're kidding right?

I'm betting this officer was using something with better terminal ballistics than the .32 ACP. The perp kept attacking, I think he either ran out of ammo or his gun malfunctioned, and then he drove off:

http://www.guns.com/2013/10/03/dashcam-video-suspect-opens-fire-trooper-deadly-interstate-shootout/

 

[tubeshooter]

From a ballistics standpoint... you're talking about 60 to 75 grains (71 is common) going at 900-1000 fps, give or take. Likely being launched from a very short mousegun barrel.

I remember reading that the real-world effectiveness is closer to .380 performance than the ballistics numbers would indicate.

You still pick up another 20 grains on average with .380 though. And of course .38 special blows it out of the water mass-wise.



It would probably work, and would probably be very shootable and easy to control for those who need the absolute maximum on that. I personally would like a bit more mustard, but that's just me. I have never fired a .32 acp, so I don't speak from personal experience.

 

[Walkalong]

I carry a .32 sometimes, well, a lot, knowing there are better choices power wise, and I am comfortable with that.

If I knew I was going to a gunfight, I would bring a rifle, but I don't, and a small gun is easier, and I guess I am lazy, because I will continue to carry a .32 often.

A .32 ACP beats anything you leave at home.

 

[C0untZer0]

Isn't this where someone posts "Shot Placement is King" ?

 

[JERRY]

I don't have any problem with folks who like the bigger .32acp guns, but for me it is best in guns such as this one.

 

[Deaf Smith]

If you get a .32 auto for room defense (whatever that is) may I suggest a full sized .32 that is easy to hit with.

You see it's good hits that count. Not just hits, but good ones.

A Sig 232 in .32 acp, or Beretta 34 or 70 or such, CZ 70, Colt 03, even the old CZ 27 will do well within it's power range.

Just don't use the little P32 Keltec or any of those mini-32s that pocket so well but are hard to hit with at 'room defense' range.

Deaf

 

[Bluerock Brimley]

El Godfather,
You've gotten pretty much the array of answers that you probably knew you'd get prior to posting. My $.02 probably won't change your opinion, but here goes:

1. "Range" is a function of marksmanship not stopping power. All cartridges are lethal at distances beyond which the shooter has the ability to accurately place the shot as a general rule. "Stopping Power" is a a different (age old) story which is almost totally unrelated to distances when compared within handgun cartridges.

2. Someone stated that some of the best handguns ever manufactured are in .32 ACP. Perhaps. I'm not sure what guns he's referring to, perhaps the Walther PPK--of the half dozen or so PPK's in .32 that I've shot, I wouldn't trust my life to any of them; they were collectively unreliable. Granted a 1903 Colt is cool.

3. My question is "why"??? If you're stuck with a .32, then the question is "what's the best ammo and technique to use to defend myself with this particular gun?" If you're not stuck with one, why would you consider it over other obvious choices????? It's ammo isn't particularly less expensive and/or more available in the CONUS market. It's recoil and accuracy are not superior to other cartridges in comparably sized handguns. It provides no greater concealability than other guns in more potent cartridges. Unless you have a boatload of SD handguns and you just want to fill out your collection--ok, it makes sense on some level; otherwise, not so much??????
JMO-YMMV

 

[Kosh75287]

"Within 10 yards I cannot see how an offender can continue attack after being hit once or twice with .32acp."

Perhaps you cannot see how they do, but various of the offenders have no trouble envisioning continuing their attacks, and too often do.

No .32 caliber pistol caliber achieves the ballistics of the .30 U.S. Carbine round, which is at best marginal as a fight-stopper (yes, with or without expanding projectiles).

Why fight back with something less?

 

[Old Fuff]

During World War Two when the British were training commandos a test was set up.

A room was arranged with a large, heavy table in the middle. At the table a number of manikins were seated that represented German staff officers. Each commando-in-training entered the room with his weapon of choice. What he was expected to do was kill a maximum number of enemy officers within a very limited time span.

All kinds of firearms (including STEN guns) and grenades were tried, but the winner used a low-recoil .32 Colt automatic and took headshots. The others lost out to the tight time requirement or the table absorbing or blocking shrapnel.

Now while this represented a true reality at the time, it may be a far stretch from what the opening post has in mind. I submit it for discussion only.

 

[Archie]

Godfather...

Could you please give some background to the question?

Is this question a basic hypothetical situation, or is the defender somehow limited to a 'small' sized pistol, or is a .32 ACP pistol all that is available?

 

[frankmako]

a 32 acp will do the job. has been doing it for many years. you dump a full mag into the problem i don't think the problem will be a problem for long.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

Within 10 yards I cannot see how an offender can continue attack after being hit once or twice with .32acp.

Archie asks pertinent questions, in response #23...

Regarding an offender continuing an attack after being hit once or twice -- it happens frequently, with larger calibers, if placement isn't the best. Seems as though you need to use the largest caliber you can shoot effectively, rather than trying to determine whether .32 is effective. Then, too, what you can do at the range with a handgun, without stress or pressure, may not be what you're able to do in a real-life attack.

And, of course, you may not, for example, have TIME "to dump a full magazine" -- 6-7 rounds for most .32s -- into the problem if someone is coming at you from 25 feet away very rapidly-- if you SEE them coming.

Then, too, human antagonists aren't the only thing out to get you... If it were a couple of Rottweilers or a Pit Bull coming at you, would a .32 seem adequate? How about a person who is drugged up?

The OP ought to address Archie's questions, above, and then let us see where we go from there.