ammo choices for a NAA Guardian .32, please

[aderden]

Hi yall. I recently purchased a North American Arms Guardian in .32 auto and was hoping for some constructive advice on SD ammo choices. Its my wife's carry, and to boot we recently installed the grip extenders for it that we ordered through NAA. Does anyone have experience with these?

 

[mgkdrgn]

Did you know that the NAA mini's had a board all their own?

http://www.naaminis.com/

Look for "tell us your story" and you can sing up for it there.

 

[rklessdriver]

If you don't already know, In the minds of most gun "experts" the .32ACP has a problem with factory Hollow Point ammo expandinding a bit too much and under penetration.

Granted these opinions are based off the FBI minimum standard (of 12") which a bit steep for a "pocket gun" to attain but still a lot of factory .32ACP ammo won't reach or barley reaches 10" in a calibrated bare gelatin test.

All the 60gr JHP and the 65gr hydra shock seem to do about the same penetration and expansion wise with the exception of the Fioochi 60gr SJHP which has no expansion what so ever. Likewise the 71gr Mag Tec JHP won't expand either.

Some folks like to put a drop or 2 of super glue in the hollow cavity of the lighter 60/65gr bullets to delay expansion and it seems to work pretty well giving them about 1/2" more penetration.

I'd like to point you to a member here on THR that has documented quite a bit of his own testing wit the .32ACP. His results mirror what I have been able to find else where from variouse sources on the net.

http://www.brassfetcher.com/index_files/Page921.htm

Since all the lighter bullets seem to perform about the same, I personally carry the Hornady 60gr XTP in my primary mag (as it is readily availiable/reasonably priced in my area) and I have a back up mag fillled with Fiocchi 71gr FMJ.

I really really like my little .32 Guardian. I hope that I never, ever have to use it, but I know if the time comes, my skill will likely matter FAR MORE than the ammo I am carrying.
Will

 

[aderden]

its a good little gun, and i cant wait to try the extended mags on it. fun to shoot, but since the gun is the size of the palm of my hand, i had trouble controlling the little guy and my groupings were not so good (i do about 6 inches or less at chest cavity from 10-12 yards away in my .45). my wife on the other hand is the one who carries it and since she has smaller hands, she did a little better.

im no "expert", but i would consider myself more an "enthusiast". it seems the super glue did wonders for the hornady rounds here. i dont have access to a gelatin block or anything like that, but 12.1 inches is deep enough to go right through or well into many assailants, and with expansion would still make a nice jello hole.

thanks driver

 

[aderden]

correction: it was the mag -techs, not hornady that did better w the super glue obstructions. my bad.

ps, +1 to skill

 

[rklessdriver]

The extended mag does wonders for helping control the little pistol.

I shoot well, but I throw a few fliers out with the NAA using the stock short 6rnd mags, no matter how focased I am. Using the extended 10rnd mag I can eliminate all the fliers usually.

I forgot about it when I first posted but I did a pretty comprehensive Range Report on my little NAA Guardian back in the first part of the year for THR.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=424940&highlight=NAA+Guardian


Will

 

[Vonderek]

Never could make a decision between JHP and FMJ in this caliber due to conflicting data. Therefore keep them both loaded in same mag and staggered.

BTW-My Guardian will absolutely not feed Sellier & Bellot ammo.

 

[christcorp]

Look; if you use HP and they DON'T expand, then they've basically become the same as a FMJ when it comes to damage. I.e. they will penetrate further and not expand. If they do expand, they they cause more tissue damage which is what you want.

Obviously you want the most expansion with the most penetration. But it's a small bullet, so it can only expand so big anyway. And as for penetration, how deep do you want? Vital organs in a human body are less than 12" in. You'll hit what you want. That is why I recommend hollow points. If they expand, great. They'll still go in around 10-11" IF they expand. If they don't expand, they'll go in further. Either way; for what they are intended to do, they will do fine.

 

[AKElroy]

Fiocchi used to make a really hot FMJ .32. I have not read up on this cartridge lately, but I did a lot of homework a few years back when I picked up a Tomcat. When that gun first came out, a number of articles were written about the effectiveness of the cartridge, and the general concensus was that it expanded too quickly to be useful for SD in the weights available. I am sticking with FMJ's if I ever actually carry it again.