Best defensive round for a .32 1903 Colt Hammerless?

[rod5591]

I have an old 1903 model Colt .32 Hammerless semi-auto pistol that I had assembled from parts. From the serial number, mine was assembled in 1924. It seems to have seen heavy usage , but still works fine. You can see pictures at:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=610797

The ammo I am currently using is American Eagle 32 auto 71 gr. TMJ. There is very little recoil from this round.

I was thinking of trying a more powerful defensive bullet. I was wondering if .Buffalo Bore 32 ACP +P Pistol and Handgun Ammo would be OK for this old gun? It is 75 gr. Hardcast F.N. (1150fps/ M.E. 220 ft. lbs.) Another choice is BUFFALO-BARNES .32 ACP +P LEAD FREE Ammo - 60 gr. Barnes TAC-XP (1150fps).

Any thoughts about using +p ammo in this old Colt .32?

Any suggestions on the best defensive ammo for this gun?

This isn’t my primary pistol, it is a backup, but still I want to get the best defensive round for it.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Maybe BB or somebody makes a standard pressure lead flat point or SWC. I don't think I'd use +P's in that old girl.

 

[fasttheo]

I would check out Sellier & Bellot or Fiocchi. Of the two, I prefer S&B, but that's more personal preference than anything else. Both are among the hottest FMJ you can find in .32, and both are easy to find and surprisingly inexpensive.

 

[Cosmoline]

You may have feeding problems when you stray much from the standard, but it's worth a shot. Though I would not want to put B Bore hardcasts in there.

Maybe try the old Winchester silvertips? Those worked like a charm in my Walther PP.

 

[Bikewer]

That piece may have sentimental value, but most folks today consider the .380 to be about the absolute minimum for a defensive pistol, and many (including myself) would up that to 9mm Parabellum.
Better than a .25 ACP, perhaps, but not much.

 

[Cosmoline]

Oh, don't underestimate these old steel mouse guns. They have impressive rates of accurate fire and are easier to control than the modern equivalents. You can throw a lot of lead fast without having your muzzle flip up to the ceiling.

 

[bubba15301]

winchester silvertips

 

[ScottS]

Oh, don't underestimate these old steel mouse guns. They have impressive rates of accurate fire and are easier to control than the modern equivalents. You can throw a lot of lead fast without having your muzzle flip up to the ceiling.

Unfortunately, the same can be said of Airsoft guns, with about the same end result.

.32ACP is a pretty anemic round. I put quite a few through my FIL's 1903, and while it's a fun-shooting, low-recoil round, it would be one of my last choices in a self-defense caliber.

Maybe some modern loadings like BB might be able to squeeze some blood out of this turnip, but it will be pretty hard.

 

[Cosmoline]

Well all handguns this side of a .44 Magnum are anemic. The difference between 150 or 350 ft. lbs is pretty minimal compared with the 2,500 of a high power rifle round. As long as they have enough oomph to penetrate deep enough to disrupt vital tissue, that's about the most you can expect from any defensive handgun. Not my first choice, of course. First choice is the rifle!

 

[AABEN]

A larger gun would be the way I would go! 357 or 40

 

[Certaindeaf]

I have a 1908 Colt .380. I load it with cast 105gr SWC's (Lee mold). It's a very good setup.
Again, I'd try for a flat point or SWC's.. or Silvertips but then you might have pray to the Jesus. never know though

 

[Pyro]

A JHP since it has a longer barrel.
Nothing will expand out of my NAA Guardian.

 

[forindooruseonly]

If I recall correctly, the old 1903/1908s aren't drop safe, so careful carrying with a loaded chamber. I use only FMJ when I carry my old .32s, as hollowpoints don't feed reliably in any of my early automatics.

 

[Texan Scott]

since you're not asking me what other gun/ caliber you should have instead i'll tell you i always kept S&B FMJ in my .32. they load a decent one, and my big worry in the little .32 was penetration.

that said, i never leave the house without a .454 on each hip, in case i'm attacked by methamphetamine- tweeked polar bears. sure, there are bigger calibers out there, but I think with the right load of HE/Frag ordinance, it'll do for anything but the LARGEST of my neighborhood's rampaging rabid elephants.

 

[firesky101]

I always just carry FMJ in my cz70. S&B or Fiocchi is the hottest. People bash on the .32acp, but hey it worked for bond when he was not carrying a .25 or a .38

 

[Deaf Smith]

Best defensive round for a .32 1903 Colt Hammerless?

Aw heck, just use FMJ S&B ammo and practice alot. Trying to make the .32 ACP a powerhouse is like trying to over-compress an air rifle. Even if you succeed you still don't have much (yes this is a ripoff of Jeff Cooper's saying on the .380 ACP.)

In my P32 I use FMJ.

Deaf

 

[krupparms]

These can be just fine for SD. They were carried &used in WW1 &WW2. OSS issue them also. I have my dads old 1903, it can be tricky with HPs but is fine with ball. If you find a good HP load make sure it is not to hot! They are not made for that! I have had good luck with win. STs. They have worked in both of the 1903s I have shot. Good luck, Have fun, Stay safe.

 

[Certaindeaf]

If I recall correctly, the old 1903/1908s aren't drop safe..

If you dropped one of those you'd deserve to be nevermind and knock on wood.

 

[toivo]

FMJ for reliable feeding and for penetration. Fiocchi makes a pretty hot .32 FMJ. And as others have said, remember that it isn't drop-safe.

http://www.downrange.tv/forum/index.php?action=printpage;topic=6401.0

 

[Cocked & Locked]

.32's

I've carried my Colt a few times for self defense. Being so flat makes it easy to carry. At those times I have it loaded with Winchester Silver Tips. They function fine in my beater 1903.

Not the most powerful caliber but it served European military and police agencies well for many years. Lots of bad guys (and some good ones) bit the bullet with fatal results from a .32/7.65

 

[Cosmoline]

C&L--nice collection! That Llama is... well Llama ain't easy as they say.

 

[GCBurner]

I also like the Winchester Silvertip 60 grain hollowpoints, they expand reliably from my Browning and Walther pocket autos. I don't think Winchester loads them anymore, though, or at least I haven't seen any new production for sale, and the online sources that have them charge two or three times the price of other .32 ACP cartridges.

 

[Texan Scott]

since this is your back-up gun (the gun you hope you REALLY never need after the FIRST gun you hope you never need has the malf you hope it never has), if the first gun wasn't 'powerful' enough, nothing you do to make a .32 more 'powerful' will be, either... if the first gun wasn't RELIABLE enough with hollowpoints, make sure your backup is reliable with fmj... that was always my personal twisted logic, anyway... .38 or .40 JHP for 'oh fudge!', .32 fmj for 'oh DOUBLE fudge!'

 

[Pyro]

I also like the Winchester Silvertip 60 grain hollowpoints, they expand reliably from my Browning and Walther pocket autos. I don't think Winchester loads them anymore, though, or at least I haven't seen any new production for sale, and the online sources that have them charge two or three times the price of other .32 ACP cartridges.

The new Winchester Silvertip has a case brass jacket and follows the SXT/Ranger design. They rarely expanded out of my NAA Guardian..I'm sure a longer barrel like the .03 would help.

I've tested more than this, still the only three that expanded at all.
I carry Guardian Gold in my .32.

 

[GCBurner]

The new Winchester Silvertip has a case brass jacket and follows the SXT/Ranger design. They rarely expanded out of my NAA Guardian..I'm sure a longer barrel like the .03 would help.

I've tested more than this, still the only three that expanded at all.
I carry Guardian Gold in my .32.

The old style Winchester Silvertip pistol bullets had a thin aluminum jacket over soft lead, and expanded quite a bit better than these brass jacketed rounds. I'm not sure why they discontinued making them, but I'm holding on to my last box for when I carry my PPK, and using the FMJ stuff for target practice. Last gunshow I went to, an ammo dealer had a box of 50 .32 Silvertips, and was asking $85 for them. Even those new brass jacket "Silvertips" are pricey, going for over $40 a box, compared to about $15 for Winchester FMJ .32s.