Glock 32 .357 system

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CooperThunder

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Last Sunday, my husband and I took our NRA Basic Pistol course and part of the CCW. We finished up afternoon and received our certificate of completion, so I am so happy that I will soon be a legit pistol-packin' Mama. ...my first gun if you do already know, is a Bersa Thunder 380. I like it. I've used it many times and then last Sunday in my live-fire exams for CCW. It got stuck on me several times, always on the last round. Now I am in a prowl for my Christmas present for me...a Glock 32, .357 system. I think this will be good for my little hands...

How is the learning curve for this kind of gun? How reliable is this easy to conceal/carry around?

Just asking those who have the experience of using this kind of gun...please help. Thanks a lot for any input...

Izzie
 
I sold mine recently. Nothing wrong with it at all. Just didn't shoot or carry it much after catching the 1911 bug. It's a peppy round with some zip, but I never had a problem with recoil. It was a fun round to shoot, but a little pricier than some others. My 32 was pretty accurate, too. It was about as reliable as it gets. Never had a malf with that pistol. If you want a little more versatility get a G23 barrel and you can shoot .40 S&W with no modification. Even the mags will work with either round.

I will probably end up with another Glock in .357, but in a full size model. Either a 22 or 35 with a .357 barrel or a 31. Good luck and enjoy your pistol.
 
A better choice is the Glock 19 in 9mm. Same size, holds more ammo, has less kick and you cand FIND 9mm ammo. When you do, unlike the .357 Sig ammo, it won't cost you an arm and a leg. (just an arm!)
 
Thank you all...I was sort of not sure about bullets as my 380 was hard to find too for sometime. I thought the .357 will be easier to find. Thanks spd1303.

Thanks, David for your recommendation. I really like a Glock so I will look into the 19...

Maurice, DH has a 1911 so I will try that one this afternoon to see how I go. I had only shot it once on an indoor range. It sort of feel like, too big for my hands.
 
I have a Glock 31 and love it! Ammo in my area is easy to find. Walmart has had 357 SIG on the shelf during this "hard to get ammo" time. I have been in four different Walmarts, three in south GA and one in Charlesron, SC and they all had at least two boxes on the shelf. I think the ammo buy up is slowing and it will be better soon.
By the way I went to a LGS and they had powder stacked up everywhere, ain't seen this much powder in a long long time! Jerry's Sport Shop Ambrose GA

Jimmy K
 
Just as a note, the "357" is the name of the round, not the caliber. There is no "." in front of the 357. The diameter of the bullet is the same as the 9x19, which is nominally .355-.356". It was designed to have nearly the same ballistics as the 125 grain loading for the .357 Magnum revolver cartridge from a 4" barrel, only in a semi-auto pistol, with a larger capacity.

I have the 357 Sig in a Springfield XD, and I rechambered a 9x19 barrel to 357 Sig for an EAA Witness. Both pistols are supurbly accurate and a pleasure to shoot.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
I am a big fan of the G19 which makes me thing that a 32 would make a fine carry gun. I will say this about ammo, when the big ammo runs were on in the wake of the election i saw a great deal more 357 sig and 45 GAP then I did 9mm or 45 ACP.
 
I have a number of 357SIG's and really like the round. Its potent and accurate. Out of the Glocks, its a little more energetic than out of my SIG's, but even then, recoil isnt an issue.

I have yet to have any troubles finding ammo, and as was mentioned, its actually been easier to find than the other major calibers. Price isnt as scary as you'll hear either, especially if you by in bulk.

One thing you may want to consider is, 357SIG and 9mm +P+ offer very similar performance. The 9mm Glocks shooting +P+ feel very much like the 357SIG Glocks when you shoot them. Ammo wont be any cheaper in that respect, but you can shoot cheaper, standard 9mm if you want.
 
i just purchased a 32 and love it. I found Ultramax ammo bulk for about 17 bux a box, and it was 17.99 for a single 50 count box. I've gone thru 2 boxes and it seems to be good ammo. I shot remmington through it last week and there was no preceivable difference. I'd get the 32 and then get a 40 cal barrel later. The gun is a blast to shoot, literally. It's quite accurate and comfortable. You really want the 32!
 
9mm is $10.97 for a box of 50, which is approximately 61% LESS than the 357 Sig ammo. Additionally, 9mm is much easier to find, especially in quantity, than the 357 Sig.

The OP sounds like a fairly new handgun shooter, having logged most of her experience on a steel framed .380. To suggest a 357 Sig over an identical gun in 9mm to such a person puzzles me.



_______________________________________________________________________

"Then" and "Than" do not mean the same thing !
 
357SIG isnt a heavy recoiling round, nor is it difficult to shoot well with. Its really not all that different than 9mm, especially when compared to the hotter ammo normally used for self defense. There, there is really no noticeable difference. Shoot standard 9mm in your gun and then switch to +P+, and you'll have a real good idea of the difference.

Compared to my old .380 PPK's, I'd rather shoot four boxes of 357SIG out of my Glock 31 or P226, than the same number of rounds from the PPK's.


Price wise, while generic 9mm has usually always been the cheapest of the major calibers, when you compare self defense ammo, the price between it and 357SIG is nil. If you shoot a lot, and dont reload or even if you do, 9mm is probably your best bet. If your not planning on shooting a lot, but when you do, plan on practicing with ammo you intend to use, then cost isnt a factor. As with anything else, cost is only an issue, if you choose to make it one. I shoot a lot of different calibers, and some cost more than others, but I always find a way to stay current with the ones I feel the need to, regardless of cost.

If your having troubles finding 357SIG, your either not looking very hard, or your not looking at all. Its been pretty much readily available, even when 9mm, and the others where non existent.
 
Cooper Thunder,

I would suggest renting or trying the Glock 32 out before you buy it. I work for a department that issues Glock 33s and 32s and have noticed several of the female officers and detectives going to Glock 17s and 19s due to the 357sig's snappy recoil. I am not saying that you wont be able to handle it , just saying that you may want to try one out first. The 357sig cartridge is a great round. It has good ballistics and is a great round for defeating barriers. We have been using Glock 33/32 for over a year now without any issues. It is an excellent platform IMHO.
 
I have a 19 and a 32, and I would not say the difference in recoil is nonexistant. 9mm +P+ might be approaching some plinking 357sig loads, but that is just right where 357sig is getting started. No 9mm is going to run 125gr @ 1450fps like a lot of the 357sig defensive ammo.

The recoil of 357sig plinking ammo is still stouter than 95% of all 9mm, or .40 ammo for that matter, IMO.
 
I have gone out yesterday looking for my Glock...I have not found the 32 yet, but all the others like 17, 19, 26 and 30 I had a feel for them in my hands and I always go back to the 19. 17 is just way too bulky for a conceal and carry whereas the 19 is neither too large nor too small for my hand. The sub-compacts seems to be too small. I like the finger feel of all the Glocks and as some of you have said, .357 is not really hard to find. I even found some on the shelf at Cabela's. Cabela's prices are just way too high even. I found a Glock 19, 28 and 30 at a newly opened gun store about 10 minutes drive from where I live here. It only cost $499.95, brand new. Because it is just a new store (opened last October 10th) I think their prices are really reasonable. I am still looking as I want to feel what the G32 feels like in my hands. I am not scared of recoil...there will always be recoil and I had learned to control that by counting in my head instead of thinking about it.

Anyway, I am not in a hurry. I will take all your advice/s as I value all of them. You have all been so helpful. Thank you so very much. I'd love to do more live-fire practice.

Izzie
 
If memory serves me correctly, the last SOG catalog had police trade-in Glock 32s (as well as the G23) with tritium night sights somewhere in the mid $300 range. If you're interested, I can dig up an item number for you.
I've ordered at least a dozen firearms from SOG and have yet to experience anything other than the most professional service, accurate product descriptions and speedy shipping.
It might be worth a look.
 
Snowdog said:
If memory serves me correctly, the last SOG catalog had police trade-in Glock 32s (as well as the G23) with tritium night sights somewhere in the mid $300 range. If you're interested, I can dig up an item number for you.

I've ordered at least a dozen firearms from SOG and have yet to experience anything other than the most professional service, accurate product descriptions and speedy shipping.
It might be worth a look.
Click to expand...


Oh...please...will you?

My Bersa is a used one, the first gun I ever bought with my own money (meaning, not DH's money). When I was doing live-fire for my CCW exam, it got stuck after the 6th bullet...everytime...on all three of my mags. My instructor looked at my gun and told us two possible reasons for the malfunction. We are now waiting for the part we ordered for it. So DH said that if he can fix this gun, he will want to have it because it is really good as a conceal/carry. It will really be nice if I can find a 32 as that was my first choice. I will surely buy a 19 for constant live-fire practice as I want to shoot until I am satisfied I get it right. In my exam, my instructor said I did very well. I told him I would have been satisfied if my groupings were more closer together. :banghead: For the price of a Kimber, I can buy two Glocks...and still have some change left ...:)

Just reading most of the posts here in THR is so addicting...thanks, Snowdog...
 
The model 32 is a great gun

I have one along with a 23 in 40S&W. I shoot the 23 much more than the 32 because of the cost of ammo. I also bought a spare barrel for the the 32 in 40 S&W for the same reason. If recoil is not a problem for you as you have stated then you should look into the 23. It the exact same gun as the 32 in 40 caliber. I also like the 19, same size, but I prefer the power of the 40 over the 9mm. I will gladly give up the two extra round for the power of the 40. Oddly enough, there seemed to be a pretty steady supply of ammo for the 40 even during the worst of the ammo shortage. It is still more expensive than 9mm but not so much that it will keep you from practicing. If you can get a 32 in the mid 300 range you could also buy a spare Glock barrel in 40 for about $100 new and a 9mm conversion barrel from Storm Lake or Lone Wolf for about the same. You would have a 3 caliber package for under $600. That is a very good deal.
 
CZ223 said:
I have one along with a 23 in 40S&W. I shoot the 23 much more than the 32 because of the cost of ammo. I also bought a spare barrel for the the 32 in 40 S&W for the same reason. If recoil is not a problem for you as you have stated then you should look into the 23. It the exact same gun as the 32 in 40 caliber. I also like the 19, same size, but I prefer the power of the 40 over the 9mm. I will gladly give up the two extra round for the power of the 40. Oddly enough, there seemed to be a pretty steady supply of ammo for the 40 even during the worst of the ammo shortage. It is still more expensive than 9mm but not so much that it will keep you from practicing. If you can get a 32 in the mid 300 range you could also buy a spare Glock barrel in 40 for about $100 new and a 9mm conversion barrel from Storm Lake or Lone Wolf for about the same. You would have a 3 caliber package for under $600. That is a very good deal.
Click to expand...
Good advice. I will put this one on mind... 19 is for practice. Dry-firing is OK but I get bored without the usual kicks a real live-fire gives. I'm still looking for a good deal. Mid 300 range will be a steal if I can find one...I've only been to three stores so far...maybe online will be better, huh?
 
Give Mark at

www.Summitgunbroker.com a call. He does not have any 23's or 32's listed on his site right now but you never know what he has kickin' around. I have bought three guns from him and all 3 have been in like new condition and all were great deals. He is in KC area but does not have a storefront so you still have to go through a dealer. Great guy to deal with.
 
I've got a 19 and a 32. You can't go wrong with either.
357 Sig ammo is more expensive, but it's also more powerful.
Out of my 32:
Winchester Ranger T 125 gr. @ 1,280 F.P.S. = 454# KE
CCI Gold Dot 125 gr. @ 1,315 = 480# KE.
The bottleneck design (357 Sig) is supposedly the most inheriently feed reliable.
If you want slightly less noise, kick and cost get the 19.
If you want .357 Mag power in a autoloader get the 32.
 
Not doin' much this morning

so I took a look at Gunbroker. There is a place called Osagecounty guns in Belle, MO. that is selling the 23 with 3 mags and night sites for $579. That is an awesome price since a no frills gun is $500.
 
I believe the 23 and 32 are exactly the same gun, other than the barrel and mags (and might have slightly different height sights as well; not sure about that). If you plan to get both barrels anyway, it doesn't really matter which barrel it comes with from the factory; I'd just be looking for whichever I could get a better deal on. The factory Glock barrels are around $120 brand new.
 
The 19/23/32 just feels like the perfect sized pistol for me, too. Glock did really, really well making them with those dimensions.
 
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