Knowledgeable shooters who carried .32s for self defense

Status
Not open for further replies.
K

Krag

Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Messages
412
Location
Confederate States of America
John Moses Browning: FN Mle. 1900
Tom Horn (famous gunfighter): .32 revolver (brand?)
Pres. Theodore Roosevelt: FN Mle. 1900 & Colt M1903
Alice Roosevelt (TR's daughter): .32 revolver (brand?)
Sgt. Alvin York: Mauser M1910

- and -

My father: Ruger SP101 in .32 H&R Mag
 
and don't forget ...

Bad, bad Leroy Brown ... (baddest man in the whole damn town ...
he got a .32 gun in his pocket for fun ... and a razor in his shoe)
 
Actually Teddy Roosvelt bought thousands of Colt .32 New Police revolvers --the first 'official' arm of the NYPD. Teddy carried an SAA .45 up San Juan Hill didn't he?

Dillenger carried a .32 often, but it is said he was a terrible shot.

Bonnie sprung Clyde with a Colt .32 auto hidden in her skirt.
 
And me; Walther SS PPK/S in .32acp --- when dressed in Formal attire! :what:

:evil:
 
Dr. Rob:

Teddy went up the hill with a Colt .38 D.A. revolver in the 1892 model series. Suposedly it had been recovered from the Battleship, Maine. The movies and television of course arm him with a Colt S.A.A.
 
Growing up I remember many a old man carrying 32's most top break type. In fact my father was shot by a 32 in a little disagreement. Country Doc, came to house. My father and him downed a couple shots. Then he removed bullet from my fathers leg.Together they killed rest of bottle before he left. Today need 30 police, a dozen EMTs and firetrucks, flashing lights everywere and yes also need air support. That just for the victim You need double that plus SWAT to get the shooter .Forgot must advise all TV stations for 50 miles so they can report live and add to the air traffic with their choppers.
 
Robert A. Heinlein: .32 Colt Pocket Auto.
Click to expand...

I remember one of Heinlein's characters carrying a .32 Colt.

The only reference I can find to his own personal weapon is a Remington model 51, in .380.

The old science fiction writers seldom used contemporary weapons. Doc Smith was an exception. Some of his characters were using S&W .357's when they were really exotic. Others used 1911s.

I have noticed that the older generation favored smaller calibers. I believe that part of that can be attributed to ergonomic improvements in handguns over the years. IOW, it doesn't hurt as much as it used to when shooting some of those old guns. I have a Colt 1917 that I love, but shooting it with its original grips is quite an experience. With Pachmayrs, it is a sweetheart!

And what's up with the sights the old timers preferred? I can't even see them!

In many ways the "good old days" weren't.
 
dont forget that Charles Bronson wacked a lot of sub-humans with a .32 revolver and .32 auto in most of the Death Wish movies....... :rolleyes:
as did Bond, James Bond.
 
Old timers I knew didn't use sights unless they were poping tin cans. If they were shootin on the draw was mostly point shooting. Remember all this 2 handed and fancey sights is fairly new.Look at the sights on a S&W mod-10 That was the basic police pistol for many years.
People I grew up around ,shot 1 handed even when using sights. Remember only Bulleye shooting in those days. No run and gun games. I still perfer to draw and shoot one handed but that the way I was taught. FBI taught point shooting for years.
 
There's a reason why all the people listed were carrying before 1920.

It's because in that era, if you wanted any, and I do mean any sort of "power" in a gun that was actually small enough to stash in your pocket, that meant a .32.

Remember. There was a day when .38 Auto was the "most powerful handgun in the world."

There was a day when .38 Super was incredible, mind-blowing power in a handgun.

hillbilly
 
Not only that, but there are people like my Dad who still insist that the 9mm Luger was the most powerful handgun in the world when he was growing up - he was born in 1929! Out of respect and love, I don't argue with him. :) Besides, he got me started with hunting and guns. He carries a .32 ACP Beretta Tomcat.
 
My dad was a radio operater on a B-17 bomber during WW2.
He carried a .32 acp Ruby pistol on most of the mission flights.
He felt it was lighter and a lot more comfortable to pack in an aircraft than the issue 1911A1 pistols.
Thankfully the aircraft was never shot down and he didn't have to use the pistol in defense of his life during the war.
Dad brought the gun home after the war and he did use it to kill our dalmation dog after the dog went mean.
I still have that Ruby and I regularly carry a Kel-Tec P32 in my pocket on my own property.
 
Gavrilo Princep used a Model 1910 Browning .32 to assassinate Archduke Ferdinand and his wife in 1914, starting WWI. Each were shot just once. 8.5 milllion deaths resulted.
 
My dad carried a Colt 32-30 during the early years of the 20th century, and he was noted for being a man not to get into a fight with, either fists or guns. This was along the south Texas frontier, when Pancho Villa was still a threat. He taught me a real respect for that .32..... "what counts was where you put the bullet".
 
With the Kel Tec .380 and even the PM9, it seems like in todays world, the .32 is kind of useless. ;)

Actually I was all set to buy a Walther .32 until I talked to one guy at the range shooting one one day.

He wore big shooting gloves and mentioned he was a member of the CFA - Cat Fanciers' Association. :barf:

;)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top