TTv2
Member
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2016
- Messages
- 4,999
Yeah, it was for SHTF, I think you're right, but I priced it out on factory bullets and brass and it's actually cheaper to shoot .32 than it is .25 ACP. That's just... unbelievable. Yes, if you were to cast lead bullets it would cost a lot less, but I don't hold out on being able to get lead for free or find it in STFH.I can’t precisely speak for this fellow’s intentions or considerations but I think it had to do, in part at least, as a SHTF type thing. In that case maybe powder usage is a bigger deal as well as overall space. And if one were to cast bullets would cost almost nothing.
As far as I recall ( ADD has a way of making things a bit foggy, especially when years pass by) he had just customized a revolver for .25 ACP but was planning on some sort of rifle as well for small game.
As far as I’m concerned I see the validity of both sides to this. I have no idea what the expense of modifications were and typically wouldn’t see that as being warranted except for a SHTF type scenario. On the other side it seems a .32 is a bit big and overkill for small game, but then that’s a common caliber for muzzleloaders with some even using their large bore rifles with small charges, which I was curious about and intended on testing at my old range where I would be allowed to do such in a private stall only because I unknowingly knew the owner who I’d talk with often enough due to my BP guns (rifles on the 25 yd range were a no no as well as setting up wet phone books/gel blocks).
But I also see the versatility in that even the .32-20 was used for close up deer, and with a swap of cartridge one could go from small game to medium game. I’ve viewed the .357 Mag as a bit marginal for deer but from a carbine not quite so much. And I know it’s been used often enough and does indeed work. For lower powered stuff I prefer larger calibers.
.32 is not overkill for small game if you load it weakly enough and subsonic velocities out of a 20 inch rifle would be fairly quiet.
.32-20 was used on deer over 100 years ago and with black powder as the charge, so the .32 has the potential, a lot more so than .25 does, and the principle applies to .31 vs .36. There are no .31 percussion rifles out there, but you could have a .36 rifle with a 12 inch barrel and detachable stock on the 1851 Navy.