.32 vs .38

[BN]

There are fast guns and slow guns. There also fast chronographs and slow chronographs. All results posted are within margins of error.

I shoot a lot of 22 LR over the chrono looking for the magic, most accurate ammo. I have several rifles and they all shoot the same exact lot of ammos at different speeds.

When I get a nice day I'm going to chrono using both my Garmin and Competition Electronics at the same time just for fun.

[willie]

Velocity variations from gun to gun are the rule--even when using the same ammo lot. My opinion is that Federal or Remington or any other company publishes a nominal velocity for each caliber. The published velocity is an approximate number.

[Lex Luthier]

Recent production GMM went 689 fps from my M49 snubby. Recent production Remington WC went 683 from the same gun during the same range session. Older versions of the Federal load were a good bit slower, about 635 fps from a snubby.

Apropos of nothing, but I’m glad you got that M49. It looked like a nice one in the Gunbroker ad.

[revchuck38]

Apropos of nothing, but I’m glad you got that M49. It looked like a nice one in the Gunbroker ad.

It's the prettiest blued S&W I have. Until I got it, it was the quintessential "sock drawer gun", except that a previous owner had installed a spring kit in it and I couldn't get five "bangs" out of a cylinder. A factory mainspring fixed that. I've got about 5-600 rounds through it.

[Jamie]

When I get a nice day I'm going to chrono using both my Garmin and Competition Electronics at the same time just for fun.

I would be really interested in seeing what difference, if any, you get doing the side by side comparison.

I've counted on my CE for a number of years and historically got results that aligned with known velocities from known platforms.

I fully admit that my GGM chrono results from last Sunday were done in the worst weather I've ever chronoed in. It should be sunny to partly cloudy this coming Sunday and I plan to repeat the GGM and I have some of Ted's .32 H&R Mag rounds I'll run through my .327 LCR (I believe he list velocity in an LCR on the box.)

RJ and all here deserve correct data.



Edited because I can't spell...

[Chuck Whitlock]

I wonder if the greater availability of the broad spectrum of .38 Special loads might actually be a detriment for the average non-enthusiast gun owner. The number of different loads available could have him or her grabbing a box of ammo that is not suited to their particular weapon or mission, such as too much blast/flash/recoil versus not enough penetration.

Another metric popped to mind this morning. .38 Special loadings on the shelf can have bullet weights ranging from 90 grains to 158 grains, with lots of choices betwixt and between. How prone will the average non-gun-person gun owner be to vetting that the load they randomly pull off the shelf regulates to their sights?
I recently got a box of 110 grain Hornady Critical Defense to try as a reload. No-go. Shot very low left in both my M37 and SP-101.

I fully admit that I haven't paid much attention to the .32s until they began being promoted by Chuck Haggard, DB, Cecil, etc. But a quick look on ammoseek shows a range of 83-115 for .32 Long and 80-130 for ,32 HR Mag. And the 130 and 118 look like singular outliers, so 80-100 grain. Appears like much less range of variation to work with.

[Chuck Whitlock]

Interesting about velocity of GMM... I just received some recent production and am headed to the range to vet it this week.

I have 5 rounds left of my previous batch, which has been in my LCR for...far to long, let's say. I'll shoot that cylinder and then load the new, will report back on any subjective differences, in terms of whether the new production batch has more perceptible oomph. For comparison I just went through 50 rounds of Ted's standard pressure WCs, which he lists as "S&W 1&7/8ths" J Frame: 750 FPS".

Rich,

I honestly am just going to carry either Ted's load or the Georgia Arms snub load in my M37, and practice with whatever round is cheapest, pleasant to shoot, and hits to the sights.

[GJM]

Arrived on the brown truck today.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I dug into the ammo cave today to load up for our 60 ish round match which I intend to shoot with my 632. Found a baggie of Black Hills 32 HR mag that enabled me to fill up 12 HKS 32 6 round speed loaders. Expensive match in terms of ammo. I have a few hundred of various 32s - SW Long wadcutters, RNL, 32 Mag HP, 327s. I once had a 500 round case of Fiocchi 32 SW Long FMJ - my favorite for fun and haven't seen it lately. Shot it out.

[Velo Dog]

https://shotshow.org/new-ammo-coming-in-2024/

"New to the High Terminal Performance line of ammunition is the HTP .32 H&R Magnum load that fires an 85-grain JHP bullet at a muzzle velocity of 1,120 fps, making this a suitable self-defense round for .32 H&R magnum revolvers and a great low-recoil personal-protection load for .327 Federal revolvers. But the HTP load is not the only new .32 H&R Magnum offering from Remington this year. The new Performance Wheelgun .32 H&R Magnum load fires a 95-grain semi-wadcutter hollow point bullet at 1,020 fps, making it a great all-round .32 H&R option for small-game hunting, defense, and target shooting."