I agree, with the caveat that it’s a fad that waxes and wanes in history, like 38 super or something. 32 j-frames push the envelope of “enthusiast” gun, right over into “hipster,” IMHO.Originally Posted by gtmtnbiker98
I mean, the most prominent advocates for .32 carry revolvers have all been extremely active influencers on this little forum at one point or another over time. That alone should tell us something.
”But in the end all of these ideas just manufacture new criminals when the problem isn't a lack of criminals.” -JRB
What, that this is "Hipster Central"?I agree, with the caveat that it’s a fad that waxes and wanes in history, like 38 super or something. 32 j-frames push the envelope of “enthusiast” gun, right over into “hipster,” IMHO.
I mean, the most prominent advocates for .32 carry revolvers have all been extremely active influencers on this little forum at one point or another over time. That alone should tell us something.
"Everything in life is really simple, provided you don’t know a f—–g thing about it." - Kevin D. Williamson
I think .32 revolvers are a great compromise for non-gun people, or people who can't/wont/don't want to deal with recoil. 32 wadcutters are the closest thing I've experienced to .22 recoil, and they do that without some of the drawbacks associated with a .22 revolver, such as the heavy trigger and rimfire primer issues. If anyone is capable of enjoying the act of shooting a handgun, it will be most likely to happen with a either .22 LR or .32 wadcutter, so girlfriend or grandma may actually not loathe the act of shooting one.
Many non-gun people won't actually train anyway, so ammo cost is perhaps not as relevant here, but price between .38 wadcutters and .32 wadcutters isn't much, and .32 LRN is just as affordable as .38 wadcutters. Local availability is one thing, but I think it was actually easier to get .32 online during the bad times. It seems to have a small, but very dedicated, cult demand in the form of certain target and cowboy sports, which keeps the online supply moving.
I have an LCR in .327 federal. I went back and forth between .38 and .327 before purchasing it. I kind of wish I'd have gone with .38, but that is just because of the weight difference for pocket carry. If the weight was equal, I'd still pick .32 for sure. This gun is slated as my future 'Old Man Gun' in case I don't acquire something preferable in the meantime, and as an emergency option in case of early/temporary debilitation, as well as something every new shooter can enjoy at the range.
I wish an extremely light weight, high quality .32 snub was still available to purchase new. That roughly 1/4 pound difference makes a difference.
I've gone to 327 LCR's loaded with BB 32 Longs.i really want a 32 H&R LCR on the lightweight frame.
.32 all day and the 6th shot in a j frame is just gravy. I just have come to detest shooting .38 j frames.
“Remember, being healthy is basically just dying as slowly as possible,” Ricky Gervais
.38 Special is my most often carried cartridge in the S&W 642. With the .38 options include very light recoiling wadcutters all the way up to rompin’ stompin’ 125 gr. JHP’s that hit the 1200 fps (4” bbl) that I’ve come to believe is ideal for a defensive load. Hand-loaders can expand the window of versatility even further. That doesn’t even address its usefulness in the little Marlin lever guns!
-All views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect those of the author's employer-
I think much of the historical issues with 32 effectiveness are related to the RNL bullets used. RN bullets are pretty pathetic when used on game compared to anything SWC shaped. The issue doesnt just affect 32, RN in 45s arent exactly spectacular performers. I dont think a 32 S&W long is ever going to beat a 38 spl with any sort of decent load, but it can be substantially improved with better bullet shapes. Wadcutters are good, though they rent very good for longer distances, which some of us do regularly, even with the little pocket guns. The best use for a 32 for me is as a small game gun.
I went from a 640 to a Colt Agent, it gives the 6th round in 38 cal. Its light enough to carry daily in the pocket. Im fine with the size for that use even with pachmayr compac grips. For softer shooting the 38 Short Colt in standard velocity ( 125 gr @ 700-ish fps) are pretty mild. I think I may prefer that with a good bullet shape to a 32 for protection use.
Most of my ammo decisions are based on my own loads, factory loads are a very small part of my overall use. If I have or can get brass, Im OK for the most part. If in areas I think it will matter more then Ill use factory loads in a protection gun.
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
.32 all day for me. Don't care that I have to order @Lost River or BB. I'll never shoot it as much as I dry fire it & my .32LCR has a muuuuch sweeter trigger than my pocket edc .22LCR.
I can absolutely see a future where a Lipsey's 342 w/Clip Draw becomes my sole j-frame and my .32LCR with Hamre Forge grips becomes my mom's pistol.
With the recoil of the Lost River .32s, I've got several .22 snubs to shoot volume though. This is just great.
“Remember, being healthy is basically just dying as slowly as possible,” Ricky Gervais
I think about this occasionally because I handload and I'm leaning towards using a revolver for any and all carry roles calling for something smaller and/or lighter than a 1911. I think I'm still going to stick with .38.
Part of that is just logistics and my hatred for unnecessary complexity. It's much like my standardizing on .45 as opposed to 9mm. Objectively, 9mm is probably, all things considered, superior to .45 for most defensive uses, and I'm sure for small to medium frame revolvers .32 is arguably a better choice than .38. But both .45 and .38 have one unique attribute, which is that I'll always have guns chambered for them, so the simpler thing to do is lean into that instead of fighting it by adding something else. For reference, I still have 9mm guns, but I don't plan to shoot them in volume such that I'd want to load for them. I can, however, avoid adding .32 altogether.
I also think the availability of more small, light .38s that have 6rd capacity is important. I am more comfortable with my LCR being a 5-shot if I can plan on eventually getting a Taurus, Colt, or Kimber 6-shot that will replace it for all but the smallest of small gun roles. I would definitely be more tempted by .32 if that wasn't the case and 6-shots of .38 wasn't a thing until you got to K frames.
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