Who carries and reloads for the.32 ACP

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  • warren5421

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    I carry a Colt 1903 or Beretta 1935 with hand loads. They both let me put 3 rounds in a 9" paper plate at 10 yards in just over 2 sec. I would rather carry my 1911 but old hands said .45 recoil was to much them 9mm became too much.
     

    Leadeye

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    I reload a lot of 32 ACP, it's a nice range cartridge that is chambered in good historical guns like the Savages and Colts.
     

    MrSmitty

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    I've been wanting to reload for .32, but my scale broke, and I need a tumbler, and dies.......Other than that I'm there.......lol
     

    Dewidmt

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    I reload it, and I too, carry a Colt 1903 on occasion.

    Had a Walther PPK at one point that had both the .32 and .380 barrels with it.
    I like the older guns, My Remington 51 gets carried on occasion also.
     

    Mgderf

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    I load for the .32acp and carry one on occasion.
    I have a Colt 1903, a Savage 1907, a Kel-Tec P32 and a Bersa Thunder in .32acp.

    I'd rather carry something with a little more power, but those mentioned are nice for deep conceal carry.
     

    three50seven

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    I carry one almost every day, a Kel-Tec, but as i don't reload for it. It's a surprisingly accurate cartridge, even in the little pocket pistol. I'm sure it would be a tack driver in a larger-framed gun.

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
     

    DadSmith

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    Are there any hollow point bullets that actually expands well for the 32acp? Ive seen several ballistics jel tests none of which seem to be worth getting for reloading or buying factory ammunition.
     

    BehindBlueI's

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    Are there any hollow point bullets that actually expands well for the 32acp? Ive seen several ballistics jel tests none of which seem to be worth getting for reloading or buying factory ammunition.

    Nothing that both expands and meets minimum penetration requirements. You'd have to drive a sub 80gr bullet a lot faster then a .32 ACP is going to obtain to get both, and even then you'd likely have fragmentation issues.
     

    churchmouse

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    Are there any hollow point bullets that actually expands well for the 32acp? Ive seen several ballistics jel tests none of which seem to be worth getting for reloading or buying factory ammunition.

    Question..….with all the info on this under powered waste of a round why are you wasting time/effort/funds on this turd.

    Edit......directed at the OP. The human body is not a paper plate.
     

    DeadeyeChrista'sdad

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    Well, I'm lazy. And I don't always want to dress my short chubby self around a .45. A .32 in the pocket, however, is at least something. So that's why.

    And BBI's analysis matches my personal experience, and pretty much all of the you tube experts. So I usually just carry solid projectiles and mention in my prayers that I'd really rather not have to use them.
     

    Leadeye

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    As was previously posted it's better than nothing, and I'm inclined to believe that a cast lead bullet is probably the best cartridge for that purpose.
     

    DoggyDaddy

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    As was previously posted it's better than nothing, and I'm inclined to believe that a cast lead bullet is probably the best cartridge for that purpose.

    By today's standards, sure it's not the best choice for a self defense round, but there were a hell of a lot of militaries and police departments that used them as their issued sidearms back in the early 20th century.
     

    Leadeye

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    By today's standards, sure it's not the best choice for a self defense round, but there were a hell of a lot of militaries and police departments that used them as their issued sidearms back in the early 20th century.

    Very true, even in this country 32 caliber guns were considered standard for police work for a very long time.

    I experimented briefly with 100-110 grain lead bullets in 32 ACP based on some info I got from Cast Boolits website. The OSS had issued the Colt 1903 to operatives and were trying up up the punch. Two things I learned, the Colt 1903 is a tough little pistol, and 32 ACP's penetration can be raised quite a bit.
     

    NHT3

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    Question..….with all the info on this under powered waste of a round why are you wasting time/effort/funds on this turd.

    Edit......directed at the OP. The human body is not a paper plate.
    Took the words out of my mouth again CM:laugh: I don't want to try to catch a 22LR but if you are going to train with and carry a gun time spent with something a little more powerful would be a MUCH better choice.

    [FONT=&amp]NRA Life Member / [/FONT]Basic Pistol instructor[FONT=&amp] / RSO[/FONT]

    [FONT=&amp]"Under pressure, you don't rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training. That's why we train so hard" [/FONT]
    [FONT=&amp]Unnamed Navy Seal[/FONT]

    “Ego is the reason many men do not shoot competition. They don't want to suck in public” ….Coach
     

    DoggyDaddy

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    Took the words out of my mouth again CM:laugh: I don't want to try to catch a 22LR but if you are going to train with and carry a gun time spent with something a little more powerful would be a MUCH better choice.

    [FONT=&amp]NRA Life Member / [/FONT]Basic Pistol instructor[FONT=&amp] / RSO[/FONT]

    [FONT=&amp]"Under pressure, you don't rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training. That's why we train so hard" [/FONT]
    [FONT=&amp]Unnamed Navy Seal[/FONT]

    “Ego is the reason many men do not shoot competition. They don't want to suck in public” ….Coach

    Don't disagree, but they're better than a sharp stick. :): And they're a heck of a lot of fun at the range. That's all I use my .32's for. :) Collecting all the various types of .32 pistols is a very deep rabbit hole too. :spend:
     

    warren5421

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    churchmouse I spent 7 years from 1967-1975 serving Uncle Sam and learnt the hard way that "The human body is not a paper plate". As I posted I would rather carry my 1911 .45 ACP but my hands hurt so much I have trouble double tapping with it or a 9 mm. As a young man I could shoot with the best of them, but age and abuse of my hands at hard labor has taken its toll. This is why I carry a .32 ACP as any gun is better than no gun.

    Question..….with all the info on this under powered waste of a round why are you wasting time/effort/funds on this turd.
    You need to read articles by Marshall Thompson and Ed Harris. Here is a start https://www.grantcunningham.com/2014/09/ed-harris-makes-the-32acp-into-a-real-tackdriver/ If you reload you can get energy into the .38 spl range that don't make old hands hurt like the rounds starting with .4 that I would rather shoot. But one round may not be enough.

    I don't mean to insult or make mad but you response to my post just showed how little a person I respect can know about the world of guns outside of their likes.
     
    Last edited:

    Route 45

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    No, there aren't any .32 ACP loads in the typical .38 Special power range.

    Limited hand strength or pain is certainly a limiting factor in handgun selection, but I think one would be better served by a metal frame .380 ACP like the Bersa Thunder. A good .380 load will have considerably more power compared to a .32 ACP, and will avoid any issues with potential rimlock that can occur with the semi-rimmed .32 cartridge case. Even a more sizable polymer frame .380 may be tolerable. I know my Glock 42 is a soft shooter for its size.

    If you insist on staying with .32 ACP, I'd find the hottest solid-nose load that will cycle reliably in your chosen platform. It certainly is better than a .22 or .25 ACP.

    :twocents:
     
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