Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 32 S&W

I freely admit this may not be a good idea. However, I thought I would give it a try and see what y'all said.

Grandpa was a great sportsman in his day. However, some of his firearm choices were. . . well, not the best. I was digging in the vault the other day and came across an old H&R double-action pistol in 32 S&W. I also found a full box of ammo. My guess is that this pistol was not fired in my lifetime, and probably not since the Truman Administration. I inherited it in 1976, and never bothered with it.

Recently, I got my CCW. I'm probably going to start off with a 45 Auto for my carry piece, but by summer I will probably get a Ruger LCR in 357 MAG. My question for y'all relate to this 32 S&W revolver as concealed piece for self defense.

First off, as best I can tell 32 S&W would be able to plug someone at close range. It's not as powerful as a 380 Auto, but it still could get the job done at close range.

BTW: This is 32 S&W, not 32 S&W Long.

Second, in reading about this chambering, I have seen suggestions that 32 ACP ammo will work in a 32 S&W. Is this true?

Third, have any of y'all tried loading this round? If so, any suggestions? I've found a paucity of data on it.

If you feel comfortable carrying a 32 then i would carry it , nobody wants to get shot with anything

I figure it would be better than being stuck with nothing.

The .32S&W is BARELY better than nothing.

I took one for a "range session" a good number of years back. The target, an old hub cap, was at about 10 yards. The best the little lemon-squeezer could do was to HIT the hub cap twice out of 5 shots. Neither round penetrated the hub cap, and the second one bounced back off of it, and struck me in the thigh. It failed to penetrate the Carhartt logger pants I was wearing and the bullet fell down next to my boot.

Yeah, it stung a bit, but that was it.

To see whether the hub cap was "bullet proof", I came back the next day with a .22LR Single-Six. I put 6 shots into a quarter at the same distance, off-hand, and all six went right on through the hub cap.

I put the lemon squeezer up, and bought a pistol.

I don't think I have to go any farther in this. I'd hate to pull it out and bounce one off some miscreant's bling. Hell, he might even know I was coming and be wearing a hubcap under his hoody!

Thanks. I had feeling it was a bad idea, but I always hate to see hardware go to waste.

Shoot it, but don't depend on it for carry.

I have shot a couple things with the .32S&W. One, for example, was a 'possum at near point blank range. When you have four in the chest of a critter like that, you shouldn't have to put the barrel up to the head for #5. BTW - none of the LRNs exited.

You know grinners are the walking dead form of racoons, don't cha?

They don't stop easy.


For the OP:

I like mouse guns. Really, I do.

but they are a BUG at best, and sometimes, a BUBUG.

No exit wounds are what really got my attention on that one. At "in front of your feet" range, there should have been an exit.

In the S&W's, one can slightly increase the power of the .32, and use better bullets. In a weak action, they are a plinker. Or at best for snakes & pests.

All practical considerations aside, I wouldn't want a family heirloom to be taken from me as evidence and perhaps never returned. Carry something you won't mind losing.