.32SW

[Firepower!]

Hi
How effective is ؛32SW and 32SW Long?

I doubt if revolvers are still being made in this caliber. What are its uses?

Personally, I rather have a .22 revolver than a 32.

 

[Buzzcook]

The .32 S&W isn't a pop gun. 85grs of lead at about 650fps doesn't bounce off your skin.
Not a lot of .32 S&W out there so you're more likely to run into a .32 S&W long. They go up to 100grs and top out at 850 or 900fps for a very hot load.

I'd suggest moving up to the .38 S&W or .38 Special. But the advantages of the .32 are the small revolvers it can be loaded into and next to no recoil.

I have read that the .32 S&W long is a very accurate cartridge. Can't vouch for that myself.

 

[The Great Mahoo]

The new .327 Magnums can shoot the 32's as well. I am looking to pick up one of Ruger's SP101's to shoot all of these from, depending on ammo availability. Its a fairly compact revolver, though according to Ruger's website, its only available in a 3" barrel in the .327.

 

[woad_yurt]

.32 S&W ("short") was used to assassinate our president, William McKinley, and King Umberto I of Italy.

The .32 S&W ammo they make new is a bit weaker than back then so as to not blow up old guns but regular ol' new loaded down Magtech still blows right through a treated 2x4. I think it's actually a good caliber because there are tons of old .32 short revolvers out there available for cheap and some of them are really, really small, true mouse guns. The top one in the photo is an Iver Johnson .32. It's still a 100% reliable, effective get-off-me gun.

You gotta see H&R's "Young America" revolvers. The things are miniscule, smaller even than the Kel-Tec in the picture. Lighter, too.

.32 longs are very nice to shoot. It was a preferred target round for many years. Federal sells some pretty powerful wadcutter ammo.

I definitely think either .32 short or long is more effective in a handgun than .22 LR. The bullet weighs 2.5-3 times as much. I figure it won't deflect as much.

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

I don't know if I'd use a 32 S&W for self defense... but have a S&W Air Weight 32 H&R Magnum , that will shoot all 3 cartridges... & it's a 6 shot J-Frame, instead of a 5 shot 38 / 357

 

[Webleymkv]

The .32 S&W is pretty puny at 90ft.lbs. of energy, but I'd still rate it better than a .22 Long Rifle. S&B makes a 100grn .32 S&W Long Wadcutter that rates at 120ft.lbs. of energy and thusly putting it in about the same class as a .32 ACP with FMJ.