[Captain O]

Surely there must be a place for those of us that can appreciate the lowly .32 S&W. The little round that is used for,

1. Shooting hogs at the base of their skull so that they can quickly be bled out and butchered.
2. Routing garden pests without tearing up the crops.
3. Shooting rats in the barn without tearing up the interior planks.
4. Killing skunks and weasels (as well as other farmyard vermin).
5. Humanely dispatching sick/terminally ill animals without disturbing the entire compound.

 

[Captain O]

I am not trying to chide anyone, it seems to me that a bit of finesse and lower-powered cartridges can be used for "camp meat" and other farm/camp chores don't require a 9mm, .357 Magnum, .45 ACP, or other high-powered handgun cartridges to accomplish simple rural tasks.

 

[RetiredFreedomfighter]

Surely there must be a place for those of us that can appreciate the lowly .32 S&W. The little round that is used for,

1. Shooting hogs at the base of their skull so that they can quickly be bled out and butchered.
2. Routing garden pests without tearing up the crops.
3. shooting rats in the barn without tearing up the interior planks.
4. Killing skunks and weasels (as well as other farmyard vermin).
5. Humanely dispatching sick/terminally ill animals without disturbing the entire compound.

Ok, I will bite, just to get the conversation going. The big blasters are just so much more versatile. You can kill any thing from rats to gators to a deer in close, and certainly have better odds if charged by a bear or hog. You can put a couple big bullets in them a couple little bullets and maybe even a snake shot. A smorgasbord of both offensive and defensive rounds. Below is a pic of the mighty 38 Short Colt, that I carry around the farm, probably more power than you need for anything on your list above, but it is just as quiet and gets the job done. I have not been able to measure the recoil, but I know there is some because it makes noise and puts holes in things when you shoot it. The competition guys say they can load it to a power factor of 125. That is up in 38 special territory.
The beauty of the mighty 38 Short Colt, us that it serves as the parent case for the 38 long Colt, which is an effective round in its own right, the 38 long Colt will kill anything that needs killing on a farm.

And, the 38 Short Colt is the parent cartridge of the mighty 38 special, which we all know has served more law enforcement officers than any other round.

And of course the 38 short Colt is the parent case of the 357 Magnum, a bigger blaster whose power is much appreciated when things go south or when something really big shows up. So here is a pic of my favorite 38 short Colt, Now to be very clear the short rounds in the picture are 38 Short Colt loaded with 102 grain cast bullets. The bigger bullets are factory 180 grain bear stoppers, for that just in case scenario. They are pretty versatile, they will stop smaller stuff too.

And just for clarity, this gun is marked

on the barrel 357 mag even though it is my 38 Short Colt Mighty Blaster. And for folks new to the concept, this gun will shoot the 38 Short Colt, Some resized 38 Smith and Wesson, 38 Long Colt, 38 Special, 357 Magnum, and a real treat the rimmed version of the 38 Super and 38 Super Plus P.

So,that is why I use my 38 Short Colt Mighty Blaster instead of a 32 SW. It will do everything the little gun will do, but if ever there is an ammo crunch it will shoot seven different calibers of bullets.

 

[Captain O]

Ok, I will bite, just to get the conversation going. The big blasters are just so much more versatile. You can kill any thing from rats to gators to a deer in close, and certainly have better odds if charged by a bear or hog. You can put a couple big bullets in them a couple little bullets and maybe even a snake shot. A smorgasbord of both offensive and defensive rounds. Below is a pic of the mighty 38 Short Colt, that I carry around the farm, probably more power than you need for anything on your list above, but it is just as quiet and gets the job done. I have not been able to measure the recoil, but I know there is some because it makes noise and puts holes in things when you shoot it. The competition guys say they can load it to a power factor of 125. That is up in 38 special territory.
The beauty of the mighty 38 Short Colt, us that it serves as the parent case for the 38 long Colt, which is an effective round in its own right, the 38 long Colt will kill anything that needs killing on a farm.

And, the 38 Short Colt is the parent cartridge of the mighty 38 special, which we all know has served more law enforcement officers than any other round.

And of course the 38 short Colt is the parent case of the 357 Magnum, a bigger blaster whose power is much appreciated when things go south or when something really big shows up. So here is a pic of my favorite 38 short Colt, Now to be very clear the short rounds in the picture are 38 Short Colt loaded with 102 grain cast bullets. The bigger bullets are factory 180 grain bear stoppers, for that just in case scenario. They are pretty versatile, they will stop smaller stuff too.

And just for clarity, this gun is marked View attachment 175268

on the barrel 357 mag even though it is my 38 Short Colt Mighty Blaster. And for folks new to the concept, this gun will shoot the 38 Short Colt, Some resized 38 Smith and Wesson, 38 Long Colt, 38 Special, 357 Magnum, and a real treat the rimmed version of the 38 Super and 38 Super Plus P.

So,that is why I use my 38 Short Colt Mighty Blaster instead of a 32 SW. It will do everything the little gun will do, but if ever there is an ammo crunch it will shoot seven different calibers of bullets.

Yes. This is another reason for the .32 H&R Magnum snubbies. The .32 S&W and .32 S&W Long easily launch from it. I have a couple of .32 S&W Long revolvers. The little handguns are great farm/ranch workers too.

 

[mouser868]

The things you mentioned can all be done with a 22, cheaper and just as humane.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Surely there must be a place for those of us that can appreciate the lowly .32 S&W. The little round that is used for,

1. Shooting hogs at the base of their skull so that they can quickly be bled out and butchered.
2. Routing garden pests without tearing up the crops.
3. Shooting rats in the barn without tearing up the interior planks.
4. Killing skunks and weasels (as well as other farmyard vermin).
5. Humanely dispatching sick/terminally ill animals without disturbing the entire compound.

Thats all what a 22LR is for.

What would you shoot a garden pest with that would tear up the crops? May be a turkey load from a 12 gauge.

 

[MosinRuger]

Thats all what a 22LR is for.

What would you shoot a garden pest with that would tear up the crops? May be a turkey load from a 12 gauge.

sometimes people just like things even though there may be better options out there.

kinda like captian O and 32's.

 

[Captain O]

The .22 lr has a notorious habit of not functioning, bad primers, misfires, etc. This was why John Browning created the .25 ACP vest pocket pistols. It the critter gets away because all you hear is a "click" when it should "bang" there's a problem.

 

[MosinRuger]

The .22 lr has a notorious habit of not functioning, bad primers, misfires, etc. This was why John Browning created the .25 ACP vest pocket pistols. It the critter gets away because all you hear is a "click" when it should "bang" there's a problem.

maybe in the past, but with quality, modern .22lr i rarely have ftf's. .22mag is almost as reliable as center-fire in my experience.

still you have somewhat of a valid point that centerfire is more reliable than rimfire.
that said, I dont think the mouse in the garden is a cause for concern!

 

[Captain O]

Quite recently I had some CCI .22 Mini-Mag cartridge fail. When a skunk is ready to spray you, do you really want to worry about cycling the action for another round?

Thanks, but no, thanks.

 

[Jack Ryan]

The .22 lr has a notorious habit of not functioning, bad primers, misfires, etc. This was why John Browning created the .25 ACP vest pocket pistols. It the critter gets away because all you hear is a "click" when it should "bang" there's a problem.

25 is a useless POS. You can hear a click or a bang out of those and never see a difference. 32 is just like a 25 only twice as much.

 

[Captain O]

I'll shoot a .25 ACP and you can stand in front of it with a catcher's mitt. Would you care to play? No? Spouting foolishness isn't lending you credibility.

 

[mouser868]

22LR is available at all the local gunshops around here, in fact the grocery store in Buffalo has it. Can't say that about 32 acp ammo around here, in fact I haven't seen any in any of the gunshops or other stores I frequent. How about where you're at?

 

[MosinRuger]

Quite recently I had some CCI .22 Mini-Mag cartridge fail. When a skunk is ready to spray you, do you really want to worry about cycling the action for another round?

Thanks, but no, thanks.

the other day i had a brass cased 5.56 round not go off.. nothing is perfect.

plus, if a skunk is about to spray you d be better off focusing on getting away from it as fast as possible rather than trying to draw a pistol and shoot it!

 

[MosinRuger]

I'll shoot a .25 ACP and you can stand in front of it with a catcher's mitt. Would you care to play? No? Spouting foolishness isn't lending you credibility.

we can say the same for a .22lr, you willing to bet on whether it would go off if you were in front of it?

this is starting to feel like the other ".32acp is best round" thread you created. if .32 whatever round works for you then fine, but dont be surprised other people might have differing opinions, and your bringing your opinions to a public forum, so your providing us with the opportunity to share opposing views on the matter.

if you like it and it works for you, fine, but dont expect everyone else to agree.

 

[RetiredFreedomfighter]

We have a dozen 22 pistols at my house, and only one 32. I cannot remember when a 22 failed to fire with American made ammo. I am different than most people because I polish the chambers of every semi auto and every 22 revolver with Flex Hones. A mirror finish in a chamber solves most problems that people call bad ammo. Dirty Guns do not let the rim fully seat, so the first time hit with the firing pin pushes it forward but ruins that spot for the priming. If you can spin the bullet around and it fires, it was not likely the ammo, more likely crud that prevented the firing.

I can let my Garand ride in the truck for a decade and never clean it and expect it to fire every time we drag it out. . Rimfires are small, a little crud can shut them down, just a matter of cleaning them now and again. As to ammo, for extra security try those Stingers with the Nickel case, never had one fail in decades, brass collects crud, nickel does not so much.

I shoot a lot of skunks and snakes, I live on a creek leading to a major river. I have gone to suppressed 22s, nobody has a clue when I shoot, not even my wife just inside, she never ever knows that I have fired these guns. Here is a pic of two I use most often, the non suppressed is a 380, it has killed deer, a racoon, skunks, and snakes, problem is it is noisy, but I like to have it in my pocket when I go out to dispatch the other stuff. One summer, snakes got so bad I killed 29 in 3 weeks, so I am not new to this. Killed three in the last month. Just saying.




If you do not

have a suppressor, one for a 22 is the best money you can spend. That 1911-22 GSG holds 14 rounds and with a couple spare mags makes a pretty good bug out gun too. You can easily head shoot squirrels and rabbits with it. It was $269 when I bought mine probably more now. Neither of those guns has ever failed to fire and they have fired bricks of ammo, kids and grandkids shoot them. Just saying, most folks don't have problems with 22s anymore if they keep them clean.

So if you are having recent vintage mini mags fail, I would check that gun first and make sure the chamber is clean and nothing was slowing down the firing pin. If other rounds in that box also have problems, shoot them up that day.

 

[mouser868]

In 49 years I can only recall 2 rimfire rounds that didn't go off. I've had that many in one box of centerfire ammo not go off. That was a box of Remington 8X57 about 6 years ago.

 

[Captain O]

22LR is available at all the local gunshops around here, in fact the grocery store in Buffalo has it. Can't say that about 32 acp ammo around here, in fact I haven't seen any in any of the gunshops or other stores I frequent. How about where you're at?

That wasn't the issue, was it? Red herrings don't make anything less factual.

 

[PaleHawkDown]

I probably have more "guns" (antiques, so not technically firearms by ATF standards) in 32 S&W, and 38 S&W than anything. Model 2 Smiths, Iver Johnsons, H&Rs, old police guns of various types (It seems 38 S&W was real popular with Alabama cops, alongside 32-20, until after WWII), all sorts of British and Belgian top-breaks. They are fun, but the cartridge is not particularly well adapted to most scenarios.
As a "get them off me gun" 32 might work.
I really like the period between 1875 and 1899, and it seems the models of revolvers with largest number of innovations and unique ideas (outside of early Autos) were made in those cartridges or in .500 Belgian.

I will share this story as half-remembered from a book I have on weird true stories of the Old West:

There was a marshal who carried a pair of Smith Model 2 (not to be confused with the Model 2 Army) revolvers in 32 S&W. Even by the standards of the late 1870s, the .32 was considered weak. The story goes that this marshal had really poor vision, and liked the smaller guns because they could be concealed until he could get close to his quarry, identify them, and guarantee that he could hit them. He pulled one of his pistols on a criminal in a bar in (I think) Nevada, and the guy supposedly looked at it and laughed at the little gun in the weak cartridge. The bad guy was still making fun of that gun when he pulled his own .45. That's when the marshal fired.
The little .32 entered the guy's heart, ricocheted off a rib, and exited the man's body via his butt-hole before lodging in the floor. This book, published in the early '60s, had a picture where the bar had preserved that chunk of floor, and was still in business at that time.

 

[Captain O]

I like the idea of the .38 Short Colt. It gets the job done without having to use a rimfire cartridge. If you have time to cycle the action/ turn the cylinder, fine. The .38 Short Colt has a lot going for it.

Accessing this reloading speed advantage is easy. Modern brass for both is available from Starline. Reloading dies are also available from the die makers, but a new die set may not be needed.

The .38 LC can be loaded with standard .38 Spl. dies, with the exception of belling and roll crimping. The dies will not adjust short enough for that. I use a taper crimp, so my only addition was an inexpensive ($14) Lee Precision .38 Long Colt Powder Thru Die, which bells the case mouth.

If a shooter loads .38 Spl. and 9mm, the .38 SC only requires a new die set if they want to use a roll crimp. Sizing and depriming is done with the .38 Spl. die. Belling, seating and taper crimping can be done with 9mm dies.

The .38 SC (l.) is the same length as the 9mm (r.), and has the same internal case volume. Reloading data for the 9mm works well with the .38 SC.

Reloading data for both the LC and SC is available in various reloading manuals and on powder company websites, but it’s irrelevant. The data given is for the antique revolvers that are no longer produced, and is held to the 7,000-8,000 CUP pressure levels they could accept. The .357 Magnum revolvers used by today’s shooters are rated for 42,000 CUP, and the modern cases are more than able to handle that. The match loads we use won’t even get close to that max CUP.

Standard .38 Spl. load data works very well in the .38 LC, although I have found that the lower internal case volume allows me to reduce the charges by 1/10th or 2/10ths grains to produce the same velocity.

The .38 SC has the same internal volume as the 9mm, and is nothing more than a rimmed 9mm. Loading data for the 9mm works well. Fellow competitors who favor the SC tell me that Winchester 231, Hodgdon HP38 and VihtaVuori N320 are top choices. Loading data for 147-grain bullets can actually be reduced with 158-grain bullets to make the various PFs easily. And, at .38 Spl. pressure levels.

The LC and SC may be well into their second century with guns no longer made for them. But with smokeless powder reloads, these “obsolete” cartridges are as up to date as tomorrow’s newspaper.