.32 acp
 

Just curious, how was it this cartridge achieved and maintained the popularity it had before, during, and after WWII? Like most everyone here I have a couple of guns in this caliber, shoot them frequently, and just for aggravation I reload for them. Mine are a 1974 Walther PP and a 1940ish Browning 1922. These models were used for many years in several European countries as a primary police gun and military sidearm. They shoot great, are accurate, easy to carry, I load a 90g fmj on top of 2.2 g reddot. What got me thinking about it was last week I was cruising through the backwaters (aka swamps) in a kayak and slid up on a 3' alligator gar.
These are nasty critters that are not something you want to play with so what the hell,I took aim with my PP and shot him in the head.

Chttp://www.nanfa.org/akiweb/762.JPG


He flipped, flopped, went round in circles, torpedoed up on the bank, flopped a few more times then was still. Then I'll be damned if he didn't flip around and swim off. I guess European criminals aren't as tough as Alabama alligator gar.

rk

RK, Could it be you thought you shot him? There is a visual refractory in water that will spoil your aim. It is quite severe and as such it would throw off even a close shot. Of course you may be aware of this...My Father always carried a Colt 1908 .25 auto in his jacket pocket. He said it was better than pointing your finger...
Jerry Burney

I hit him. The barrel of the gun wasn't six inches from his head. They cruise right under the surface in black swamp water looking for something to chow down on. Kayaks pull about 3" of water, plus I was gliding through a weed infested log filled creek. He came from my right at an angle to the boat so I just pulled my paddle in and he came right up to me. I could see the hole in him as he torpedoed up on the bank.

rk

RK, the old sergeant I had for a pistol instructor always said. "With calibers less than 45 pull the trigger until it goes click click."

Roadkill,

I hunted Gar in a john boat for years in my youth. I normally shot them with a bow and arrow rig on a recurve bow with a Zebco reel attached and reeled them on board my john boat. Gar are tough. I would beat them with an oar, while avoiding their teeth, until I killed them. Or at least stunned the buggers. All a part of the fun and excitement of Gar fishing. A simple shot to the head is not going to kill 'em, they have a little tiny brain. Most of it is primitive brain on a Gar, so don't be shootin' them with a pistol of any calibre unless you want a fight on your hands. It just pisses them off. My cousins used to say they would not die until sundown or when you put them on the fire... whichever came first.

Actually, the 7,65 made a pretty good police round in Europe. Decent penetration and not a lot of weight. Better than the .38 S&W police round that was normal in the US during the 1930s. As a retired policeman, I went from .38 Special to 357 Magnum to 9mm to .40 cal. Each has its own merits and drawbacks. Really, the .32 ACP is not too bad a round on people, depending upon shot placement. Don't judge it by shooting fish.

The old Tex-Mex singer Freddy Fender was on the Johnny Carson show years ago. He said that all he wanted to do was go home and fish for Alligator Gar. Carson asked what kind of tackle he used to catch them. Freddy said" A roll of baling wire and a .22 pistol."

Good to know, I guess. So my shooting him in the head just put me at risk by aggravating him? Anyway
I got this critter a weeek or so ago, 55g .223 sp in the chest then had to track him about 75 yds in the rocks before I found him. Using a fawn bleat and he came in so fast I had to let him run by and call him back.

http://www.hunt101.com/img/394544.jpg

rk

I know six inches may not seem like alot, but water will also slow down a bullet quite a bit. Water just can't get out of the way fast enough. Mythbusters did an interesting episode on the topic. I can't remember exactly, but I think 3ft was the limit for high velocity such as rifles and up to 8ft for most pistol calibres.

All I can add to this is:
If the SHTF I would rather have a good .32 in my hand than my C***.
Remember rule #1 of gunfighting.

Dave, Brings to mind the old adage. "Never bring a knife to a gunfight."

If I recall correctly. Skeeter Skelton said that if all he had to carry was a good .32 Auto. He would load the mag alternately with FMJ and Silver tip HP, for a combination of expansion and penetration.

In one of my old Guns&Ammo annuals there is a comparison test on .380 vs .32 ACP. The .32 ACP actually out performed the .380 in penetration with all types of ammo, and had better stopping power.

Ron,

The 380 has never cut the mustard IMHO; gimme a 45 ACP, 7.65 or 22 mag, in that order. Have no experience with the 40 autos; my son likes his H&K, tho.

Tom A

Hi Tom,

I have a scoped Ruger PC 4. 40 S&W Police carbine. It is very accurate at 100 yds. I like the 40S&W a lot. Have had a couple of hand guns. Colt Delta Elite and S&W that the CHP was using pre-Glock, I Have forgotten the model# ,and a Glock that jammed on a regular basis. Both Colt and S&W shot well, but I still favor the 1911 or Sig 220 in .45 ACP.

Ron

Just for what it's worth , I generally keep my 7.65 m/m PP on hand for home defence .It is about the only pistol I have that my wife can operate the slide . I would prefer to keep my Colt 1911 or RemRand A1 out & ready but the wife just can't jack the slide on them. I am a Big fan of the 45 auto and its ledgendary stopping power , but I also remeber reading that the 32 auto has acceptable penetration power for self defence . With the criminal elements alot of times juiced up on meth , crack etc. Woild the 32 auto still be considered to be a reliable home/self defence weapon ? What are your thoughts guys ?
Shawn Grear

If I was to select a home defense weapon it would be no smaller than 12 guage.

--Dwight

Well I'll jump out on this limb and see who cuts it off. If I knew I was going to have to defend myself with a gun I would take up a 12ga and be happy with my choice. Now for the real world. You never know when you may need a firearm,so if I can I will carry my 1911 in .45 and feel all warm and fuzzy with that choice. BUT there are times that a 1911 cannot be carried out of sight and I need some thing smaller. Thats when I pick up my little North American Arms in .32. You can hide it in almost any garb you have on. Now do I feel all warm and fuzzy defending me and mine with the little .32? NO. But as I stated before, The first rule of gunfighting is. Have a gun!

Dave,

Pretty much how I look at it. If I should happen to walk in on a Meth freak holding up the corner Quicky Mart. I would be happy to have my Walther PP .32 in my pocket.

Well, I carried a .32 (7,65) Walther PPK as my back-up pistol for over 20 years as a cop on the street. Sometimes it was my primary pistol stuck in a pocket in plain clothing when concealment was the main issue and a "police" gun was not a smart choice for primary armament. Actually, the PPK was/is an Eagle/C, so it was a WWII issue Polizei Pistole-kurz but the bad guys never knew the irony of that nomenclature. Now that I am retired it still fits in my pocket when I don't want to wear a holster.

A trained person can stop a great big burly man with the swipe of a credit card if necessary. It is a poor workman who blames his tools. As Pipeman says, always bring a gun to a gunfight (or a knife fight for that matter) and one you are familiar with and know how to use properly.

I like bigger calibers better, but my cheapie Kel-Tec (has never failed to feed/fire) in .32 ACP weighs next to nothing and is concealable in our extremely hot weather.

I've very fond of things .32. I've found them accurate and reliable.

My carry gun is a snub Colt cobra .38 special. Small, light, never fails to fire. Giving a woman an auto for a personal defense weapon is a poor choice and would probably get her killed if she needed it. I have observed trained Police Officers on the range in Yuma on many occasions. Invariably some of them in the line either forget there is no cartridge in the chamber or that the safety is on. These are people who frequently train with their auto weapon and are supposedly familiar with it's operation. Watching these fellows I have chuckled on occasion but in a real life confrontation it could be deadly.
Even though my little Colt Cobra will only hold 6 rounds I am confident of getting off the first one quickly with 100% surety.
If trained Police Officers have difficulty with the intracacies of the Auto pistol in training, what chance do you think your Wife might have as someone is battering down the door. One must make wise choices when considering self defense...Jerry Burney

Jerry I agree with you on the wife's carry gun. My wife has a S&W Model 60, 38 spl. I personally like my compact Springfield Armory 45. None of them are much use unless you practice on a fairly regular basis. I think this is particularly true for women. Chances are a handgun in a night stand unfired for several years, will not help much in an emergency. If you can't go to a range at least have loading and unloading practice regularly. The best firearm regardless of caliber is the one you are very familar with. Bill