.32 ACP better than .38 Special

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

martin6

New member
Well it seems to me that many are praising the Kel-Tec P-32. Therefore, my interest is peaked. I'm kinda interested but here is my delima. I presently use a S&W 642 stuffed with Federal Nyclad 125 grain .38+P for concealment. I thought it would be a step down in stopping power to go to the .32ACP. But, not so according to Evan Marshall. The best .32ACP turns in 63% OSS and my Nyclads turn in 62% OSS. While this is marginal at best, it is a surprise. It would seem to me that a heavier bullet and a larger caliber would be more effective than a lighter bullet and a smaller caliber (I sound like one of those .45 owners :) ). So, what would be more effective: 5 rounds of .38 Nyclads in the BG or 8 rounds of .32 Silvertips in the BG (assuming no jams)?
 
Marshall's ratings are not very useful, so it seems....his methodology is suspect.

According to my informal tests, and also based on numbers, .38 would do MUCH better than .32acp. However, P32 is much easier to hide than a Bodyguard, hence the use of it. Same logic that made a .25 Baby Browning preferable to .32 Colt Hammerless in some situations.

.32 acp is 60-73gr bullet at 850-1000fps.
.38spl is a 110-158gr bullet at 800-1050fps
revolver bullets also tend to be of more efficient designs.

My preference would be invariably for a .38spl which, IMO, is easier to shoot accurately and packs more of a wallop than for a P32...but I also know which is more likely to be handy.

My GF Michelle is adding that recoil sensitivity makes a .32 much better choice for her -- she can hit with a PPK/s but can't with a snubbie. However, a larger .32 loses any concealment advantages over a .38.

For size comparisons, look at http://dd-b.net/RKBA/p32 and also at http://dd-b.net/olegv/north

------------------
Cornered Rat
http://dd-b.net/RKBA RKBA posters
http://dd-b.net/olegv Portrait, nature photos
 
While not scientific in the least, I convinced myself very easily in a comparison of .32acp to .38spl. My wife recently bought me one of those steel spinner targets made of very heavy, thick steel so it clangs and spins when hit. first time out with it I had my Kel-Tec P-32 and several .38's, when the .38 hit it the results were very good in the clang and spin department, but the .32 wouldn't even flip the target over once.

So the next time someone asks about the "Spin & Clang Index" you can tell them you got this firsthand from the originator. :)

------------------
TJS
 
Ignore Kel-Tec's latest marketing program and stay with a proven, cost-effective winner. I am about to commit gun-heresy here but I feel very well protected with a .38 Special Snubby. I can hit at closse range with em' and they can be carried without much attention to maintenance. The S&W air weights with no exposed hammer in one of those rough-out front pocket holsters is an awsome option for someone who wears a suit of clothes and is in and out of offices all day.

------------------
"When guns are outlawed;I will be an outlaw."
 
The marketing dept is shilling for those li'l 32s which will only piss off someone who sincerely means you harm.

Their job is to sell guns, they don't care if you get killed once you bought one. Use your intellect, not your emotions. Paper bullistics can demonstrate that anything has respectable power, especially to the gullible. The 38 Special is marginal, about like 9mm Luger (nomex on! zip!!) ;) Thutty two: if it was so great, all dem ole pocket pistols would be hot property. Colts, Savages, Brownings, Walthers, Hah!! you can't give em away!

Learn to wear a belt to hold up your pants and carry a respectable piece! Sorry for the Dr. Laura impression but you need a reality check!

------------------
Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain, and most fools do.
Benjamin Franklin
 
.38 Special is God's own caliber, the number of people who have taken a torso hit with a standard pressure .38 and never got up again is endless.

On paper, by any scientific measurement the .38 Spl is superior to the .32 ACP, in reality the gap is much wider. IMHO, THE carry gun for the vasy majority of typical day to day scenarios is a good quality .38 Spl snubbie loaded with Nyclads (standard pressure OR +p), it inspires tremendous confidence both in the reliability of the gun and the caliber. Whilst snubbies tend to be snappy even with standard loads (especially for the ladies) they can be carried comfortably, modern carry rigs from Galco or Safariland make them every bit as comfortable to carry as a baby .32. Now if the comparison were to be between a snubbie and the excellent DAO Keltec P11 (with 10+1 of 9mm) as opposed to the P32 (with just 7+1 of .32) the comparison of pros and cons would be much more difficult to call.

.38 Spl still rules though :)

------------------
Mike H
 
Big G, Thanks for your criticism, condemnation, and complaints. Interesting quote by Ben Franklin :). Anyway, how do you feel the .32's and the .38's compare. My work and lifestyle does not allow me to carry a bigger gun all the time.
 
Evans and Marshall are psuedo-scientists or faux academians at best.

Yes, the .32 ACP is better than a .38 Special - in a autoloader.

------------------
Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
 
Forget the 32 ACP, get the 38 snubby, preferably the hammerless S&W centennial model. That gun was designed for carry. Nothing to snag or catch, can be fire in a confined space, like a pocket.

------------------
45 ACP: Give 'em a new navel!
 
Which one is better entirely (or mostly) depends on who's behind the trigger.
If you shoot at me, and miss, with your ungainly .50AE Desert Eagle with laser-sight and gold-plated trigger, then it's power is useless.
If you shoot me right through the eye with your fifty dollar Sat.Nite.Special .22, that's all the stopping power you need.

The point is: Choose whatever gun (caliber, action type, bells & whistles) you can shoot well.
In the gunshop (where I work) I hear some of the saleman telling the 100lb, 5'0", small-handed woman that "the minimum you need is a .357 or .40 S&W to stop an assailant". These guys are doing more to endanger her life than to help her protect herself. And I tell them so. I tell her too.
Yes, if you can shoot (and conceal) the .40 as well as the .22, then by all means pick the forty.
But, if you can't hit the BG, then he'll keep coming at you, take your gun from you and show you how it's done.
FWIW, -Kframe
 
I agree the .38 is the hands down winner as far as stopping power. However, the .32 that you have with you is better than the .38 at home.
My suggestion is to keep the 642, and buy the .32. Carry it as a back up to the 642, and if you absolutely can't carry the .38, at least you have something to put in your pocket.
 
martin6,

Stick with the .38! I will soon have my Colt .38 Snubby and it will be my backup carry gun. .38 Spl, like someone else said is a heavier and bigger round, and also delivers more foot-pounds (250 compared with 130) of energy than the .32 ACP. It's just too small for me to feel comfortable carrying it. A snubbie .38 is fun to shoot!

------------------
"Liberty or death, What we so proudly hail... Once you provoke Her, rattling of Her tail- Never begins it, NEVER- But once engaged never surrenders, showing the fangs of rage. DON'T TREAD ON ME!!

[This message has been edited by Darthmaum (edited November 09, 1999).]
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top