Rando question: Why .32 in the "olden days"?

[nagantoid]

I drive a lot at work and Listen to Old time radio Pod casts. Johnny Dollar and Sam Spade all those are very cool. You can get sucked in and feel like it’s 1935 again. They are very cool. They even play old commercials Viceroy ciggeretts and What not Blue ribbon beer

yeah, I have hundreds of hours of those old time radio programs downloaded from the Internet Archive. The Whistler, Escape, etc etc.

 

[MrSmitty]

I keep hearing that the .32 is underpowered, and won't penetrate, fine, but it will still make a hole, and nobody wants a hole in their body, or to leak fluids. I like the .32 and will keep carrying mine..

 

[Brad69]

I will tell my .32 story.

My Grandfather was a Mexican expedition and WW1 veteran he bought his own personal 1903 colt in .32 with 2 extra mags.

He was in the “Liberty Division“ one night they were attacking German foxholes. He jumped into a hole that had two Germans in it. They grabbed his rifle away from him he drew his 1903 and ended the fight.

So if wasn’t for a .32 I would not be here. My Uncle still has the pistol my Father had it stripped down and cleaned in the 80’s.

Its in great shape and still shoots good.

 

[possumpacker]

Way back when to small carry guns were only available in small caliber. With modern day technology you can get a small gun in 9mm or even 45acp

 

[Slow Hand]

Don’t forget the .32-20, it’ll cut you half in two…



.32-20 Blues by Robert Johnson

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I keep hearing that the .32 is underpowered, and won't penetrate, fine, but it will still make a hole, and nobody wants a hole in their body, or to leak fluids. I like the .32 and will keep carrying mine..

It's the floor for a reliable suicide gun. Just watch your angles if you don't want to flop around for a couple hours.

 

[MrSmitty]

It's the floor for a reliable suicide gun. Just watch your angles if you don't want to flop around for a couple hours.

If I were to die because of a .32, it will be surrounded by empty .32 brass....not by my hand...

 

[Slow Hand]

It's the floor for a reliable suicide gun. Just watch your angles if you don't want to flop around for a couple hours.

Hell, plenty of people have met their end due to a .22. My dad has a .22 bolt action with odd rust marks on the barrel and scotch tape on the stock with evidence room markings from a distant cousin who couldn’t handle it anymore…

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Hell, plenty of people have met their end due to a .22. My dad has a .22 bolt action with odd rust marks on the barrel and scotch tape on the stock with evidence room markings from a distant cousin who couldn’t handle it anymore…

Sure. I've seen some successes with a .25 as well. And a failure with a 12g. Never claimed something smaller couldn't be fatal or something bigger would always do the job.

 

[Ark]

Lots of great replies in this thread. 32 was the way to go for small pistols for a VERY long time. Toting around large .45s was as uncommon back then as it is now, and people didn't like snappy calibers any more than now.

Just like today, hits count and misses don't. Power doesn't mean anything if you're putting it into dirt and not targets. 32 was a caliber that minimally trained users could make hits with, and it functioned in simple and affordable guns that were easy to carry.

My 1903 is a heck of a lot better in a fight than no gun at all. It's very easy to shoot, reliable (now that I fixed it), and gets hits at defensive ranges. The criteria for my 2024 carry guns isn't much different.

 

[LtScott14]

My Grandfather owned a S&W 32 long Revolver. Had a J Frame grip with a 3 in barrel in blue steel. He always took it in his RV motorhome on vacation.
I was around 10 years old, and he let me shoot it in the back yard. The pumpkin we had as a target just exploded when hit.
He went on a vacation, had a flat tire and a repair truck came out to fix the tire. He paid the guy, and when we got to campground, Grandpa looked for his revolver, and was gone with his watch and a box of ammo. Called the Sheriff, who found the repairman, but no gun or other stuff.
Grandpa bought a 12 ga shotgun, sawed the barrel and grip short( prolly illegal as all were), but it replaced the 32 revolver.
My first revolver was a S&W M10, 4in bbl, 38 spec. No 32 cal for me.

 

[Slow Hand]

My Grandfather owned a S&W 32 long Revolver. Had a J Frame grip with a 3 in barrel in blue steel. He always took it in his RV motorhome on vacation.
I was around 10 years old, and he let me shoot it in the back yard. The pumpkin we had as a target just exploded when hit.
He went on a vacation, had a flat tire and a repair truck came out to fix the tire. He paid the guy, and when we got to campground, Grandpa looked for his revolver, and was gone with his watch and a box of ammo. Called the Sheriff, who found the repairman, but no gun or other stuff.
Grandpa bought a 12 ga shotgun, sawed the barrel and grip short( prolly illegal as all were), but it replaced the 32 revolver.
My first revolver was a S&W M10, 4in bbl, 38 spec. No 32 cal for me.

I just picked up an older Rossi, 3” .32 SWL. Looking forward to shooting it soon.

 

[Slow Hand]

Sure. I've seen some successes with a .25 as well. And a failure with a 12g. Never claimed something smaller couldn't be fatal or something bigger would always do the job.

Except the .45. All fall to hardball!! . Two Whurld Wurz!!

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

Just putting it out there that I'm still available for adoption, should any of you .32 hoarders need an heir....

 

[Leadeye]

Just putting it out there that I'm still available for adoption, should any of you .32 hoarders need an heir....

You need to find this guy.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

You need to find this guy.

View attachment 364354

Daddy? Zat you?

 

[700 LTR 223]

Bought a 32 Auto on an impulse buy back in 2022. Already having a PPK/S in both 22lr and 380 had a lot to do with buying it and I figured I could get probably make money on it if I didn't like it.

Came with an old box of Federal ammo too and the old alligator box. It is a 1969 German made gun.
Anyway the gun was amazingly soft shooting and quite accurate at the 7 yard line.

 

[BigMoose]

Just remember 7.65 Browning (32 auto), is the one true caliber.