Favorite .32 ACP defense round?

[Captain O]

I agree that they will kill but there is a huge difference between the needs of an assassin and self defense. An assassin just puts a bullet in your ear. In self defense, the intent is to disable and contain.

My point is that you didn't address the main question. All you did was make smart remarks. The man that ignores a man with a .32 ACP, thinking that he isn't an immediate threat, is dead.

The question was about our favorite .32 ACP loads, not your opinion of how effective you believe the cartridge is.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Lets remember to be "Excellent to each other."
We all have our favorite firearms and calibers...Please remember that what works for you , may not for others....Or even be of interest to them.
Which is okay ...and why we have so many firearms and caliber choices...
Andy

 

[soberups]

"Mouseguns" still kill, and quite readily. Unless you are wearing body armor, I am willing to bet that your constitution couldn't take too may well-placed Lehigh bullets.

The advice was asked about .32 ACP ammunition. You speak in useless, derisive sneers. It wasn't kind, nor is it welcome. Your smart remarks aren't appreciated.

Ok...
To answer the question posed by the original poster...
My "favorite" .32 ACP load would be the most affordable FMJ that I could find and test for reliability.
The inherent ballistic limitations of the cartridge are such that, in my opinion, it is unsuitable for self defense regardless of bullet type. My personal experience in using the cartridge to euthanize road struck deer confirms this.
If I had absolutely no choice but to rely upon one for self defense then reliable function would be my only consideration.
If you feel that an exotic bullet type makes the .32 suitable for defense, that is your opinion and you have every right to it and I truly hope that it performs well for you in that capacity should the need ever arise. But it is not a choice I would ever make for myself.

 

[Patrickffbritt]

Glaser. Nobody has survived a .32 Glaser hit to head or torso.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Glaser. Nobody has survived a .32 Glaser hit to head or torso.

Blubber doesn't bleed. Some people have a yard a blubber in front of their vitals.
Only skinny people have been shot with these magich .32 Glasers? lolz

 

[Patrickffbritt]

Just quoting the Evan Marshall study on "one shot stops"

 

[Sgt Nambu]

When I carried a .32 Seecamp I followed the Manufacturers recommendation and used Winchester Silver Tips, which functioned reliably. IMHO, everything functions reliably in a Seecamp! But, not so! About a year after purchase Seecamp contacted me saying that Winchester had backed off on the energy of the Silver Tips and they sometimes failed to eject in that pistol. They then recommended Hydra Shocks, which also functioned perfectly reliably in my pistol! These days I wouldn't carry anything less powerful than a .380, and I don't like that, preferring 9mm at the minimum. But still, being as handsome as I am I often am invited to pool parties so what are ya gonna do?

 

[bivy53]

On YouTube type in " crazy dude tests bulletproof vest to see if it works." Thugs may be idiots, but you get to see what a "wimpy" .32 is capable of. Made a believer out of me.

 

[Heyjoe]

Lehigh extreme penetrator/cavitator.
I think thats what its called.

 

[SynapticSilence]

The .32 round is, in fact, the Extreme Cavitator. Ballistic gel tests show an amazingly consistent 14-inch penetration and a huge wound channel. Basically making it ok per FBI standards. I carry the Underwood Extreme Defender rounds in all of my .380, 9mm, and .45 carry guns. It's amazingly soft shooting but boosts rounds to pretty much unheard of velocities in normal non +P loadings. The Lehigh Defense round is very similar but with somewhat reduced velocities. I have a Beretta Tomcat in .32 and am carrying it now when I never would before. And I just bought an Ortgies .32 produced in 1921 that I'm going to try them out in. It seems to have turned the .32 into a viable self-defense round based on what I've seen. It's basically almost a brand new ballistic science they've developed. Very cool.

 

[Blackcobra]

The .32 round is, in fact, the Extreme Cavitator. Ballistic gel tests show an amazingly consistent 14-inch penetration and a huge wound channel. Basically making it ok per FBI standards. I carry the Underwood Extreme Defender rounds in all of my .380, 9mm, and .45 carry guns. It's amazingly soft shooting but boosts rounds to pretty much unheard of velocities in normal non +P loadings. The Lehigh Defense round is very similar but with somewhat reduced velocities. I have a Beretta Tomcat in .32 and am carrying it now when I never would before. And I just bought an Ortgies .32 produced in 1921 that I'm going to try them out in. It seems to have turned the .32 into a viable self-defense round based on what I've seen. It's basically almost a brand new ballistic science they've developed. Very cool.

Very cool, indeed. I may elect to carry a .32 now. The question is - the Seecamp or the Beretta

 

[ZigZagZeke]

The .32 round is, in fact, the Extreme Cavitator. Ballistic gel tests show an amazingly consistent 14-inch penetration and a huge wound channel. Basically making it ok per FBI standards. I carry the Underwood Extreme Defender rounds in all of my .380, 9mm, and .45 carry guns. It's amazingly soft shooting but boosts rounds to pretty much unheard of velocities in normal non +P loadings. The Lehigh Defense round is very similar but with somewhat reduced velocities. I have a Beretta Tomcat in .32 and am carrying it now when I never would before. And I just bought an Ortgies .32 produced in 1921 that I'm going to try them out in. It seems to have turned the .32 into a viable self-defense round based on what I've seen. It's basically almost a brand new ballistic science they've developed. Very cool.

The Lehigh Defense Round is what I use in my Colt 1903 .32 acp. I watched the ballistic gel comparison test videos and was impressed with the penetration and damage done.

 

[Captain O]

The Lehigh Defense Round is what I use in my Colt 1903 .32 acp. I watched the ballistic gel comparison test videos and was impressed with the penetration and damage done.
View attachment 407744

The damage that is done as well as the low recoil is what makes the Lehigh Extreme Cavitator a top choice in the caliber. I'd like to see how it performs in the .32 H&R Magnum and the .327 Federal Magnum.

The Extreme Cavitator makes the .32 ACP a viable self-defense round. If they could load the .25 ACP with a 40-grain Lehigh bullet to between 800-900 fps it would make the little cartridge even better than it is. It is already superior to the .22 Long Rifle and has been proven more reliable "on the street". (The centerfire/rimfire debate was settled decades ago).

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Very cool, indeed. I may elect to carry a .32 now. The question is - the Seecamp or the Beretta

IIRC, my Seecamp (stainless) was significantly heavier than the Tomcat (alloy frame!) I'm not much help, I've owned both and I can't think of a failure with either! Seecamp makes a .380 now days!

I recently read that Fiochi .32's are pretty stout rounds! Anyone concur?

 

[Captain O]

IIRC, my Seecamp (stainless) was significantly heavier than the Tomcat (alloy frame!) I'm not much help, I've owned both and I can't think of a failure with either! Seecamp makes a .380 now days!

I recently read that Fiochi .32's are pretty stout rounds! Anyone concur?

Fiocchi makes some nice 73-grain FMJ loads that beat the hell out of the "watered-down" American loads. For SD, The Lehigh "Extreme Cavitator" loads are the way to go. As far as other FMJ loads are concerned, Fiocchi beats most of them.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

The damage that is done as well as the low recoil is what makes the Lehigh Extreme Cavitator a top choice in the caliber. I'd like to see how it performs in the .32 H&R Magnum and the .327 Federal Magnum.

The Extreme Cavitator makes the .32 ACP a viable self-defense round. If they could load the .25 ACP with a 40-grain Lehigh bullet to between 800-900 fps it would make the little cartridge even better than it is. It is already superior to the .22 Long Rifle and has been proven more reliable "on the street". (The centerfire/rimfire debate was settled decades ago).

My self-defense rounds in all of my pistols are the Extreme Cavitators.

 

[SynapticSilence]

Very cool, indeed. I may elect to carry a .32 now. The question is - the Seecamp or the Beretta

Love my Tomcat. Re the Seecamp, I don't have one but I do have a North American Arms Guardian in .380. I could have just bought the .32 with this ammo. But the .380 Extreme Defender round I carry in it is pretty awesome, too. Love the Guardian. It's a tiny little brick of a gun but shoots amazingly well. I'm getting ready to send it back to NAA to have Novak or XS sights machined into it. Only costs $100 but makes it something you can shoot out farther than 5-7 yards and actually hit what you're aiming at.

 

[SynapticSilence]

Here's the Ortgies 7.65 (.32) I just got today. Haven't shot it yet, but I think it was made in 1921 and looks like it came out of the factory just recently. Very cool little pistol.

 

[Heyjoe]

My justification for carrying( daily) a .32 follows:
I work construction as a carpenter. As such, I'm wearing a tool belt 6-8 hours a day. I found it very difficult to carry iwb with my bags on with anything but the slimmest most compact pistol in a viable sd caliber.

I think most would agree that just the presence of a firearm, regardless of caliber is the most important aspect of a self defense situation.

KT p32 fits the bill for me. I carry all day every day and often forget that my pistol is there. I bought it at a great price and have never had a malfunction of any kind. Videos showing the effectiveness of Lehigh cartridges have reinforced my confidence.

I get eleven rounds in a package that is smaller than my hand and thinner than my index finger. No safety, no striker and as accurate as i am.

 

[Certaindeaf]

This just came out..