Author Topic: Best Self Defense Ammo for a .32 ACP (Read 4558 times)

Mrserenity · « **on:** July 17, 2004, 02:37:49 AM »

Hi! I'm new to the semi-auto gun world. I recently had a .22 to practice with but it jammed constantly. But I did gain some knowledge with it. Now I moved up to a .32 acp. So, i'm writing to see if anyone has an opinion on the best ammo to use for self defense. I hear about the Winchester 60 gr. silver tips JHP. I also heard somewhere that they are not reliable as they use to be. the quality has gone down and they jam. So, they were talking about using .71 grain ball (FMJ). Now I know JHP's are good because they transfer the bullets energy into the body. Is the .71 grain better for self defense? What recommendations do you have? Thanks!

Savage · « **Reply #1 on:** July 17, 2004, 05:48:37 AM »

Welcome!
My experience with the 32ACP is limited to the kel tec P-32. If you are using a longer barrelled pistol your results may vary. I have owned two P-32s since they first became available in my area, bout mid 98. I played with several brands of ammo using the only medium available to me.(wet phone books) The Silvertips penetrated about 3" in the phone books, which was better than anything else I tested other than gold dots which performed about the same. All of the hollowpoints expanded rather dramatically as you would expect in this medium. The FMJ Seller & Belot went all the way thru the book, about 5" and were lost in the ground. The only value of this type of testing is to compare the various ammo against the others in the same medium, and is largely useless for anything else.As a result of this testing I carried either Silvertips or Gold Dots with every other round a FMJ to improve the odds of adequate penetration with this low powered round. Sure was fun playing with it! Now it's time to do the same thing with my P-3ATs and the .380 rounds!
Savage

papajohn428 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 17, 2004, 07:25:45 AM »

I agree with Savage, since a .32 is pretty limited in power, a mix of HP's and ball sounds like a good compromise. Gold Dots and Silvertips are good in other calibers, but make sure they feed okay in your gun, anything that jams is to be avoided like the plague! :eek:

You might want to think about a bigger caliber when you can afford it. My bottom line caliber is a .380, and I don't have that much faith in it. I bought one six weeks ago, then supplemented it with a .357 and a shotgun!

PJ the Careful

Robert357 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 17, 2004, 08:49:38 PM »

Nifty. I think that a 32 Auto, while not in the same class as my 357 mag with 180 grain bullets in front of a +P+handload, is still a respectable handgun that should not be dismissed.

One advantage is a lot of very concealable pistols. I collect 32 Auto's (aka 32 ACP) manufactured prior to WW-1. I particularly like Colt 1903's, FN Brownings and Savage 32's.

If you are a fan of Marshal and Sanow (I am not as I like heavy bullets) they think pretty highly of the old Silvertip, rating it a 66%, which is about what they rate the 38 Special, which has been a respected police handgun for decades and decades. Oh course the 32 Auto has been a respected European police handgun for decades and decades.....

http://www.handloads.com/misc/stoppingpower.asp

Another way to get a feel for different 32 Auto ammo and its performance is to see some comparision tests.....Steve's Page has some interesting comparisions

http://stevespages.com/page8f32acp.html

The CorBon, Fiocchi, and Speer look pretty interesting in this comparison. The Winchester Silvertip looks a bit anemic, but still respectable.

My advice would be to buy a box each of CorBon, Fiocchi JHP, Speer GD, and Winchester Silver Tips, take them to the range over several trips and see what your particular firearm will shoot best with no feeding/jaming problems. And remember that for many years police on the other side of the Atlantic felt comfortable with a 32 Auto at their side. Also for decades in the US, the gun writers all claimed that a 32 Auto SeeCamp was THE backup gun of choice for everyone who had a brain. They aren't supper powerful, but they are still respectable.

Yankee Reloader · « **Reply #4 on:** July 18, 2004, 04:38:41 AM »

I have the P32 and have had great success and very good accuracy from the Speer gold dots. Seems Winchester is having some QC problems lately as being posted in the self defense gun forum and the 32ACP is one of the problem rounds. Various calibers having Squibs, dead primers, one even noted different powder in the same lot of ammo after pulling bullets to check for problems! The gold dot ammo has always seemed to work well for me and ballistically speaking you wont do much better if at all.

GR · « **Reply #5 on:** July 18, 2004, 05:04:42 AM »

Get some ball.

RollTide · « **Reply #6 on:** July 18, 2004, 12:45:50 PM »

I have had 100% reliability with Silver Tips in my NAA Guardian. I carry all Silver Tips all the time. In cases where more penetration is needed like hard barriers and heavy clothes, the hollowpoint seems to get closed off and act like a FMJ anyway. As others have stated, it is the same as a 38 special and 380 in stopping power, at least so close as to make the difference insignificant. I can carry my NAA Guardian ANYWHERE as long as I have a pocket or a belt. I can carry the gun in my front pocket and as many as 4 ten round magazines in my back pocket ( in case I get get attacked by a whole herd of mice.)

The 32 ACP is definitely a multiple tap proposition, but since rate of fire is fast due to modest recoil, that is not a problem. Accuracy is also very good for the little NAA Guardian.

The Corbon ammo is more powerful, but penetrates less especially on hard surfaces. It is not 100% reliable in my NAA. ANd most importantly it is significantly slower in rate of fire due to sharp recoil. That is why I have stayed with the Silvertips. If I start getting squibs with the Silvertips at some point, I will of course have to change to something else, probably the Gold Dot.

I carry the 32 more often than anything else. My next step up is an AMT Backup in 40 S&W (almost identical overall dimensions as the Kahr MK40.) It will fit in my dress pants pocket, but it is so heavy I usually carry it on my belt.

Mikey · « **Reply #7 on:** July 19, 2004, 02:14:18 AM »

Mrserenity: the 32 acp is a surprising little fella and somewhat underrated on this side of the big pond but not by any means insufficient. It will sometimes penetrate further than you might expect. As it has been said, the European Police used it for many years and many probably continue to carry that caliber.

I have a tendency to avoid the use of hollowpoints or soft nosed bullet in small caliber guns because they don't always penetrate as deeply as needed. The 32 acp might not be a bone smashing proposition but any bullet that penetrates deeply enough to hit bone and possible break one or impart its energy to that bone will often get better results than one that expands violently but does not penetrate.

Any small caliber gun carries a multiple shot requirement and as long as you are aware of that and practice for that contingency you should be just fine. Personally I prefer the 71 or 73 grain ball ammo and forget about hps or softnoses. Sometimes you can find 32 acp in 77 gn ball and that's a good shot, so to speak.

There are a number of really nice used Walther PPs available now in the 32 acp and if I had the room on my permit I would love to get one - I'd stuff it with ball, get an extra mag or two and feel quite comfrotable with it. HTH. Mikey.

strider72 · « **Reply #8 on:** July 19, 2004, 04:58:29 PM »

Whatever works 100% in your gun. I have had better luck with Gold Dots,Silvertips and Fed. HPs than S&B FMJ. Apparently my P32 will not set off the hard S&B primers reliably. Bummer, I like the S&B load,it is a hot little number.

Ed Harris · « **Reply #9 on:** July 20, 2004, 05:44:57 AM »

While the JHPs such as the Winchester Silvertip get great reviews in the gun rags, many .32 ACP pistols REFUSE to feed anything other than FMJ ball ammo.

In the limited testing which I have done in Browning M1922, Walther PP, HSc, Beretta M1935 and M70 pistols, NONE of the available JHP rounds I tested, which included Silvertip, Gold Dot, Hornady XTP, MagTech and PMC would function with anything even approaching acceptable reliability.

My M1935 Beretta will feed cast SWC bullets with utter reliability (for practice I use the Saeco #325 with 1.8 grs. of Bullseye and have shot HUNDREDS of rounds), but will not feed Silvertips at all. They stub and bugger up on the feedramp.

The JHPs out there which work with fair reliability are the MagTech, Hornady XTP, Federal Hydra-Shok and the Speer Gold Dot. But you can still bet on getting at least one bobble out of a box of 20 or 25. Not acceptable!

I should also note that much of the US manufactured FMJ ammunition is anemic compared to European ammunition, and may not reliably function in older WWII-era. militaries. While US ammo is "claimed" to be 905 f.p.s. with a 71-gr. bullet, my chronograph results in M70 and M1935 Berettas range from 830-850 f.p.s.

The only ammos I found which have proven 100% reliable, all the time in all the guns were either Fiocchi or RWS-Geco FMJ hardball. The Czech S-B hardball was also OK, but less accurate. All three reliably clocked 900+ f.p.s. from my pistols.

In my opinion none of the .32 ACP JHP loads provide adequate penetration for defense. The 12-15" of water jug penetration often cited equates to only 8-10" of gelatin and isn't enough. My tests of .32 ACP hardball ranged from five (denting the far side of the jug) to six (exiting but not perforationg the next) 1/2 gallon water jugs, or 18-24" of water, which approximates 14-18 inches of gelatin, which is aceptable.

If limited to a minimum bulk carry gun of marginal energy, the bullet must penetrate deeply enough to reach vital organs and you must rely on marksmanship and the effect of rapid multiple hits to have effect.

An old salt I knew had combat experience comparing an M1911 in side-by-side use with an M1922 Browning in .32 ACP wielded by his ROC first mate against multiple knife-wielding swimmers trying to board his "research vessel" in the South China Sea. He said that the .32 did just fine, but Harry was still glad that he had his .45!

Buckeye · « **Reply #10 on:** July 21, 2004, 05:05:56 PM »

Cor-Bon

Buckeye

Savage · « **Reply #11 on:** July 21, 2004, 11:45:18 PM »

With the exception of a hit to the CNS, I have little faith in any pratical handgun cartridge to stop a deterimed assailant. Especially one that's chemically stimulated. I have little faith in "Fuller Index" or any of the other studies on handgun stopping power. There are simply too many variables. The only value the penetration tests have is to compare various projectiles in the same medium. I think shock is the big factor in the majority of "one shot stops"-------not the shock created by the projectile, but the "Oh s--t-------I'm shot!!" type of shock. I suspect ball is about as good as it gets in these small calibers.

Savage

Savage · « **Reply #12 on:** July 22, 2004, 12:14:34 PM »

A friend and I split a 1000rds of the S&B for out P-32s. Function was flawless, except for the hard primer problem like Strider had. Some of the rounds required several strikes to fire. Too bad, that is a nice little round!

Savage

dawei · « **Reply #13 on:** July 22, 2004, 01:43:58 PM »

Quote from: Mrserenity

Hi! I'm new to the semi-auto gun world. I recently had a .22 to practice with but it jammed constantly. But I did gain some knowledge with it. Now I moved up to a .32 acp. So, i'm writing to see if anyone has an opinion on the best ammo to use for self defense. I hear about the Winchester 60 gr. silver tips JHP. I also heard somewhere that they are not reliable as they use to be. the quality has gone down and they jam. So, they were talking about using .71 grain ball (FMJ). Now I know JHP's are good because they transfer the bullets energy into the body. Is the .71 grain better for self defense? What recommendations do you have? Thanks!

Knowing what kind of gun you have would help. A former girl friend used a Beretta 3032 (Tomcat); with 60gr Gold Dot® it was absolutely awesome! (Maybe that's why she is now a FORMER girlfriend!) :-D YMMV.

Mrserenity · « **Reply #14 on:** July 26, 2004, 05:50:42 PM »

Thanks for all of your advice. I see most of the advice leaning towards FMJ for penetration over the JHP. By the way, I have a Guardian .32 acp.

NRAJOE · « **Reply #15 on:** July 28, 2004, 09:24:58 AM »

Products/Services
.32 ACP 60g Hornady XTP HP
New .32 ACP ammunition with the very excellent 60g Hornady XTP-HP at 1000FPS. While this is not the first choice for a defense caliber, most 32's make for a great back-up gun, or when dress requires it. This load is quite powerful for it's size and expansion is excellent. 25 rounds per box Price: $8.75
each

.32 ACP 60g Speer Gold-Dot HP
New .32 ACP ammunition with the very excellent 60g Speer Gold-dot HP at 1000FPS. While this is not the first choice for a defense caliber, most 32's make for a great back-up gun, or when dress requires it. This load is quite powerful for it's size. 25 rounds per box. Price: $8.00
each

.32 ACP 85g Hornady XTP HP
New .32 ACP ammunition with the very excellent 85g XTP at 850FPS. While this is not the first choice for a defense caliber, most 32's make for a great back-up gun, or when dress requires it. This load is quite powerful for it's size. 25 rounds per box Price: $8.70
each

https://secure16.websitecomplete.com/reed1911/shop/showDept.asp?dept=354

Tacoma · « **Reply #16 on:** July 29, 2004, 07:21:43 AM »

You might check out magsafe fragmenting rounds. They are famous for putting the energy from smallish rounds to good use. I remember reading about a test where they shot 165 goats with a selection of defence ammo in various calibers and noted drop times. ( Tests were called Strausberg tests (sp?) and were reported in one of the major gun rags.) The results were interesting ( unless you were a goat) in that the .25 through .38 magsafes seemed as effective as 45 ball in dropping the critters.

Mrserenity · « **Reply #17 on:** August 13, 2004, 08:57:09 AM »

Hi, I recently shot my Guardian .32 acp. I used FMJ and Silver Tips JHP. I had no problem with either. No jams. It's a great little gun. However, i'm considering moving up to the Guardian .380. But I still love my old "Scattergun". It's been with me since the beginning. My 20 gauge single shot break open youth model shotgun. Simple and everlasting!

Dr64 · « **Reply #18 on:** August 13, 2004, 02:38:45 PM »

Another 32 ACP that you might want to take a look at is the RCBD Performance Plus Ammo

www.rcbd.net

Has a ball type tip, for those guns that do not like the hollow-points.

Zero

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #19 on:** August 13, 2004, 10:54:43 PM »

personaly i wouldnt want to trust my life with any .32 loads. Ill stick with a compact .45

Smokem · « **Reply #20 on:** August 26, 2004, 01:24:24 AM »

I have a Kel-Tec P32. I bought it because I wanted something that I WOULD carry all the time. I have .38's, .357's, 9mm's, 40's, and 45's. They are all great guns. But what good is gun if it's home because it's too uncomfortable to carry all the time. My .32 goes every where and with any type of clothing. We are brought up being taught that you can kill with a .22. So the .32 will be just fine. Most hostile situations are within 20ft. And if you engage at distances more that that you could be in for a tough legal battle. I was taught that if you use or show your weapon in a situation you better be ready for a huge legal battle that will make your head spin. I carry and hope that I will never have to use it.
JM$.02.

Robert357 · « **Reply #21 on:** August 26, 2004, 05:59:46 AM »

I collect old (especially pre WW-1) 32 Autos. I have found this thread very interesting.

I really respect Ed Harris' opinions and experience. I want to thank him for his observations on several 32 Auto's and their problems with HP ammo. Last weekend, I took an old box of Winchester 32 Auto Silvertips and one of my Colt Model 1903's out to the range (along with some other handguns in other calibers).

I had remembered not having any feeding problems with the Winchester Silvertips, and my experience over the weekend confirmed it, at least in my newest Colt 1903 (mfg 1920).

Having said that, I am sure that I could find something tucked away in my gun safe that doesn't like anything but FMJ 32 Auto bullets. I have quite a bit of S&B 32 Auto FMJ ammo, and would agree with Ed that I find it a good and most reasonably priced ammo out there. I also like to handload for 32 Auto.

Obviously, any firearm that has any kind of self protection roll, needs to be absolutely reliable in its operation with the intended ammo. So it is important that one fire lots of ammo (i.e. practice, practice, practice) with that firearm/ammo combination.

At the next major gun show, in late October in my area, I may buy a several boxes of Silvertips and do a range report on feed reliability for some of the more exotic 32 Auto's like the Savage Model 1907 and the 32 Auto's great grand-daddy, the FN model 1900.

From what I have read, John M. Browning favorite handgun to plink with was the Colt Model 1903 in 32ACP. Maybe it was because he liked the his 1903 design its cementing of his relationship with Colt or maybe it was the 32 ammo he also helped design as well. No matter the reason, I figure that anything that was good enough to be J. M. Browning's favorite handgun to shoot should be good enough for me to enjoy shooting as well.