Death Wish .32 effective

[bearcatter]

Just watched the original Death Wish again the other day. In it a doctor describes .32 bullets removed from two muggers. Curious, I looked up the movie gun. Stock photo, but looks like Paul Kersey's (Charles Bronson) gun. Nickel plate with pearl grips.

A Colt Police Positive in .32 S&W Long. Roughly equal to the .32 ACP. In the movie he kills ten muggers with it. Good "evidence" of .32 being enough for SD... ...

[Canoeal]

I always thought a .32 H&R mag, with a 4" barrel like that would be enough for me...

[bearcatter]

In the recent remake with Bruce Willis, Kersey has a Glock. That figures, can't have him use a wimpy old .32 Colt these days. I haven't seen it, though.

[linux_author]

just saw a Colt .32S&W in a LGS the other day... the bluing was shot (some fool had really munged the finish), but the action was smooth and it didn't look like it had a lot of rounds through it

willie
on the Gulf of Mexico

[autofull]

when ya watch those 30-40,s movies they always seemed to work ok.

[top dog]

Linux,
Well??? Did you buy that Colt???  Sounds like you could have made a good deal and then,if you wanted too,send it off to a quality reblue shop to be restored.

Just my thoughts.  No sense in having a nice piece of history languish on the shelf.

                                                                                        Top Dog

[Dinadan]

I could be wrong, but I am under the impression that the .32 Long was pretty much standard LEO issue for decades before WWII. It is one of my favorite rounds to shoot, though admittedly I have not tested it on any bad guys.

[linux_author]

Linux,
Well??? Did you buy that Colt???  Sounds like you could have made a good deal and then,if you wanted too,send it off to a quality reblue shop to be restored.

Just my thoughts.  No sense in having a nice piece of history languish on the shelf.

                                                                                        Top Dog

had i the spare dinero i might have ... but my off-the-cuff estimate would be a minimal $700 on purchase and restoration (i'm guessing top-notch finish and blue runs about $300; shop wanted $365, but i could have picked up for less)

willie
on the Gulf of Mexico

[autofull]

funny how the in the day calibers worked so well. thats what they used and people died. i think that era was really into shot placement myself.

[pietro]

funny how the in the day calibers worked so well.

thats what they used and people died.

i think that era was really into shot placement myself.

More likely trauma treatment for humans has improved on an epic scale since then.............


.

[riadat]

.32 long is about 100 grain bullet at 750 fps.  Not the end all be all, but a piece of lead will kill you.

[Oddball]

Its not the gun's effectiveness that matters as much as the shooters'.
I frequently carry a Tomcat in 32acp and because of that I practice with it, a lot.
I positive I can dump a magazine of 32 into an assailant's face quicker than he knows what's happening to him.
If I need to be more discreet I have a Bobcat in 22. It'll do the job because I did mine and practiced.
The too small a caliber arguments are mostly macho bs for the common man only worried about personal defense.
Long live small caliber handguns!

[barrytheprof]

I was reading up on the Tomcat last night, and it seems there's a lot of complaints about them developing cracks in the frame. Have you noticed anything like that, or heard about it?

[Oddball]

Mine has over 1000 rounds through it easily. I'm aware of the problem and where the crack normally occurs and kept an eye on it.
I've regularly fired hot 32 ammo, hotter than recommended actually and it's doing ok. No +P stuff but European stuff that's loaded hotter than what we do here in the US.

[LHB]

I'm going to say that the original guns did crack frames, the the newer wide body frames are stronger.  But you know how it is, if one person has a problem, and spreads the word, everyone who doesn't have any  experience with the issue will still repeat the "fact". 

[bearcatter]

I understand the frames are the same. The new slide being wider and heavier slows it down, lessening the impact of the slide on the frame. IMHO, they should have changed the frame to stainless, eliminating any need for ammo restrictions. The extra weight wouldn't be any worse than the heavier slide added. Keeping the original slide would be more concealable, too.

[RogueTS1]

The Beretta Tom Cats and Bob Cats ( .32 acp, .25 acp & .22 lr ) lend themselves very well to hosting a can. I really like them for this reason, amongst many others. They are fabulous little pistols. 

[Boisesteve]

Bearcat, always remember, what you "see" in a movie is FICTION. It's an illusion, no more fact-based than a magic trick. It is not evidence of anything beyond what the script writer wanted to say.
Having thus proven myself to be an offensive jerk, I'll also note that most of the shooting-related deaths I saw while working in the ER for 20 years (mid-'70's to mid-90's) were 22LR. Shot placement. So... .32 can be as effective as that!
Steve in Boise

[bearcatter]

You didn't see in my OP,"Good "evidence" of .32 being enough for SD... ... " ?

I know about Hollywood phony baloney.....

[Boisesteve]

Yup, missed the quotes. My bad. Sorry, Bearcat.
But I'm a setup for missing it: we got rid of our tv 10 years ago, and basically never go to movies anymore.
Spouse and I both got tired of being emotionally programmed by hollywood.
Be well buddy, Steve in Boise

[bearcatter]

You're cool, Steve. Somewhere I've collected enough evidence in my head that I'm trusting a Guardian 32 for SD. So I can't "wink, wink" about that. I'm not going to be comfortable carrying anything bigger, and "in the pocket" beats "left at home".

[OV-1D]

Yup, missed the quotes. My bad. Sorry, Bearcat.
But I'm a setup for missing it: we got rid of our tv 10 years ago, and basically never go to movies anymore.
Spouse and I both got tired of being emotionally programmed by hollywood.
Be well buddy, Steve in Boise

   DANG STEVE I can't conceive living a life without commercials .

[Boisesteve]

Right you are, Bearcat!  The gun you have with you is MUCH more useful than the gun at home in the closet.
(An off-duty police officer at a public gathering was noticed by a friend of his to be wearing an off-duty revolver.  The friend asked if the officer was expecting trouble.  The officer replied, "no, if I was expecting trouble I'd have my rifle.")
I carry a 22mag  1 5/8" mini for the exact same reason, and have for decades. With practice, your Guardian becomes an extension of your will, and will serve you very well.

OV, I see the winking emojis.      
The only tv I ever see is at a local bar and it kinda drives me nuts.  I find it hard to pay attention to anything else with that ____ing screen up there. Hypnotic.  And I understand completely the irony in what the networks call their 'programming'.
Interestingly, even back in school in the early '70's, if I went into a patient's room that had a tv on, I'd ask that it be turned off I had anything even remotely complex to do.
Steve in Boise

[Canoeal]

Yep, the same for my BW; always with me...

[LHB]

The Underappreciated .32 Magnums

https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2019/5/30/the-underappreciated-32-magnums/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=insider&utm_campaign=0619

[PaducahMichael]

I have a Ruger Single Six in .32 H&R Mag. It's a sweet shooter!

[Uncle_Lee]

Beautiful...