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.380 vs .32 - Make mine .32!

Winchester67

Winchester67

Professional
Sure, I type up headlines to get clicks. I am told that is an interweb thing. Anyway, specifically the .380 Ruger LCP with a six round magazine and one up the pipe for seven all in. Not afraid to say, a 7 round magazine in a .45 acp 1911 is my go to. Seven plus one is plenty for a .45, but what about the little .380? And what about the older brother of the Ruger, the Kel Tec P32? With this platform you get 8 rounds total. (lots of guys will tune in to bash Kel Tec. I have one that I got from a Cop that wanted to upgrade to a .380. Cops are always broke, so I bought it from him to give him a grubstake to buy the .380. This .32 was his always with him backup, he qualified with it and it has been reliable for both of us. Like Charter Arms, get a good one and they work great. So get a good one)

Despite all the work with ammo to get a reliable .380, I am unimpressed. I would rather have the extra round of the .32 with Underwood 32 acp 55 grain Xtreme Defender Solid Monolithic. Baby rounds like this need penetration, not expansion. Because if the bullet expands, it generally does not have enough moxie to penetrate deeply enough. So I vote for the extra bullet and a .32 acp over the .380 acp. And this is basically a swimsuit gun I guess. If I have a pocket, I can carry a .38 Special, so this has a very narrow need for me. Probably not even a need at all. But in tight clothing, the P32 is about the thinnest reliable gun out there.

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Even with the older loads before personal protection ammo was around, some famous and infamous people used .32ACP in the vintage days.

These thugs carried them:
  • Al Capone: Known to have carried a Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless in .32 ACP.
  • Willie Sutton: The famous bank robber was known to use the Colt Model 1903.
  • Bonnie Parker: Bonnie Parker and other members of her gang carried Colt Model 1903 pistols.
  • Adolf Hitler: It is believed he used a Walther PPK in 7.65mm (.32 ACP) to commit suicide.
  • Eugen Schauman
These good guys carried them:
  • General George S. Patton:Famously carried a Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless in .32 ACP as his personal sidearm during World War II, which was often referred to as a "General Officer’s Model".
    USCCA
  • Theodore Roosevelt:Carried an FN Model 1900 in .32 ACP, which was a very popular choice for personal defense in the early 1900s.
    Inside Safariland
  • European Police & Military: Throughout the first half of the 20th century, European law enforcement and officers commonly carried .32 caliber pistols (such as the Walther PP and PPK) until the shift to 9mm.
 
I ok will agree the 32 family is underrated.

As far as 380 the 2 beat defensive rounds are probably Hornady either XTP or Critical Defense . While both expand skne it’s not the massive golf all size skne get impressed with its modest and allows around 14-15” with the CD and a little more with the XTP.

Many people have a little too much expectation out of 380 or 32. They are not duty guns so a lot of the small caliber loads are not going to perform like duty size (9mm 40 45 etc) Gold Dot or HST as long as you get that magic 12-18 but 14-16 is the real sweet spot and modest expansion you will probably stop that person that needed shot. Whether he flees or drops doesn't mater.
 
My point is both the .380 and the .32 are marginal rounds. So for me, the extra round offered by the .32 is preferred. Either cartridge should have a bullet designed for penetration. The mushroom shapes make for good advertising copy, but if the bullet mushrooms very much, it does not penetrate deep enough. Remember the Jeep CJ? Had that big roll bar on the back? Except it was bolted to the fender, not the frame! It was a "Mother Fooler" nothing more. When my mother started clucking about the lack of doors, I could point to the useless in real life but convincing to her "safety" of the Roll Bar! The .380 hollow points are "Mother Foolers". They are designed to make you think they will work like the bigger brothers because the bullets LOOK the same. Especially the 9mm, which is the exact diameter of the .380. But the .380 does not have the steam to drive an expanded bullet deep enough. Don't be fooled by advertising copy. The .380 and .32 are both marginal choices. Sometimes the size of the firearms chambered thusly are worth it, but buy your ammo to penetrate deep.
 
Winchester67 said:
My point is both the .380 and the .32 are marginal rounds. So for me, the extra round offered by the .32 is preferred. Either cartridge should have a bullet designed for penetration. The mushroom shapes make for good advertising copy, but if the bullet mushrooms very much, it does not penetrate deep enough. Remember the Jeep CJ? Had that big roll bar on the back? Except it was bolted to the fender, not the frame! It was a "Mother Fooler" nothing more. When my mother started clucking about the lack of doors, I could point to the useless in real life but convincing to her "safety" of the Roll Bar! The .380 hollow points are "Mother Foolers". They are designed to make you think they will work like the bigger brothers because the bullets LOOK the same. Especially the 9mm, which is the exact diameter of the .380. But the .380 does not have the steam to drive an expanded bullet deep enough. Don't be fooled by advertising copy. The .380 and .32 are both marginal choices. Sometimes the size of the firearms chambered thusly are worth it, but buy your ammo to penetrate deep.
Click to expand...
Have you ever done a ballistic gel test? Todays .380’s are far superior then .380’s of old, yes both of these rounds, .32 or .380 are marginal for self defense, but if these are all you got, need to choose wisely on your ammo
 
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This is my favorite eye candy in .32. I want one before I push daisies...or more like sagebrush.

Frederic_Laboureur_Colt_1903_Pocket_pistol-2013.19.1-IMG_7577-white.jpg
 
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