38 s&w ammo and 32 auto/acp?

Question

Alot of people carry 32 auto/acp guns are a form of protection. They say the older 38s&w is weak and won't protect you. I looked up both info and this what I found

32 acp 65 grains, 925 fps, 123 lb muzzle

38 s&w, 158 grains , 767 fps, 203 lb muzzle

So is the 38s&w more powerful? Powerful enough for a protection gun

Answer 1

A 38 is more powerful than a 32.



Often people confuse "personal protection" with "duty carry". They are not the same.



Those who work in situations where they "expect" to have to use their gun to stop a criminal, or for combat would choose a gun designed for that service.

Normal everyday people walking about in a normal world can protect themselves with less gun. In that case a 32 acp with a decent SD round can protect themselves with a good degree of certainty. A 38 or 380 would be better, and 9mm even better that that. BUT.....as you go up in caliber size or power, you also go up in gun size. If you keep going up- you eventually get to a gun size that is just too much trouble to carry. I carried a Springfield 1911 for a while, but not being a cop or soldier I don't need that heavy weight on my side all day, and don't need the power either. After many years of carry.....I have settled on a Bersa Thunder 380 Plus- 20 oz, and 15 rounds. My wife carried a Beretta Tomcat 32. Thats good enough.



I have been in one shooting in all my life. I learned several lessons that night:

Shot placement may not be an option.

6 rounds would not have been enough.

380 works.

Answer 2

38 S&W is a different round than the more common 38 S&W Special..often just called the 38 special.



The 38 S&W is not a terrible round by any means, BUT it has a lot of limitations. For starters, you can get the same sized gun in 38 Special as in 38 S&W. Most of the 32 acp guns are significantly smaller than the smallest 38 S&W/38 Special snubby.



Further, the 32 acp isn't considered a good defensive round, most people suggest you get a 380 acp if you want a pocket pistol, and really if you look at what guns are selling for concealed carry, it isn't 32s, it's 380s



Now on to your actual comparison...raw energy isn't a very good indicator of potency without also considering bullet construction because that dictates where and how the energy will be depositied.



The 38 S&W is available as a lead round nose and as a ....lead round nose. This isn't a good bullet design. At least if you carry a 32 acp you can get the very well respected winchester silvertip hollow-point.

Answer 3

Bersa Thunder 32 Acp

Answer 4

The .38 S&W is not a good choice for personal protection, but on the other hand, the .32 ACP is pretty terrible.



The .38 S&W (not the .38 Special) is chambered in a lot of very old and some very cheaply-made guns. Most of them are not reliable, accurate, or safe.



The low velocity of the .38 S&W is not enough to reliably expand even a soft lead bullet, especially if the range is more than a few feet.



Last if you can find a reliable and accurate .38 S&W revolver that is deemed safe to shoot by a professional, you will have a much better option than the .32 ACP, because all of the reasons I've given why the .38 Smith and Wesson is not a good self-defense gun apply double to .32 autos.

Answer 5

People of the U.S. have turned against the .32 acp. Why, I don't know? The .32 acp loaded with FMJ will go thru 4 layers of denim and penetrate 14 inches of ballistic gel. I have a Bersa Thunder .32 acp and also a Kel Tec P-32 pocket gun. They are both dependable and accurate. I can hit head or chest shots from 3 to 30 feet.

Answer 6

You are saying .38 S&W and using data for the .38 S&W Special (most commonly referred to as the .38 Special). I don't have any data close to me for the .38 S&W, but it was really an anemic round. Just guessing, I would say that a .32 ACP would be more powerful than the much older .38 S&W.

Answer 7

Yes, Police forces carried .38 specials for a lot of years. A lot of people dead from .38 lead.

They don't have the "One shot" stopping ability as say a .45 acp.

But where the goal such as in self protection is to neutralize the threat. It is not always necessary to kill someone. Example: Shoot a guy in the knee cap you can run away, he is not going to chase you. You have protected yourself. A lot of women carry small 5 shot .38's as concealed weapons. they are light easy to handle and you aim it at a man's personal place he will think twice before proceeding.