I’ve never been in a shootout with what I knew was a real gun, but when people drove-by me with an air pistol and shot me, my adrenaline was pumping so much that I literally tried to chase the car as it was speeding away from me.
If I were on the receiving end of a home invasion, I doubt the adrenaline would be flowing any slower, so I doubt that the deafening report of the gun would faze me until after the action ended.
But until the .38 special became popular, police departments traditionally relied on .32 revolvers.A quick sniffle around Wiki brings up the .32 S&W Long (issued by NYPD and others). Or did you just mean semi-autos? I can well believe that no-one issued .32 autos.
I was asking about the .32 ACP.
So let me see if I can make a summary of the answers:
[ul][li]In the first half of the 20th Century full-power rounds required a larger-frame pistol, which would not fit easily into a pocket;[/li][li]Any pistol would have been intimidating enough during that time period (and often today), especially in cities;[/li][li]The intimidation factor was larger during that period because any gunshot would would have been more serious because of the less advanced (compared to today) medical techniques;[/li][li]The .32 is out of favour today because there are smaller pistols that are chambered for full-power rounds.[/ul][/li]Is that the gist of it?
Again, I’m not looking for a carry pistol. I have a selection already if I were so inclined. But I don’t carry because I choose not to put myself into situations where a firearm may be needed.
[quote=“Johnny_L.A, post:43, topic:466530”]
[li]The .32 is out of favour today because there are smaller pistols that are chambered for full-power rounds.[/li][/quote]
Yes. But I guess one should carry the round one is most comfortable with. Most people can’t throw rocks at 900 feet per second. So if someone is only comfortable shooting a .32, so be it, I suppose. Better than carrying nothing.
A .32, certainly. But I suspect there might be a GD to be had on the subject of:
Is the 2.7mm Kolibri better than nothing?
While I will respect anyone’s decision to carry or not carry, I surmise those who choose to carry would not put themselves into those situations by choice either, they are merely trying to be prepared if those situations are forced upon them, in addition to being able to help someone else who has that situation forced upon them. They don’t go out tugging on Superman’s cape.
Likely not. Note that there are still tiny revolvers by that name that fire only blanks or tiny flares. I own one, very cute and not legally a “firearm”.
Darn it Gus, I also said this:
Yes it is entirely possible that an overzealous DA in a particular jurisdiction may decide that you firing a weapon in your house is a prosecutable defense - depending on where you live and what the cops think that come out to your house. I reported that my CCW instructor said they had been personally told to issue just such a warning. My whole point is that warning shots are not something one should be doing cavalierly without considering that yes, one may end up being the person in 'cuffs while the person at your door runs away scot-free. And that is all I am addressing.
LOL, Right you are Una and thanks for responding and not throwing out a ‘sorry about your daughter’ and then using that as an excuse to not answer my questions about the ‘statements made’ which I was asking about. 
Those that seem to think victims are not worth answering because they are victims of the crime and therefor so mentally impaired that their questions and concerns are not valid for responding to because those victims are tainted some way and not rational. They have not been back … yet. 
Going to call the State AG here in AR tomorrow and see if there is any state laws about shooting holes in my floor. City ordnances do not apply here as I am not in a city.
Oh, and being a person that you know is a a producer of thousands of typo’s, I feel it is screamingly funny that this (I hope typo) slipped into your post considering this thread and my known dislike of certain parts of the ‘system’…
The London Metropolitan Police and at least three of the Australian State Police Services (NSW, Victoria, QLD) issued Webley & Scott .32 calibre semi-automatic pistols to some officers- especially plainclothes units- up until about the 1960s/1970s. They were certainly doing it in the 1940s, but I suspect the OP is really only interested in the situation in the US…
Would you mind going into this in detail? I see tests done like TheBoxOfTruth that show the difference between the two rounds is negligible. Either way both rounds are going to go through every interior and exterior round in your house, unless you have brick construction.
The .45 ACP has more reliable expansion and momentum transfer into a hydraulic body than the 9mmP (especially the heavy subsonic 147 grain 9mmP). The .40 S&W is a fairly reliable expander, but the 180 grain subsonic still has a noted tendency to penetrate without expanding (and the full 10mm Auto load had serious problems with overpenetration).
In contrast, the sectional density of the .45 ACP is such that even if it doesn’t fully expand momentum transfer will be sufficient that any through-and-through bullet that goes through the center torso area will be of marginal lethality, whereas the subsonic 9mmP can retain enough momentum to pose a threat to someone behind the target. A bullet that does not enter the body will, as you note, penetrate many layers of drywall or plywood before slowing to a non-lethal speed.
The idea bullet is one that penetrates 12-14 inches and then stops, delivering all energy to the target at that point. In the real world, you want 14-16 inches of reliable penetration, and reliable expansion to prevent overpenetration hazard. The .45 ACP, in my opinion, is the best round for this, although the packaging and recoil of the .45 ACP may dictate using a smaller round for greater firepower.
Stranger