My wife has small hands and she is starting to get arthritis. Recoil is a concern, are the .32
and .380 too close to call? Thank you guys
and .380 too close to call? Thank you guys
Recoil, .380 versus .32?
- Thread starter bobbob
- Start date
- Status
My .380 ( ruger lcp) has a lot of recoil. Almost like my .45.
I think the .32 will be a lot less recoil, but it really could be gun specific. A heavier .380 might not be as bad maybe a Sig p238?
http://www.armstalk.com/380acp-pocket-pistol-comparison/
I think the .32 will be a lot less recoil, but it really could be gun specific. A heavier .380 might not be as bad maybe a Sig p238?
http://www.armstalk.com/380acp-pocket-pistol-comparison/
Last edited:
Quite a bit stiffer recoil in a 380. If you are looking for a 380 and want tamer recoil, you want a heavy gun. Look into an old 380 commercial Makarov or CZ83.
My mom has bad arthritis. She was at one time a LEO, but hers is so bad we had to get rid of her 357 snubbie and she ended up with an older Walther PP in 32acp.
My mom has bad arthritis. She was at one time a LEO, but hers is so bad we had to get rid of her 357 snubbie and she ended up with an older Walther PP in 32acp.
I believe Leroy Brown preferred a .32 in his pocket.
.380 in a lightweight pistol is snappy. Maybe not much recoil but the combination can be tough for hands that have lost some dexterity.
.32 is such an old caliber that ammo is not exactly widespread. You can get it for sure, but don't expect to see too much load development in the caliber. At least 380 still has some wind behind it and companies like Hornady are making self defense loads for it.
.32 is such an old caliber that ammo is not exactly widespread. You can get it for sure, but don't expect to see too much load development in the caliber. At least 380 still has some wind behind it and companies like Hornady are making self defense loads for it.
Originally Posted By: Reddy45
.380 in a lightweight pistol is snappy. Maybe not much recoil but the combination can be tough for hands that have lost some dexterity.
.32 is such an old caliber that ammo is not exactly widespread. You can get it for sure, but don't expect to see too much load development in the caliber. At least 380 still has some wind behind it and companies like Hornady are making self defense loads for it.
There are actually plenty of self defense loads for 32ACP. My mom's Walther PP is loaded with Speer Gold Dot 32ACP loads. You may have to order them though, they won't be on the shelf of every store.
.380 in a lightweight pistol is snappy. Maybe not much recoil but the combination can be tough for hands that have lost some dexterity.
.32 is such an old caliber that ammo is not exactly widespread. You can get it for sure, but don't expect to see too much load development in the caliber. At least 380 still has some wind behind it and companies like Hornady are making self defense loads for it.
There are actually plenty of self defense loads for 32ACP. My mom's Walther PP is loaded with Speer Gold Dot 32ACP loads. You may have to order them though, they won't be on the shelf of every store.
Originally Posted By: billt460
I believe Leroy Brown preferred a .32 in his pocket.
So Bad..
Singalong.
I believe Leroy Brown preferred a .32 in his pocket.
So Bad..
Singalong.
Triple_Se7en
$50 Site Donor 2024
My next pistol is the Kel-Tec 32ACP. Do a youtube search and you will find a couple women videos. Noticeably tamer than the .380 and a million bad guys have fallen from that caliber, especially in Europe. There's a Kel-Tec board to talk guns also. Search for that too.
Last edited:
Quite a difference between the two. I carry my P32 over the 3AT (380) most of the time just because the 32 is so easy to shoot, and I hit the target better. You're wife woud probably find it less offensive. Ammo is more expensive, but you should have no trouble finding a nice selection.
It really, really matters the size of the gun. In my experience, the pocket .380s are much worse for recoil than compact 9mms. And a full size 9mm takes you down to very unobjectionable levels of recoil.
So what size of gun does she want? If she's OK with a full size gun, that's definitely going to make the recoil much easier to manage in any caliber.
So what size of gun does she want? If she's OK with a full size gun, that's definitely going to make the recoil much easier to manage in any caliber.
Originally Posted By: bobbob
My wife has small hands and she is starting to get arthritis. Recoil is a concern, are the .32
and .380 too close to call? Thank you guys
The .32 has noticeably less recoil than .380. I have to confess that with semi auto rounds, .380, 9 mm, .40, and .45 all feel about the same to me. Until you get to 10mm, I can't tell much difference in felt recoil.
My .32 PPK is a very soft shooter, highly accurate with the relatively long barrel for a pocket gun, easy follow up shots. Racking the slide could be a problem for people with weak hands.
The .32 Beretta Tomcat is also a soft recoil gun as it is all metal, and also highly accurate considering the short barrel length. It has a tip up barrel so actuating the slide is a non issue.
Beretta also made a Cheetah in .32 with a tip up barrel, but they have not been imported for quite some time, and would probably be hard to find. The Cheetahs are a semi premium gun, and priced accordingly.
Just throwing this out there: the Beretta Bobcat with hotter rounds like stingers or mini mags is a soft shooter and astonishingly accurate with a bit of practice.
I've not had any trouble finding .32 self defense loads. .32 may not be the greatest self defense round, but a magazine load of hits with a .32 has to be better than harsh language.
My wife has small hands and she is starting to get arthritis. Recoil is a concern, are the .32
and .380 too close to call? Thank you guys
The .32 has noticeably less recoil than .380. I have to confess that with semi auto rounds, .380, 9 mm, .40, and .45 all feel about the same to me. Until you get to 10mm, I can't tell much difference in felt recoil.
My .32 PPK is a very soft shooter, highly accurate with the relatively long barrel for a pocket gun, easy follow up shots. Racking the slide could be a problem for people with weak hands.
The .32 Beretta Tomcat is also a soft recoil gun as it is all metal, and also highly accurate considering the short barrel length. It has a tip up barrel so actuating the slide is a non issue.
Beretta also made a Cheetah in .32 with a tip up barrel, but they have not been imported for quite some time, and would probably be hard to find. The Cheetahs are a semi premium gun, and priced accordingly.
Just throwing this out there: the Beretta Bobcat with hotter rounds like stingers or mini mags is a soft shooter and astonishingly accurate with a bit of practice.
I've not had any trouble finding .32 self defense loads. .32 may not be the greatest self defense round, but a magazine load of hits with a .32 has to be better than harsh language.
Originally Posted By: billt460
I believe Leroy Brown preferred a .32 in his pocket.
just for fun.....
I believe Leroy Brown preferred a .32 in his pocket.
just for fun.....
Originally Posted By: Doog
Originally Posted By: billt460
I believe Leroy Brown preferred a .32 in his pocket.
just for fun.....
And a razor in his shoe!
Originally Posted By: billt460
I believe Leroy Brown preferred a .32 in his pocket.
just for fun.....
And a razor in his shoe!
with small hands and onset of arthritis, i dont recommend a semiauto even in 32acp as racking the slide and inserting rounds into the magazine maybe tough. because im recoil averse i like all steel handguns. how about an all steel taurus model 85 38sp revolver, loaded with 38 wadcutter or 38 cbc short ammo, with pachmayr grips? simple, reliable and softer shooter.
Originally Posted By: jstert
with small hands and onset of arthritis, i dont recommend a semiauto even in 32acp as racking the slide and inserting rounds into the magazine maybe tough. because im recoil averse i like all steel handguns. how about an all steel taurus model 85 38sp revolver, loaded with 38 wadcutter or 38 cbc short ammo, with pachmayr grips? simple, reliable and softer shooter.
Five month old thread man...
Also, there are semi auto's with tip up barrels. No need to rack the slide on those to charge the weapon. My mom has severe arthritis and we actually went from a wheel gun to a small 32 semi auto.
with small hands and onset of arthritis, i dont recommend a semiauto even in 32acp as racking the slide and inserting rounds into the magazine maybe tough. because im recoil averse i like all steel handguns. how about an all steel taurus model 85 38sp revolver, loaded with 38 wadcutter or 38 cbc short ammo, with pachmayr grips? simple, reliable and softer shooter.
Five month old thread man...
Also, there are semi auto's with tip up barrels. No need to rack the slide on those to charge the weapon. My mom has severe arthritis and we actually went from a wheel gun to a small 32 semi auto.
sorry if my reply to a 5 month old thread caused offense but i deal with same issues. a semiauto naa guardian 32acp is one of my options but i can still rack its slide. i tried tip up beretta 21, taurus pt 21 & pt25, but the slides are impossible to rack and that means a reload round must be stripped from a loaded mag and manually inserted into the barrel. i was advised to switch my 38sp ammo to wadcutter and cbc shorts (hard to find, only made by magtech) for softer subbie shooting. speedloaders make fast reloads. i hope that your choice works well for you.
Consider a Walther CCP.
Very light recoil spring. Slide movement is controlled by both the spring and a gas piston in a block under the fixed barrel. This makes for a very light spring and a very easy slide to rack. Further, the gas piston spreads out the recoil impulse so the 9mm feels like a .380, tops. Felt recoil is about half that of, say, a 9mm Shield or G43. Less than the G42.
I compared all of them and think the Walther makes great sense for those with reduced hand strength.
Very light recoil spring. Slide movement is controlled by both the spring and a gas piston in a block under the fixed barrel. This makes for a very light spring and a very easy slide to rack. Further, the gas piston spreads out the recoil impulse so the 9mm feels like a .380, tops. Felt recoil is about half that of, say, a 9mm Shield or G43. Less than the G42.
I compared all of them and think the Walther makes great sense for those with reduced hand strength.
There are a lot of different 32 caliber handgun rounds around.
If you want recoil, try a hot-loaded 32-20 or a 327 Magnum. The 327(which is .312 like all other 32 caliber handguns) in a small gun can catch you off guard, although for similar energies it still has somewhat less recoil than a 357 Mag.
If you want recoil, try a hot-loaded 32-20 or a 327 Magnum. The 327(which is .312 like all other 32 caliber handguns) in a small gun can catch you off guard, although for similar energies it still has somewhat less recoil than a 357 Mag.
Originally Posted By: John_Conrad
http://www.guns.com/2015/03/30/ruger-brings-back-the-sp101-in-327-mag/
Thanks-I guess I missed that one.
I managed to get one of the Lipsey's special run Single Sevens in 327. I got a 5 3/4" one, and I think the run size in each of the barrel lengths was something like 2000.
The day I heard about the Single Seven, I called three gun stores in town and asked them to try and get one. Only one store actually came through.
http://www.guns.com/2015/03/30/ruger-brings-back-the-sp101-in-327-mag/
Thanks-I guess I missed that one.
I managed to get one of the Lipsey's special run Single Sevens in 327. I got a 5 3/4" one, and I think the run size in each of the barrel lengths was something like 2000.
The day I heard about the Single Seven, I called three gun stores in town and asked them to try and get one. Only one store actually came through.
- Status
