Posted on 05/24/2021 11:30:29 AM PDT by PROCON
Throughout history, many different handgun cartridges have been introduced. And there are many reasons cartridges find the graveyard. Some have lived long lives, others have had short but great runs, and some were doomed from birth to have an unloved existence. On this list, there are handgun loads that were bad ideas from the beginning and those that never lived up to their name. But, somewhere there’s someone, his two uncles, and their mother-in-law, who care about each and every one of them. Still, it doesn’t matter. With these cartridges, a little bit of love isn’t enough. These rounds are, or will soon be, about as dead as dead gets.
1. The 32 ACP: Lingering but unloved.
The .32 ACP has been overshadowed by the .380. Richard Mann
Though it was the original sidearm of secret agent James Bond, even the Walther PPK can’t turn the .32 ACP into anything reasonably approaching a decent self-defense cartridge. However, in 1899 when it was introduced, it was well regarded, and since then it may have been chambered in more handgun models than any other cartridge. At one time, the little .32 ACP was very popular, especially in Europe, where its one true claim to fame is being the cartridge that killed Adolf Hitler. But in 1908, when the .380 ACP was introduced, it began putting nails in the .32 ACP’s coffin. Today that coffin is well sealed and all but buried. James Bond has moved on to other handguns and cartridges, and the rest of the world should follow his lead.
2. The .25 Auto: Better off with a shovel.
You’d have to be pretty optimistic to rely on a .25 Auto for self defense. Richard Mann
John Browning is possibly our greatest firearms designer. Not only did he give us the 1911 pistol, the 1894 Winchester rifle, and the Browning Auto-5 shotgun, he’s also responsible for the .45 Auto, and 50 BMG cartridges. But, in 1905 John Browning gave us something we would have probably been better off without—the .25 Auto. Its 45-grain bullet at 800 fps is anemic by any measure; a .22 Magnum is more powerful. My grandfather told me that back during prohibition when he was running shine, he watched a man empty a magazine of .25 Auto ammo into another man’s torso. That other man then went to his truck, got a shovel, and used that shovel to beat his attacker to death. And there you have it; you’re better off with a shovel than a .25 Auto. It wasn’t a good idea 116 years ago, and nothing has changed.
3. The .41 Magnum: The compromise no one wanted.
The .41 Magnum is the Goldilocks cartridge nobody is interested in anymore. Richard Mann
Introduced in 1964, the .41 Magnum was intended to be the ideal hunting handgun cartridge. It was also thought that cops who couldn’t handle .44 Mangum recoil would find it more appealing than the .357 Magnum. With support from the great Elmer Keith, the .41 Magnum was supposed to bridge the gap between the .357 and .44 Magnums. Though a few police departments adopted it, and a handful of hunters seemed to love it, it never fully developed any mass appeal. Today, with the proliferation of 10mm pistols and revolvers that offer great terminal performance with less recoil, it would appear that the .41 Magnum is headed for extinction. The .357 Magnum is easier to shoot, the .44 Magnum hits harder, and there’s just not enough Elmer Keith disciples left to appreciate or really need the compromise the .41 Magnum offers.
4. The .32 H&R Magnum: Not magnum enough.
The .32 H&R Magnum just doesn’t have enough oomph to keep handgun hunters’ attention. Richard Mann
Introduced in 1982, the .32 H&R Magnum was a wonderful addition to Ruger’s Single Six. It offered more power than the .22 LR and the .22 Magnum, and it did not increase the size of the revolver. Unfortunately, as the .327 Federal Magnum has shown, the increase in power the .32 H&R Magnum offered was less than it should have been. The .32 H&R did develop a cult-like following, but it has struggled to survive since it was birthed. Common 85-grain .32 H&R Magnum loads have a muzzle velocity of about 1100 fps and generate about 220 foot-pounds of energy. By comparison, a 100-grain .327 Federal Magnum load has a velocity of about 1500 fps and will generate 500 foot-pounds of energy. Even though .32 H&R Magnum ammunition makes great light-recoiling practice loads for the fire-breathing .327, by itself it just never was “magnum” enough. Since it’s based on the .32 S&W Long, maybe a better name for it would have been the “.32 Extra Long.”
5. The .40 S&W: The FBI kills its own baby.
The once-popular .40 S&W is fading into the background. Richard Mann
A 1986 shootout in Miami left the FBI looking to swap the 9mm for another duty cartridge. Maybe the FBI was partly influenced by suave Miami Vice character Sonny Crocket who carried a Bren Ten, but they ended up choosing the 10mm and a new service pistol, the S&W Model 1076. Ultimately, the Bureau had issues with the Model 1076, and they settled on the 40 S&W, which is essentially a 10mm short. This new .40-caliber cartridge could use high-capacity magazines like a 9mm and hit hard like a .45 Auto. The cartridge took law enforcement by storm, and soon cops and concealed carriers nationwide had the ultimate compromise cartridge. But nothing lasts forever. Shooters struggled to get good hits with the .40, and years of ammunition development advanced the lighter-recoiling 9mm’s terminal performance. In 2015, the FBI returned to the cartridge that failed them in 1986 and essentially killed the .40 S&W. Ironically, as the cartridge fades into forgottenness, its father—the 10mm—is once again climbing to stardom.
Lots of Army officers carried the .22 Short S&W revolver during the Civil War. It held 7 shots.
Most .25 autos hold about 7 shots.
Most of the time, having a gun is far more important, than what gun you have.
As others have noted, there are millions of .25 acp pistols still in existence, still working.
There are a fair number of .25 acp revolvers, over a hundred years old, made in Europe, before WWI.
The cartridge isn't going anywhere for a long time.
Depends on the state, but I do know that End of Trail is leaving NM permanently.
Yep. A friend of mine has three (count ‘em 3) Ruger .41 mags and loves the shyt out of it. He may personally account for a substantial proportion of the .41mag expended each year.
The initial covid scare did shut things down for awhile.
I knew a guy who was attempting to get every gun chambered in .41 mag. He did ok with the handguns, but finding a Marlin 94 was almost impossible.
I’m likely to time out - I’m in my 60s - before the 40 S&W is. I’ve got one gun for it. Glock 27. Maybe it shoots a little harder than my Ruger EC9. MAYBE. Not enough for me to notice. I like the Ruger but feel better carrying the Glock.
But I carry 357 in my S&W Model 60, so what do I know?
I appreciate your consideration. :-)
The only thing I have in any of these calibers is a glock model 22. I can get a barrel and spring for 9mm with that.
CC
Review the Bobby Kennedy assassination and Hinkley shooting Reagan. A cylinder full of .22 can change an entire dynamic in less than 2 seconds.
Also ask hog trappers when they use to dispatch them there in the traps.
The phonebook shooting wasn’t a .45. She used a .50 desert eagle.
FWIW, the only time I pulled a handgun in self-defense, it was a 22 LR revolver. Sorry, but it was what I had at the time. And there were more of them than bullets in the gun. But I had shot thousands of rounds thru it and whoever came first was taking a 22 LR up the snot locker. If I was going to die that day, I wouldn’t die alone.
Oddly enough, no one wanted to be #1. So I managed to carefully make my way to my car, pull my keys out with my left hand (awkward) and leave. Carried my keys in my left pocket ever since.
I don’t know how to be certain of winning a gun fight if there are a bunch of them and one of me. My goal is to be certain I take at least one along with me.
I like the 40 S&W. And 357. But I don’t feel helpless with a 22 LR. Beats pepper spray. Or cuss words!
Depends on the cartridge. 38spec can last through several reloads. 223 is less. Depends on the amount of pressure you subject the case to, case thickness, etc. A Lyman reloading manual is a very good thing to consult on this.
“if one is not a weak female or wimpy soy-fed male shooter.
The 357 sig is softer shooting than the 40 S&W. It’s actually a better cartridge than 40 for women and soyboys. Not that it isn’t a good cartridge, but the 40 is famous for giving women trouble, especially in compacts and subcompacts where limp-wristing will cause frequent stovepipes.”
I know. But it is considerably stouter than the 9mm rounds that agencies are replacing it and the .40 with, because the wimps can’t qualify with them as well as a 9mm.
A silenced .22LR was the preferred weapon of mob hitmen. May still be, for all I know. Until the last couple of decades of the 20th century that and .38 special were responsible for the majority of people killed by handguns.
CC
I’ve dropped a green, 4inch alder tree with a 9mm.
And it had plenty of power to spare as it blew a chunk out the other side at least 15ft.
A seasoned 4/4 fir post? No issues.
Other that what’s on the other side of it.
I’m too old to be outraged anymore...
However, have to admit to being inraged sometimes...
I guess this means that you wouldn't mind being shot in the foot with a .22LR?
In reality, once a gun comes out, no one stops to check the caliber. Everyone runs for cover because no one wants to get shot. Period.
That’s what I was thinking too. Decent round, and lots of chambers out there that want it.
I’ve read about the 22 as a hitman’s weapon.
I like 38 special a lot.
I have been shopping to find a 357 Ruger 6-1/2” Blackhawk. Found one use in a gun store they wanted $700 for one that was 15-20 years old. (it was clean)
List price (that means nothing now) is about $650 new.
Not looking for a concealed weapon, just a good on my property gun. I reload 38/357 and have bullet molds for them. Have lots of brass for 38 and enough for the 357.
They are easy to load, cheap to feed and reliable. Like everyone else, I don’t have enough large pistol primers. We will have to wait a while for that.
I have more than enough primers for my rifles. (I don’t own an AR or an AK.)
Love .38 pistols and 30-30 rifles. (very cheap to feed and can be very accurate for the range I need.)
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