That may not seem like a big difference, but over 10 cases, that’s a $700 difference, or 2 1/3 cases of .380 ammo. That’s 2,300 more rounds of training ammo, which used properly could make a huge difference in your skill level.
When we get into .32 H&R Magnum ammo costs skyrocket. Costs for .32 H&R ammunition on SGAmmo run $1.20 to $1.3o/round. That means a “case” of 500 rounds costs $569! For the cost of that case you could almost buy two cases of .380 ACP – FOUR TIMES the ammunition. Some smaller companies like High Desert Cartridge Company are manufacturing this round at slightly cheaper costs, but it is still expensive. These rounds run from $0.84/round to $1.04/round. Of course you could dry practice a bunch and save money…but you can also do that with a semi-auto.
Ammunition Availability
And there’s the availability issue. The .32 H&R Magnum has experienced a revival in the last couple of years. Probably more ammo has been made for the in the last year than in the last 25 before that. Unfortunately it is still a long, long way from being mainstream. Your odds of finding a box at the local gun shop are pretty low. The odds of losing all access if we have another big run on ammo is, unfortunately, pretty high. I would be exceedingly hesitant to get into a .32 H&R revolver, at least until ammo prices drop considerably.
Lucky Gunner shows 98 different options for .38 Special ammunition. they show 55 different offerings in .380 Auto. Meanwhile, there are only six options in .32 H&R Magnum, nine in .32 S&W Long, and 1 in .32 Short. All together that’s only 15 ammo options for .32 H&R-chambered revolvers. SGAmmo shows only four .32 H&R loadings and five .32 S&W Longs. AmmoToGo offers 6 H&R Mag, 7 S&W Longs, and 1 .32 Short. Like Lucky Gunner, SGAmmo and AmmoToGo offer dozens of .38 and .380 loadings (and scores of 9mm).
Keep in mind that the .32 Long and Short loadings are likely to be unreliable in some guns. They were in both of the 432 UC Ti samples that I shot, so they can’t be depended on. Also again, bear in mind the cost of this ammo. Due to its very limited availability I would recommend laying in a good supply, but 1,000 rounds will cost you about $1,000. Not to beat a dead horse but for the same money you could buy 4,000 rounds of 9mm, 3,000 rounds of .380, or 2,000 rounds of .38 Special.
The *Real* 21st Century J-Frame
Several years ago, Dr. House wrote an article calling the Sig P365 the 21st Century J-Frame. Though I have utmost respect for Dr. House, I respectfully (and good-naturedly!) reject his comparison. While certainly more capable than a J-Frame, the P365 is also bigger and heavier. If the gun is larger, of course it should have more capability!
