25 ACP and 32 ACP noise report question

[saturno_v]

I have a question for people shooting these cartridges.
It has been quite few decades ago, I was literally a teen ager since I shot these two calibers last time (my dad owned few), nowadays I do not own any handgun smaller than a 9mm Luger...well yes ok I do have a 22 pistol as well who doesn't....

I never see anything smaller than a 380 Auto at the range

If memory serves me well I remember that even the little 25 ACP was much more noisy, very significantly so, than a comparable size 22 LR pistol which was interesting since performance and bullet weight are not that apart (actually a 22 LR is faster out of a pistol barrel)

I remember thinking that the 25 and 32 ACP were sounding like "real guns" with a nice "bang" compared to the typical "pop" sound of a 22 handgun.

It seemed to me that the noise signature difference was much more significant than their ballistic performance gap

Do I remember correctly??

 

[il.bill]

Yep.

 

[Vodoun da Vinci]

In my opinion, yes, exactly that. I shoot my Colt 1903's in .32 ACP at the range now and again and most folks don't really even know they are not "real" guns. Then somebody spots the fact that they are smaller than a few others and take a closer look and then the party begins. 85 - 95 year old pistols get a lot of attention because of the cool appeal.

But yes, the .32s sound and seem to function like "real" guns and my .32 hand loads have my .32's performing at a level I feel comfortable using them and recommending them for SD for folks who can't handle/carry bigger calibers.

Which is a lot more people than you'd think...

VooDoo

 

[fpgt72]

I have two guns in each, a 1903 and a Walther model 8. There is a bit of a report with each of them....and I think that with the modern bullets we have now they are very good gun for carry.

Both very well made guns that I would not think twice to trusting my life to.

 

[kokapelli]

Barrel length is a big factor. Most 22 pistols will have a 4 or 5 inch barrel compared to most of the under 3 inch 32 and 380 pistols we see today.

A 1903 style colt in 380 sounds like a 22 next to a KelTec P3AT.

 

[saturno_v]

Barrel length is a big factor. Most 22 pistols will have a 4 or 5 inch barrel compared to most of the under 3 inch 32 and 380 pistols we see today.

A 1903 style colt in 380 sounds like a 22 next to a KelTec P3AT.

Well going to my memory I was talking about short barrelled 22 too (at that time a Bernardelli and a walther), very significant difference in noise...which baffles me, the 22 LR is a 24K psi cartridge vs. 25K for the 25 ACP and 20.5K for the 32 ACP....

 

[benEzra]

Barrel length is a big factor. Most 22 pistols will have a 4 or 5 inch barrel compared to most of the under 3 inch 32 and 380 pistols we see today.

Yep. I once owned a .22LR NAA Mini with a 1 1/8" barrel, and it was LOUD. Sounded very much like a centerfire with hot loads.

 

[MedWheeler]

I had one incident in which I fired a Jennings J22 indoors once without hearing protection. If my P32 is much louder than that, I definitely don't want to find out.

 

[mavracer]

They all are loaded to similar pressures, so assuming similar loads and barrel length the DB will be about the same, pitch may be a little lower with the larger calibers giving the impression that they're louder. Especially to old shooters with a little hearing damage who don't hear higher pitches as well.

 

[Hurryin' Hoosier]

I remember thinking that the 25 and 32 ACP were sounding like "real guns" with a nice "bang" compared to the typical "pop" sound of a 22 handgun.

I wonder if all the people who have been killed by .22s, .25s and .32s can demand a recount due to the fact that they weren't shot by "real guns".

 

[Brasso]

They might still be alive, just dying a slow death by gang green at this point.

Tongue in cheek of course, but I really don't care if I kill the bad guy. I want to stop him. And for stopping him, I don't want a mousegun. I'm just not going to feel very comfortable pulling out a .25act against a drugged up crackhead and a .45. At that point I'm going to be cussing myself for not bringing my slingshot.

 

[saturno_v]

I wonder if all the people who have been killed by .22s, .25s and .32s can demand a recount due to the fact that they weren't shot by "real guns".

I don't know if you noticed that I put the term between quotation marks, I was being purposedly sarcastic, obviously a .22 LR firearms is quite deadly....


However I would like to hear these 3 chambering again in simlar barrel length and refresh my memory.....

 

[Hurryin' Hoosier]

Sorry. I'd been out shooting my Tokarev and couldn't hear what you said.

 

[Mike Kerr]

I think a lot of the differences in perceived sound between the calibers you mentioned is attributable to the barrel length of the firearm you are shooting. I have small Beretta 21 in 22LR which is really almost as loud as my 32ACP Kel-tec. While rounds fired from the 5" Barrel on My Browning Buckmark 22 produces a much softer sound than either the Beretta 22 or the Kel tec.

Of course I have never seen the results of the difference measured with audio instruments - just the way it seems to me.

 

[MedWheeler]

...slow death by gang green

Uh, it's actually gangrene.

I did get your point, though.

 

[SconnieGirl]

I would say that my Beretta Tomcat is about as loud as my LCP - the 32 might be a little sharper bang than the 380.

Barrel length is really most of the issue with the volume of the report.

22 CB longs in my S&W 622 are pretty sharp compared to my Savage single shot... The pistol sounded like a pistol, the rifle sounded quieter than a bb rifle...