Indians For Guns

From this forum I came to know that .38 ACP or 9mm short are NP bores though the ammunitions are not available commonly. As far my knowledge goes IOF does not make any .38 ACP handgun. So, what are the common handguns found/available in India in that caliber ?

My another quarry is which is more powerful in respect of each other, an IOF .32 Revolver or an IOF .32 Pistol ?

Hi again Lawman,

In absence of any Indian made 380ACP firearm, you'll have to depend, on dealers or individuals who might want to pawn off a used/reconditioned pistol. As to the commonness of any particular make or type, this is difficult to say which is the most common or available as imports were more or less plugged in the 1980's. You'll very rarely find any brand new imported piece. Be wary of dealers who claim otherwise.

I must add, if it will help, that I find European pistols are more commonly available in 380. I fact, almost as a contradiction of my earlier statement, I've come across quite a few Spanish made Llama (1911 miniature clones) in .380ACP.

If getting a 380ACP hand gun is very important to you, perhaps you could sound it off in IFG's Guns wanted section- its just a few clicks away. You'll find a lot of help here and its pretty transparent.

As regards the power match up of IOF .32 Handguns, I can start by saying that they are both equally matched up in terms of poor quality and bloated pricing. I'm not sure if KF still manufactures .32 Rimmed Long cartridges. If so, and if the IOF revolver can chamber it, one can assume it'll be marginally more powerful than the standard 32ACP round.

Lawman,

Some suggestions:

1. If some calibre of ammunition is not available in India DON'T buy a gun in that as it would be little more than a club (and a lousy one at that) for all practical purposes

2. 32 S&W Long is loaded these days to about 90 fpe though early loadings were more powerful at around 115 fpe. The 32 ACP would be about 125 fpe which is slightly more powerful. Buy whatever suits your budget and style

3. Don't waste your time on theoretical expercises that are likely to lead nowhere. Armchair experts would tell you that in theory you could have a 357 Magnum and someone else would tell you that there is the more powerful 357 Maximum etc Buy a gun that is in a calibre for which ammunition is available and which you can shoot well, practice shooting it as often as you can and be happy

mehulkamdar";p="20906 wrote:Lawman,

Some suggestions:

1. If some calibre of ammunition is not available in India DON'T buy a gun in that as it would be little more than a club (and a lousy one at that) for all practical purposes

2. 32 S&W Long is loaded these days to about 90 fpe though early loadings were more powerful at around 115 fpe. The 32 ACP would be about 125 fpe which is slightly more powerful. Buy whatever suits your budget and style

3. Don't waste your time on theoretical expercises that are likely to lead nowhere. Armchair experts would tell you that in theory you could have a 357 Magnum and someone else would tell you that there is the more powerful 357 Maximum etc Buy a gun that is in a calibre for which ammunition is available and which you can shoot well, practice shooting it as often as you can and be happy

Yup, Mehul is quite right. I was about to suggest you go for a 32 handgun as well.

Mehul, The new things I learn at IFG! I always assumeed the 32S&W long was a little more powerful than the ACP... because if its...well... size(Now I'm embarassed!). Just for my personal curiousity...is the fpe rating for KF shots? One thing I've noticed over the years is the consistent inconsistence of KF shots...even from a batch of rounds form a single box.

Thanks all for the replies & suggestions.

Nice comment both are equally matched in their poor quality and bloated prices..... guess what IOF wud like 2 say.

AC

Cottage Chese,

The 32 S&W Long round could be hot rodded to be made significantly more powerful. I don't handload and have no idea what the respective case capacities are - Grumpy or Mark would be the best people to ask about this. What I did was check some ammunition catalogs and also do a brief Google search as I was also surprised by the relative power outputs of the two rounds as you are and then post here.

My guess - and I might be wrong here as it is only a guess - is that with the number of superb new autopistols in 32 ACP especially the new locked breech ones available, ammunition manufactures have, perhaps, started hot rodding the round. And the 32 S&W long - a target round for ISSF competition over here and not a self defence round at all - is loaded down than it was a few decades ago as it is a competition round these days.

As far as IOFB crap is concerned, the institution of the Ordnance Factories Board is India's national disgrace. When countries like Brazil, Jordan and the UAE with much shorter gunmaking histories can produce world class products, it is a disgrace that the great institution that the British set up for their own purposes during the colonial era is the crappy farce that we have now after our neta-babu clique meddled with it. Our soldiers deserve much better and so do our people.