As the resident .32 aficionado and subject matter enthusiast, I own a few dozen .32 handguns, but I want a .32 rifle. Specifically, I want a .32 pistol caliber carbine. That sounds a bit silly, and technically, the .30 Super Carry Hi-Point is a .32 PCC, but not the one I want. I want a low-powered, low-profile .32 rifle, and I have reasons!
Before we get into my reasons, let’s discuss which .32. I’m open to this. I’d like a rifle in .32 ACP or .32 S&W Long. I’d settle for a .32 H&R Magnum if it got me the gun. I’d be happy with a lever action, a bolt action, or, in the .32 ACP case, a semi-auto .32 rifle. I’m not exactly too crazy about the details.
You’re likely still wondering why exactly I want a .32 rifle.
The Benefits of a .32 Rifle
I see a .32 rifle being handy for shooting small game, varmints, and similar predators. It’s a bigger, heavier round and would more reliably stop things like rabbits, weasels, and nutria with a single shot. As a rabbit-hunting enthusiast, my options are a shotgun or a .22 of some sort. What started all this was a poorly placed shot on a rabbit.
I took the kids rabbit hunting this fall, and they placed a shot on a rabbit that sent it running. I would’ve thought it was a miss if I hadn’t found blood. So, we had to chase this thing down and finish it off. I felt terrible. I am a big advocate for single-shot stops on any animal. A .32 caliber offers me rifle range but more human error correction than the .22 LR or Magnum.
Optimistically, we’d all make headshots all the time, but sometimes that’s impossible. A little miss makes a big difference on small targets. I could see a .32 ACP or .32 S&W Long working quite well for killing medium-sized game. Additionally, the rifle can be tiny and lightweight. A .32 rifle in .32 ACP or S&W Long/H&R Magnum would be a great small game getter and pest remover, but could also be shot by young shooters.
Recoil wouldn’t be a problem, and .32 caliber rounds are fairly accurate. For my purposes, this would be a better option than .22LR or Magnum for things like rabbits, weasels, and anything smaller than coyotes but bigger than squirrels. It would also be a super-easy-to-suppress cartridge, which is great for hunting.
The Downsides
This would be a super niche rifle with expensive ammo. A .32 Rifle needs .32 ammo, and the various .32 caliber cartridges are costly. They cost more than 9mm and aren’t as useful as 9mm. The low demand and expensive ammo would be why this will never be produced. A .32 rifle sounds cool, but there isn’t a market for it. Is it possible for me to get one custom-built?
Maybe, but it’s going to be an expensive endeavor. Luckily, there are some options. They aren’t the best options, but let’s look at the existing options.
Existing .32 Rifles
Henry makes a .327 Federal Magnum Lever gun that could shoot .32 H&R Magnum and .32 S&W Long. However, it’s a bit heavier than I’d like. Also, when firing those shorter rounds, they must jump through some unrifled chamber, which could detract from the accuracy I need for tiny little animals.
There are two rare and obscure.32 ACP semi-auto rifles. We have the Armi Jager AP74, an AR lookalike that fired the .32 ACP. A few guns pop up in the States every now and then. I want one. Another is the Pre-WWI Tirmax semi-auto carbine, but good luck finding one of those.
Other than that, it seems like our hands are empty.
Ad-Hoc Solutions
Besides spending a ton of money to make a custom option or trying to hunt down a rare gun, we can try to find an ad-hoc solution. There are a few, and the first are adapters made to fire .32 ACP from .308, .303, and 7.62x54R. These are cheap and cumbersome to fire more than a round out of, but they work. It’s a shame the accuracy kind of sucks, which makes it tough to use for hitting small game.
Another option is a shotgun adapter. A company called Chaszel makes rifled adapters that fit into a shotgun barrel. I’ve purchased a .410 to .32 S&W Long adapter, which works surprisingly well. I’ll have a review up sooner rather than later. This seems to be the best way to make a .32 rifle. It’s affordable, accurate, and simple. All we get is a single-shot option in this case, but it is what it is.
A .32 rifle is a niche thing, but it’s an open market now.
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