1) I own two revolvers with 1.87 inch barrels in .32 caliber. Firing .32 long is barely more than a .22 recoil. I would be surprised if your experience was different.
2) nothing about the discussion involved the price of ammo. i’m not saying that’s not a valid consideration in some circumstances, but the poster in question can probably buy any ammo he wants.
3) .32 ACP is not a revolver round, but an auto round.
Options? Lord, nobody will ever agree on guns. My recommendation was solely based on the fact that the potential user was not a gun guy, and for a variety of reasons a person who does not train actively would likely be more comfortable with a revolver. It eliminates the uncertainty of a safety if one is present, and folks who are not gun people usually prefer a safety. Maybe it was my assumption, but a wife who is not gun friendly he might eventually try to coax into being familiar with a weapon would find firing 32 short or long to be as user-friendly as possible. Many women find operating a slide on a semi auto to be difficult and/or a dealbreaker.
The .327 is an outstanding defense round. Which was one of the concerns for him, but not the only concern.
A Hi-Point 9 and some white box. ammo would definitely be cheaper.
Feel free to message me, but I won’t gun up the leopard’s thread anymore.
but full disclosure, I’m a .327 fanboi