.32 Pistol for Concealed Carry?

[Ura-Ki]

A recent question I had was WHO carries a .32 these days, and is it still a viable choice for carry use!
I have had a Walther PPK in .32 ACP for seemingly forever, and while I do not carry it every day, It does ride as back up in a ankle holster, often enough that I actually prefer it to the Big Brother PPK in .380 Auto!
While there has been much hype about "Minimums" in pistol cartridge selection, 9 mm being the bottom of the list of acceptable, I still see the .32 as a good reliable performer, especially now that many ammunition companies have finally stepped up development and testing of the once mighty little round! I know a few "Old Timers" who still carry a .32 as their only pistol, and they seem to think it's plenty!

An Official Journal Of The NRA | The .32 ACP: Can It Be Counted on for Self-Defense?

Many gun gurus consider .380 ACP to be the minimum personal-defense caliber, but what about guns available in .32 ACP? Here's some background on the numbers behind this micro self-defense round.

www.shootingillustrated.com

What say you?

Read More

 

[SPIN]

I've never shot a Walther PPK but I see a lot of demand on auction sites for the PPK in .32 ACP. Here is a good article/review with video on the .32 ACP... .32 ACP is Pretty Good Too - Lucky Gunner Lounge

I'm not surprised that you carry the .32 PPK and feel comfortable with it. It would be my choice in that caliber simply because it is heftier than other options.

 

[ZoidMeister]

Just a bit shy of .32 caliber (7.65mm), this one comes in at .30 caliber (7.62mm) and is quite adequate for personal defense. It even fits well into a 1911 holster.

 

[billdeserthill]

I remember a guy at the gun show telling me he was walking down the street when someone shot his bud in the forehead with a .32 & then the guy who was shot picking the bullet out of his head & beating the shooter's @ss

Guess it's all about shot placement with a gun that size--better aim for the eye

 

[ZoidMeister]

I remember a guy at the gun show telling me he was walking down the street when someone shot his bud in the forehead with a .32 & then the guy who was shot picking the bullet out of his head & beating the shooter's @ss

Guess it's all about shot placement with a gun that size--better aim for the eye

Sounds like a thick headed bloke to me . . .

 

[thorborg]

I'm not wanting to enter any argument on what's big enough for self defense for you.
But for me, I feel that any gun is better than the one you left home for whatever reason. maybe 20 to 25% of the time I pack a 32. for just those undescribed reasons. Its a Keltec and the damn thing literally fits in a shirt pocket undetectable. Also resides in my cargo shorts pocket.
Orignally I had little respect for it on the big hurt scale though I carried it for the above reasons, but I found LEHIGH Defense and their 50 gr Xtreme cavitator. That little 32 slug has chewed its way in to every thing I've shot up close including a hide and Levi covered deer neck. No, I'm not going to show up at the OK corral with it but I'm in no condition to beat off anyone and some times my druther guns just cant work where I have to be. I sure wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that slug.
That said, (and if I had a choice other than that fine little PPK) if the gun wasn't as light and small as my Keltec, then I'd say no, and go with my Sig P365 9mm (which is pretty dang small in itself ) if the 45 can't be used.
Sorry for the blurry picture.

 

[ZoidMeister]

I'm not wanting to enter any argument on what's big enough for self defense for you.
But for me, I feel that any gun is better than the one you left home for whatever reason. maybe 20 to 25% of the time I pack a 32. for just those undescribed reasons. Its a Keltec and the damn thing literally fits in a shirt pocket undetectable. Also resides in my cargo shorts pocket.
Orignally I had little respect for it on the big hurt scale though I carried it for the above reasons, but I found LEHIGH Defense and their 50 gr Xtreme cavitator. That little 32 slug has chewed its way in to every thing I've shot up close including a hide and Levi covered deer neck. No, I'm not going to show up at the OK corral with it but I'm in no condition to beat off anyone and some times my druther guns just cant work where I have to be. I sure wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that slug.
That said, (and if I had a choice other than that fine little PPK) if the gun wasn't as light and small as my Keltec, then I'd say no, and go with my Sig P365 9mm (which is pretty dang small in itself ) if the 45 can't be used.
Sorry for the blurry picture.

View attachment 4235

View attachment 4234

Interesting ammo. I've seen similarly shaped slugs and the damage they can do.

It should be noted, most European police forces carried 7.65mm sidearms after WWII right up into the 1980's or 1990's.

 

[runeight]

Have a 32 myself. Hard to find, Beretta 81.

 

[ZoidMeister]

A recent question I had was WHO carries a .32 these days, and is it still a viable choice for carry use!
I have had a Walther PPK in .32 ACP for seemingly forever, and while I do not carry it every day, It does ride as back up in a ankle holster, often enough that I actually prefer it to the Big Brother PPK in .380 Auto!
While there has been much hype about "Minimums" in pistol cartridge selection, 9 mm being the bottom of the list of acceptable, I still see the .32 as a good reliable performer, especially now that many ammunition companies have finally stepped up development and testing of the once mighty little round! I know a few "Old Timers" who still carry a .32 as their only pistol, and they seem to think it's plenty!

An Official Journal Of The NRA | The .32 ACP: Can It Be Counted on for Self-Defense?

Many gun gurus consider .380 ACP to be the minimum personal-defense caliber, but what about guns available in .32 ACP? Here's some background on the numbers behind this micro self-defense round.

www.shootingillustrated.com

What say you?
View attachment 4174

I'm not wanting to enter any argument on what's big enough for self defense for you.
But for me, I feel that any gun is better than the one you left home for whatever reason. maybe 20 to 25% of the time I pack a 32. for just those undescribed reasons. Its a Keltec and the damn thing literally fits in a shirt pocket undetectable. Also resides in my cargo shorts pocket.
Orignally I had little respect for it on the big hurt scale though I carried it for the above reasons, but I found LEHIGH Defense and their 50 gr Xtreme cavitator. That little 32 slug has chewed its way in to every thing I've shot up close including a hide and Levi covered deer neck. No, I'm not going to show up at the OK corral with it but I'm in no condition to beat off anyone and some times my druther guns just cant work where I have to be. I sure wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that slug.
That said, (and if I had a choice other than that fine little PPK) if the gun wasn't as light and small as my Keltec, then I'd say no, and go with my Sig P365 9mm (which is pretty dang small in itself ) if the 45 can't be used.
Sorry for the blurry picture.

View attachment 4235

View attachment 4234

Have a 32 myself. Hard to find, Beretta 81.

View attachment 4257

View attachment 4258

You know, all this talk about .32 caliber handguns reminds me of an old Jim Croche song.

Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown . . . .

I guess we are all just channeling our inner "Leroy " . . . .

Here is one of mine.

 

[thorborg]

I have a berretta 32 tomcat with the flip up barrel I bought for my wife as a house gun because she couldn't rack slides with her tiny wrist albeit its a pretty heavy packer but sure sucks up recoil for her. I also have an Iver Johnson 1900 in 32 that actually shoots pretty good all things considering

 

[Old18C]

Yes, when I am not supposed to carry a gun I carry a .32 Alleycat. Worked a couple of murders where they worked just fine.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Slight side bar here, but in Bosnia we were not supposed to be armed when out and about, and Not on patrol, but I scored a CZ 82 at a "Street Vendor" with a couple of mags and some ball ammo, and when out and about, that's what I carried! Sure fell in love with that little CZ in my time over there, I was sad to have to leave it behind when we shipped out, so I gifted it to one of the home team! Sure was nice to have in my pocket several times, a nice feeling when in nasty not nice places!

 

[dreannife]

Colt mustangs and ponys can still be found in .380 and make excellent small carry guns. Seecamp is making it's little auto in .380 if you can find one (and willing to pay extortionary rates to own one). Same size as their .32. A .32 with magsafe or RBCD rounds make for a potent combination. I personally have carried my 1903 in .32 and felt very comfortable with it. (It is a very thin pistol with an internal hammer). The Keltec 9mm and the plastic Kahrs in 9mm are small, but sounds like you already looked into the keltec.

 

[Marine65]

I carry a Ruger 327 magnum hammerless LCR 6 shot. I use 32 wad cutters for practice and can fire 32 short, long, 32 magnum and 327 magnum. It's small, light, and easy to fire. 327 magnum has better penetration than a 38 + P.

 

[thorborg]

Yes, when I am not supposed to carry a gun I carry a .32 Alleycat. Worked a couple of murders where they worked just fine.

View attachment 4283

My wife has the parent Tomcat with painted sights. Because the Allycat has been discontinued, I'm wondering if fresh tritium sights are still available for it? Unfortunately for the Tomcat, front sights are not dovetailed making an upgrade not cost effective.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Beretta 81 works a trick, amd the newer ones have dove tailed sight cuts and interchange with the M-92!

 

[runeight]

Beretta 81 works a trick, amd the newer ones have dove tailed sight cuts and interchange with the M-92!

If you can find one. Don't import many.

 

[ZoidMeister]

Here are a few photos of my current stable of "Leroy Brown" guns . . . . in addition to the revolver above . . . .

 

[DunRanull]

I have a .32acp FEG former police pistol. It carries and handles fine. Lightweight alloy frame, small enuff to hide in a pocket, it carries well. Something of a rip-off of the Walther design. Functions fine with fmj, doesnt like hp's much, so when I carry it (and I usually don't, preferring a .38spl S&W snub) I load an HP in the chamber and the mag with FMJ for what I assume will be the necessary follow-up shots.

 

[DunRanull]

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