32ACP autoloaders

380 or 32?

Beretta Tomcat in .32 acp drops right into the pocket.

Seecamps are great little guns and for me, the benchmark all the others of the type have to beat.

For a slightly more larger framed version, I liked the Walther PP in .32; same with the Beretta Model 70 and the Beretta Model 90 (Roma). True pocket size I would have to go with a Seecamp.

brutus51 said:

As the title says 32ACP.

What's the trigger like and do you measure accuracy potential in feet or inches?
Anyone have a go with the NAA Guardian series?

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Triggers fine. I can make good body hits at 15 yards without any problems. Head shots at around 7 and in arent any trouble either.

The NAA triggers are a bit heavy, but quite smooth. They are straight blow-back, but the recoil is somewhat mitigated by the all steel construction.

The Kel Tec P32 is a bit larger, but much lighter and has less felt recoil.

I have and like both.

The Kel-Tec P32 is something like 6.5 ounces unloaded. They are tiny and light. I have a bunch of 32acp pistols, and it's easily the best for pocket carry.

My Beretta Model 81 is probably the most accurate.

Another vote for the Kel-Tec. I have a bunch of .32 pistols in addition to my P32 -- CZ, Bersa, Colt, Walther -- and they're all a lot of fun, but for a carry pistol it's hard to beat the little Kel-Tec. Haters gonna hate on Kel-Tec, but IMO the P32 is the best pistol they make.

The CZ-70 should slide neatly into your pocket.

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I went with a cerakote Kel-Tek p32. It is much lighter and I wanted the lightest possible handgun for shorts and sweatpants. Got a few 10 rd extended mags for it.

Have a CZ Model 50 (top) that I occasionally pocket carry when I take the dog for a walk.
My Beretta Model 81 double stack is a great shooter and I wouldn’t hesitate to carry it if I could find a decent holster.

brutus51 said:

The most appealing to me is the 1903 Colt. I can see this project is going to take awhile what with the shortages and everything and it's not the kind of thing I'd want to do through the internet.
Would have given the Seecamp 380 a good look over just for a feel of the Seecamp models but I would have to had to stand in line for a couple hours just to fondle it.

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Colt 1903s are definitely great guns, but they are much larger than the Seecamp.

brutus51 said:

The most appealing to me is the 1903 Colt. I can see this project is going to take awhile what with the shortages and everything and it's not the kind of thing I'd want to do through the internet.
Would have given the Seecamp 380 a good look over just for a feel of the Seecamp models but I would have to had to stand in line for a couple hours just to fondle it.

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First off, if you WANT a Colt 1903, nothing else will do until you have your 1903. Just trust me on this; I had to learn it the hard way myself. Just be warned, as already mentioned, it is quite a bit bigger than the next guns I'll list, which are truly pocket-sized. The Colt is really closer to a 2/3s scale version of a Government Model, rather than a pocket pistol given modern fashions. I'm not sure I own any jackets stout enough to support, with pockets big enough to hold, either my Colt 1903 or Savage 1907.

Next up, if you want a pocket .32, the only really good answer is the Kel-Tec P-32. It's small, thin, ridiculously light and the one I got to work with was perfectly reliable with ball ammo. The recoil is surprisingly mild given the small size too. No, it isn't a target gun, but it is A gun. I'm planning to have one of my own at some point when availability comes back to normal, mostly because it truly is a gun you can have on you almost all of the time without fail.

The Beretta 3032 Tomcat is a gun I really, really want to try someday. However, they are prone to cracking (I can't remember if it's the frames or the slides) with extensive firing, even the current "upgraded" versions. And they are FAT! No matter what the calipers say, they feel twice as thick as the P-32 in the hand, and are heavier to boot. Neat guns though.

As for the Seecamps, I've had at least one pass through my hands. There's nothing particularly remarkable about them to stand out in my mind, excepting that they are heavy. I also think these are the pistols that require short hollow-point loads like Winchester Silver Tips just to fit the magazines. If you're lucky .32 JHP won't expand from such a short barrel, and simply behave like ball ammo. If you're not lucky, it might expand and fail to penetrate if you need it.

For the price, there is no reason not to have a Keltec in addition to any other 32 Auto pistol one may be eyeing.

Having had a couple of Bereta 21's, which themselves are "fat", I wouldnt even consider the Tomcats. The cracking issue just seals the deal. Both of those may be somewhat smaller guns, but they really aren't "small", and more like a hunk of 2x3 in your pocket.

I had a Kel Tec P32 when they first came out and had nothing but trouble with it. It had a nasty habit of not "letting off", no matter how hard you pulled on the trigger. Made the mistake of reaching up with my thumb and pulling back on the hammer a little, and when I tried that, it got my attention right quick, as thats what it needed, a little help. My thumb just didnt get out of the way quick enough.

There seemed to be a lot of rim lock complaints with them at the time too, although I never encountered that. I didnt keep it long enough after it going back to deal with the trigger to find out either. Just never trusted it after that.

Ive had a couple of different Kel Tecs over the years and while they have some cool ideas, theyve always come up short in the execution, and none were what Id consider a constant or regular use gun. More like a sit in the car or truck, etc type gun, for use in an emergency. And even then, I dont know if Id want to trust them for that.

The Seecamps are a tad heavy for their size, but they are built like a Swiss watch and do work. I cant ever remember having a stoppage with one of mine, but I really didnt shoot them like I do most other things either. They got shot regularly while I was carrying them though, and never had a problem. They point and shoot naturally too.

There is a spacer in the mags that tend to not allow most ball 32's to fit. Some do though, and most will if you remove the spacer. Ive shot a couple of different brands of ball with the spacer out, and the gun functioned fine.

At first, they were set up to run with Silvertips, but they now have an expanded list of ammo they do recommend. Mine were of the Silvertip era, and thats mostly what I use (and DAMN! have they got pricey!). I have tried a couple of the others, and they worked fine too.

They are pretty much a "built to the limit" gun in regards to getting them that small and functional. Because of that, they have some quirks, and you need to know about them. You have to have a mag in the gun when you pull the trigger or youll screw up the draw bar spring. I havent had it happen, but it must be enough of an issue they give you a spare when you buy the gun.

Not that youll shoot the gun with the mag out, as it locks the slide.

Take down can seem a little screwy until you get used to it too.

Size wise, other than maybe a Baby Browning, I really dont know of much smaller though, at least that small thats reliable.

Most of the others above are really too big for any kind of pocket gun. Ive had a couple of the CZ 50's/70's, and while well made, very heavy for their size. They shoot well, as long as you dont want to pull the DA trigger. Thats a two-finger ordeal and insanely heavy. SA is very nice and they do shoot well.

As was hinted at above, I think a lot of those guns were called pocket guns, in a much earlier era, when clothes and fashions were a good bit different.

The two Im always on the lookout for are a nice Colt 1908, and Remington Model 51. More just to have and not so much to use.

And just to give you an idea as to where Im at there as far as "use", Ive replaced my Seecamp's with Glock 26's for that backup use. I never carried either in a pocket anyway, and while the 26 is a chunk compared to the 32, its just as easily carried, in the same type of holster, and in the same spot. Just seems like a no brainer to me.

brutus51 said:

The most appealing to me is the 1903 Colt. I can see this project is going to take awhile what with the shortages and everything and it's not the kind of thing I'd want to do through the internet.
Would have given the Seecamp 380 a good look over just for a feel of the Seecamp models but I would have to had to stand in line for a couple hours just to fondle it.

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You keep mentioning the Seecamp 380 yet say you are looking for a 32acp. Confusion reigns.

I'm a big fan of the 32acp and in fact it is and has been my carry choice for many years. I seem to have accumulated more 32acp semis than 9mm para, 380 and 9mm Mak combined.

Of my 32acps the most often carried is my one of my JP Sauer 38h. It's double action, concealed hammer for snag free pocket carry, lever cocker/decocker, accurate and reliable. My Beretta Model 70 is probably the next most often carried followed by my Mauser HSc.

The most enjoyable though has to be one of my Colt 1903s. I usually carry them in an old shoulder rig.

If you liked the Seecamp then the NAA Guardian 32 is the way to go. All the other inputs are pretty good, from the Kel-Tec P-32 to the Beretta 82. Personally for an all around .32 that can be also used as a pocket carry pistol, I'd go for something light and slim, like a Beretta 70 with alloy frame or a SIG-Sauer P232 with alloy frame or a Walther PPK with alloy frame.

As much as I like mouse guns, and I own a safe full, I can't recommend the Guardian 32. Mine had to go back to Utah after the first range trip with less than 200 rounds fired. First, it was a jam-o-matic. Normally I don't get too concerned with jams and can usually correct the issue myself, however this one was also beating itself up pretty bad. Without boring you with details, I'll let the pics do the talking. NAA was great and had it back to me in under two weeks. They had replaced the entire slide assembly and hammer, and polished the typical areas that cause jams. No more jams, but the beating continued in the same spots, except now the hammer was also making contact with the edge of the slide and peening it as well. It is obvious that they have a material issue, so rather than sending it back again I just polished out the bad spots and don't shoot it much.

Still trying to figure out the balancing act on that P32......

Demi-human said:

For the price, there is no reason not to have a Keltec in addition to any other 32 Auto pistol one may be eyeing.

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Hard to believe 20 posts until someone mentioned the PPK which would be my choice. Like a 1903 it's a pistol that you won't lose money on and the cool factor is through the roof. The Seecamp is expensive and many of them have issues. A Kel Tec 32 while tiny is not particularly interesting or fun to shoot. The Beretta 81 is one of the best pistol bargains ever to hit the surplus market and a no brainer IMO. While it isn't a pocket pistol it's a great intro gun for the caliber. Even though they are surplus they are often in minty condition.

This was my first pistol, a Bernardelli 49 .32ACP made in 1954 (pic not mine). It's a striker-fired pistol. The trigger was very good when dry firing but for some reason (probably due to the magazine disconnect safety) the trigger became very heavy during live fire. Sold after 200 rounds. It was slim but being all steel it was also heavy. Very snag free. The sights are a channel in the slide with a little, little front sight in the middle. Probably if I had removed the magazine disconnect safety it have been a good little shooting .32.