Thoughts on .32ACP pocket pistols

First of all, the Colts were VEST pocket pistols. Still an excellent way to carry them. Would love to have a 1903, but can’t justify the prices.
Secondly, I’ll havE to “second” the recommendation to AVOID the Beretta unless you don’t intend to shoot it. I’ve had two. First one I shot extensively. Eventually cracked both frame and slide. Beretta replaced it circa 2001. It was a tack driver. Shot POI/POA out to 25yds after I drifted the sight. It would easily out shoot my issue Glock. I sold second one NIB. Beretta will no longer replace them. It’s a disposable pistol. I shot Fiocchi and Seller&Bellot ammo almost exclusively, or reloads duplicating such. It was reliable, even after frame and slide had cracks...

Thirdly; I do recommend the Keltec.
I’ve had two Keltecs. First I won at the ‘96 NPSC for High Conservation Officer, It lacked the sights on the slide. Just a groove. It was useful for intended purposes. Was very reliable. I gave it to my older brother who carried it as a security guard at DOD contractor site when working posts that stipulated no exposed weapons. He in turn gave it to my nephew, who took it to Iraq in 2003 for a year.
I bought the second one. Has rudimentary sights. Shoots to POA at 7yds. Coke bottle cap sized groups! I mostly carry it in a pocket slide holster when excercising/walking. Carried it this afternoon.
It really likes a Lyman 311252 78gr RN over 1.8gr of Bullseye or 2.1gr of HP38. My carry load is Federal 65gr HydroShoks.

I managed to snag a Beretta M81. Marvelous range toy. Not as accurate as the TomCat, but my favorite Range Toy! It likes 2.0gr of Bullseye as ejection is a little sluggish with 1.8. A lot more slide mass than the KelTec or TomCat. It’s carried in a unknown brand nylon belt holster with 13rds of HydroShoks. Two extra mags!

GooseGestapo said:

First of all, the Colts were VEST pocket pistols....

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I apologize if I should know this from context, but which Colt do you mean? The 25 caliber, I assume? Because if you mean the 32, I want to see your vest.

The last three piece suit I had, (about 40yrs ago...) had a nice large pocket on the inside left front panel that was just right for a 1903! Or even a Charter UnderCover which I actually carried.
Not talking about the “watch” pocket on the right front side...
Gray pin stripe; Hart Shaftner, and Marx; IIRC

Kinda like this, but slightly SMALLER...

Snagged a really nice '03 Colt years ago at a local shop; it looked so good I didn't check the bore...big mistake. Long story short; finally figured the pistol had belonged to a family friend, who only shot it New Years Eve, with blackpowder blanks. Tracked down a clean barrel at a gunshow.
BTW, Japanese cops are apparently still using SIG P230s in .32 ACP, decocker and a manual safety.
Moon

I have a pre-war 7.65 PPK that I inherited some 32 years ago. It's accurate, snappy and fun. That counts, right?

GooseGestapo said:

The last three piece suit I had, (about 40yrs ago...) had a nice large pocket on the inside left front panel that was just right for a 1903! Or even a Charter UnderCover which I actually carried.
Not talking about the “watch” pocket on the right front side...
Gray pin stripe; Hart Shaftner, and Marx; IIRC

Kinda like this, but slightly SMALLER...View attachment 966599 View attachment 966601

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Thanks for clearing that up! When I was young, things like that were called "shoplifters pockets", at least if they were in a topcoat or a long raincoat.

magyars4 said:

Not sure I understand the attraction....380 comes in as small a package and you get a bit more punch.
380 ammo is easier to come by.
JMHO

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Its been a while since I looked into it but I'm pretty sure the .380 Kel Tec weighed more than the .32 and the 32 held one more round.
Not a huge difference, but it is a consideration.

Nothing wrong with a .380 either.

Ammo availability isn't an issue. Likely have enough to last me a lifetime and if I don't I can make more, of either.

It’s kind of like this...

Just get one. You know you want to. For the, still wonderful, Seecamp’s price you could get two!

I was recruited to fire the “break-in” rounds through my wife’s Kel-tec .32, because she did not like shooting it. I hated shooting that little thing, as its smallness was past the point of diminishing returns. Uncomfortable. We learned that it was only reliable if we kept the magazines down-loaded by one, which others reported, as well. It has been a paper-weight, since we completed break-in and function-testing, all those years ago.

I have accumulated several Seecamp pistols, since the mid-Eighties. My first, an LWS-25, had to be replaced, when the something seemed to have expanded or warped during its first shooting session, causing the slide to stop reciprocating freely. The replacement ran well, for several years, until the firing pin broke, after which I used it as an inert training gun, for my rookie trainees to “find.” Its task as a training gun now a thing of the past, I really should see about ordering a replacement firing pin, bushing, and spring.

Next up was a Seecamp LWS-32, during the Nineties. It performed well, for the several years i had it. I was offered what I paid for it, by a dealer of high-end pistols, during that time when demand exceeded supply. I then developed seller’s remorse, and when the prices dropped back to normal, I bought a new replacement, and then another new one, for my wife. I have, since then, accumulated two more LWS-32 pistols in pre-owned, excellent condition. I don’t know why I have so many, but there are, most certainly, worse addictions than “rescuing” Seecamp pistols, and providing them with a home..

I regularly carry a .32 Walther PPK which to me is the ultimate pocket pistol. I can't imagine carrying it in a pants pocket. Like Monac said the term was in reference to suit jacket pockets. I also carry a 1903 on occasion and while I own a Tomcat I don't carry it.

If you are actually looking to carry in your pants pocket I would say the KelTec is the best bang for the buck on your sub $500 budget. If you want to go I/OTW you can get a surplus Beretta 81 and a 81BB for that. The 81s are great guns, easy to conceal, and are way more fun to shoot .

A lot of the coolest guns from the first half of the 20th century were .32s - Savage 1907, Colt 1903, Ortgies, Walther PPK, FN 1910, Remington 51, etc. They are elegant and beautiful guns that are still effective today. My Ortgies is among the most accurate handguns in my safe. But my Kel Tec is more practical, and often gets carried.

brutus51 said:

Another bucket list 32 I'd love to have is the Mauser HSC, truly ahead of it's time, looks like it was designed by Art Deco.
Could have bought one years ago but I was led to believe they were somewhat problematic.

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Mine was a post-war .380. Beautiful gun, but a total failure as a usable firearm.
Supposedly the .32s are better.

brutus51 said:

Another bucket list 32 I'd love to have is the Mauser HSC, truly ahead of it's time, looks like it was designed by Art Deco.
Could have bought one years ago but I was led to believe they were somewhat problematic.

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I have never found any major issues with the 32acp versions but both of the 380 versions I had were very unreliable. The minor issues are the decocking by putting it in safe mode then pulling the trigger and push forward for fire mode with the safety. The former is just nerve racking and the latter simply annoying.

This looks like a ray-gun. Savage 1907, and on my bucket list:

And savage wasn't above exploiting fear:

roscoe said:

This looks like a ray-gun. Savage 1907, and on my bucket list:

View attachment 967236

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One kinda niggling point though. It may well be the hardest gun to rack the slide of any semi-automatics I owned or have shot.

Might be related to the striker spring rather than the recoil spring.



That ain't your normal striker spring kids.

Check the frame right above the trigger bar linkage - a very thin strip of metal. Look closely for a crack. Reports are this does not harm, but it's not something Beretta will deal with. Some, like myself, have removed the strip of metal after the crack happened to prevent curling up and interfering with slide travel.

Just by price I'd say it was good ~$350, but today's P32 is likely to be a cheaper and better alternative to actually use and carry. I have copies of all three, and if I'm going to pocket carry a 32 acp it will be the P32 first choice, or Seecamp second if aesthetics matter to my pocket

I’d hold out for a P32, since it sounds like what you actually want.

unclenunzie said:

Check the frame right above the trigger bar linkage - a very thin strip of metal. Look closely for a crack. Reports are this does not harm, but it's not something Beretta will deal with. Some, like myself, have removed the strip of metal after the crack happened to prevent curling up and interfering with slide travel.

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got pix of this?

JERRY said:

got pix of this?

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The crack will show up as a hairline fracture always in the same spot. This is after filing it out so there's nothing left to interfere with slide action. Sorry about size and the dust:

Pictured below are a Sauer 1930 in 7.65 and above that a Sig Sauer P938. The older Sauer would indeed be my pocket gun up until the newer generation of small concealed carry weapons arrived. Still can’t beat the look and feel of these older classic pistols !

Difficult to argue with choosing the newer 9mm over the older 32acp. One of my carry guns is a P32 KelTec.