Rebirth of the 32 ACP?

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I'm not a 357 SIG booster, I read good things about it from people who loved the cartridge, mostly about great penetration and expansion. If the cartridge died out because in reality it sucked then I used a bad example of how new cartridges can't seem to get off the ground.
 
zaitcev said:
What are those things?
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357 Sig is a bottleneck pistol caliber designed to try and deliver 125 gr. 357 Mag ballistics from a pistol.
It does a good job of achieving that, but factors like cost and overreliance on gel results* (that may not reflect actual performance) hurt it.
14 - 16 rounds of essentially 357 Mag:
Glock 32:
Speer Gold Dot 125 gr. @ 1,344 fps / 501# KE
Federal HST 125 gr. @ 1,358 fps / 512# KE
Glock 35 with 357 Sig Barrel
125 Gold Dot @ 1,399 fps / 543# KE
125 HST @ 1,415 fps / 556# KE
125 Ranger T @ 1,428 fps / 566# KE
125 PPU FPJ @ 1,461 fps / 593# KE

*In before Lucky Gunner 357 Sig video (AKA 9mm is best video).
There is an example where 38 special and 357 Mag deliver the same performance in gel despite that 357 Mag has double the energy. Which is why I say gel results may not reflect actual performance as most would likely agree with me that 357 mag has better ASAP potential than 38 special despite equivalent result in gel.
 
I’ve got three pistols chambered for 32 ACP, Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerless, Beretta Model 81 Cheetah, & an older Beretta Tomcat. My only bitch about them is trying to find the brass on the ground so I can reload ‘em.
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I have carried the Tomcat in a pocket holster when wearing shorts in a leisurely setting-still better than a sharp stick.
 
Nasty Canasta said:
I’ve got three pistols chambered for 32 ACP, Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerless, Beretta Model 81 Cheetah, & an older Beretta Tomcat. My only bitch about them is trying to find the brass on the ground so I can reload ‘em.
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That's a major issue with the .32 caliber is the lack of popularity means nobody is shooting it. I've been a member of my club for 4 years now, haven't seen one .32 case of any type in all that time.
 
Yep, don't find many .32 ACP cases on the ground, most .32 shooters are reloading IMHO, so they pick them up, except for the ones that go poof into the time warp.

Carrying .32 ACP is a totally different subject than loving to shoot it at the range, and is the .32 ACP enough gun to carry is always a very lively debate.

I have three .32 ACP range guns, two are retired police guns (Beretta & CZ), one is a Taurus 132 Pro. I love to shoot all three of them.

I used to have a Seecamp .32 ACP that I carried at times, but sold it off a couple of years ago. I still pocket carry a NAA .22 Mag mini revolver sometimes. I bought it over 40 years ago, it's traveled many a mile with me.
 
And not a lot of .32acp firearms to choose from.
I bought a Kel Tel p32 years ago, great mouse gun.
Since I was stocking up on .32 ACP I started looking for something else in this caliber.
Looked at surplus CZs, FEG pa-63, Zastava m70, etc when the Italian prison trade-in Beretta mod 81s hit the market.
Perfect. Most of these were like mine, just some minor holster wear and mechanically like new.
Mags were a bit hard to find once these flooded the market, but Beretta was still making new ones and stepped up to meet demand, at a reasonable price. And there were modified .380 mags that ran great as well for less.
Mags & parts can be a deal breaker for some surplus guns. Back when I bought a Star BM & a Zastava M88a for $150 each the mags were going for $50 a pop. When I was looking at the PA-63, I couldn’t find any mags period.

we need a new .32acp pistol. Beretta hinted at a .32 ACP Pico but we never got one.
 
Not seeing a comeback yet but certainly hanging on. For good reason, they are great for Summer in the Sunbelt. I can carry one on my bike or in my pocket when I'm wearing shorts and a running shirt.

wesmonster said:
And not a lot of .32acp firearms to choose from.
we need a new .32acp pistol. Beretta hinted at a .32 ACP Pico but we never got one.
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Yeah, I wish Beretta would bring back the 81. Would love to get a new one.
 
For me, the 32 pistol would have to be notably smaller and lighter than the LCP, for consideration.

I've looked at 22 and 25 tiny guns, and love their size. Ballistics are not what I want though.

My LCP is loaded with Underwood 380+P stuff with the Hornady XTP bullet. I've fired a few boxes of it now, with a 13 pound recoil spring installed, and it's a legit round.

I'd like a 32, but it would have to offer my what my Ruger does, in a smaller package.
 
My LCP is loaded with Underwood 380+P stuff with the Hornady XTP bullet. I've fired a few boxes of it now, with a 13 pound recoil spring installed, and it's a legit round.

I'd like a 32, but it would have to offer my what my Ruger does, in a smaller package.
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The Seecamp does, but that "smaller package" is heavier (and substantially pricier.)
 
Derek Wildstar said:
First off, that's not a tank top.

However, that's great, if you plan to stand in one position all day long and not participate in any summer time activities. With a Seecamp or a Tomcat --or even a smaller mouse gun in .25acp-- in a pocket holster i can wear a wife-beater tank top or even no shirt at all.

I can also play badminton, family volley ball, ping pong, pickle ball etc.

Can you do any of those things with a IWB Glock 19 without printing or fully exposing your side arm?
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You learned me a new word. And there are half a dozen stories on how that name came about:
https://www.gozatowels.com/blogs/news/the-story-behind-the-wife-beater-tank-top
And to think, I just bought a pack of those wife-beaters.

But to the topic. I recently acquired a Seacamp LWS 32, so recent I have not visited the range with it yet but hope to soon. I might be interested in another 32 ACP and the Tomcat is high on my list. The nice thing about these little guns is you are far more likely to carry it than a big gun and it is much easier to carry.

Of my 5 handguns, two are 32s, the other being a 32 S&W Long Revolver.
 
aaaaa said:
I think we just validated JCooperfan1911's post. Test of real gun, nobody wants to be shot by it:
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That criteria is much easier to achieve than at least 12'' penetration and consistent expansion.

Anybody volunteer to get shot by ______? Nobody?
Nobody volunteer to get shot by ______? What?!!!
Come on, _____ doesn't penetrate 12'' and consistently expand, probably not quickly incapacitating either. Still Nobody?
Well then, _____ is good to go for self defense. (BB-pellet-dart)
 
aaaaa said:
You learned me a new word. And there are half a dozen stories on how that name came about:
https://www.gozatowels.com/blogs/news/the-story-behind-the-wife-beater-tank-top
And to think, I just bought a pack of those wife-beaters.

But to the topic. I recently acquired a Seacamp LWS 32, so recent I have not visited the range with it yet but hope to soon. I might be interested in another 32 ACP and the Tomcat is high on my list. The nice thing about these little guns is you are far more likely to carry it than a big gun and it is much easier to carry.

Of my 5 handguns, two are 32s, the other being a 32 S&W Long Revolver.
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Don't buy a Tomcat.

They have issues just running then they crack. They can break in multiple ways. I had one. Broke. Beretta replaced it. Sold it NIB.

See the Beretta forums for details.

.25 Bobcats are good, .25 Jetfires are good. .22 LR Bobcats and .22 Short Jetfires are fairly reliable at best don't bet your life on them working.

Cheetahs, Jaguars are great in all forms.

Stay away from the Tomcat, it belongs in the litterbox of history.
 
Shivahasagun said:
Don't buy a Tomcat.

They have issues just running then they crack. They can break in multiple ways. I had one. Broke. Beretta replaced it. Sold it NIB.

See the Beretta forums for details.

.25 Bobcats are good, .25 Jetfires are good. .22 LR Bobcats and .22 Short Jetfires are fairly reliable at best don't bet your life on them working.

Cheetahs, Jaguars are great in all forms.

Stay away from the Tomcat, it belongs in the litterbox of history.
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Thanks, I keep hearing that warning about the Tomcat 32 but thought they strengthend it and later models should be okay. My local GS has two of the tip-up barrel 22s and a 25 ACP version. They also have the rather boring KelTec P32 (priced $250 used). A 1903 would be nice. I just have to be patient and somethign will come around.
 
aaaaa said:
Thanks, I keep hearing that warning about the Tomcat 32 but thought they strengthend it and later models should be okay. My local GS has two of the tip-up barrel 22s and a 25 ACP version. They also have the rather boring KelTec P32 (priced $250 used). A 1903 would be nice. I just have to be patient and somethign will come around.
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All they did to beef up the Tomcat was fatten the slide about 10-15 years ago.

The frames still crack. The slide on my current version broke, too.

I knew the risks when I bought it. (New) it turns out all of the problems with it are true.

Oh, there are two very sharp prongs that make up the rear of the slide. You WILL cut yourself with those eventually handling or shooting and you will bleed.

It's the "happy fun ball" of .32 pistols. (Old Saturday night live skit)

If that .25 acp at your LGS is a Bobcat definitely buy it. If it's a Jetfire and you don't mind single-action only consider it.

I've had / have several of each. They do require some break-in but then run well. Beretta mags only.
 
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