New 32 & 25 ACP Handguns?

A Ruger 25 or 32 would have to offer significant advantages over the P32, for me personally. Which if they made a 32 in LCP II/MAX form I might. I don't see them offering a 32 or 25 though, it's the economics. They are too large to offer something that doesn't have potential for millions of copies sold. Won't move the needle for them. I think today the only polymer 32 that is offered is the P32. The ammo pricing is an issue. The 22 LCP II made a lot of sense for them because its relatively cheap to feed and everyone likes 22 in one form or another.

If they offered a 32 in 9mm it would sell

i had a ruger lcp22 and have a keltec p32. many folks like the former. i love ruger rimfire handguns, just not the lcp22. too bad it wasn’t a downsized sr22. the p32 is a wonderful small ccw. it can be found on gunbroker.

I would probably carry a .32acp if there were more options out there. I like small guns. Certainly .380 fits this bill nicely but I always liked the .32acp for some reason and if Ruger made a .32 ACP I'd probably have one, I have a 1903 .32 but I don't really like to haul that around with me. I also wouldn't have any qualms about carrying a nice mak style gun in 9mak or .32acp....

The .25acp I would have to pass on. I know the .32 is no powerhouse compared to it but I've worked for a guy that got shot point black range in the forehead with a .25 and he lit up a cigarette and was trying to refuse medical attention because "he was fine". I know, just an antectdote but I'm biased against them for other reasons too....

If Ruger had an LCPII in 32acp I might buy one.

I prefer the 380 version for now, but it would nice to have another option when my hands get weaker.

The P32 doesn't have actual sights and the trigger isn't great. I'd prefer a Rugerized version.

Remington said they were planning a 32acp for the RM380. Now that is one I'd jump on in a heartbeat.

That seems to be the whole argument for 30 super carry- "look how many more of these fit into the same area vs 9mm!". 32 or 25 would be a step down from 30 sc.

That said, a 32 stainless ppk was a sweet dandy of a pocket carry for a spell.

I happen to like the 32 and think it does bring something to the table. Many of the 380 platforms become much better (accuracy, recoil) in 32. Some of the 32 hps seem to run with 380 and 38 from a snub as far as penetration + expansion.

In an lcp max style you could probably engineer to fit 15-18 32 acps. I think my ppk held 8-9 rounds and carried very easily. Something lcp size could probably carry 10.

I haven't addressed the 25 acp. While you gain reliability over 22lr, performance isn't there. However, expense certainly is.

I think maybe you could bottle neck the cartridge and add more horsepower hard cast the bullet with a flat metplat and maybe have something...

I bought new, and have carried, a first year Seecamp .32. I’m weird for .32. A Colt Pocket. A handful of Walther PP and PPK’s. I had a Keltec P32. HAD to have the P3AT and traded it. Stupid move. It was a better gun in .32.

But, when Seecamp came back out with the .25, I wanted one. I think I have #49. It’s great fun to shoot. Any ammo I’ve stuffed in it.

There’s just not enough demand for the pocket .32’s and .25’s for any major manufacturer to start on them now. I think Beretta just kinda keeps them in the line up for the few and far betweens.

If you could take advantage of the slim .32 and make an LCP double stack in say 10 rounds like the old Savage it would have “some” allure. I don’t see the advantage of .25 ACP anything new. I love some of the old pocket guns in that caliber for the designs not the caliber. No upside to a .25 except for that.

As a side note the .32 ACP is somewhat under loaded in what is on the shelf today. As long as there are turn of the century guns of dubious quality like 100 year old Ruby types and similar I don’t see ammo makers getting too adventurous. European makers used to load the .32 hotter than it is now as it was a military and police cartridge for them. .380 was always offered in somewhat larger guns generally of better quality. Less risk there.

wcwhitey said:

I don’t see the advantage of .25 ACP anything new. I love some of the old pocket guns in that caliber for the designs not the caliber. No upside to a .25 except for that.

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Agree, the allure of the .25 was the small package some of them came in, i.e., Baby Browning, Bauer, Beretta, etc.

With the Keltec and Ruger LCP sized guns now available, they're pretty close to that size, and much more powerful. No need for a .25.

The other market for a .25 was a "ladies" gun, seems the ladies today aren't quite so fragile as they were thought to be.

A few years back I owned an NAA pistol chambered in 25naa, not 25acp. It was a necked down 32 case with a 25 bullet. It was one of the most uncomfortable handguns I’ve ever shot. I own numerous small caliber pistols in 32, 25, 380, and 9x18. Even the Polish P64 was softer shooting. In defense of the 25acp round always remember that it is not the gun but the ammo that can be weak. American made 25 and 32 is anemic compared to most European made rounds. 25 caliber handguns are fun to collect and shoot but I’ll not be carrying one for primary defense.

lincen said:

A few years back I owned an NAA pistol chambered in 25naa, not 25acp. It was a necked down 32 case with a 25 bullet. It was one of the most uncomfortable handguns I’ve ever shot. I own numerous small caliber pistols in 32, 25, 380, and 9x18. Even the Polish P64 was softer shooting. In defense of the 25acp round always remember that it is not the gun but the ammo that can be weak. American made 25 and 32 is anemic compared to most European made rounds. 25 caliber handguns are fun to collect and shoot but I’ll not be carrying one for primary defense.

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The Ortgies is the best looking of the bunch, nice collection

Sure. I'd rather have a higher capacity .32 caliber than a more powerful lower capacity carry gun.

Wish I could find a PPK in .32.

I'd be willing to bet Buffalo Bore probably makes some pretty stout .32acp cartridges. I could see a .32acp Ruger LCP being pretty popular, especially if they could up the capacity to at least 9.

I like the idea of a .32acp LCP and if I had ever come across a kel tec in that cal I would have bought it but all I ever saw was .380's. Except one gun shop I went to but the guy was charging sucker prices on everything, wanted like $425 for it. Nope

My wife wanted a Kel Tec .32, once upon a time, so, we bought one. Neither of us liked shooting the tiny thing. In my case, it wanted to squirm in my grasp, as I pulled the trigger. Just too small, and not sufficiently grip-able.

Whether .25 or .32, my choice would be Seecamp. I have an LWS-25, which needs a new firing pin, in order to return to shoot-ability. Being an inert weapon, it served as a training prop, in the past, to test rookie officers’ thoroughness in performing searches. (This was before “blue guns” were a thing.) We have his-and-hers LWS-32 pistols. The trigger pivot point is far enough forward, that it feels like shooting a larger pistol.

Personally, I think the market for new 25 ACP pistols might be pretty much dead, because they no longer have any significant advantage in size over a 32 ACP pistol like the Kel-Tec, and 32 ACP is a much more useful cartridge than 25 ACP.

Yes, I know about guns like the Browning Baby and the Walther Model 9, but they have always seemed too small to be considered practical to me. I have never owned, carried, or fired one, so I might be wrong.

But I have owned and fired a Kel-Tec 32, and some larger 25's like a Phoenix HP 25 and a CZ-45. There is very little difference in size there, and the Kel-Tec is actually lighter, due to the use of plastic instead of steel (or whatever the Phoenix is made out of).

The .32 ACP is a nifty old cartridge that runs in neat old guns. It has the potential to be a giant PITA.
The good news; guns made in .32 ACP, as compared to their .380 cousins, are really pleasant to shoot.
They are also a semi-rimmed cartridge, which can lead to rimlock, depending on the rounds loaded and the particular magazines. I believe it was the NAA .32 that would only accept hollow points; ball won't fit in the magazine; this, to avoid the rimlock thing.
I reload .32s; easy cartridge.
Moon

It was the Seecamp with the HP limitation.

Maybe I'm going backwards.

I have a Seecamp 32, and I'd add a Seecamp 380 to my collection if I ever find one.

Thnx unclenunzie; my memory is nothing special.
Moon

Today's carry was my Bernardelli model 60, a hammer fired adaptation of the FN 1910 design. Great gun but a firm that has gone away and parts are somewhat difficult to find.



Bring out something that looks and works like this and I'd certainly be interested.

Mark39 said:

Sure. I'd rather have a higher capacity .32 caliber than a more powerful lower capacity carry gun.

Wish I could find a PPK in .32.

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Yes, I'd like to have a 32 ACP PPK as well.

I have a PPK/s and a PP in 32 ACP as well as a PPK in 380 ACP. The guns are a bit heavy for their size, in my opinion. The 380ACP PPK is a bit snappy to shoot but not uncontrollable. A 32 ACP PPK would be a bit lighter with a softer recoil and another round in the magazine. That is why I'd like to have one.

The Kelec P32 is pleasant to shoot but in my opinion, it s a deep undercover gun. Effective range is fairly short.

FL-NC said:

Is 25 even still a thing? Seems like the 32 is sort of obsolete too, with all the smaller quality 380 and 9mm pistols that are available now.

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I almost always have a 25acp in a pocket. But then I'm likely obsolete as well.

lincen said:

25 caliber handguns are fun to collect and shoot but I’ll not be carrying one for primary defense.View attachment 1093687

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I wholehearted agree. On both considerations. I collect .25 (and .32) caliber pistols of the 'early years'. That is a nice set of 'useless' hardware. But not for defense.

FL-NC said:

Is 25 even still a thing? Seems like the 32 is sort of obsolete too, with all the smaller quality 380 and 9mm pistols that are available now.

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Pistols are still made in both .25 ACP and .32 ACP. I collect the old ones and avoid the newer ones.
The only explanation making sense to me is lots of folks think those pistols are the best they can do. Due to price, recoil, opportunity, evil spirits, whatever.
Ever since they were introduced in the early part of the 20th Century (boy, I feel old talking about living in 'the last' Century) is their size. I have to agree a small .25 in a trouser pocket is more convenient than a real gun in a concealed belt holster. We have drifted to the "apples and oranges" stage.