New 32 & 25 ACP Handguns?

jar said:

The fact that lots and lots of half century to near century old 7.65 and 6.35 pistols get bought and often for prices higher than many modern micro pistols is an indication that there still is a market for such things. And all the design and much of the testing has been done for all those critters and any prior patents are likely simply history. Modern materials and CNC production methods should allow fairly rapid development and deployment as opposed to starting with a clean sheet.

We can see that with the proliferation of modern examples based on truly ancient designs like the 1911 and P35. We see sales of modern built PPKs and PPK/s. And in addition there are already a host of modern micro pistols that with only slight modification could transition to 32acp or even 25acp. If S&W offered the Bodyguard in 32acp or Remington offered an RM765 or Tisas present a copy of the 1903 I'd camp out front of the LGS to be first in line when the doors opened.

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100%. I have a bodyguard .380. I’d buy one in .32 acp tomorrow

A Beretta 81 is a nice gun. A CZ-83 (15+1) is even better. A 15 round locked breech compact polystriker (cross between the CZ-83 and a S&W Shield EZ) would be sweet. Less recoil probably than the heavier all-steel classics, and real sights or a modern dovetail to add them. High capacity, low recoil, low muzzle blast relatively… what’s not to like?

Not the best picture, but this is a near pristine 32 ACP Model 70 (new puma) from 1968. My first gun show purchase. It came with box and papers. Don't see this fine instrument being brought back into production.

Mosin77 said:

A Beretta 81 is a nice gun. A CZ-83 (15+1) is even better. A 15 round locked breech compact polystriker (cross between the CZ-83 and a S&W Shield EZ) would be sweet. Less recoil probably than the heavier all-steel classics, and real sights or a modern dovetail to add them. High capacity, low recoil, low muzzle blast relatively… what’s not to like?

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At the end of the day, all but the hottest .32 acp is low recoil. My beretta tomcat feels like practically a .22, maybe a little hotter

unclenunzie said:

Not the best picture, but this is a near pristine 32 ACP Model 70 (new puma) from 1968. My first gun show purchase. It came with box and papers. Don't see this fine instrument being brought back into production.

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In 1968 I bought a 22LR model 70 but within a week or so traded it back for a New Puma. But mine has the black grips.

Not a 32 ACP, but I would love one of these if I could find someone that could get one for me.
Charter Arms 7 shot 32 H&R

jmohme said:

Not a 32 ACP, but I would love one of these if I could find someone that could get one for me.View attachment 1094185
Charter Arms 7 shot 32 H&R

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I’ve seen them in store, and Gunbroker. Undercoverette

jar said:

The fact that lots and lots of half century to near century old 7.65 and 6.35 pistols get bought and often for prices higher than many modern micro pistols is an indication that there still is a market for such things. And all the design and much of the testing has been done for all those critters and any prior patents are likely simply history. Modern materials and CNC production methods should allow fairly rapid development and deployment as opposed to starting with a clean sheet.

We can see that with the proliferation of modern examples based on truly ancient designs like the 1911 and P35. We see sales of modern built PPKs and PPK/s. And in addition there are already a host of modern micro pistols that with only slight modification could transition to 32acp or even 25acp. If S&W offered the Bodyguard in 32acp or Remington offered an RM765 or Tisas present a copy of the 1903 I'd camp out front of the LGS to be first in line when the doors opened.

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Yeah, put me down for two new .32 ACP PPK, one in stainless and one in blue. I lose interest when auctions for used ones hit $1,200+ after the second bid.

jmohme said:

Not a 32 ACP, but I would love one of these if I could find someone that could get one for me.View attachment 1094185
Charter Arms 7 shot 32 H&R

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https://www.gunbroker.com/item/935625152

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/932823530

I too would like a .32 revolver.

So... red dots for 32's?

Autodidactic said:

At the end of the day, all but the hottest .32 acp is low recoil. My beretta tomcat feels like practically a .22, maybe a little hotter

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My Colt 1903 is a delight to shoot. My PPK isn’t as much fun. Not unpleasant but less enjoyable. So a lot has to do with geometry I guess. I shot a Tomcat once and although it was absolutely manageable I don’t recall it being fun.

Mosin77 said:

My Colt 1903 is a delight to shoot. My PPK isn’t as much fun. Not unpleasant but less enjoyable. So a lot has to do with geometry I guess. I shot a Tomcat once and although it was absolutely manageable I don’t recall it being fun.

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I bet a 1903 is nice. The tomcats are decent, definitely easier and nicer to shoot than the .380 polymer pocket pistols.

These are cool old pistols, so I got one of each. The 32 is from 1916 or so, the 25 is from the 1920's.

CDW4ME said:

Since nobody wants to get shot with a 25 (BB, dart, pellet) then its good to go for self defense.

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Wants to? What about too numbed - either by mental defect or chemical ingestion - to care?
The question is properly, "Do I want to bet my life and or safety on this round in all cases?"
Don't be concerned with the thinking of the villain. One typically cannot guess that well.

DustyGmt said:

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....

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I too knew a young lady that had been shot point blank on the side of her skull with a 25 ACP by a jealous husband. The bullet was never removed from her brain and she still had a small hole in her skull underneath the scalp but other than that she was fine and as normal as anyone else. I don't think she would have been as lucky if it had been a 32 or 380.

I was replying to this by another member:

"As to the effectiveness of .25 as a defensive weapon, while I wouldn't want to use it in a gunfight it is very effective when used as intended. When stuck in an eye socket or junk aggressors they tend to stop their bad behavior. For all the talk of the rounds lack of power absolutely nobody wants to get shot with one"

CDW4ME said:

That ammo criteria is much easier to achieve than at least 12'' penetration with consistent expansion.

Anybody volunteer to get shot with a .25? Nobody?!!
Absolutely nobody wants to get shot with a 25? Come on, please. Well, Okay...
Since nobody wants to get shot with a 25 (BB, dart, pellet) then its good to go for self defense.

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You picked just my last line.

Archie said:

Wants to? What about too numbed - either by mental defect or chemical ingestion - to care?
The question is properly, "Do I want to bet my life and or safety on this round in all cases?"
Don't be concerned with the thinking of the villain. One typically cannot guess that well.

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Not sure the point of addressing just my last line; it seems we are of similar thinking.

Thread now has both cliché phrases posted, "nobody want to get shot with it" and subsequently I saw "better than nothing" posted.
Could say the same for a 9mm 147 HST "nobody want to get shot with it" and its "better than nothing" - however, I never see the phrases used for 9mm or more.

Wow this thread fell apart fast. I thought the question was would we buy a .25 or .32 ?

Meant to post my thoughts sooner, but was busy.

.25 is pretty much a no for me, it may be more reliable than .22, but there is no addition in power and if you're going to saddle me with .22 levels of power, don't ask me to pay triple or more to shoot it. That said, if I was going to buy a .25 today, I'd get the Phoenix or the Beretta 950.

If people here don't know I'm a .32 guy, I am and have been asking Ruger to make a .32 LCP for years. Ruger has never made a .32 semi auto before and I don't think they ever will. S&W I don't see doing it either, and given the sporting purposes and the point system nobody will ever be able to import one into the US from another country, so we're stuck with Kel Tec and Seecamp.

I would like to see Kel Tec make a gen 2 improvement on the P32 like they did the Sub 2000. Make the trigger better, there's no reason to continue with the disgustingly heavy trigger that was popular in the 90s as a precaution against accidental discharges. We just saw a shooting in Indiana in a mall where the hero had to shoot at 40 yards to drop the killer, such a shot would be impossible with the current P32.

I like .32 more than .380, the .380 has too much recoil for me to shoot it effectively in tiny 10oz (or less) pistols. Would I prefer .32 NAA over .32 ACP? Absolutely, but that cartridge is effectively dead given the hate for the .32 caliber and lack of support by the ammo industry.

truth be told i also have a taurus pt25 poly with two mags and 600+ rounds of 25acp ammo. i won the pt25 in a one-off, absurdly low, gb.com bid. i started picking up ammo in drips and drabs, when i found it (relatively) cheap, here and there, over time. i have put maybe 200 rpunds through the pt25. it is a pleasant & reliable little shooter that serves my humble life well enough when i need an absolutely discreet (still lawful) ccw. the pt25 design allows it to be fired while pressed up against the target and remain in battery. by contrast a beretta 21 22lr, from which the pt25 was born, was a ftf nightmare. i can live without the pt25, since i have a nice keltec p32 and a naa bugout1 mini revolver 22lr, but nobody i know wants to pay for a 25acp pistol with alot of ammo.

i believe in any small caliber ccw if the alternative is your fist. i’m not looking for a one-shot-stop. i’m only looking to create enough discomfort and distraction for me to exit the stage, or to claw like a cornered badger if no exit.

Today I carried my Bernardelli Model 60 7.65mm hammer fired single action. It has an 8+1 capacity.

There were lots of other choices available to me in pistols ranging from 6.35mm to 45acp and I have carried each and every one of those other options at some time during my life.

But today I carried my Bernardelli Model 60 7.65mm hammer fired single action. It has an 8+1 capacity.

And if there comes a time when there are new 7.65 options available that catch my fancy I will certainly consider buying yet another.

Here’s my humble Tomcat.



I carried it to an event last week, and I liked it

To answer the OP, no. I do not see any major gun manufacturers introducing any new firearms in either .25 or .32acp.

Technology has rendered them obsolete. Don't confuse that with ineffective because that is certainly not what I mean. Anyone competent with either can certainly defend themselves with said cartridges, but advances in design, especially in .32 caliber(30 super and .327 Federal), have much better potential.

I have a Beretta 950 in .25acp. In fact it was the first centerfire handgun I ever bought, maybe in 2002 or 2003. It is fun to shoot at the range and I probably feed it 50 rounds a year or so. The last time I carried it was probably three years ago and that was just for a day or two when I was in between holsters for my J frame.

Relevant to this thread, I actually pulled it out on a very hot day a couple of weeks ago, loaded it, and got ready to leave the house. But then I went back and got my Ruger LCR in .327 Federal. I would guess that the vast majority of posters that read this would make the same choice. Which is why you won't see any more .25 or .32 acp. There are better choices.

Agsalaska said:

To answer the OP, no. I do not see any major gun manufacturers introducing any new firearms in either .25 or .32acp.

Technology has rendered them obsolete. Don't confuse that with ineffective because that is certainly not what I mean. Anyone competent with either can certainly defend themselves with said cartridges, but advances in design, especially in .32 caliber(30 super and .327 Federal), have much better potential.

I have a Beretta 950 in .25acp. In fact it was the first centerfire handgun I ever bought, maybe in 2002 or 2003. It is fun to shoot at the range and I probably feed it 50 rounds a year or so. The last time I carried it was probably three years ago and that was just for a day or two when I was in between holsters for my J frame.

Relevant to this thread, I actually pulled it out on a very hot day a couple of weeks ago, loaded it, and got ready to leave the house. But then I went back and got my Ruger LCR in .327 Federal. I would guess that the vast majority of posters that read this would make the same choice. Which is why you won't see any more .25 or .32 acp. There are better choices.

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I’m not sure there are better choices though than .32 acp for true pocket pistols. A lot of people don’t like or can’t handle .380 micro pistol recoil. I can. But I think we forgot .32 acp utility. I think they are the right power for that size and material (Polymer). Still useable for defense.