Trade a Ruger LCP for Kel-Tec P32?

SP5 said:

Even HP ammo?

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For .380? No, most hollow points for .380 don't penetrate much. Some are capable provided they expand, which is another issue .380 has.

I trust solid bullets more in these calibers and I don't like the recoil of .380, so if I'm going to use a solid bullet, .32 may as well be it.

351 WINCHESTER said:

The only hp ammo that will expand reliability from a k/t p32 is the Corbon and possibly the GoldDot.

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And they don't penetrate. Luckygunner did test Hornady Critical Defense and Fiocchi XTP's in the Beretta 81 and they got decent expansion and penetration, so the only JHP I trust in .32 is that Hornady CD and Fiocchi stuff in a 4 inch barrel. 3 inch barrel or less and it's solid bullet only.

TTv2 said:

And they don't penetrate. Luckygunner did test Hornady Critical Defense and Fiocchi XTP's in the Beretta 81 and they got decent expansion and penetration, so the only JHP I trust in .32 is that Hornady CD and Fiocchi stuff in a 4 inch barrel. 3 inch barrel or less and it's solid bullet only.

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If I'm going to carry a 4" handgun it's not going to be a .32acp. I was referring to the kel tec p32. The only bullet that expands from the shot barrel is the CorBon.

I would keep the LCP. I trust Ruger more as a company. The P3-AT my wife owned was terrible.

351 WINCHESTER said:

If I'm going to carry a 4" handgun it's not going to be a .32acp. I was referring to the kel tec p32. The only bullet that expands from the shot barrel is the CorBon.

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And what good is a bullet that expands but doesn't penetrate deep enough? Like, I can accept that from .22, but from a centerfire I can't, one reason I'm not big on .25

TTv2 said:

And what good is a bullet that expands but doesn't penetrate deep enough? Like, I can accept that from .22, but from a centerfire I can't, one reason I'm not big on .25

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You need penetration first and foremost once you have verified your ammo is 100% or close to it in your carry piece. Like I said the only hp in a .32acp that expands is the CorBon and it's going an honest 1000 fps, but I doubt it will penetrate more than 6 or 8 inches.

TTv2 said:

For .380? No, most hollow points for .380 don't penetrate much. Some are capable provided they expand, which is another issue .380 has.

I trust solid bullets more in these calibers and I don't like the recoil of .380, so if I'm going to use a solid bullet, .32 may as well be it.

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380 too much recoil? Agree to disagree

SP5 said:

380 too much recoil? Agree to disagree

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Depends on the gun it is fired from. Some .380 pistolas have nasty felt recoil, some do not.

My LCP Max leans to the nasty side while my same size RM380 does not.

SP5 said:

Clean it then if a jammed the wait a week and clean it again? That inspires confidence

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My post paraphrased is deep clean it wait a week (fired or unfired) and clean it again. You would be amazed how much the second cleaning will get. IF after it is really clean, and jams, install a spring kit.

Congrats on a nice pocket rocket. I guess that’s the last cheapo left on my short list now since I ordered a heritage 22 last night. They are not very plentiful. The last one I saw for sale was only $129.00 and I went back for it 2 days after I first saw it but it was gone. Was ROUGH but seemed like it would clean up well enough and was a prime candidate for some soldering iron stippling. Pretty sure it had chew marks on it from a dog or something. The good thing though was that it was white and I had intentions of essentially doing a tie-die job using rit dye. Oh well… back on the hunt for me. The EC9s is ever
So slightly bigger than what I want for summer carry.

A few years ago, I went to a large LGS looking for a P32. The dealer said he didn’t have any, but there was a defective P3AT I could have cheap. I like to tinker, so I got it for $75 out the door. At the range, I found it wouldn’t hit the primer hard enough to ignite.
At home, I found there was a big kink in the hammer spring. One call to Keltec, and a new hammer and hammer spring assembly was sent, free…
Carried that P3AT for a couple years, and it functioned fine. Still, I wanted a P32. The guys on the keltec forum seemed to really like them. Plus, having an extra round in the mag, and having the slide lock back after the last round, it has advantages.
Found one on Armslist just before the pandemic, sold by a local LEO.
This little pistol is just great. So thin and light, yet shoots really well. I only wish it had real sights. I’ve toyed with the idea of drilling a hole at the front sight nub, and mounting a tritium shotgun bead.
Anyway, I load it up with some milspec S&B euro spec FMJ, which it likes very much.

tactikel said:

Congratulations on obtaining a pistol I’ve wanted for years. I love my LCP, and wanted the P-32 as a backup for my Shield. Consider going to KTOG forum, you will have tons of great info available. Some advice:
Get a holster, or if pocket carrying, cover the trigger with a BORAII trigger cover. Deep clean it, wait a week, and do it again. If it jams get a Wolff spring kit, use FMJ ammo (Fiocchi).

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"To the point" point to request the...

Grabagun has the P32 in stock.
https://grabagun.com/kel-tec-p-32-3...ties+☀+$89+Revolver+☀+$249+Tactical+Shotgun+☀
I paid $206 for mine 12+ years ago.

I've had a Kel Tec bought new about 5 years ago, no complaints.
No malfunctions, seems to run fine with most brands of ammo with Magtec shooting closest to POI but Fiocchi seemed the hottest before getting into expensive SD loads.

In my hands I could only get one and a half fingers on the grip. No one made pinky extensions but NAA Guardians in ,32acp do have optional extensions that can be fitted with some filing and patience. With the pinky extension it fits under my ring finger giving a much better grip. Recoil is very tame. These things are so light, when I bought mine, it came in a std. sized pistol box and when my FFL went to grab it he thought the box was empty and spent a few minutes searching for it. Very thin as well, makes a Beretta Bobcat feel like a 92 FS.

Trigger pull is verrry looong, first time I thought it wasn't gonna go off. But not too heavy. Nowhere near as heavy as a DA revolver.

Be aware of rim lock, all .32acp is a 'semi rimmed' cartridge and some .32 autos like the p32 can rim lock and stop functioning. It's only a problem with short OAL loads like hollow points. Fiocchi also has a much more tapered case at the rim than other brands so I stick to Fiocchi fmj and have had no issues.

If you can find a P32, buy it. They don't exactly grow on trees.