32 ACP for defense, FMJs?

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30-30shooter

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Hello guys,

So one of the guns in my carry rotation is the kel tec p-32, overall im very lukewarm on this gun however untill i can buy a pocket 380 this is the only pocket pistol i own that i trust.

Ive carried FMJs in it for awhile because ive heard most people say that 32 acp HPs cant really penitrate enough to hit vitals and when they do dont expand very much, paul harrels video seems to back this up, however something to me feels just wrong about carrying FMJs. I am incorrect in doing this? And if so is there any best load for 32 ACP? The buffalo bore loads intrest me but based on my past experience with them im still not sure
 
Hello guys,

So one of the guns in my carry rotation is the kel tec p-32, overall im very lukewarm on this gun however untill i can buy a pocket 380 this is the only pocket pistol i own that i trust.

Ive carried FMJs in it for awhile because ive heard most people say that 32 acp HPs cant really penitrate enough to hit vitals and when they do dont expand very much, paul harrels video seems to back this up, however something to me feels just wrong about carrying FMJs. I am incorrect in doing this? And if so is there any best load for 32 ACP? The buffalo bore loads intrest me but based on my past experience with them im still not sure

did you have a problem with BB ammo in the past?
 
It’s not just penetration. 32 Acp is prone to rimlock in kel Tecs. I know some folks swear you have to run new and fancy hp ammo in order to defend yourself. Me personally I never minded fmj ammo in my tomcat. If you shoot it consistently and aim effectively it’s going to hurt and it’s going to promote a reduction in conflict.
 
did you have a problem with BB ammo in the past?
Not against any sort of real world situation but i tried one load specifically, i cant remember which one, would clog on 1 layer of fabric and act as fmj
 
It’s not just penetration. 32 Acp is prone to rimlock in kel Tecs. I know some folks swear you have to run new and fancy hp ammo in order to defend yourself. Me personally I never minded fmj ammo in my tomcat. If you shoot it consistently and aim effectively it’s going to hurt and it’s going to promote a reduction in conflict.

Really in my keltec ive never had rimlock with fmjs, ive heard the opposite that hps make it more prone to rimlock
 
I think the FMJ vs JHP question starts becoming valid with the .380/9x18 level. Still on the fence there, but at times the physics begin to apply. I have 3 handguns in 9x18 but HP's wont feed well in my 2nd favorite CC gun. That, and the possibility of loss of penetration makee me just settle for FMJ rounds. I think the blunt shape of the 9x18 bullet makes up for this, as the shock wave produced by the energy dump is spread wider by it. The FMJ Makarov round delivers an impressive wound channel pound for pound and for a FMJ pistol round. The lenghth-to-diameter ratio is 2:1, just like its contemporary enemy round, the 45ACP. But Ive seen some tests where 9x18 HP's only penetrated around 6". So I say gimme back my penetration and gimme back the mi,itary ammo this military pistol was designed to shoot.

Darn, I think they stopped making XTP's in 9x18...
They would feed better and possible even open a little with Mak rounds that do like 1050 - 1095fps. And the same could probably be expected of .32ACP as long as case capacity was proportionate.

Anyway, I tnink in the next level down, in the .32 Club, you'll see this tendency even more. You are best off just using the round to make holes as deep as possible through the vitals and expecting no more than that.. And with 25ACP it becomes a question of blind faith for SD (e.g. maybe it'll actually save your life. Play the lottery!)But down at the .22 level the velocoties start to heat up again and rounds like .22Mag become, IMO, better than .25 and .32 by a long hair.

What was your experience with Buffalo Bore that gave you second thoughts?
Many guys use them in their Makarovs with no problem.Maks are built like tanks, but...
Did you know that KelTec made a .357Sig conversion kit for their P11? Evidently they were confident that the frame and most componenets could handle it.. Maybe the same would be true of the P32. Its a very similar platform and design. So maybe hot loads shouldn't worry you unless only shoot those, and freuquently?
 
I haven't seen any videos or reviews of the BB .32 JHP, so Idk how effective it is. For what it costs, I'd rather buy the Lehigh defense ammo for .32 ACP instead mainly because, much like what @Offhand McFlan said, once you get to .380 or below, hollow points become very hit or miss (no pun intended) in their effect.

I've seen so many .380 JHP's fail to penetrate adequately in gel or just fail to expand. Some are alright like the XTP bullet that Hornady makes and various other companies use, I guess the boys are Hornady figured out that because of the low velocity and weight of the projectile that keeping the expansion diameter smaller would get the deeper penetration results. Even tho there are a few good .380 JHP ammo choices out there, I would still rather not rely on a hollow point expanding to work and my preferred .380 ammo for defense is Inceptor ammo. At the velocities of that light weight copper/polymer bullet is launched, once it hits soft tissue it starts tumbling and tumbling bullets are quite effective, at least when compared to fmj.

Below .380 where projectile weights are even less (and expansion of hollow points even more questionable) that's where I see FMJ being a practical option. As stated, Lehigh's .32 Xtreme Whateverer appeals to me as it's not a hollow point, but that's not the easiest ammo to come by in .32 tho and given how there's not a lot of options for JHP in .32, I can see FMJ being the next best choice. It's cheap, it's easy to find, and it penetrates more reliably; same goes for .25 ACP as well.

Also, as Paul Harrell states in his videos, his philosophy with "mouseguns" in small calibers is to shoot attackers in the face and neck. The pain and shock of a .25 or .32 FMJ going into someones skull, eye, or throat doesn't require a JHP to be effective and stop an attack.

.380 defense ammo has come a long way the past decade thanks largely to guns like the P3AT and LCP being mega popular, but the .32 doesn't get to say the same. Because .32 isn't as popular as .380, ammo manufacturers don't bother to invest in developing more effective ammo in the caliber.
 
I carry my P32 with me at work every day and I carry FMJ.

My P32 has been 100% reliable from the very first bullet that went down the barrel. I have tried a few different types of ammo and never had a problem with any of them. I don't know how careless or stupid you have to be to cause a bullet to rim lock in the mag... I have never had this happen.

When I am out and about I will usually carry my LCP or DB9... but I am confident in the P32's ability to get myself out of a bad situation between the front door of the business I work at and my car in the parking lot (~20 yards) where I keep an XDs 45.

I know that many people have been killed by 22lr hand guns over the years and a .32acp, even from a short barrel, packs more power. Of course shot placement is a big factor determining lethality of any gun. I am sure there have been many that have not been killed by a .223 hit and have even continued to fight after being hit. The same can even be said of a 30-06 bullet from a 1903 or Garand.

I am not going to stand in front of someone holding a P32 and let them take a shot at me to prove how useless it is... but I would be happy to invite the .32 acp haters to do so.
 
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"I don't know how careless or stupid you have to be to cause a bullet to rim lock in the mag."

Neither, you simply have to use shorter than average JHPs. I had it happen a number of times in my P32 when I was hunting for a carry load. No problems at all with European FMJ. My KT also doesn't like US ball very much.
 
Everything I've read suggests that a bullet needs >1000 fps to expand. If your load isn't there then there's no use in using anything but FMJ.

I have a 32 long revolver that has about the same MV as a 380. Not going to kid myself about it, it isn't going to be a good choice for carry when there are plenty of +P 38's and 9 mm's out there.
 
I've been a fan of the 32acp (and 380) for well over a half century and quite often my primary and only carry gun will be a 32acp. I don't have any experience with the newer 32acps but I do have a fair sample of more experienced ones. Today's carry choice is my Manurhin 32acp that was made back in 1954 and served as an Austrian Police pistol until surplussed and imported into the US.

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I use FMJ in both my 32acp and 380 pistols with only the very occasional HP mostly during function testing.

While I have a broad accumulation of both revolvers and pistols in a variety of calibers to choose from, I find 32acp (and even 32 S&W long) as well as 380 (and also 38 S&W) generally very accurate and very manageable as a self defense choice.
 
I’d pick 32 over 380 any day of the week, but they’re really very close in performance so I choose to have an extra round of 32 vs one less of 380.

That said, hardcast is my choice, provided it functions 100%. Second choice is hot FMJ.

I don’t own a single round of 32 hollowpoint since I sold my Seecamp, which only ran on Gold Dot or Silvertip. The lack of penetration is frightening.
 
I'd carry FMJ rounds in 32, both for more reliable penetration and to avoid the rim lock issue. But I'd also get into a 380 for your pocket pistol when funds allow. An LCP isn't expensive nor is it meaningfully any larger than a P32. You do give up a round in the magazine but get quite a bit better performance in return. I generally carry XTPs in mine.
 
Both my P32s have been reliable with HP & FMJ, FMJ-TC, & hard cast RNFP. No rimlock, even with the stubby HPs. I take care when loading magazines.

That said, we stoke our P32s with either Winchester truncated cone FMJ or Buffalo Bore hard cast round nose flat point. The former has a small meplat, the latter has a big meplat for .32ACP.

Some folk curse the Winchester FMJ-TC, but I have found it reliable. Some folk fear the BB RNFP due to its "+P" recoil in the P32. I have put enough through my P32s to find it reliable and shoot another box every year as I burn up last year's carry ammo. It is a bit peppier than American .32ACP, but my wife is fine with it. S&B .32ACP FMJ is also peppier than American .32ACP, IME, but not as peppy as the BB fodder.

Which brings me to recoil/shoot-ability. The .32ACP mouse guns recoil less and are easier to shoot than similarly-sized .380ACP mouse guns. This is important to my wife and she is willing to pack a P32 most anywhere and practice with it when we hit the range.

Good luck.
 
"I don't know how careless or stupid you have to be to cause a bullet to rim lock in the mag."

Neither, you simply have to use shorter than average JHPs. I had it happen a number of times in my P32 when I was hunting for a carry load. No problems at all with European FMJ. My KT also doesn't like US ball very much.

Good to know... I usually carry "Sellier and Bellot" or Fiochi, always FMJ... maybe that I why I have never run into this problem. I know I tried a couple different boxes of JHP back when I purchased the gun and did not have any issues... but I don't remember which brands they were.
 
They cost more than FMJ (which I've carried for years), but Underwood makes a dandy "Xtreme Defender" that gives some of the cavitation of a JHP and much of the penetration of a FMJ.
They work wonderfully from both my P32s.

32-acp-55-grain-xtreme-defender.jpg
 
Paul Harrel's video about .32 ACP vs. 'X' or 'Y' comparisons are interesting.

For me, not being a highly-trained nor highly-experienced shooter, all of Paul's gun videos are very informative. His credentials are also interesting.

If a .32 gun were to be carried, it would be my (WW2) Sauer 38H, and in that scenario a new decocker spring would have to somehow prove itself. The rest of the gun Already has proven itself, without a doubt.
 
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I carried in the past and occasionally now carry a .32ACP.

My off duty gun for about 18 months, was a WALTHER PPK in .32ACP. It was a prewar model and a bit beat up on one side of the slide like someone put it in a draw, still inside an old holster. It shot and still shoots well and was easily concealed, 100 % reliable and accurate enough for my 15 yard range qualification. I carried it with either FIOCCHI XTP 60 grain jhp ammo which shoots well and may expand or with COR BON POW R BALL ammo. Both have been 100 % reliable in my .32ACP pistols.

I also carry, on occasion, a BERETTA 3032 Tomcat, when my GLOCK 42 would be too large
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I think the biggest problem for using a .32ACP is getting good ammo. I want a jhp to get some effect on target. Ball ammo does not do that and in the case of WINCHESTER .32ACP, several of my guns would not feed it reliably.
I found both of the above guns were adequate within their limitations. The small size of the Tomcat, makes it harder to shoot, but much better than competing small .32ACP pistols I have shot, which usually have smaller grips.

I also have a BERETTA model 82 pistol, which is a .32ACP version of the BERETTA model 85, single stack .380ACP pistols still sold here.
The much larger size of the model 82 makes it a viable home defense gun. It has very mild recoil, good sights, especially compared to the micro guns, BERETTA feed reliability and accuracy.
If forced too, I could use it as a home defense gun, but would prefer my BERETTA or SIG 9m.m. for that role.

I also had a COLT 1903, which shot very well, considering the really small sights. It is large, like the BERETTA 82, which makes it easy to shoot. I would keep it with a loaded magazine and empty chamber if I had to use it for a house gun.

Jim
 
Offhand,

When GUN WORLD tested a 2 inch barreled .22 magnum, they got velocities in the 1000 to 1050 fps range. From a 6 inch barreled revolver, a .22 magnum might outclass a .32ACP, but from the mouse gun category, I doubt it is as powerful as many believe it is.

Jim
 
When GUN WORLD tested a 2 inch barreled .22 magnum, they got velocities in the 1000 to 1050 fps range. From a 6 inch barreled revolver, a .22 magnum might outclass a .32ACP, but from the mouse gun category, I doubt it is as powerful as many believe it is.

For a short time, my "walking to the mailbox" handgun (seriously, I have to justify every purchase) was a North American Arms Pug in .22WMR. From a 1" barrel, it just doesn't generate much oomph that we associate from a rifle. Not to say the Pug is worthless for defense but I do believe wholeheartedly that the P32 and its pipsqueak .32acp round is a more potent combination. I'm hanging on to that Pug though. All that unburnt powder makes interesting muzzle flash in low light.
 
With the Kel Tec.32 I like hot FMJ ammo. There is an anti rim-lock kit out there for the Kel Tec which shortens the mag cavity a bit for HP's. Seecamp is made with a shorter mag space for that reason, so it will only take HP's but prevents the possible rim-lock issue.
 
I did some research on some of the p32 forums and the consensus seemed to be the Fiocchi 73 gr. fmj. It's also one of the chepest. Also, you will want to use FMJ unless you add a spacer to your magazines to avoid rimlock. I just got a case in today. :)

https://ammoseek.com/ammo/32acp





 
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