Modern Vest Pocket Automatic

Precision Small Arms (PSA) makes a replica of the FN Baby Browning in 25ACP. A true vest pocket size pistol!

You could add kel tec P32 to the above. But other wise I think you have the list of current made. I would not carry but would love to have a PSA. Right next to a gold pocketwatch.

The P32 is a tiny bit smaller than the P3AT and LCP, IIRC.

All three are pretty much the same design, and it's the best "very concealable" type of pistol available right now, IMHO.

The P32 might not be as pretty or refined as what one would imagine a “vest pocket” gun should be, but it would be pretty hard to beat from a practical perspective.

I have a P3AT and a Bauer (it’s like a PSA, another Baby Browning clone.) The Bauer is almost too small to work the controls and hold properly. It also jams. The PSA may or may not jam but there’s not a lot of room for error in small designs and the spring replacement recommended intervals on the PSA are pretty crazy as I recall. In short, it’s cute but these tiny old school pistols are more like pocket jewelry than serious defensive handguns so I’d go with the polymer .32 or .380 for any real world carry use.

The Beretta Jetfire 950 is a good gun but I always opt for my .380 instead. It’s thinner and packs a bigger punch.

I have just the two: a Baby Browning and a KelTec P3AT. The Colt Mustang and the SIG P238 are too big to be considered as vest pocket pistols.

Modern Vest:


Modern vest pocket automatic:

Went to the LGS yesterday to buy the P32 that they had in stock to use as a pocket pistol.

Walked by the Ruger display on my way to the P32 and noticed the LCP looked very similar in size.

I ended up comparing the two side by side and the LCP is virtually the same size as the P32 except it is wider by the difference in calibers (.380ACP vs .32ACP) and weighs just slightly more (~2 oz.).

I ended up buying the LCP because it is in .380 which should give better ballistic performance even though it will be more punishing to shoot in such a small gun.

If that had been a factor for me, I probably would have chosen the P32, but since this will be a SD gun I won't be shooting it frequently except for break-in and practice.

vkeith said:

Went to the LGS yesterday to buy the P32 that they had in stock to use as a pocket pistol.

Walked by the Ruger display on my way to the P32 and noticed the LCP looked very similar in size.

I ended up comparing the two side by side and the LCP is virtually the same size as the P32 except it is wider by the difference in calibers (.380ACP vs .32ACP) and weighs just slightly more (~2 oz.).

I ended up buying the LCP because it is in .380 which should give better ballistic performance even though it will be more punishing to shoot in such a small gun.

If that had been a factor for me, I probably would have chosen the P32, but since this will be a SD gun I won't be shooting it frequently except for break-in and practice.

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I had the P3AT for several years before I switched to the P32. I like that the P32 holds an extra cartridge, and that it locks open on the last shot.
As for the difference between 380 and 32auto, for me, it’s not that big. I load my P32 with some S&B military fmj ammo loaded to hot euro spec.

Mr. Mosin

How do the two compare in size, and is the diminutive Baby Browning worth the massive step down in caliber ?

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The Baby Browning is definitely smaller than the P3AT but I still wouldn't carry it. Not enough horsepower under the hood with the .25 ACP and I don't trust the safety on it. I bought it primarily because I have always been fascinated by miniature guns and I got it for a very good price.

Don’t forget the Beretta BU9 Nano. Maybe at the upper end of vest pocket size but gets you 9mm. < 1" thick

The Baby Browning is not safe to carry loaded.

The striker is held back by a tiny sliver of metal, with none of the modern safeties of something like a Glock.

As such, it is only really safe to “Israeli carry” them where you have to cock the gun after drawing it. Doing so with that itty bitty slide while under duress would not be enjoyable.

Skip the Baby Browning. It’s an antiquated design with no power and low capacity. Get a Kel-Tec P32 if you want the tiniest mouse gun currently made that’s still worth carrying. I’ve got 600 trouble free rounds through mine and it makes it’s way into my pocket often.

No love for the seacamp?

Atavar said:

Don’t forget the Beretta BU9 Nano. Maybe at the upper end of vest pocket size but gets you 9mm. < 1" thick

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Just my opinion: the Nano is way beyond the upper end of vest pocket size.

tarosean said:

No love for the seacamp?

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I have a Seecamp .25, and it's a great little pistol to shoot. It's definitely vest-pocket size but a touch on the heavy side. My main complaint is the manual of arms re unloading, namely the fact that you can't rack the slide with the magazine out. For those of you unfamiliar with Seecamps, this means that to unload you have to drop the magazine just a bit -- not so far that you activate the slide-locking function but far enough so that the slide will not pick up the next round -- before you can rack out the chambered round. Then you can finally remove the magazine.

This always makes me a bit queasy, and when I get the magazine out I always check to see how many rounds are in it, just to be sure the slide didn't pick up that top round as I was racking out the chambered round. Alternatively you could rack out all the rounds, but that's a pain with such a tiny pistol. Bottom line is be careful and don't dry-fire unless you've confirmed that the chamber is clear.

When I wanted the smallest practical modern pistol I selected the p32 and got a few 10 rd extended magazines as spares.

This is small semi

The smallest autoloader I carry is the P32.

Even smaller ones I own include the 950B Jetfire, the LWS-32 Seecamp, and the Bauer. These were purchased more out of intrigue, though I could see the Seecamp serving in a back-up or hideout role. I got them for what I consider to have been good prices at the the time.

A Walther TPH would be a nice contender for a "VPP", too.

tarosean said:

No love for the seacamp?

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Ive owned a number of pistols like this over the years, and always thought the Seecamp was the one that set the standard. Its very well made, can be carried safely loaded, is reliable and shootable.

JCooperfan1911 said:

The Baby Browning is not safe to carry loaded.

The striker is held back by a tiny sliver of metal, with none of the modern safeties of something like a Glock.

As such, it is only really safe to “Israeli carry” them where you have to cock the gun after drawing it. Doing so with that itty bitty slide while under duress would not be enjoyable.

Skip the Baby Browning. It’s an antiquated design with no power and low capacity. Get a Kel-Tec P32 if you want the tiniest mouse gun currently made that’s still worth carrying. I’ve got 600 trouble free rounds through mine and it makes it’s way into my pocket often.

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Do you know of instances of AD with fully loaded browning 25ACPs.
I have found the tiny browning when my eyes were younger capable of grouping at 50 ft on the bullseye of a NRA 50 ft target. While tiny I could still hit with it. It is a face pistol used at bad breath distances when its tiny size is needed for concealment.

barnetmill said:

Do you know of instances of AD with fully loaded browning 25ACPs.

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I do. A friend of mine used to carry his Baby in his back pocket in a folded hankie. I carried mine the same way. He was working in the garden with his wife, bent over, and the gun went off. Luckily the only injury was to his jeans. His wife wasnt real happy though, and that wrath was probably worse than getting shot.

I quit carrying mine soon after that, mainly because of that, although, I never had an issue with mine.

Yes, a holster would have been better, but there really wasnt much available for them back in the late 70's, early 80's when we were carrying them and the hankies seemed to work well, other than this.

I went to a P32 after that, and had a lot of trouble with it, and then carried an old Colt pocket gun for a little while, and then picked up my first Seecamp and have yet to find anything better for this sort of gun.

Just wondering if we’re discussing vest-pocket pistols for fun, or for actual EDC use?

I’ve owned (past tense) a Bauer .25acp, a NAA Guardian .380acp, and an AMT Backup .380acp. Interesting range guns, and of historical interest. The Bauer wasn’t reliable enough for carry but was a hoot to shoot. The NAA & AMT were a handful to shoot, being .380 blowback and small. Both were interesting but border line painful to shoot for more than a couple of magazines. I still own a couple of Spanish “Ruby style” .25’s that are vest pocket sized, and they are fun range guns, too. They’re actually reliable but I’d never carry them with one in the chamber.

For actual EDC, the Kel Tec P32 (& practically same size LCP & recently discontinued P3AT if you want .380acp) are the most useful; I’ve got a couple of those. The NAA Guardian is a bit smaller, but heavier. I’ve never handled a Seacamp, but from online specs it’s a tad smaller that the Guardian.

I’m attaching a photo overlay comparison of the Guardian over the P32 from handgunhero.com (useful web page)