Kel Tec P32 - Would You Trust Your Life To It?

CDW4ME:

If you are being attacked and are able to shoot the aggressor, but the well placed round doesn't stop agressors actions, it's not not much help when he dies 15 minutes later; yes, shot was lethal but it failed to stop you from being injured or dead too.

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The above assumes that the aggressor, once shot, will continue his attack. The vast majority of non-zombie evildoers (greater than 99%, I'd bet) will not. Criminals are, in general, rather cowardly, and are very much likely to turn tail and run when encountering armed resistance. And, if you're concerned about the old "one-shot stop" cliche, just load your gun with more than one round. I do. The object isn't to insure an immediate death of your attacker; it's simply to come out okay at the end. Countless attackers have been effectively stopped by even poorly-placed shots, including ones that actually missed.
I have a P-32, acquired rather recently, to serve as an occasional deep-conceal piece when belt-carry of my PF-9 is impractical. Those occasions are rare, however. I do trust it to function as intended, and I shoot it well (at paper, at least!) at typical defense distances. I chose it over the P3-AT for three primary reasons: lesser felt recoil, making it something I could potentially arm my wife, a diminutive and gun-shy lady, with (and I shoot it better), the presence of a slidelock, and an extra round, something I like in a "keychain" gun.

My P-32 works flawlessly, I only use FMJ ammo. I like Fiochi or S&B. I also have the 10 round mag, which works perfectly also.
I bought a Seecamp and sold it after about a month, it was a nice piece of jewelry, but functionally inferior to the P-32.

I have always been shy towards them due to them being a .32, not because of the caliber's size but due to the possibility of rim lock in a semi-rimmed cartridge. Has any one here experienced this with their Kel Tec?

I also like Fiocchi and S&B for my small calibers and ball ammo. So they doubly fit my bill for .32 and .380 ammunition.

I have always been shy towards them due to them being a .32, not because of the caliber's size but due to the possibility of rim lock in a semi-rimmed cartridge. Has any one here experienced this with their Kel Tec?

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I haven't. AFAIK, rimlock is only an issue when you're using a cartridge with a shorter-than-average overall length, like a hollowpoint or a flat-nosed FMJ. If the rounds have room to move back and forth in the magazine, the rims can ride up over each other. If they don't, they can't.

Kel-Tec makes an adapter for their magazines if you want to use these types of rounds. It's no longer listed on their website, but I e-mailed them and they still have them in stock: you can order by phone. I prefer FMJ, but I adapted one of my magazines anyway because sometimes the flat-nose FMJ is all I can find in the stores around here.

Rimlock happens when you have a short OAL (short round Over All Length) in .32 that's basically HP's, and in .32 HP's that expand don't penetrate, those that don't expand, get penetration.

Most people run FMJ, because you don't have to worry about rimlock and get good consistent penetration. But there is a stupid fix, look up flyerwire
http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-185299.html
http://www.ktog.org/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1146789812/25

It's basically a wire that acts as a spacer at the rear of the mag to prevent the top round from popping over the lower round. I have managed to produce it using HP's one of two ways, incorrect loading, I put the top round OVER the lower round. And by bashing a HP mag up and down, back and forwards.

But then I was trying to rimlock the mag, I've never had to happen to me when I was trying to do.

would prefer at least a 380 but wouldnt feel too terribly unarmed with a p32.

MedWheeler said:

CDW4ME:

The above assumes that the aggressor, once shot, will continue his attack. The vast majority of non-zombie evildoers (greater than 99%, I'd bet) will not. Criminals are, in general, rather cowardly, and are very much likely to turn tail and run when encountering armed resistance. And, if you're concerned about the old "one-shot stop" cliche, just load your gun with more than one round. I do. The object isn't to insure an immediate death of your attacker; it's simply to come out okay at the end. Countless attackers have been effectively stopped by even poorly-placed shots, including ones that actually missed.

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I'm not talking about the "one shot stop" cliche. :banghead:

Load my gun with more than one round...never said I only had one round. Nor did I say the goal was to insure immediate death reread what I wrote.

One thing you got right, the goal is to stop the attacker.

If you are just a few feet away when armed attack against you starts and you manage to score a hit against attacker just before he (being sexist) pulls trigger will that hit carry enough umph to stop the action, or are you now shot too? About to be stabbed by knife, will your 32 prevent the stab or will your follow up shots come after you have sustained a serious wound?

Like I said before, 32 will kill someone, but that's not the goal of SD shooting. You would like to stop their aggressive action from hurting you. With less than 100# KE they may or may not show a reaction to being solidly hit.

I bowhunt. An arrow that has 60# of KE, topped with a 1 1/8'' four blade broadhead will blow completely through a deer and stick into the ground on the other side. Very lethal, they are dead on their feet. The deer will typically run for less than 10 seconds and fall over; they can cover 60-70 yards in those seconds. Apply those same seconds to a violent attacker. Keep in mind that the wound from a 1 1/8'' four blade broadhead is much more severe than what you would get from a 32.
I've seen deer on hunting shows struck by a shotgun slug and they immediately fall over as if hit by lightning; shotgun slugs carry a tremendous amount of KE.

More KE = more likely to stop agressor before you get hurt, all other things equal.

I know several folks who have had P32s and several who think they are garbage. From what I have seen, if you have one that works with whatever ammo you carry and is properly maintained, then it will be reliable for the single magazine of ammo that you have for it, which is pretty much what a CCW person needs. They don't need guns that are reliable for 100 rounds of firing because most folks don't carry that much ammo for SD situatiions. Heck, most don't carry any more than what is onboard in the gun and the P32 seems fine for that.

If you carry ammo that doesn't work consistently or you don't keep your gun maintained properly, then you can't expect it to work in a pinch, like every other gun.

My P32 was problematic at best. I would never trust it based solely on the gun's tendency to lock open on a round that had rimlocked to the round blow it. My P3AT has never failed me though, not even in the break-in period. It is ugly, the bluing wore off in less than 1 month and the seams look like a 5-yr old glued them together but it works every time.

I had a P32 and i really liked it. It was accurate, reliable, and i had now issues with it. I even carried it as a pocket gun when we went to the park swimming and hiking. I never had one issue with it.

Rimlock is an issue with the P32 though. My carry load was Fiocchi FMJs with one Fiocchi 60gr JHP as the top round. The 60gr JHP is a hot little round, it doesn't expand much, and has decent penetration. But you risk rimlock if you load the whole mag with them. I traded my P32 off and bought a Ruger LCP. Much more powerful ammo and more ammo choices. Now I have a LCP and a Bodyguard 380. Both are fine guns and I would prefer either for carry over the P32.

Good info on the rim lock - thanks guys. I never considered that it was an OAL issue but that makes perfect sense.

To the OP, I happily own an LCP because... well, you said to not make it about caliber. But considering it was a larger caliber in nearly the same size, that is what I went with. To me it is about balancing firepower with ease of carry. The LCP was a better match, in my opinion, of those criteria than the P32. I'd really recommend the P3AT, LCP, or Taurus TCP. For a bit more, the Kahr P380 and S&W Bodyguard 380 are good as well.

Maybe let her try those, and if she likes them, great. If she doesn't then let her go with the 32. I am all in favor of people carrying what they are comfortable with. But I don't think it would hurt for her to try out the larger caliber, if she's willing.

My P32 has been reliable, and yes I have and would again carry it and "trust my life to it."
Yes, I had a rimlock problem until I realized the cause. I also load a HP as the first round in the mag, and FMJ for the rest.
Jerry

I don't care for .32ACP, but Kel Tec is a reliable handgun backed by a lifetime warranty from a first rate company. I'd have no qualms. I carry a 9x19 Kel Tec P11. I've had it since 1996, five digit round count, 100 percent reliable.

The one thing the P32 does have going for it is it's a bit smaller (not enough for it to matter to me) than the P3AT. If you need small, the P32 is one of the smallest choices. Twenty years ago, the expensive and unobtainable Seecamp was all the rage. Now, you can actually get a Kel Tec and it won't run you a house payment to get it.

I've had/have a P-32, Tomcat, and a Seecamp all 32's and have never experienced rimlock myself. The P-32 kicks a lot less than an LCP and also locks the slide back on the last round. The LCP has slightly more punch, but she will probably hit her target with the P-32

Its hard not to make it an issue of caliber with the 32acp when the rimmed cartridge causes problems. Changing calibers to what is essentially the same sized weapon solves the problem. If the 380 was equal in power I would have still made the change.

That being said, a guy I know carries a Colt 1903 (?) in 32. He is a Marine Corps vet and a hell of a shot. I would be more afraid of him and that 32 than 99% of guys with their 45s.

Have both P32 and Taurus TCP.

Yea with FMJ I'd at least trust they would go bang for the mag worth.

BUT, I pack usually a subcompact Glock or J .38 and only use the little mouseguns as backup for the more capable two.

Deaf

I shot both a Seecamp, then a P-32 for years and never had a single case of rimlock, only ammo in the P-32 was the 60gr HP. Even after spending a coupe months in my pocket I could pull it out and dump all the round on target even through the cloud of pocket lint that would fly with the first round. As a firearms instructor I have seen a dozen or so P-32s on the range and never has seen a case of rimlock.

I am sure it has happened to someone but I would rate it up there with getting a bad round of factory ammo.

I've seen it and I could do it repeatedly with my P32. Usually a good wack on the butt of the magazine could cause the heavier, bullet end, of the round to tip the rounds forward and allow the rims to overlap. While I'm sure with proper handling and care it wouldn't just happen out of the blue it is a possibility and its possible to happen at the worst time. A energetic reload or hitting the butt on the ground or getting to cover could cause the rounds to rimlock and disable your weapon. I used to carry my P32 quite a bit and it shot and worked great. Once I realized how easy it was to actually cause the rounds to rimlock intentionally and how difficult it was to clear the jam it causes, I never carried it with HPs again. I would urge anyone carrying a P32 NOT to carry it with HPs unless you modified the mags to stop the possibility of rimlock.

Yes, I would trust my life to it. Been doing it for pretty much the last 8 years.

My post in this other Kel-Tec P32 has my experience/oppions on it.

I would urge anyone carrying a P32 NOT to carry it with HPs unless you modified the mags to stop the possibility of rimlock.

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Yeah that, and HPs are not an optimum round in such a small caliber anyway. FMJ all the way.

Absolutely

I've carried a P-3AT for years. I often have wished I'd chosen a .32 instead for one extra round, a slide lock, and more reliability.

Mine went back to the factory twice for warranty repairs. No charge (other than shipping one way), and after the second repair it's been flawless. I believe the warranty issues with the .32 model were corrected long before I bought my P-3AT.

BTW, I just put my loaded P-3AT on a postal scale and it weighs in at 10.4 oz. I carry it every day -- when I'm wearing a suit, when I'm using a chain saw in 95 degree heat to cut down trees, you name it. I also have a relatively light .40 caliber that I like even more, but I rarely carry it except in the winter. It's almost weightless. A pocket holster is great, but with a kydex paddle holster you don't even know it's there.

One suggestion based on experience. Keep it clean and lubed with Break-Free. That's all I've ever used based on advice from a government armory expert. Especially be sure to disassemble, clean and lube the magazines -- poorly functioning magazines can cause all kinds of problems. It's easy and it only takes 10-15 minutes. I try to do this a couple of times per month even if no shots have been fired.

Good luck . . . .

Yeah that, and HPs are not an optimum round in such a small caliber anyway. FMJ all the way.

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Well I would agree with that with the exception of the Fiocchi 60 JHP. Its pretty much the hottest round in 32 and it has a tough HP that will show very little expansion if any so it doesn't detract from penetration. Barring that I would probably just shoot the hottest FMJs I could get my hands on.

http://www.brassfetcher.com/Various .32ACP (Kel-Tec P32).html

In this test the JHP was over 200fps faster than the same companies FMJ and actually penetrated deeper. The HP also crushed slightly acting more like a wadcutter so the wound path should be better than what you would get with a FMJ.

Golden Loki has similar results but clocked a faster speed with the FMJ 73gr than Brassfetcher did. GL also has the Buffalo Bore 32acp load. That would be my #1 pick. If it fed reliably I would seriously consider getting another 32acp.

Lets assume is well broken in.
Next weekend shoot 400 quality target rounds through it.
If you get any stoppages then you cannot trust it (or the magazine).

Train defensive shooting everyweek, different drills, get good at it with whatever you shoot, and make sure is reliable.
Then you should be ok.

I am a glock guy but occasionally I carry a PF-9 due to to the portability.
So far, it resists to malfunction with anything just like a glock. I cannot put it in the same category as the glock due to the glocks long track record of reliability through the years but I do trus the little PF-9 to defend my life.
I shoot IDPA every week and some weeks I bring the little PF-9. They are not the best but can get the job done.

Go keltec! ...made in the USA.

Yep. Mine is great and conceals like a dream in a pocket.

Simply put, no. A couple of guys on the local PD carry p32's and p3ATs, and while some work quite well, one officer in particular had his slide crack at under 500 rounds. I think Kel-Tec quality is hit or miss, and I would personally only trust my life to a gun that I know, to the best of my ability would run 100%. I would personally get a Glock or a Kahr. However, keep in mind that this is only my opinion. If you feel comfortable carrying a p32, then that's your business. I am not you, and your needs and preferences may be different than mine. But, since you asked, all things considered, no, I personally would not trust my life to a p32.