25acp or 32acp?

[Weevil]

True story. I was in a bar in Ocean View, VA. in the early 80's, I lived on 11th Bay at the time, I was stationed at NOB. A fight broke out, I was not part of it. A guy down the bar, say four stools down, about 8 feet away or there abouts, pulls a .25, not sure who he was trying to shoot, but he hit me. The round bunched a hole in my leather vest and lodged in my just opened pack of smokes. So there is no way I would ever carry a .25.

Interesting ancedote but we're comparing .25acp to the .32acp not a 10mm or even a 9mm for that matter.


I tend to doubt that a .32 would have gotten through-and-through penetration in the same situation.


There's a good reason most people who are knowledgeable about guns and ballistics don't carry these wimpy little calibers and lack of penetration is key factor.


With all the wee little .380s and micro 9's available there's really no excuse for trusting your life to a caliber like the .25acp or a .32 either.

 

[wally]

I vote for the .32 but would not carry one with all of the small .380s out there.

Ditto.

I sometimes carried a small .25ACP until the P32 came out, which I ditched as soon as the P3AT came out. I've put on a bit of weight over the years and now I can pretty much always carry my Kahr PM40.

 

[hiker44]

I'd personally always opt for the larger of the two calibers. Story from out here a few years ago -- a young woman stopped to see if a guy by the highway through the mountains needed assistence. It was dark and he was bundled up in several old coats. He leaned in her car window with a small firearm of some description, prompting her to unload her .32 Berretta into his upper torso. He fell backwards and she dashed into the next town to call authorities. It turns out none of the bullets ever even reached skin, but they accomplished the task, nevertheless. I heard she now carries a small .40 S&W.

 

[PRM]

I've been shooting Walther PP series pistols for over 30 years. During that time I have owned both .32 and .380 calibers in these guns. Hands down the .32 ACP functions better in the Walther, has a lighter recoil which provides faster follow-up shots, and has a 9 shot (8+1) capability.

Rimlock? Heard of it, and from reading the few posts that are out there on the topic, some guns seem to have a problem with it. I've never had this occur with a Walther.

My favorite round in the .32 is the Fiocchi FMJ. Reliable, accurate and is hotter than some of the other brands.

Fiocchi 32 ACP FMJ 73 Grain 160 ft lbs 1000 fps

As a LEO I have personally worked a suicide where a .25 ACP FMJ was used. The round went completely through the victims head (side to side), through a chair arm and lodged in the wall next to the chair. The .25 would not be my first choice of rounds ~ but they will work with proper shot placement. On second thought ~ shot placement trumps caliber every time.

 

[MCgunner]

Can't vote. My world starts with .380 and I really prefer 9x19/.38 special. If I need SMALL, the .22 mag Black Widow is a good step smaller. If I can carry a .25 or .32, I can carry a micro .380. Rarely a need, though, and my primary carry method is a front pocket.

 

[Maple_City_Woodsman]

Another sub-caliber thread full of bologna.

OP: Get both. No reason not to. There is something to be said for owning a caliber nobody else wants - it will always be on the shelf waiting for you.

Fact of the matter is that both calibers can easily reach penetration depths as deep as 16" in FMJ loadings, and that even those FMJ loads are known to tumble in many offerings.

Truth is that, while neither is a 45, neither is 1/2 as bad as all the tactical armchair commandos want you to think. ANY gun shot is a serious wound, whether that be a tumbling 25acp, or a 40 cal silver tip.

 

[Odd Job]

I carried a .25 Baby Browning as a backup or pocket gun for many years in South Africa (I still own it). If that's all you can have then it is better than nothing, but if I was in your shoes I would get a small .380 if I absolutley had to have a cheap pocket gun.

 

[greenlion]

I think the .25 is pretty much a thing of the past, and .32 auto may be heading there soon with the increasing popularity of the .380. The Kel-tec P32 is a great little gun though, and I still have one although I've pretty much retired it in favor of a KAHR P380.

 

[Fir Fer]

If your going to carry a pop gun use a .22 Mag. LR or Stinger etc. Wth out a doubt you will get penitration.

 

[The_Armed_Therapist]

I don't get the "race slur" thing. LOL

 

[Cokeman]

No one does.

 

[Dr_2_B]

It's hard to go with a 32 when the 380s are so small these days. For that matter, it's hard to go with a 380 when 9s are so small now.

 

[Lucky Derby]

I have a Baby Browning .25acp. It is a superbly made little pistol. I often wonder at it's quality. It is a family hierloom and while I will not part with it, I doubt I would ever trust my life to it. I briefly owned a Stainless Beretta Tomcat .32. It is also a very well made gun, and would find myself carrying it because I liked it so much. However while out and about with it, I always would think, " I really should have a bigger caliber. This will do nothing if I need it. I should have brought my J frame .38 Special." I sold it to keep myself from carrying it. Between the two calibers, I would go .32 but would prefer something larger.

Just the other day I was helping my friend behind the counter at his gunshop. A customer came in, looking for a Kel-Tec P32. I informed him that they were not on the CA approved list, so unless he finds a used one, he will not get one here.

We start discussing his options for small pistols. He is a barber and wanted a pocket gun while working. I showed him a couple of .380s. I then moved up to the small 9mms. I ended up selling him a Ruger LC9.
With as small as the .380s and 9mms are today, I really don't see much of a place for the .25 or .32 anymore.

 

[vellocet]

"What if you are attacked by a pack of smokes on meth?" Gimme me a break, "Cokeman"

 

[Deaf Smith]

P32 small as any .25 and weights at the bottom of the scale!

Mine is very reliable and makes a great hideout and ankle holster gun.

Deaf

 

[Prince Yamato]

.32acp. It worked for European police forces for decades. I carry it in my kel tec. I've never felt "out gunned". If it's such a poor round, how come the naysayers never volunteer to be shot by a 32 auto to prove its weakness?

 

[Cokeman]

"What if you are attacked by a pack of smokes on meth?" Gimme me a break, "Cokeman"

Yeah, whatever.

 

[deputy tom]

I carry a .25 and a .32 often.I also carry larger caliber pistols on a regular basis.I have seen a .38 spl deflect off the roof of the mouth of a suicide victim.Also another suicide with a 12ga. shotgun to the chest at two a.m. and the man died at about seven a.m. He was an old school friend's brother.Every shooting situation turns out differently than you'd expect it to.Carry what you like.Practice with your choice and hope for the best.tom.

 

[7.62 Nato]

I'd take the .32 over the.25 anyday. I'd take (and have) a .22 over the .25 also. I just won't use Remington ammo in it.

 

[engineer88]

Why do people not know that the 25acp is semi-rimmed too? The 32 in ball I feel is good enough and my P32 runs better than my P3AT ever did. I like the 32 but I am an odd bird.

 

[Kiln]

No matter how many .25 threads are made, somebody always quotes the "if you shoot someone and he finds out about it" line that I've read a thousand times in each one. If you shoot somebody with one, they will know about it. As another poster stated some FMJ .25 ammo gets around 16" of penetration, which is enough. There are lots of people out there who think that a sweater is the equivelent of body armor when it comes to the .25 acp but this is simply not the truth.

Is the .25 auto a death ray? No, but I've got an ex LEO buddy with a scar on his shoulder that claims that the .25 hurts like hell to get shot with...both him and his partner were wounded with a .25 auto and both of them say that they did in fact know about it right when the shots were fired.

My brother was also shot in the leg with a .22lr and I can say that it was psychologically disabling for him. To a trained professional getting shot with a caliber that doesn't quickly incapacitate them might be just shaken off but for the average person getting shot with anything is a big deal and is significant enough to justify retreat.

 

[Sulaco]

I think all of them have their place. There was a recent shooting in my area involving a perp being shot once at PBR with a 22LR revolver. He was DRT. I know of another instance of a 22LR one-shot stop and the victim bled out within minutes. He was immediately incapacitated once shot and that was at closer to 7-10 yards away with a really short barrel. I don't discount the potential for any caliber to do the job, but I don't like dropping below 9mm if I can help it.

Personally, I'd rather have one of those small pocket auto's in 32 than 380 any day. I've found most of the 380's to have occasional FTF or FTE issues which don't seem to be an issue with the same gun or similar, chambered for 32.

I know of TONS of cops who carry 22's and 32's as BUG's and they aren't complaining.

 

[Cokeman]

I think all of them have their place. There was a recent shooting in my area involving a perp being shot once at PBR with a 22LR revolver. He was DRT. I know of another instance of a 22LR one-shot stop and the victim bled out within minutes. He was immediately incapacitated once shot and that was at closer to 7-10 yards away with a really short barrel. I don't discount the potential for any caliber to do the job, but I don't like dropping below 9mm if I can help it.

Personally, I'd rather have one of those small pocket auto's in 32 than 380 any day. I've found most of the 380's to have occasional FTF or FTE issues which don't seem to be an issue with the same gun or similar, chambered for 32.

I know of TONS of cops who carry 22's and 32's as BUG's and they aren't complaining.

What .22s do they carry?