.32acp vs. .380acp

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I've carried both calibers. Both are good for self defense. Both I used nothing but fmj. If you're hands are big, scratch the Beretta Tomcat. Better off with a good/great condition beretta 1934 (.380) 1935 (.32) or one of the rare 70-72 series. Kel Tecs are good for concealment, but feel like toys IMO, especially with big hands. Can't go wrong with Seecamp, but they can get up there in price. Look at other makers like Llama, Ruger, CZ and Makarov. For concealment it's all about what's most comfy, reliable and accurate for you.
My personal caliber choice out of the two is .32acp
 
PaulKersey3 said:
Better off with a good/great condition beretta 1934 (.380) 1935 (.32) or one of the rare 70-72 series.
Click to expand...

I'm the proud owner of a great 1934, but I can't see carrying it due to design constraints. I'm not comfortable with the 1934 in condition 1, and I'm not comfortable with con 2 or 3 with anything.

How are you toting the '34, out of curiosity? Still a neat gun.
 
Whew! When I started this original post I never dreamed I would receive such an incredible response. Let me tell all of you where I am as a result of all these suggestions. In .32acp I am leaning towards the Beretta Tomcat (thanks Golden), and in .380acp the Sig p238. I like both guns but favor the slightly larger grip of the Beretta (sorry to Kel-tec fans, the grip is to small for me). I'm going to decide this week, and I'll post my final decision. To all who read I hope you have enjoyed the thoughts of so many enthusiasts and to those who responded, thanks for your time and wisdom. Any other thoughts?
 
Well, the .22 mag Hornady Critical Defense gets 100 ft lbs out of a 2" Black Widow, my fall back if I can't carry my subcompact 9mm, rare. I do carry the NAA every Sunday to church so I'll have SOMETHING on me at the restaurant after services.

My P11 Kel Tec is a little wider than my buddy's LCP, but not much larger otherwise. The P32 is a bit smaller than even the P3AT. What I'm trying to say is it kinda depends on your needs for compact size. If you'll never need anything smaller than the P3AT, go for the bigger round. I've chosen my pants for large pockets, too, big enough to swallow that P11 which holds 11 rounds of +P 115 JHP pushing 410 ft lobs. AND, now days, if you're willing to settle for less than half the firepower and you swallow the big bullet myth, there's the Springfield XDS. It's a neat lookin' pocket gun in .45ACP.

So, let's keep this in perspective, it's not so much the power of the round, but how much firearm you feel that you can carry concealed. OR, we might be talkin' back up. :D Even for a quick errand, I always have my P11 in my pocket unless I'm in the shower or in bed at night and even then, it's not far away. I don't often carry a belt gun, don't feel the need. I shoot that P11 quite well.
 
I vote .32 ACP. I shot my CZ Model 83 this morning. Shooting plates in double action at 7 yards was a breeze. $239 surplus police gun.

The ability to shoot well with the gun is more important than .32 vs .380.

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No matter what you have it's no good if you don't have it when you need it. That's why I carry a Kel-Tec P3AT(.380). Fits perfectly in the front pocket of whatever I am wearing. I have plenty of other handguns but this is what is with me all the time. I am very familiar with it and there will be no fumbling around if it is ever needed. It is amazingly accurate for what it is...perfect for my purposes
 
I carry my Beretta 1935 in 7.65 browning either IWB or on my left ankle as backup to my G19. Chambered round, half cocked, safety on. I've read that German officers preferred the Beretta over the Walther, and more on topic, the 7.65 Browning (.32acp) over the 9mm Kurtz (.380acp)
 
Too big

PAULK3

The problem with the BERETTA 1934 or the model 70 is that like they are to big when compared with a Tomcat.

I have shot the model 70 in .32ACP and it is a fun gun to shoot, but bulky. It is almost exactly the same weight and dimensions as my SIG 232, but a quarter inch shorter and lacks the SIG'S excellent double action and night sights.

Also, if carried in an inside the waist band holster, why not a compact 9m.m.?

I carry the SIG 232 and BERETTA Tomcat to avoid wearing a belt holster.

If that does not matter, then it is going to be a larger gun with stronger ammo and a larger magazine capacity.

I carry my SIG 232 in my pants pocket. In casual clothes, it works very well, but less so in dress clothes or in my uniform pocket.
I have ruled out ankle holsters for myself, as I think, if I need a gun when I am off duty, I want to be able to pull it out without giving a visible warning like dropping to one knee.
Also, the ankle holster can allow a lot of dirt to build up quickly. I have found that small auto's are less tolerant of dirt than the duty size guns.

Your own experience may have produced different results.

I think that the main reason German officers carried .32ACP in preference to the .380ACP round is that it did not matter to them which caliber they carried, but only which one they could get ammo for.
When the Germans took over a country, they usually took over the gun factories and grabbed everything they could get.
The German military issued BROWNING 1922 pistols made in Belgium in .32ACP and CZECH made CZ pistols, also in .32ACP, both of these guns were available in .380ACP and widely popular in that caliber.
The reason for this is that they already had .32ACP ammo in the supply line for the J.P. SAUER model 38, MAUSER HSc and WALTHER PP pistols made in Germany. These guns were being issued as a substitute standard for the P-38. Note that they kept the LUGER in production, despite its high cost and finicky nature.

I know that the primary caliber for the SAUER model 38 was .380ACP, but the German military wanted .32ACP as they were already using it.
Rumor has it that the CZECH model 27 was a preferred weapon for those difficult back of the head shots of a kneeling prisoner that the SS and Gestapo were so good at. Not much of a recommendation to me.

Jim
 
I carry a P3AT Kel Techs (380) or a 1911. Guess which one gets carried %90 of the time?

With today's small size 380 and 9mm I can see no reason to carry a 32ACP or a 25ACP. Even James Bond gave up his Beretta for a ppk 380...
 
Actually it was taken away

Lefteyedom

Actually BOND'S BERETTA was taken away from him. In the movie, he was then given a WALTHER PPK .32ACP, which was then still popular in EUROPE for police use.
In the book, he was given the PPK and a S&W .38 Special as his BIG GUN.

In the movies, BOND then went to the WALTHER P-99 for about 4 films, before going back to the PPK. Now the movie guy has a .380ACP PPK.

In the books, he carried just about anything you can imagine, including a RUGER SUPER BLACKHAWK!

In the latest book, it is a WALTHER PPS.

Just trivia.

Jim
 
Over the last few years, I have bought and sold a bunch of pocket 380's. I now own a Kel Tec P3AT and a Sig Sauer P238. Obviously, for close to 3 times the price, the Sig should be a better gun, and it is. A few weeks ago, I bought some Buffalo Bore 100 gr lead flat point +P ammo for the 380's. After one shot witht he Kel Tec, I had all I wanted. You could feel the additional power when shooting the Sig, but it was not unconfortable at all. I won't diss the Kel Tec, mine has been very reliable, but I'll spend the extra money for the Sig any day.
 
Golden

I read the same thing regarding the SS and their penchant for executions. A grim time indeed. In terms of manufacture, I believe .32 was easier for them as they already had similar pistol calibers in that range (7.63 Mauser?)
Beretta was taken over by the Reich during the war and produced some very fine guns. I recently purchased an aftermarket mag for my 1935 and cut off the finger groove. The mags aren't cheap, but I have to say it made a noticeable difference in the pistol's carry profile. I find it quite comfortable, despite the weight. As far as the 70s-72 models go, they are a bit on the large side. I've always wanted one of those though. They're darn good guns!
 
TRY THE MODEL 81 or 82

PAULK

The model 70's that I have shot are very nice and feel good in the hand. However, they are getting expensive as they have become minor collectors items. For the same price or less, you can pick up one of the BERETTA CHEETAH pistols in .32ACP.

The 81 is the 12 shot .32ACP version of the BERETTA 84. Magazines are available for this gun directly from BERETTA.
It feels, shoots and looks just like the early model 84's and like them, does not drop the hammer like the newer models.
The 82 is the single stack version, equivalent to the BERETTA model 85. Same features as above. I find the model 82 to shoot very well as it has almost no recoil.
Like the other CHEETAH models, it is large for caliber, which is probably why it works as well as it does.
The downside is that model 82 magazines are very hard to find.

I would eventually like to try the SIG 232 in .32ACP, as I love this gun in .380ACP and carry it constantly. It has proven to be one of the most accurate pocket guns I have ever used. Also, the night sights on my 232 make it a favorite of mine for carry.

The main reason I became interested in shooting .32ACP after I got the TOMCAT, I discovered during the OBAMASCARE ammo shortage that I could find .32ACP at reasonable prices, while .380ACP was nearly impossible to find.

I also discovered that the mild recoil of the .32ACP makes it a fun round to shoot.

On the 7.63 Mauser round, this is a huge, bottlenecked auto pistol round with near .357 SIG ballistics. The .32ACP or 7.65 Browning round became popular, I believe, because the first compact pistol, the BROWNING 1900, made by FN of BELGIUM was a world wide bestseller. Three years later, COLT brought out the POCKET HAMMERLES 1903, an excellent handling, slim and accurate pistol, also in .32ACP. After that, it seems many pistols from EUROPE started out in a .32ACP chambering. The European police liked it and some armies did as well.
With the low level of training on handguns that many of these agencies employed, the easy to shoot .32ACP was just what they were looking for.

Jim
 
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Golden

I scratched the Beretta Tomcat itch several years ago. I found it to be too small as I have HUGE hands. I ended up giving it to my sister and she loves it as a purse gun.
I'm always on the hunt for a beretta 70-72. About 10 years ago I passed on one (in .22) with three different barrels of different lengths, one was threaded. Guy wanted 400, and at the time that was a little high for me. Makes me think of the CZ52s and other C&Rs going for $250+ nowadays. I'll also grab up a 418 .25acp if I ever get the chance.
 
I've carried a Keltec P32 since 2003 loaded with FMJ for two reasons; I can shoot it accurately and fast and it's 100% reliable. The reliability of a small weapon is of the utmost importance if you are to be able to fight with it.
 
I literally just got in from comparing side by side a p32 and p3at for a BUG-armed without holstering up gun.

I went with the p32 due to its thinness extra capacity. Operating under the assumption that both rounds are fmj only proposals in such small guns.




posted via that mobile app with the sig lines everyone complaints about
 
Here's my favorite Walther .32 and .380.

PPK is a 1938 ZM .32

ppk3v.jpg


PPK/s .380, 1970, Interarms W. German import with real ivory grips.

ppks3.jpg
 
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