Ballistic gelatin test results : Various .32ACP (Kel-Tec P32)

[Brass Fetcher]

Special thanks to ArchAngelCD for providing the material support for this test.

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Cartridge : Various .32ACP cartridges

Firearm : Kel-Tec P32 with 2.75" barrel length

Block Calibration : All depths corrected (From 8.7cm @ 588 ft/sec)

Shot 1 - Handloaded 85gr Hornady XTP. Impacted at 699 ft/sec, penetrated to 16.0" of gelatin and out of the rear of the block. No expansion occured. Cartridge consisted of CCI small pistol primer, Remington case, 1.9gr of N310 powder and 0.980" overall length.

Shot 2 - Handloaded 85gr Hornady XTP. Impacted at 766 ft/sec, penetrated to 16.0" of gelatin and out of the rear of the block. No expansion occured. Cartridge consisted of CCI small pistol primer, Remington case, 2.0gr of N310 powder and 0.980" overall length.

Shot 3 - Fiocchi 60gr SJHP. Impacted at 977 ft/sec, penetrated to 16.0" of gelatin and out of the rear of the block. Slight flattening of the nose was present, no expansion occured.

Shot 4 - Cor-Bon 60gr JHP. Impacted at 1015 ft/sec, penetrated to 9.8" depth (after veering inside the block 1.8" to the right of the initial line of impact and 2.2" downward towards the table upon which the gelatin block was sitting). Bullet experienced unsymmetrical expansion and was recovered at 0.498" average diameter.

Shot 5 - Cor-Bon 60gr JHP. Impacted at unknown velocity, penetrated to 5.9" depth and was recovered at 0.555" average diameter. Track outlined in red.

Shot 6 - Fiocchi 73gr FMJ. Impacted at 724 ft/sec and completed a 180 degree turn before 5.3" penetration depth. Final penetration was 13.8" and bullet was recovered undeformed.

 

[MICHAEL T]

Well Corbon worked . I had same problen with factory loaded Hornday thru 3 water jugs and not the first bit of expansion. Fired from a P-32

 

[grendelbane]

The results from number 6 are interesting. If it would do that consistently, it might be the best choice. Good profile for feeding, and it would be less affected by heavier clothing than some of the hollow points.

OTOH, it might just have been a fluke.

Maybe grandfather was not as poorly armed with his old .32 as some of the ballisticians would have us believe. Not that I am going to trade my .38 Super for a .32 ACP.

 

[browningguy]

JE223, thanks for another test, looks like Corbon is the way to go in .32 ACP. Why did you come up with the heavy loads? Those seem like awfully heavy bullets for a .32, more like what you would use in a .380. I guess no expansion is to be expected at those velocities.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

So the Fiocchi stuff is hot like they claim and does penetrate. Too bad it doesn't expand like the Car-Bon rounds did. I guess if we could combine they 2 we would have a good SD round for the P-32.

 

[Brass Fetcher]

@browningguy - http://www.brassfetcher.com/32acp%20Handloaded%2085gr%20Hornady%20XTP.html

Is basically what I was trying to replicate with a new brand of cartridge case (a different internal case volume than the Magtechs that I used in the above test).

 

[wally]

I'd call Corbon a failure because of inadaquate penetration. Would be my last choice. YMMV.

Expansion can't make up for poor placement, but inadaquate penetration can defeat good placement.

Your assaliant is unlikely to be standing straight on -- think "fighting stance" which makes a good chance the round will have to go thru a hand or an arm on the way to vitals.

--wally.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I agree Wally that's why I was happy to see the deep penetration achieved by the Fiocchi ammo, especially since that's what I carry!! LOL I wish I had some Winchester Silvertip ammo around to send to JE223 before he did the tests. I carry that sometimes too.

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

I avoid corbon .32acp like the plague. I've had rounds where the rim was too big in diameter and would not feed. Not a rimlock issue, just too big. Don't know if they corrected it or not and don't care. Now the Fiocchi 60 gr. may have some promise if The Brassfetcher can figure out a way to make it expand. The silvertips are a very wimpy load. I expected more velocity from the Fiocchi fmj. Should be close to 850fps.

 

[mavracer]

fiocchi 60 sjhp been saying it for a while,its the stuff for a p32/seecamp

 

[denfoote]

I use the Winchester 71gr truncated cone FMJ.

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot27.htm

 

[Glockafella]

You think that Corbon is a failure because of lack of penitration? It expanded to .555 inches and that was into pure gel. It will penitrate further with clothing in play.

This round would rip through a chest cavity delivering all that the .32 has into the BG.

IMHO