Help picking a .32 acp

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Redcoat3340

Redcoat3340

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I had a couple of .32 acps (7.65 Browning) a year or two ago. Beretta 1935, Beretta 70, Browning 1922 and FEG PP copy.

I hated the way they shot, esp. the Berettas....nasty, vicious little recoil and I really didn't like the grip safety on the 1922. So they got traded or sold except for the FEG PP copy (specifically, a Hege Waffen AP 66, the West German one, not the Spanish sorta look-alike).

I had some trigger work done by a very good local Seattle area smith on the FEG and I found it pleasant to shoot, accurate, at least at 10 yards, and it works great.

I'm thinking I'd like another .32 as I bought a bunch of .32 ammo.

My first choice is a real Walther PP. But I'm also wondering what's out there in a Walther PP copy. (Not a PPK or copy...and not in .380. or Mak.)

FEG made a PP copies and put a bunch of different labels on them, so it won't be one of those. But are there any other PP-type pistols?out there?

I guess the slightly larger size of the PP versus the Berettas dampened the recoil, or maybe it was just the design. But I don't mine shooting it as I did those other ones. And the price was really great. CDI had one for $150 or so, finish was only around 75% but it had a great bore and no problems mechanically.

I did a bit of an interwebs search and a few turned up....I'll be on the lookout for them, but wondering if folks here have any suggestions.
 
Try looking for a French made Manurhin PP. I had one years ago and it was just as good and a bit less expensive than it's Walther counterpart.
 
Look for a Sig P230 in .32acp. Really nice pistol IMHO.
Beretta 81, pricey but high quality.
CZ83.
For exotic, hunt down one of the HKs, P7K3 or HK4.
Mauser HSC.
 
How about a CZ-27. The one I have have a very nice trigger. This one was made during the Nazi occupation during WWII evident by the unfinished look compared to the pre-war guns.

CZ-27-2s.jpg

CZ-27-1s.jpg
 
I picked up a near new CZ70 last year as well as an Astra Constable (PP copy), each less than $270 and each good. But I am wondering how the recoil of 32ACP out of an all steel Beretta could be "nasty" or vicious"? I have a 70s in .380 and it may not be the mildest recoil of a .380, it certainly is not bad.
9 fingers
 
I have been down this road quite a long ways with my daughter. She likes the FEG PP lookalike too.

CZ70 is a nice one. It is roughly the same size as the FEG. CDI has tons of them on Gunbroker. They are inexpensive. I got one from a similar outfit. Mine appeared to be unissued. My daughter doesn't love it, but it's a nice pistol. It's got a steel frame, so it's a little heavier than the FEG, though not as well balanced imho.

I would love to find a CZ83 or Bersa in 32acp, but they seem to be very rare.

My daughter's favorite, and mine, is my Colt 1903. Its size, weight, and shape make it very soft-shooting. It points naturally. The tiny sights are my only complaint. I got it amazingly cheap because it was refinished. It is a very good shooter.

The Beretta 81 would be the cat's meow. My understanding is that it's the 32acp version of the Beretta 84 (which I own). It's more of a medium-sized pistol, double-stack magazine, and nice big modern sights. The good news is that this normally rare pistol is now easy to find brand-new on Gunbroker. The bad news is that they are going for $700 or just a little less. If they were more affordable I would definitely get one.

For now I will be happy to keep plinking away with the 1903. Let us know what you get! :)
 
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I would 2nd the suggestion of a CZ-27. Really cool little pistols.

Have you considered a Savage? Or if you can find one, a CZ model 70, which is not the same as the CZ-70.
 
ArchAngel,

Nice looking CZ27. Only now I have the phase " Zey are killink the girl tonight , old man" and Cheech y Chong.

Wasn't there an issue with the firing pin retention plate being brittle or crystalized or some such? Little plate like on the 1911 IIRC.

One of my many started never to be finish and surely never submitted novels has a scene with a suppressed CZ27 and a large half Korean Yakusa bit of muscle. Story was set around the time of the invasion of Panama and according to the few that have seen bits of it little more than an excuse for "Gun-babble".

-kBob
 
The CZ-50 I bought a few weeks ago is my first .32 acp, so I'm by no means and expert (on either the caliber or that specific model of pistol) but the gun is incredibly accurate with the right type of ammo. No failures of any kind with the ammo types I used, even though it was a well worn old gun. I paid under 200 for mine due to the finish wear, but a cleaner one shouldn't be too much over 300, if it all. Best wishes.
 
kBob, you're right about some CZ-27 pistols having an issue with the firing pin retainer. These were late-war pistols which had a stamped steel retainer instead of one machined from solid, and early post-war guns made using late-war parts. Hopefully a person can tell by looking at it whether the part is stamped or machined.
 
Go for the Art Deco handgun:
8809306a1086582b57586d8c30defb97.jpg

It was good enough for Bat Masterson!

and - it gives her nerve!
1910nervead.gif
 
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Redcoat3340: The main problem with my Sauer 38H is that they all are survivors of WW2 and we only degrade their value. You might be well aware than none were produced after WW2.

If you ever needed a tiny (or larger) spare part it might be unavailable.

But its nice, compact, natural feel makes it my favorite handgun in these slender hands, despite the ergos of my Czech CZ-82 (looks identical to the 83).
Some of the modern Sig-Sauer 232's feel is descended directly from the Sauer 38H.
 
Another sweet shooting .32 is the Beretta Model 90 Roma. About the same size as a Walther PP with excellent design ergonomics and a really nice DA/SA trigger.
 
If you can find one, the Bersa Model 323 was in .32 ACP. Beretta also makes the 3032 Tomcat in .32 ACP. There is also the CZ50 and CZ70, and Llama made a number of little 1911 looking guns in .32. Mine is a IIIA. Taurus has the PT732 and the Millenium Pro 132. Kekl Tec also still makes the P32. Seecamp still makes a .32 semi as well.
 
I stumbled onto a Bersa Thunder in 32acp at a local pawn shop last year...$200 OTD. It has the extended 10 round mag and was able to find a spare. It does have a very nice double action trigger.
 
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