Help picking a .32 acp

[Jim Watson]

For a "range gun" you could get a Pardni HP.
http://www.pardiniguns.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=872

Or 5-10 of the pocket and Eurocop guns mentioned already.

One of Henry Stebbins' co-authors described the Dumond 6" barrel (and gold bead sight) for the Colt.
But Mr Dumond was in business mostly pre-WWII and for a while after.

 

[9 fingers]

my CZ VZ70 with it's big brother 83. Klinsky grips on the 70. The stock grips are ugly and uncomfortable.
9 fingers

 

[MICHAEL T]

[Bersa has done occasional runs of .32acp, but I can offer no more help than that /QUOTE]


1000 Bersa Thunder were imported . All have sold as far as I know . Their will be no more imported.

My 32 carry is the little KelTec Have 4 in the family all been good pistols

 

[justin22885]

are CZ-83s not the most beautiful handguns youve ever seen? also, 32acp is semi-rimmed with 380 being rimless, so the size in the rims themselves is almost the same, with a 32acp extractor and barrel could you not convert a CZ82/83 to 32acp?

 

[MikeInOr]

What do you want a .32 for? Targetshoot/plinking at the range? Carry? What you are going to use it for kind of makes a big difference in the gun you are going to get.

I have a Bersa 380 I bought new 25 years ago. I would not recommend buying a Bersa. One of the pieces in the firing mechanism broke after a few hundred rounds and it hasn't fired since. I have never gotten a reply from Bersa when I have inquired about getting it fixed. The fact it broke unexpectedly rules out any possibility of using it as a carry piece.

I love my NAA Guardian in .32. I have never had any issue shooting it. It is a whole heck of a lot tamer than my XDS .45 with a 3.3 barrel. My Gurdian is an older one with no sights and I have never felt a need for any. It is definitely not a plinker because of no sights though. It is a pretty heavy little gin which makes it nice to shoot but it is also too heavy for pocket carry. It is perfect for in the waste band carry on a hot day though. For pocket carry I would probably go for the Keltec though... I might pick one up some day.

 

[Captain O]

Beretta is producing a limited number of Model 81 pistols in .32 ACP. These have an alloy frame and a 12-round magazine that will provide you with the capacity and confidence you want and need in the 7.65mm x 17mm cartridge.

When it comes to the 7.65mm Browning cartridge, it doesn't get any better than this.

Go to Gunbroker.com and they'll have the solution to your need.

 

[RecoilRob]

Don't forget the Remington 51 which seem like a very nice little pistol. Bonus would be that you can brag to R51 owners (or ex owners) that you actually have a Pederson designed gun that works!

 

[tark]

My favorite .32 Auto. Astra 300, also made in 380. Superb quality, horrible trigger, surprisingly heavy recoil, squirms uncomfortably in hand and often drops the mag unexpectedly as your shooting hand inadvertently squeezed the mag release.

LOL!!! OK its not all that bad. They really are beautifully made little guns. Holds seven shots and you had best employ a spotter to find your empties. It throws them about as far as an HK-91.

 

[Monac]

The Remington Model 51 is indeed a very cool gun. But good examples are very expensive now, and 32s are less common than 380s. It is also overly complicated for a 32 (takedown is NOT fun), has tiny sights, and trigger pulls are usually poor. Having said that, it handles beautifully and is extremely well made.

Edit - that's all my opinion, of course. I didn't mean to come across as The Final Authority. But I've owned a very nice 380 Model 51 for about 30 years. I actually had to buy a second, beat-up one, so I could learn to take it apart without mangling the nice one.

 

[jimherb]

Beretta Tomcat in .32. Small. Shoots well. Barrel tilts up, so you can load a round. Good for folks who have trouble working the slide.

 

[Tallball]

Sorry to contradict, but I don't like my Tomcat all that well. The KelTec P32 is probably the better pistol in that class. My Colt 1903 is not a modern carry gun, but it is lots of fun to shoot. It was less than $400 OTD a year or two ago.

 

[Tallball]

This CZ70 cost me about $250, and it turned out to be NIB. It doesn't happen to fit my XL hands all that well, but it has been perfectly reliable and they are easy to find.

 

[roscoe]

Perhaps one of the more elegant: the Ortgies Pocket Pistol

 

[Monac]

Wonderful photograph, roscoe. Thanks for putting it up. The Ortgies were good looking guns, and yours has beautiful grips. The "OH" monogram means it's an early one, doesn't it?

 

[larryh1108]

I also like the Llama .32ACP. All steel, mini 1911. The weight handles recoil well. The .32ACP was Europe's caliber for decades and the Llama (Spain) was a great, little pistol for that market. They can be had for ~$300 used.

 

[Janos Dracwlya]

My wife has two Ortgies (one needs a new firing pin), and they are great shooters. Recoil is not at all unpleasant.

 

[stoky]

what..........no Seecamps



very nice looking 1903 there Tallball

 

[Furncliff]

Star SI

 

[Tallball]

Thank you Stoky. It had been abused and a 'smith refinished it and put new grips on it. That is why it was so cheap: no collector value.

For CC the Keltec P32 is the way to go, imho.

As a range toy and plinker, the Beretta 81 is probably tops. Another one for that would be the French MAB Model D. They have a longish barrel and decent-sized sights which are adjustable. I will probably get one sooner or later. There are usually some on GB for $250-$300.

 

[golden]

Most of the good ones are discontinued

In my experience, the best .32ACP as a range gun or house gun is the BERETTA 82 Cheetah pistol. I find it far and away the easiest to shoot and it has the usual BERETTA Cheetah advantages, smooth double action trigger, very good, easy to see sights and recoil so mild that when I fire, I can watch the front sight rise and fall back on target. It is also the most reliable .32ACP pistol that I have fired, feeding everything including the FEDERAL Hydra Shok.
The reason I like the 82, the single stack version that is equivalent to the .380ACP model 85 instead of the model 81 which is the same gun as the .380ACP caliber model 84 is the smaller circumference of the grip. They are about the same width, but the single stack models are not as chunky.
The negatives are the size of the gun. It is as big or bigger than some 9m.m. pistols.

I had a WALTHER PP and still have a PPK, so I can compare the WALTHER to the BERETTA. The grip on the WALTHER PP is squared off at the rear and I found it less pleasant to shoot long strings of 100 rounds of more than the smaller PPK which has a more rounded grip shape.
I never found anything to complain about the PP, except the grip frame, so I sold it and kept the more comfortable and compact PPK.
My WALTHER had a good trigger, but not as good as my pre-war PPK and nothing like the trigger on my BERETTA. The WALTHER also weighed about the same as the bulkier BERETTA.

If I were going to buy another PP, it would be the original. The WALTHER PP was a very well made gun. It is expensive, but as long as the grip does not bother you, it is certainly worth it.

I have not fired one, but if you find a SIG 230 in .32ACP, you should consider it. I have the 232 in .380ACP and it is my favorite .380ACP caliber pistol for the house, car or range.
I have shot the Chech CZ82 and would recommend it as well if you find a .32ACP model 83. The chech is the heaviest of the bunch and will have very little recoil, a 12 round magazine, good sights and trigger.
All of the above are double/single action pistols and can be used for self defense and concealed carry.

If you want only a range gun, then the old COLT 1903 is a great gun with a good grip, usable (but small sights) and fantastic quality. I disqualify it for self defense because of the single action trigger which I will not have on a self defense gun.
Mine is quite accurate, very reliable and will last forever as it is overbuilt for the .32ACP catridge. One huge negative are the clip. The original COLT are going up in price with many good ones running over $100.00 each.

 

[FlyingScot]

I have 3 .32 ACP

A Seecamp, a P32, and as of last week a new build Betetta 81FS. All are good and have their uses, but the Beretta is such an accurate, fun weapon that my wife may even adopt as hers. She shoots it better than me, trigger is great and the weight is just about right. Not to mention it is a handsome firearm.

 

[Pelo801]

I wanted to throw this out there too. The V. Bernardelli model 60 or 80(can't remember which) is made in .32

This is my .22 version but this is what they look like.

 

[Sistema1927]

This thread, and recent others, have had me thinking about the .32 ACP. I have owned a KT P32 for many years, relying on it for deep cover CCW, such as for times when I am wearing a lightweight suit at funerals and weddings. Places where there are lots of hugs, and pocket carry of something light is the only viable carry method.

I normally carry 9mm or .45, but I am getting older. I foresee a time when I am not going to be able to tolerate recoil quite like i did when I was younger. For example, recently I was firing a P64 in 9x18, and found the recoil to be almost intolerable. A few years ago I wouldn't have even noticed it, but even two mags were more than enough.

So, maybe it is time for another tool in the toolbox, something that I can rely on when I enter my dotage. Since I already have .32 ammo for the KT, then why not an all steel .32. So, I have ordered a CZ-70, and will wring it out good. Just something else to keep my options open.

 

[golden]

Try before you buy if you can

Sistema,

I strongly urge you to try the gun if you can. I found out that some guns kick harder than you would think.

The WALTHER PP kicked worse than the smaller PPK for me because of the gripe shape.

The NORTH AMERICAN ARMS Guardian in .32ACP kicks much harder (my perception of the recoil) than either my KEL TEC 32ACP which is the same size but has a plastic frame and my larger GLOCK 42 in .380ACP.

Jim

 

[lincen]

I agree with "golden". I have over 20 32acp handguns and some do have a rather sharp recoil. It's not a problem for me yet but for my 82 year old father
it is painful.