Kel-Tec P32 or P11

[RJ likeguns]

Hi,

I am going to purchase either the P32 or the P11 for concealed carry but I am not sure which one to get. I like the size of the P32, but like the caliber of the P11. What suggestions can you give me? I am going to trade a Walther P22 for one of these. I like the Walther but it is hard to conceal (esp. with summer coming around) and it is too small of a caliber for my taste (have other .22's). I usually carry a stainless snub, but even with a Desantis pocket holster it still can be seen.Thanks for the help!!

 

[Bowlcut]

a p32 in a hadley pocket holster is pretty hard to tell if its a gun or a wallet at any distance. sweet LITTLE gun. But might be a hair undersized if its your primary. Its a perfect backup, or summer carry in shorts. Use that and a CRKT KISS or PECK as a money clip with your license and a credit card and there ya go for a pair of shorts....

P11s are nice, but they are tick. Depends on how the your p22 is being hard to hide. If its cause its too long or handle too long then yea the p11 will work. But they are fat guns compared to the p32. one good thing is the belt clip you can get for them(both the 11 and 32) allows you to carry without a holster if you wish. which can cut down on thickness

 

[cratz2]

Yep... on paper, it easy to weigh the pros and cons of one vs the other and admittedly, almost everyone, other than maybe Wild Romanian, would prefer the 9mm over the 32 ACP but in the real world, esp if carried in a front pocket, the P32 is considerably thinner and lighter weight than the P11. Unless you try to immitate David Lee Roth with a near constant utilization of spandex pants, the P32 is easy for anyone to conceal in a front or back pocket of jeans, casual pants or dress slacks.

An 'always' gun.

 

[Blackhawk]

I have both.

They're both easy to conceal, but the P-32 is a stealth CCW -- meaning that nobody will even suspect that you have a gun. The P-11 is enough of a lump that keen observers will know you have something that could be a gun. However, the requirements of a CCW are that you can conceal it, not necessarily make it disappear as you can with a P-32.

Also, P-11 sized guns are not, IMO, pants pocket carry guns.

Both the Rohrbaugh R-9 (9mm Luger and a bit smaller than a P-32) and the Kel-Tec P-3AT (.380 and the same size as a P-32) are supposed to be on sale this month, so maybe you can find one to at least fondle.

 

[mini14jac]

Ditto what everybody else says.
Both are good guns, and the P11 can be concealed.
But for me, nothing compares with dropping a P32 in the pocket.

Bear in mind that the KelTec .380 gun, P3AT, is due out soon.
It is basically the same size as a P32.

 

[Longbow]

Both guns has their own place in CCW. For a "pocket carry", I prefer the P-32 also.

 

[Intune]

Blackhawk-"Both the Rohrbaugh R-9 (9mm Luger and a bit smaller than a P-32)"


Smaller? Man, I was waiting for the P-3AT, but I would much rather have a 9mm. Do the Rohr's have a good track record overall? I am not fam with them. Thanks

 

[Felonious Monk]

Intune--

Blackhawk will shortly be announced as Eric Rohrbaugh's Director of Marketing, so take what he tells you with a grain of salt.

Rohrbaugh's been there as a teaser at the SHOT show for 3 straight years, I believe...but as yet, no one has one from production that I know of.

The price is gonna be pushing the $1,000 mark, last I heard.
I can buy 4-5 KT P32's or P3-AT's for that amount.

Guess it depends on how deep your pockets are as to which one you prefer.

 

[megatronrules]

I hear the p-11 is a nice little gun 11 rounds of 9mm and I believe s&w 59 series hi cap mags will fit/work in it or so I've heard so theres a plus if true. I'd get a p-11 they sound like nice ccw guns. As far as the p-32 goes i've never shot one but have handled them a few times and don't care for them at all.

It is not size of the gun I have small hands, its that compared to my beretta jetfire (a small .25 also know as the 950bs) it dosen't feel like a gun. My beretta has a sweet trigger and extremly acurate for such a small gun. The beretta jetfire IMO is a better gun then the p-32 besides .25 and .32 is not a big differance at all they are both face guns. That said I woulden't want a clip of .25 or.32 in my face. Its true these rounds are not man stoppers by any means but make no mistake a .22 .25 or .32 WILL KILL a man!

Alot of accidents you hear about with shootings are with these "small" caliber guns. novoices and people iggnorant of gun safety feel they won't kill because they are small,not so. If it where me I'd get a beretta jetfire its not much heavier then a p-32 due to its alloy frame and these guns have been around a heck of alot longer.

For me I trust the beretta .25 more than a p-32 as far as reliability goes the basic design of this gun has been around for almost 40 years the p-32 has been out only like 3 years maybe?, and in that short time its had it share of problems. Also a p-32 needs about 250-300 rounds to break it in to the point of total reliability as I've read here and elsewhere. My beretta .25 needed only 100 rounds and it ran like a swiss watch.

I know alot of people have the p-32 and like them alot but as another poster stated here once theres a reason why people know how good keltec customer service is. I am not bashing keltec but I just feel if I'am down to a small gun for ccw use due to clothing or something else I want it to be something I know I trust entirely. How many beretta jetfires have gone back to beretta 2-3 times to get them working right? I carry my .25 beretta w/an extra mag,pepper spray and a kinfe and I don't feel unprotected by any means. My .25 in my hand beats my 9mm left home! sorry for the long post but I was trying to give some insight into the subject. Hope this helps you out.

 

[Dorrin79]

I have a P-11, and once I get my CCW, will probably get a P-32 (or maybe a P3AT, depending on availability/price/reliability)

P-11 Pros: Super light-weight, short (you'll need the grip extension replacement mag floorplate if you have average or bigger hands) 11 rds of 9mm rated to +p. No external hammer/safety/decockers to snag on clothes. Surprisingly well-made for a <>200$ gun. Easy to disassemble and maintain. great warranty!

P-11 Cons: kinda fat, I suppose due to double-stack mags. Too big for pocket carry. Occasionally one will hear about a lemon (at least with older models). Not very accurate in my hands (although Blackhawk assures me that it's my fault, and not the gun's, and I'm inclined to agree with him)

All in all, I think the P-11 is a better gun. .32ACP is a pretty marginal caliber. Flip side is that I can't think of a situation where you couldn't carry a P-32, while a P-11 requires changes in dress/etc. just like most pistols.

 

[TarpleyG]

Maybe this will help

I was in the same situation last September. Wanted a Kel-Tec but didn't know whether I wanted the .32 or the 9. Handled them both but I did not spend time carrying them around. I bought the P-11 because of the bigger caliber, higher capacity, and bigger frame (I have big hands).

Now, I am looking to get a P-32 to replace it as an always gun. I wish now that I would have gotten the P-32 just because you can carry it even while wearing gym shorts or swim trunks (both of which I do often).

The P-32 may not be the most comfortable gun to shoot but it is better to have something than nothing at all. I might wait now for a track record on the P-3AT to see how it pans out. I am not in a big hurry.

My suggestion, if you need something now, get the P-32. If you can wait, get the P-3AT.

GT

 

[RJ likeguns]

Thanks to all for the replies - I got a chuckle out of cratz2's David Lee Roth comparison! Roth did like the spandex!
Anyway, I put a new black P-32 on layaway. I decided to keep the Walther. Boy, my wife is going to kick my butt. I told her I wouldn't get another gun for a while (it has only been a few weeks)! Hey, guns provide saftey and piece of mind, right?

 

[dairycreek]

I recently purchased a P-11 as a carry gun!

I also added the clip on the side. This is a fine, fine carry gun! It is small, light, and has been reliable. Absolutely no problems in 500 rounds fired. I have come to enjoy it immensely and would recommend it highly as a carry gun. Good shooting

 

[Blackhawk]

Blackhawk will shortly be announced as Eric Rohrbaugh's Director of Marketing, so take what he tells you with a grain of salt.

Pure, unadulterated Barbra Striesand, Monk!

The Rohrbaugh's could NEVER afford me!

 

[Blackhawk]

Intune wrote:

Smaller? Man, I was waiting for the P-3AT, but I would much rather have a 9mm. Do the Rohr's have a good track record overall? I am not fam with them. Thanks

It's a bit shorter, but it's heavier. AFAIK, nobody has a production model, so there's no track record to speak of.

I don't know if the ballistic performance of the Rohrbaugh will be all that much greater than the P-3AT. The bullets are the same diameter, but the 9mm ones are longer and heavier. No matter how much more powder the 9mms have in the case, the Rohrbaugh's barrel is so short that getting the bullet up to speed is going to be tough. The ammo of preference might be the light, high performance rounds like RBCD for both guns.

Both guns are liable to be hard to come by for some time, so I wouldn't wait. Having been very happy in all respects with my P-32, I wouldn't wait for either of the new pocket pistols.

BTW, the caliber of the Rohrbaugh is incidental to its target market niche. It's an expensive, attractive, "upscale" pistol likely to be found in more Gucci purses than jeans pockets. Think "utilitarian diamond" more than "practical choice." OTOH, the P-3AT is a practical choice.

I want both....

 

[Stevie-Ray]

the Rohrbaugh R-9 (9mm Luger and a bit smaller than a P-32)

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