lowest recoil in a .32

[The Burnside Ninja]

still looking for a pistol for the lady. she wants concealability and low recoil. I could get her a .22lr... but, I'd prefer to teach her to shoot a 32 acp. She's willing to fire the 32 round- however, she wants VERY little recoil. She shot a NAA .32 acp. Sharp recoil in that one.

How about the Kel-tec 32? I know it's lighter, however, it isn't in a blow-back design... so, does it have a lighter recoil? How about a walther ppk 32? The CZ in 32 is too big for her purse. Please, fill me in I appreciate all opinions (especially those who have actually SHOT the 32 they're discussing)

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

I keep telling you. A Taurus 731 Ultra-Lite .32 H&R mag is the way to go. For absolutely no recoil she can shoot .32acp or .32longs through it and if she wants something more stout later she can move up to the mags.

And it is a very nice bargain at about $280 for an ultra-lite model.

 

[Justin]

Strictly speaking, guns that operate on the blowback principle tend to have unpleasant levels of recoil.

 

[usp9]

Check out this CZ

http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg26-e.htm

I have several of these including the CZ83 in .32acp. It has a very mild recoil. These are not very expensive either, priced around $350 or so.

 

[STAGE 2]

Get a sig p230 in .32. Its really handy, light enough to carry and nil recoil.

 

[Hobie]

A Ruger SP101 in .32 H&R using .32 S&W Long. Can't get the recoil down much more unless you use .32 S&W. My dealer has one if you can't locate one locally.

 

[Lonestar]

The only manufacture making .32 H&R mags revolvers is Taurus and the guns is ported. The 32 mag ammo is real hard to find. The Kel Tec P32 has less recoil then most because it is the only .32 pocket pistol that is not a blowback design. I shot my friends a few times and the recoil is mild. Another option is a PPK in .32 or a Bersa clone.

 

[STAGE 2]

isn't that blowback? a locked breech design would have less recoil

If the recoil out of a P230 in .32 is too much for you then you shouldn't be in the handgun market in the first place.

 

[Jim Watson]

My old Colt 1903 .32 is not bad on recoil even though blowback, but a similar 1908 .380 has some snap.

Likewise the Keltec .32 is a lot more pleasant to shoot than the 3AT; either preferable to the NAA because they are both recoil operated which takes up some of the whack in the plastic guns.

AIM has some CZ83s in .32. I wouldn't know where to look for a Sig-Sauer .32; but there are a lot of ex European police Walthers to be found.

 

[Geronimo45]

"The CZ in 32 is too big for her purse."
Purses that small must be hard to come by. I'd suggest a shoulder holster. Most females that I've seen wear some sort of coat of some description. I guess a Beretta .32 (Tomcat, Bobcat - forget the name) ought to be small enough to fit a purse. Don't know if a Walther/Bersa is much shorter than a CZ... grip length is shorter, I believe.

 

[deadin]

Locked breach 32 ACP's are few and far between. The only one I can recall off the top of my head is the Frommer Stop.
(And to make it even more wierd, it's a long recoil system.)

Dean

 

[Josh Aston]

I know they're not .32 but you might want to give the Colt Mustang/Pony and Govt .380 a try. They are locked breech and recoil is negligible.

 

[weregunner]

Wouldn't have her carry gun in the purse. That is the first thing crooks will go for. Grabbed purse equals no defense and possible legal issues or an unsecure gun in criminal hands. May not happen, but why take the chance? There is also the chance the pistol will be wrong side up to grab or the purses contents will impede the draw. Taurus makes the PT132Mil/pro. It has 10 rounds in the magazine and has a DA?SA trigger that is light. Will soak up recoil better than the smaller 32s. The Berreta Tomcat (model 3032) is at least slightly heavier than the other pocket auto, has better sights than the others, and has a tip up barrel to load and unload without racing the slide. If this will not suffice than a .22 rimfire revolver with a 4 inch barrel or semi-auto, such as a Bersa or or Beretta Cheetah 87 may be the way to go. Rimfire revolver should have 7 to 9 shots in the cylinder. Other choices listed above are good ones. Let her handle as many different types as she can and narrow it down that way. Twenty twos are not the best round, but for recoil conscious people this may be the only way to go. Kramer Leather, Galco, and Don Hume make womens holsters. Kramer has the female Confidant mesh shirt worn under womens blouses or shirts. One pocket for the gun and another for spare ammo. The Taurus 94 .22 long rifle revolver comes in 2,4,5 inch barrels and HKS makes speedloaders that hold 9 more rounds. The speedloaders for the 94 are tiny and can disappear in a pocket or pouch. Good luck to you and her. Keep us posted on this.

 

[rockstar.esq]

So I own a Kel Tec P32 and although it's a "locked breech" pistol it's light weight makes for impressive recoil proportional to it's size. Interesting point to ponder; my neighbor owns one of those scandium .357 mag snubbies. When holding the 32 in one hand and the .357 in the other I couldn't tell the difference! Now considering the absolutely stupid recoil of that .357 many things pale in comparison. However grown folks who've shot my P32 have remarked at how snappy the recoil is. Particularly due to the plastic frame and the deep checkering thereon. I've noticed that Kel Tec is selling extended mags for the P32 which would allow the pinky finger to help and I'd wager the difference is pretty significant. I absolutely agree with weregunner that the purse is a bad bad idea. Additionally I agree with Playboy Penguin that the small revo is the best gun for this application. Please Please Please make sure that she practices thoroughly with it to make sure she hits her target. For what it's worth, the P32 is a terribly hard gun to hit jack squat with much beyond 7 yards.

 

[deadin]

If you decide to go with a .22, remember that .22 auto's are notorious for being very picky about ammo and are quite finicky and suffer misfeeds and other problems easily. ThereforeI would recommend a revolver for .22 carry.

Dean

 

[joneb]

http://www.naaminis.com/news20.pdf

 

[outofbattery]

Is there is physical reason for being recoil sensative or is it mental?

Personally,I'd go with a J frame and have her work up from light .38 cowboy loads.I haven't met many people who don't get over fear of recoil with just a few confidence boosters.FWIW,I find my alloy P230 in .380 more objectionable when shooting anything hot,like any carry load,than any of my full sized 9mm,.40,.357SIG or .45's as it's a sharper jolt spread out over less area.That's not to say it's hard to handle,just that 50 rounds of it's more than enough for one go where I'll gladly shoot 200 9mm rounds and wish I had more time and $.The .32 would obviously be less though.

 

[Phil DeGraves]

32 S&W (not the Long) has almost no recoil. But let her pick the pistol.

 

[RyanM]

Walther PP or PPK or one of the numerous clones wouldn't be too bad a bet.

http://www.southernohiogun.com/surplushandguns.html Scroll down to the Zastava 70 for another option. Those things are big and heavy and solid.

 

[Lonestar]

So I own a Kel Tec P32 and although it's a "locked breech" pistol it's light weight makes for impressive recoil proportional to it's size. Interesting point to ponder; my neighbor owns one of those scandium .357 mag snubbies. When holding the 32 in one hand and the .357 in the other I couldn't tell the difference! Now considering the absolutely stupid recoil of that .357 many things pale in comparison. However grown folks who've shot my P32 have remarked at how snappy the recoil is

.

With all due respect my friend, you must be smoking crack Then that means when I shoot my my .380 P3at which is almost the same size and weight as the P32, I'm shoot something WORSE than a Scandium .357.

In my opinion the P32 has less recoil than almost every 9mm semi automatics and .38 revolver I have ever fired. It has slightly less recoil then my .32 Berretta Tomcat. The Tomcat is a blowback, but its wide grip spreads out the recoil well. Its no .22 pistol, but the P32 has got only a little more recoil, and a lot more pop then most .22 pocket pistols. The P3at recoil does stink and feels like my steel .357 Model 60, or maybe a lightweight .38. A Scandium .357 snubbie feel like a damn full size steel .44, no way it even comes close to the recoil of even the worse .32.

 

[Glockamolie]

The only time my P32 was snappy was with Corbons. With ball, it was tame. My $.02.

 

[Majic]

There are purses specifically designed to holster handguns. Some have features that allow retention of the handgun even if the purse is snatched. All of them holster the handgun away from the contents of the purse so not to impede the draw. Have your female friend take a look at those. Some of the quality holster makers have them in different styles.

 

[The Burnside Ninja]

thanks to everyone for the replies. She's just mentally "afraid" of recoil. But, I'm sure if an incident were to ever happen, her adrenaline would negate the mental aspect. She shoots .22LRs perfectly! So, I could only hope to get her trained in a 32 (just for a LITTLE extra help). I've currently moved my CCW expectations from a bersa 380 to a kahr 9mm. (I've heard WONDERFUL reviews on the Kahr products)

With all that aside, I think I'll try to get her a pistol that has less recoil than a NAA 32 acp. Yes, her purse is small... no, she doesn't wear coats. We live in Florida. hahaha. So, we're kind of screwed on a CCW that can be held on her body. She wears dresses for her job- that's why we're stuck with the purse option. Anyway, keep up the comments- I value them all...
...especially when it means the safety of my sweetheart.

 

[doncameron]

My 2 cents worth......
Smith and Wesson .32 safety hammerless........not much more recoil
that a .25.

VZOR-50 or 70 in .32acp...........same size as a Walther ppk, but alot easier
on the wallet. (wifie loves hers)

 

[rockstar.esq]

OK folks lets get something sorted out here.

Firstly the doggone guns weigh about the same.

The .357 is stupidly hard to control in Scandium snub format.

Lonestar I was not drawing a parallel to the recoil of the .32 and the .357! I truly wish that readers could default to a more moderate position than to assume the absolute dumbest possible meaning! Read it again and you WILL NOT FIND ANY STATEMENT SUPORTING YOUR CONTENTION.

The P-32 on it's own completely aside from ANY OTHER GUN generally gets viewed as "cute" and "toylike" until the trigger gets pulled at which point every shooter so far has commented that "it really feels like a gun" due to it's aforementioned snappy recoil.

doncameron your definition of "snappy" clearly indicates a more intimate familiarity with the subtle nuances of .32ACP ammo through a gun designed more for carry than for target shooting. Although I'm sure that Cor-bon wouldn't place their moniker on any loading that wasn't noticiably hotter than anyone elses I guess I view your comment as a bit trite considering the context. For crying out loud the poster is asking for a LOW RECOIL pistol in .32ACP. Choosing the lightest firearm availible in any cartridge equates to the most recoil possible from that cartridge. With that in mind I can't prove that the P-32 is the lightest .32 availible, I can say that it is definitely light enough to make truly accurate shooting trying if not outright difficult.
So that is my $0.02 you're welcome to a refund.