But the Walther PP and PPK are better for carry because of the double action first shot.
Why do they need heavy DA triggers when they have manual safeties? I understand DA/SA in a decock only pistol, or DAO in a pistol with no manual safety, but DA/SA with a safety has always seemed superfluous to me.
Which brings us back to the OP's criteria:
quality/construction, design, and performance ... What has come to the forefront of your experiences?
usp9 mentioned the LWS32 because it set the mark for pocket guns. I see where he's coming because it did inspire direct competitors in the form of the NAA Guardian and Autuaga - now MPA Protector, but I disagree. The LWS pistols inspired competition from a couple of other small, niche market companies.
I'll argue that anything an LWS32 can do, a KelTec P32 can do just as well in a thinner, lighter, less expensive package. The P32 lead to the P3AT, and those two KelTecs really did set the mark for pocket guns. Those little pistols lead to the almost direct clone in the form of the Ruger LCP, the slightly further tweaked LCP clone Taurus TCP, and the unique S&W Bodyguard 380 that competes with them in the same segment. KelTec did what Seecamp couldn't - they made the industry heavy weights take notice by bringing the pocket gun mainstream.
The KT P32 is the best pocket / deep concealment .32 Auto that's been made thus far. It may not be the prettiest in terms of fit and finish, but it performs, and the design was revolutionary. It's also a two edged sword: The radically small size and weight of the P32 (particularly for a locked breech pistol) paved the way for its ever so slightly bigger .380 ACP P3AT brother that may have already done to .32 ACP what .32 ACP did to .25 ACP.
Stepping up in size there's the SIG P230 that's already been mentioned. It's far more controllable than the pocket rockets, but it's still quite thin and light. The ergos and control layout of the P230 are what the PP / PPK should have evolved into had Walther bothered to improve upon them and correct known issues like slide bite. The build quality is also excellent on the P230.
Going up to the biggest mainstream .32 Autos, the 3/4 scale service pistols as I like to think of them, goes to the Beretta 81 Cheetah. I still think the decock safety is excessive, particularly on a pistol this size because it will almost certainly ride in a belt holster which covers the trigger guard completely when it's carried. Everything else on the 81 is right though. The ergos are great, the safety lever is mounted at the top rear of the frame on a rear edge pivot pin, the sights are good, and the pistol is accurate and reliable. The entire Cheetah series are also very well built, and very nicely fit and finished. The 81 also offers 12 rounds in a very soft shooting package for those who are recoil averse or may have conditions restricting their physical ability to handle recoil.
Those are the three that rise to the top for me in their respective categories.
