Rebirth of the 32 ACP?

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It's probably the nub of the question, too. And one we'd likely need a time machine to riddle out.
I don't think so--bullet technology has evolved considerably since Browning's days.
I'm not using it, as there's no way to afford enough to practice with
No one does that.
here's no way I'm just trusting that the $6 apeice wonder ammo is going to shoot where the practice ammo does.
Could you not verify that with 15 rounds, max?
 
I have to admit to a reflex, of sorts, about the "specialty" defense ammo. If it costs 6x the price, I'm not using it, as there's no way to afford enough to practice with And, there's no way I'm just trusting that the $6 apeice wonder ammo is going to shoot where the practice ammo does.
I bought some Silvertip .32acp, back in the day, mostly to see if it were more reliable than the discount FMJ I was getting. It was, a little. But, my standard was the one posted above: "Does it go bang?" Which why I have like 5 of the STs left in the pistol carry bag.
I would be inclined to agree, I'm not one to like expensive boutique ammo, but for something like a pocket gun in .32 or .380 ACP where we're talking a pistol that would be used at close distances, the POI shift is going to be negligible.
 
Also, conceal carrying a full-sized, compact, or sub compact in 9mm in 90°F+ temperatures in shorts and a tank top is simply not an ideal situation -- neither for carrying or concealing.

My Seacamp .32 or my Beretta 3032 are.

I'm in FL, the "fishing" shirts at Bealls and elsewhere are lightweight, breathable and patterned versions are conducive to concealment.
I wear a thin tank (A-Frame / "wife beater") underneath shirt between me and gun.
No trouble concealing a Glock 19 AIWB - its my wherever, whenever carry.
FLsummer4.jpg
 
First off, that's not a tank top.

However, that's great, if you plan to stand in one position all day long and not participate in any summer time activities. With a Seecamp or a Tomcat --or even a smaller mouse gun in .25acp-- in a pocket holster i can wear a wife-beater tank top or even no shirt at all.

I can also play badminton, family volley ball, ping pong, pickle ball etc.

Can you do any of those things with a IWB Glock 19 without printing or fully exposing your side arm?
 
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When I am forced to carry .32 Auto (a KT P32 when I can't carry a real gun), I carry it loaded with hot European FMJ ammo. My sole reason for doing so is that there is no HP that will give me reliable expansion AND enough penetration in .32, and so I choose penetration, knowing that I am extremely disadvantaged.

Note that the only time that I do so is in situations where a larger gun, in 9mm or larger, cannot be carried on my person. These times are few and far apart, but a reality from time to time.
 
I'm in FL, the "fishing" shirts at Bealls and elsewhere are lightweight, breathable and patterned versions are conducive to concealment.
I wear a thin tank (A-Frame / "wife beater") underneath shirt between me and gun.
No trouble concealing a Glock 19 AIWB - its my wherever, whenever carry.
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I see you are wearing a shirt with the same camouflage pattern as your sink... I like to be stealthy in my bathroom, too...

First off, that's not a tank top.

However, that's great, if you plan to stand in one position all day long and not participate in any summer time activities. With a Seecamp or a Tomcat --or even a smaller mouse gun in .25acp-- in a pocket holster i can wear a wife-beater tank top or even no shirt at all.

I can also play badminton, family volley ball, ping pong, pickle ball etc.

Can you do any of those things with a IWB Glock 19 without printing or fully exposing your side arm?
If I have to have a handgun on me while playing volleyball the yard that probably means one of my kids out in the OP at mouth of my driveway has fallen asleep again.

Five pages on the .32 ACP? Who'da thought?
 
First off, that's not a tank top.

However, that's great, if you plan to stand in one position all day long and not participate in any summer time activities. With a Seecamp or a Tomcat --or even a smaller mouse gun in .25acp-- in a pocket holster i can wear a wife-beater tank top or even no shirt at all.

I can also play badminton, family volley ball, ping pong, pickle ball etc.

Can you do any of those things with a IWB Glock 19 without printing or fully exposing your side arm?

No, its not a tank top; it is the minimum I wear in public places (shirt & shorts), perhaps omitting the beach (not really, as I aint getting in the sharks food bowl).
I think I look better with a shirt on, odds are that most of the public would agree ;).
My normal activities include walk dogs about 1.5 mile, errands, maybe casual bicycle ride (4-8 mile), shopping, with Glock 19.
Beach fishing was problematic if carrying strong side, casting had potential to pull shirt up, eliminated with AIWB.
Putting up beach canopy / tent is definitely problematic (infrequent activity) reaching that high with the breeze, solution is to leave Glock 19 at home and just take the 365 that is in my weak hand front pocket while erecting canopy. Yes, there is always a 365 in my weak hand front pocket as a 2nd option to the Glock 19 AIWB and that is in a "good" area; I walk to the beach.
Mowing the yard? I use a push mower. Sweat city. Holstered Kahr PM9 in pocket of gym shorts.
I don't do less than 9mm, no matter how hot it is. :cool:
 
I don't use 32acp as a "carry caliber". I'll carry my micro 380 only under certain situations.

However, if I were willing to carry something that large, or that's what I happened to be holding when something went bump in the night...

The Beretta Model 81 could be a pretty effective weapon. I put fat heavy grips on mine, and the recoil is nothing. You can put hits on target with no muzzle flip like you're shooting a 22.

It would not be my first, second, or tenth choice for SD, but it can put a lot (12?) of 32 caliber holes in something very quickly and accurately.
 
I'm in FL, the "fishing" shirts at Bealls and elsewhere are lightweight, breathable and patterned versions are conducive to concealment.
I wear a thin tank (A-Frame / "wife beater") underneath shirt between me and gun.
No trouble concealing a Glock 19 AIWB - its my wherever, whenever carry.
View attachment 1017202
I too live in FL and wearing a plastic holster up against my back all day is absolutely miserable.
 
I too live in FL and wearing a plastic holster up against my back all day is absolutely miserable.

I could not take a holster against my skin. The thin undershirt tanks add little heat in exchange for comfortable holster carry.
My shorts are wrinkled from wearing several hours, but here is another "fishing" shirt, more comfortable than cotton, with Glock 19 AIWB.
Wal-Mart has long sleeve "fishing shirts" in sporting goods, they're great I don't have to sunscreen my arms. (face & neck yea - don't want cancer)
EDC2.jpg
 
I don't wear the holster against my skin. I use the ITB method, wearing the holster inside the belt, but outside the waistband. Makes a huge difference, though it can require as long a cover garment as OWB carry, perhaps even longer, as the IWB holsters used for this carry method ride lower than OWB holsters do.
 
I want something I can throw into my pocket and walk out the door. Hence, the interest in 32 ACP.
 
9x19 is my minimum for carry. I gave my 38 APC (HK4) to my brother many years ago. After fooling around with 38 spl J frames for awhile I decided that a pistol was better suited for my EDC. I don't do a lot of ballistics research on different cartridges but 38/9mm something or other seemed to check all the boxes for EDC. It's easy to load and 100 rds a month isn't that expensive if you buy components when prices are reasonable. I like to be able to practice with my EDC at least once a month. 32 APC doesn't seem like a good option for me. If the truth be known, 9x19 is the sweet spot for 95% of those who carry. Ammo and firearm sales bare that out..
 
9x19 is my minimum for carry. I gave my 38 APC (HK4) to my brother many years ago. After fooling around with 38 spl J frames for awhile I decided that a pistol was better suited for my EDC. I don't do a lot of ballistics research on different cartridges but 38/9mm something or other seemed to check all the boxes for EDC. It's easy to load and 100 rds a month isn't that expensive if you buy components when prices are reasonable. I like to be able to practice with my EDC at least once a month. 32 APC doesn't seem like a good option for me. If the truth be known, 9x19 is the sweet spot for 95% of those who carry. Ammo and firearm sales bare that out..
In the 60s, 70s, and 80s the 9mm was dismissed as too weak a round to be used for “serious” purposes. Then, starting in the 90s, new bullet technologies began to change that perception. Now the 9mm has become the “best and really only practical” round to carry.

If you look at those tests using the Lehigh/Underwood ammo, I think you might change your dismissive attitude about the 32 ACP. Maybe new bullet designs are doing for the 32 ACP (and 32s for revolvers, 32 H&R Mag and 327 Fed Mag) what new bullet design did for the 9mm.
 
If you look at those tests using the Lehigh/Underwood ammo...
Are you allowing yourself to be impressed by the temporary cavitation channel in the gel made by those non-expanding bullets?

Maybe new bullet designs are doing for the 32 ACP (and 32s for revolvers, 32 H&R Mag and 327 Fed Mag) what new bullet design did for the 9mm.
It is not the came thing at all. What advanced bonded bullets in 9mm did was allow them to hold together and continue to penetrate as they expanded.
 
Are you allowing yourself to be impressed by the temporary cavitation channel in the gel made by those non-expanding bullets?
Nope! What impressed me was the permanent wound cavity.
It is not the came thing at all. What advanced bonded bullets in 9mm did was allow them to hold together and continue to penetrate as they expanded.
It’s exactly the same. New bullets delivering performance that previously wasn’t possible.
 
I can see advantages to .32. Smaller package, larger capacity, reduced recoil, and if needed indoors or in a crowded area, the round is subsonic and not at all likely to overpenetrate. Is it as powerful as the other commonly carried calibers, no, no it is not. Is it as effective as 380, 9mm, 357mag? Depends on the expected outcome of using it. I wouldn't run into an active shooter situation armed with a seecamp 32 expecting to save the day (wouldn't run into an active shooter situation with a 45 either) But i would imagine hitting a would be assailant with a few rounds from a 32 would break off the engagement in the majority of cases. So, I wouldn't deride anyone for choosing to carry a 32. But the real question is, is it fun to shoot? Of course it is, even Leroy Brown kept a 32 gun in his pocket for fun,...and a razor in his shoe:D
 
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The laws of physics conspire against a small lightweight handgun that is easy to conceal, comfortable to carry, easy to shoot, capable of creating overwhelming and incapacitating damage to an assailant.

The problem I had with most 32 ACP rounds is all of the testing that was available to me showed .32 ACP bullets either expanding and stopping at 9 inches or less when run against the IWBA protocol, or zipping right out the back of 16 inch blocks of gelatin.

At least the Xtreme Cavitator punches a hole 13" to 14" deep through 4 layers of denim. With 32 ACP hollow points, I have no confidence that the bullets are going to reach critical organs. FMJ doesn't make much of a wound and they don't stop in the target - which is unacceptable to me. I don't think the Xtreme Cavitator in .32 is doing as much tissue damage as a quality 147gr 9mm round like HST or Ranger T-Series, but it does punch a hole 13" to 14" deep. That makes it tempting for me, it is not optimal but it does make it past the bare minimum for me, the bullets are capable of reaching critical organs and they generally don't leave the target.
 
Which review are you watching?
I have looked at several. There are no obvious differences among the tests.

In one video, the reviewer erroneously describes the wide area as the "permanent wound channel". It is not clear whether that was a deliberate mischaracterization or the result of ignorance.

I so not like it when marketing gimmick are used to mislead.

This subject has been discussed at some length on THR--and in this thread.
 
In the 60s, 70s, and 80s the 9mm was dismissed as too weak a round to be used for “serious” purposes. Then, starting in the 90s, new bullet technologies began to change that perception. Now the 9mm has become the “best and really only practical” round to carry.

If you look at those tests using the Lehigh/Underwood ammo, I think you might change your dismissive attitude about the 32 ACP. Maybe new bullet designs are doing for the 32 ACP (and 32s for revolvers, 32 H&R Mag and 327 Fed Mag) what new bullet design did for the 9mm.

Maybe in the not too distant future 32 APC will be a force in the Military/LE/SD world again but I'm not going to hold my breath. It's going to have to fill up the brass buckets at the range like 9x19 before I'm interested in loading and shooting 1200 rds a year. It has a long way to go to become a contender. Economy of scale is a thing. .223/5.56 is also my choice for a SD carbine for the same reason because I shoot a lot. I've sold thousands of pieces of brass to support my costs of shooting as much as I do.
 
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