Seecamp vs. Kel-Tec P32

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I looked at both. I bought the P32. The Seecamp looks like a gun you'd have while wearing a tux. I like the P32 because it looks and fires like a charm. Small, reliable and easy to carry. Did I mention the frame comes in several colors.
 
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IFIRC, the Seecamp doesn't lock the slide open after the last round except by jamming on the last casing, and it doesn't have an ejector, plus it's a blowback.

Tux or not, all my mousers must have slide locks, ejectors, and be locked breech, all of which the P-32 has. :D

The P-32 is also MUCH lighter, and cheaper to boot!
 
The Seecamp appears to be a high quality, well crafted piece. My major problem with it is the bottom magazine release. I'm sure you could practice enough to make it 2nd nature, but I'm used to thumb style mag releases. If the slide doesn't lock back as mentioned, that would also be a detriment, IMO. Light weight & slimness were key in my decision to go with the P32.
 
I also have a [color=sea green]P32[/color] am am happy with it.

The SEECAMP is attractive, as it is an all stainless steel pistol. But I've read it can be tempermental. Ammo selection is critical as it is designed for Winchester Silvertips only; since its introduction other ammo has become available that should work but the overall length of the cartridge must be considered carefully as many will be too long to fit in the mag. Even using correct ammo, the gun has a reputation for stove piping the last round.

Then there is price & availability; high & limited. I've seen these little guns advertised for well north of the $500 mark.

I bought my KelTec for $175 used, & it has been flawless. It carries an extra round over the Seecamp, is half the weigh, & reportedly has trigger pull that is over 3lbs lighter.

Easy choice as far as I'm concerned!
 
Stove piping the last round?? Are you sure you're not thinking of the NAA Guardian? I have several pocket pistols. The all have different advantages, however my Seecamp has never stove piped! (My Guardian has.) I consider Larry Seecamp a friend. We speak about once a month. I thought I was having a problem with Silvertips "keyholing". (They wern't. It was the cardboard backing behind the target. The paper target tore and LOOKED something like a keyhole when the bullet struck and tore the paper a little.) Anyway, he told me to try Gold Dots. As I like GD's better than ST's anyway, and they worked perfectly, I used them up until I switched over to RBCD's in just about everything I shoot.
I like my Seecamp the best of all my pocket pistols. My Guardian is beautiful too, with it's smooth Hogue "Pau Ferro" grips. I think I've made my P-32 really nice with a hard chrome top, gray grip frame, and silver trigger shoe. It goes with me a lot! However, even though I've never experienced a "rim lock", I've read so much about that nasty little phenomenon that I carry only Fiocchi 73gr. FMJ's in that one! Mr. Murphy's law and all that.

KR
 
Good choice. I like the P32 as well. My wife sometimes lets me borrow hers. Might be time to get one myself.

JMax
 
We sell quite a few P-32's . Overall it's proven to be a great little gun . Reliable and accurate . The locked breech design allows for light recoil and good control .

We have only experienced one flaw that I can remember and it has also occured in the P-11 . The trigger bar becomes disconnected from the hammer . You pull the trigger and the hammer doesn't move . It's not a consistent defect but it is one that has happened more than a couple times . Kel Tec has always promptly corrected them .

As a close range weapon , I don't really feel inconvenienced by the lack of a slide stop or thumb activated mag release . I'm somewhat comforted by the heel type release knowing that the mag isn't going to come out in my pocket during carry . I can see the advantages of these features for range use though . But , if you fire your six in defense and the threat isn't neutralized , I recommend you come out swinging . JMO

I have carried an LWS-32 for about 7 years and it has never failed to function properly in about 400 rds . The well proven original Winchester load is fine and has given me no reason to look further .

If the P-32 was available back then , I would have probably tried it . Even at the $325 wholesale I paid back then for the LWS , the Kel Tec is a great buy well worth a long look . I would have a tough time with the $600 - $800 the scalpers were getting just a few years back .

Mitch
www.oldeenglishoutfitters.com
 
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Originally posted by Kentucky Rifle
Stove piping the last round?? Are you sure you're not thinking of the NAA Guardian? I have several pocket pistols. The all have different advantages, however my Seecamp has never stove piped! (My Guardian has.) I consider Larry Seecamp a friend. We speak about once a month. I thought I was having a problem with Silvertips "keyholing". (They wern't. It was the cardboard backing behind the target. The paper target tore and LOOKED something like a keyhole when the bullet struck and tore the paper a little.) Anyway, he told me to try Gold Dots. As I like GD's better than ST's anyway, and they worked perfectly, I used them up until I switched over to RBCD's in just about everything I shoot.
I like my Seecamp the best of all my pocket pistols. My Guardian is beautiful too, with it's smooth Hogue "Pau Ferro" grips. I think I've made my P-32 really nice with a hard chrome top, gray grip frame, and silver trigger shoe. It goes with me a lot! However, even though I've never experienced a "rim lock", I've read so much about that nasty little phenomenon that I carry only Fiocchi 73gr. FMJ's in that one! Mr. Murphy's law and all that.

KR
Click to expand...

I'm with you on this. Am now waiting for the 380!
 
Stove piping the last round?? Are you sure you're not thinking of the NAA Guardian?
Click to expand...
KR, I could be. Does the Seecamp have an ejector? Seems like the one that depended on stovepiping didn't.
 
Stove piping the last round?? Are you sure you're not thinking of the NAA Guardian?
Click to expand...
Nope - I'm thinking of the Seecamp. But I don't have one, so I can't speak from any personal experience.

A quick search for the Seecamp over at HANDGUN REVIEW brought up this owner comment:
The problem is my Seecamp (and others I've talked to) is the stove-piping on the last round is the clip.This occurs about 30% of the time on the last round, even with different clips

But there are only 2 reviews there, so who knows?
 
I used to have a Seecamp .32 and it did often stovepipe on the last round and for the same reason the little Guardian often does so: neither has an ejector, relying on the next round in the magazine to push the empty out. No next round in magazine, no push. I never considered it a big deal and apparently neither does Larry Seecamp or NAA. It certainly would seem prudent to have a spare magazine with either pistol but it seems that if one were ever in a situation requiring a fast reload of either, well...that would probably qualify as having a fairly bad day.
 
When comparing Seecamp and P32, I tell folks it is like Beta and VHS video.
Beta really was better but, the world followed VHS.
Seecamp stepped on their dinky when they made you get on a 9 month waiting list to have the "priviledge" to buy one of their guns. Meanwhile, the world followed the P32.

I wonder what the ownership ratio of P32 to Seecamp is?
Gotta be at least 500 to 1.
 
Life Expectancy

I note that Guy Sajer has apparently put only 400 rounds through his Seacamp in the last seven years. I have shot my P32 a lot more than that in the two years I've owned it. Since the factory rebarrelled it for free, it shoots exactly to point of aim and is 99.99% reliable with ball or JHP.

I have heard that the life expectancy of the Seacamp is well under 10,000 rounds. For this reason, I would never buy a used one. Any owners care to comment on this? I expect much longer service from my P32.
 
Does anyone else have a problem with short-stroking the trigger of their P32? I notice that mine will /feel/ like the trigger has reset about halfway, but if I try to pull it back at that point, it just goes 'click' without dropping the hammer.

If I let the trigger go the whole way to the front and then pull back, bang, everything's fine.
 
Ledbetter,

I've never heard of any life expectancy issues with the Seecamp .32 but sometimes that is confused with the Seecamp .380 which is finally supposed to be coming out in a month or so. I read in a gun magazine article 3 years ago that Larry Seecamp says it will have an expected life of 1,000 rounds.
 
Originally posted by alamo
Ledbetter,

I've never heard of any life expectancy issues with the Seecamp .32 but sometimes that is confused with the Seecamp .380 which is finally supposed to be coming out in a month or so. I read in a gun magazine article 3 years ago that Larry Seecamp says it will have an expected life of 1,000 rounds.
Click to expand...

Only 1000 rds. :eek: For a pistol that cost around $895. Double :eek: :eek:
 
I bought a used P32 that i thought was new. The damn thing had more FTE then it extracted. Sent it to kel-tec and they had it back to me in 5 days. Everything but the magazine and frame was new. Shot about 75 rounds through it and had one FTE. I need to shoot it more but once its broken in i think it will be fine. With its light weight, small size, and low recoil i think its a great pistol.
 
I guess we all have our own plan .
I didn't buy my LWS as a range hose . I wanted the ultimate in concealability and reliability . It works for me . I shoot a few rounds every year to reassure myself of this . In a Galco front pocket holster it melts away .
As an every day range gun , I prefer something a little more substancial and more suited for target practice . Whether it be a vintage Colt Shooting Master , Novak Browning Hi Power , LBC Premier II or whatever I'm in the mood for .
If I want to fire many rounds in short order , I drag out the Thompson SMG or Colt M16 in .223 or with the most fun .22 LR conversion .

Whichever he decides , he'll be getting a good gun .

Enjoy !
 
The Seecamp is a very nice physically high quality little piece. More of a piece of art than a usable firearm. Compared to the P32, the Seecamp seems to weigh about one metric ton. It would be possible to forget the P32 was in your back pocket. I doubt that has ever happened with the Seecamp. ;)
 
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How about a different opinion? ;) I just can't seem to like the P32. Maybe it's gun snobbery, but the P32 just isn't built well enough for me to trust with my life. Lots of peoople posting about P32s breaking. You just don't hear many stories about Guardians and Seecamps breaking.

FWIW, I've got a Guardian and Seecamp, both of which are truely well-made guns.
 
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