whatnickname
Member
Have to admit that I have a certain fondness for things that are esoteric. I’ve done quite a bit of reading trying to figure out the reason or justification that John Browning came up with when he invented this round. About all I have found could be summed up with one simple statement: The 32 ACP packs about twice the punch of the 22 Long Rifle. To say that the authorities in Europe were fond of the 32 ACP is something of an understatement. About all I could find was that the folks in Europe felt the 32 ACP was “good enough”. Perhaps part of the popularity of this round stemmed from the small frame guns made to use the round. Still, there were military and police guns that we full size duty guns. Perhaps its popularity had something to do with the mild recoil generated by the round that enabled people to shoot these handguns more accurately. Then there are the books written by a British author about a somewhat psychopathic spy that was licensed to kill where the stopping power of the 32 ACP was likened to a “brick bat being thrown through a plate glass window.” ( who knows. Maybe MI6 loaded their 32 fodder to 357 magnum levels. ) Or just maybe it’s all of the above to some degree.
What ever the pluses or minuses are, it seems as if the 32 ACP has a loyal following. I think it’s going to be with us for the foreseeable future. And I have to admit, I’m fond of the round and the guns I have that shoot it…one German Walther PP. A Bavarian contract PP made under license from Walther by Manurhin, stainless Beretta Tom Cat and a Beretta Model 81 with a 12 round magazine. The Tom Cat has an inherent weakness at the juncture in the frame where the trigger bar connects to the trigger. You don’t dare shoot that pistol with rounds that produce over 129 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle or you run the risk of a cracked frame. There are those that state that such frame cracks are only cosmetic and will not have any effect on either the safety or reliability of the gun.
The Walther and the Manurhin are very solidly built and will surely last several lifetimes. The the Beretta is a more recent acquisition…who needs a 80 series Beretta with a 12 round magazine? Well the Italian Federal Department of Corrections did. These guns were released in the US retail market a couple of years ago ( picture ). I bought mine, hand select…best one out of 10 for $234. You could buy a lot of ten of those for $1950. I could kick myself for not jumping on that deal. These guns in reasonably good condition are selling in the $500 to $600 range today. My CCW is almost always a 9MM that packs way more punch than any 32 on the planet. I don’t know that I will ever carry a 32 for personal protection. That said, I just enjoy shooting the mild mannered little round. What’s your opinion?
What ever the pluses or minuses are, it seems as if the 32 ACP has a loyal following. I think it’s going to be with us for the foreseeable future. And I have to admit, I’m fond of the round and the guns I have that shoot it…one German Walther PP. A Bavarian contract PP made under license from Walther by Manurhin, stainless Beretta Tom Cat and a Beretta Model 81 with a 12 round magazine. The Tom Cat has an inherent weakness at the juncture in the frame where the trigger bar connects to the trigger. You don’t dare shoot that pistol with rounds that produce over 129 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle or you run the risk of a cracked frame. There are those that state that such frame cracks are only cosmetic and will not have any effect on either the safety or reliability of the gun.
The Walther and the Manurhin are very solidly built and will surely last several lifetimes. The the Beretta is a more recent acquisition…who needs a 80 series Beretta with a 12 round magazine? Well the Italian Federal Department of Corrections did. These guns were released in the US retail market a couple of years ago ( picture ). I bought mine, hand select…best one out of 10 for $234. You could buy a lot of ten of those for $1950. I could kick myself for not jumping on that deal. These guns in reasonably good condition are selling in the $500 to $600 range today. My CCW is almost always a 9MM that packs way more punch than any 32 on the planet. I don’t know that I will ever carry a 32 for personal protection. That said, I just enjoy shooting the mild mannered little round. What’s your opinion?
