Why CURRENTLY buy a 25 or 32?

[jackstinson]

Because I collect pocket pistols from .22 through .380 and I enjoy shooting all of my .25's and .32's.
Heck, I even load .25 pellets into primered brass for basement shooting.
.25 and .32 ammo is NOT necessarily more expensive than .380. I suppose people keep saying this because it may be more expensive at Walmart or Gander Mountain. I buy online from Natchez or Graf & Son's where my favorite brands (Sellier & Bellot, Fiocchi, or Aquila) of .25acp and .32acp is basically the same price as .380. Why drive across the city and pay $18-20 for 50 WWB's when I can good stuff delivered to my door in 2 days for far less even with shipping cost?
NOTE: I did "trade down" from daily carrying a Kel-Tec P3AT to a P32 because of the already mentioned nerve damage thing. I like to practice a lot with what I carry.
Besides..what's not to love about something like my .25 Bauer copy of a Browning? It worked for Foxy Brown!

 

[MCgunner]

They're all rather weak IMHO. I prefer a subcompact 9 in my pocket. Yes, you can do it. You have to dress around the gun, better compromise than choosing your gun for your dress IMHO. I'd never actually CARRY a .25 or .32 anymore, no reason as you say. Owning one for other reasons stated is reason enough. I have a .22 caliber mini revolver, but I don't carry it as a primary. I'd hate to get in an actually gunfight with that thing. The only time I defended myself against a human, though, it was a bum with a knife and I had a little .25 in my back pocket. He ran. This was WELL before CCW laws. I don't think even and idiot that dumb would be stupid enough to pull a knife on JQ Public now days knowing that eventually someone carrying a CCW will trump him with a .45 and might not be as gracious to avoid firing as I was.

The P3AT and LCP are very attractive for their size. That, frankly, is one reason I'm avoiding the purchase. I'm afraid I'd be too tempted to carry the thing considering the size and weight advantages for carry. If I had to use it, I'd sure be wanting my 9. LOL The 9 is not THAT hard to tote, certainly not the PITA of anything carried IWB for me. It fits in a pocket, after all, and I don't really even notice it's there during the day. Just takes a smidge bitter pockets.

 

[hardwarehacker]

When I saw this thread, I remembered an article which summarized 'one-shot stop' percentages for many different calibers. I can't find that exact document, however a quick online search turned up the same info. The relevant statistic is that in well over 100 real-world shootings, 60 grain Winchester Silvertips in .32 produced one-hit stops 66% of the time. Two out of three is not all that bad. .380s with premium ammo were only slightly better at about 70%, while 9mm and .45 were around 90% and 96%, respectively.

Life is all about tradeoffs. My first law of handguns is that the mousegun in your pocket will save your bacon more often than the .45 you left at home. There is much to be said for being able to magically produce a pistol when someone thinks they have the advantage. In situations where you are facing someone with no weapon or perhaps a knife, simply showing ANY firearm will often get you out safely. If you really need to shoot, two or three of the above-mentioned silvertips will change someone's priorities. .32s are easy to control, even in a very small package, so making every shot count is not difficult.

No argument, if I knew that someone was actively after me, I would want something heavier. If your part of the world is scarier than mine, a .32 is probably not what you need either. Write down the most likely scenarios you might realistically face and do the tradeoffs for your own situation. Don't forget the threat of someone seeing a large pistol printing through your jacket and deciding to bash you on the head to get it.

Remember, the mere fact that you are paranoid does not meant that the world is not out to get you.

Reference: http://www.handguninfo.com/Archive/www.Pete-357.com/one.shot.stops.htm

 

[JImbothefiveth]

I've heard a few stories on the kel-tec and the like threads, about the really small .380s having almost uncontrollabl recoil, while the .32 would not jump out of their hand and would allow faster follow-up shots.

 

[JackCrow]

Because I like my P32 and it's always with me.

 

[eatont9999]

I would buy one for collectability, price, or concealability.

 

[passintime]

I love my Beretta Tomcat Inox and carry it everywhere, all the time (where legal). For the same reasons others have mentioned.

 

[benderx4]

You are correct, sir! The Seecamp LWS25 is no longer made, but continues to be serviced when necessary.

Again, for a TRUE pocket gun, the .32 allows me to control the weapon a bit better, allowing for a quicker and more accurate, second shot. I know for a fact that I wouldn't want to be shot with a Hornady JHP XTP 60 grain bullet at close range.

Again, for me, the couple extra ounces that the Seecamp weighs due to its all metal construction makes the gun easier to shoot, IMHO. Ever shoot a SW340PD with a real 158 grain 357 round? Ouch!

As far as cost is concerned, I paid $400 for my Seecamp. So far, around here in Florida, I've yet to see a LCP for less than $400. As a matter of fact, I saw one at our last gunshow for $599. No doubt, some dude bought it.

Finally, along with the theme of this thread, I sometimes carry my SW Model 317 in the summer. Extremely light weight and reliable, and 8 shots of .22 Stingers waiting for BGs. I read once that European assassins also use the .22 as their weapon of choice. Go figure.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

My view: There is no reason to.

http://bobergengineering.com/boberg_xr9shorty.htm

http://www.rohrbaughfirearms.com/product/prod_set.html

 

[Majic]

Because everything is not about punching holes in people.

 

[rolltide]

Sometimes carrying something larger is simply not an option for me. I own the NAA 22mag and have carried it as my only gun. Same for a Bauer 25acp, NAA 32. I own larger guns all the way up to 12ga pump, which is really the most reliable social weapon. Larger is better, but the fact is smaller is sometimes necessary. That said, my NAA 32 is my preferred pocket piece over any other caliber in the same size range due to MY ability to shoot it more accurately and faster than ANY 380 of comparable size (like many others here have said.)

Your milage may vary, and you are welcome to use what you like. My pocket pistol is the 32acp and probably always will be. I would certainly NOT want to be the person to try to prove that a 32acp is not sufficient for ending hostilites in the hands of a prepared and determined defender. Other calibers are ballistically superior, but six QUICK, ON TARGET shots stringing from COM up the neck to the head will pretty much end the day for most folks. I can do that RELIABLY AND ROUTINELY with a 32 whereas reliabilty and SPEED goes down in that excercise with any 380 or snub nose 38 in the same size range FOR ME. Try it sometime when you go to the range.

 

[Marcus84]

I was lucky and found one marked for $140 when it should have been $300 so I picked it up!

 

[PAC 762]

I replaced my P32 with a P3AT. The P3AT hurts to shoot more that 50 or so rounds, but I would hardly call it "uncontrollable". I cannot tell a discernable difference in size, weight, reliability, or accuracy. A 90 grain .35 caliber bullet beats a 70 grain .30 caliber bullet any day in my book.