Kahr P and CW 32?

[flushermgti]

I have a CW 380 and its great, but find myself carrying my kel tec 32 more because its lighter and smaller plus 1 extra round. Am I the only one that wants a scaled down CW 380? The kel Tec is 9oz loaded vs. 13.9oz loaded on the kahr.

[Armybrat]

I kinda regret trading off my 1st Gen hard chrome P32. It was a reliable little shooter.

Kahr probably won't make one though, as attitudes about the .32 ACP as a defensive round are pretty strong.

[flushermgti]

Mine kel tec is a gen 1 as well, I'll never get rid of it.

[JohnR]

.32 isn’t a bad round. As I understand it, the cost of it is one negative factor, and the other is that .380 is more powerful, fits in the same size gun and is more readily available, so why bother with .32?

Let Paul Harrell explain it: https://youtu.be/Aw0BPSnrENA

[Planedude]

Agreed, The cost of 32ACP ammo (and its limited selection around here) would keep me from picking up another gun in that caliber.
I have a 1903 colt already... and have tried to work a deal (several times) on a .32 Tomcat... Okay, MAYBE I would look into one for the fun of it.

[340pd]

I have been witness to tests with (at the time ATK now Vista) shooting a 380 vs. .32 auto. That convinced me to sell my Seecamp and replace it with a couple of Ruger LCP's.
No offense to those who carry the .32 but the difference between the two is dramatic.

[flushermgti]

With the technological advances in ammunition such as Lehighs extreme cavitator, for me the weight savings is worth it. I would really like to have all of the things that make kahr pistols great incorporated into a smaller 32 acp package weighing in at 9oz loaded 7+1

[berettabone]

With all the great ammo out there, and the factors involved, no one cares about .32 cal.

[ripley16]

I care. There are some great guns chambered for .32.

[finpro]

The .32 ACP is an old semi-rimmed round originally designed by John Browning to use in revolvers and blowback automatics. The cartridge rim, if improperly loaded into a magazine, can produce rimlock in which an upper round is seated behind the next lower cartridge stopping the upper cartridge moving into the chamber. It is not hard to prevent this by proper loading, but a rimlock is awkward, slow to remove and bad in an emergency. (These would likely be less reliable in double stack magazines, but I don't know if these exist.) The round is nice to shoot for those sensitive to strong recoil or noise and potentially very accurate. They were frequently carried by European, Japanese and other police forces in more peaceful times with loads heavier than was common in the US market. .380 rounds are the same length and can fit in only slightly larger guns with usually a one round loss of capacity, but can be considerably more powerful and does not have rimlock problems. Since both cartridges are the same length, but the .32 is narrower, the .380 is less likely to have feeding problems in tiny pistols. Smaller automatics work better with shorter cartridges in relation to their width. This is why smallish .22 LR automatic pistols are significantly less reliable than centerfire pistols, and why John Browning invented the .25 ACP for really tiny pistols. (Browning also invented the .380.) Now that small .380 pistols use locking mechanisms to reduce size and felt recoil, I doubt there is a huge demand for these since the .380 has become so much more popular in the US. I doubt that some of the newer hollow point bullet designs would work in the narrower .32 size. If .380 recoil is an issue, it can be addressed by ammo choice and, possibly, spring selection and grip sleeves.

I have owned two .32s, an HK4 and a KelTec P32 and liked them well enough. If .32 ACP ammo became cheap and of modern design, and the rimlock issue solved, I might find some urgent justification for owning one, but this seems unlikely. It might be interesting in a Kit Gun sized gun for use when more power is not desired and good accuracy is desired. In tiny defensive pistols, however, I think the extra power and bullet weight of a .380 makes more sense.

[Bawanna]

I agree there are some great 32's out there. Nothing I would carry but fun to play with. I have a nice little 25, same deal.
With them on me I think I'd find myself wishing I had a gun if I ever needed one.

[markman]

I too owned one of the early Seecamp 32’s years ago. Being a blowback design, it actually wasn’t any fun to shoot and I’m not recoil sensitive. It also didn’t have any sights. I personally prefer a .380 (CW380) for pocket carry when I don’t pocket carry my CM9. As far as the 7+1, I just use the Magguts with the bigger and in my opinion the better 380 round.

[dustnchips]

Better a 32 than nothing is the only good thing that I see in the round. I'll stick to my CW380 and PM9 even if they make a 32. The little extra weight is well worth carrying in my opinion. I have no expertise and did no research, so just an opinion

[mr surveyor]

I've been pretty quiet here about my Kel-Tecs for the last several years since old Jocko whupped on me about Kel-Tecs .... but I'll admit to having 6 or 10 different ones over the years. The last 2-3 years I've trimmed out almost all of my tupperware guns, except my CW9 and my wife's P32. It's probably the best of all the KT's I've owned although I wish I still had my old 1995 P11 and Sub2000. The only issue I've ever had concerning the P32 is the potential for rim lock, particularly if trying to use the shorter COAL hollow point cartridges. At the low velocity of .32 acp out of such a short barrel, the expansion of jhp's isn't guaranteed anyway, so longer hard ball ammo seems to make more sense. It reduces the chance of rim lock at least.

The Seacamp .32 acp is designed around the shorter jhp, including the magazine itself, to reduce the chance of rimlock. The magazines are made to fit the COAL of jhp (can't remember the particular recommended manufacturer cartridge).

Since buying it in 2008, I've never had any issues with the P32, but it doesn't see the range very often either. I carry nothing but .357 mag, 9mm or .45 acp personally (with a j-frame back-up), and mrs. surveyor's P32 generally stays in the night stand unless she's on the road with friends for a couple of days.

jd

[Bawanna]

Speaking of Jocko whupping on people, it's about time I gave him another spanking. Haven't done so in months.

If I don't suck up to him, I'll never get that fully engraved sweet little J Frame he's always bragging on.

I'm off to harass the Jocko.