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32 acp. pros and cons?

By Yahoo Answers
2008-01-01 18:03:49
What are the pros and cons of the 32acp. i want to get one of the kel-tec p32 pistols but i want to make sure that 32 acp is a good round. it will also be for self defense. i know there are tuns of guns for that and i already have a glock i just like the p32 becauce the size and the looks and it feels good in my hand.
Answered By: boker_magnum
Considering that the 7.65 browning was the sidearm of choice for decades in europe and parts of the old soviet bloc, it has a long history of service. Modern 7.65, or 32acp as it's called now days is still a reliable CLOSE QUARTERS defensive round. Notice how i said close quarters? I'm talking 2-3 feet away using jhp ammo, it's what is known as a "get off me gun" around here. There are much MUCH better calibers for defensive shooting, but if you're set on 32 acp it will get the job done. Of course shot placement is key to successful defensive shooting, but at 2 to 3 feet away, pretty much you're going to hit what you want to hit.
User: boker_magnum
Considering that the 7.65 browning was the sidearm of choice for decades in europe and parts of the old soviet bloc, it has a long history of service. Modern 7.65, or 32acp as it's called now days is still a reliable CLOSE QUARTERS defensive round. Notice how i said close quarters? I'm talking 2-3 feet away using jhp ammo, it's what is known as a "get off me gun" around here. There are much MUCH better calibers for defensive shooting, but if you're set on 32 acp it will get the job done. Of course shot placement is key to successful defensive shooting, but at 2 to 3 feet away, pretty much you're going to hit what you want to hit.
User: fishtrembleatmyname
Pros: It's a bit bigger than a .22lr or .22WMR. Getting shot is going to hurt, nobody wants to get shot. Ammunition will be easier to find than the NAA cartridges. It's for small pistols, which are easier for carry, and will be there when a 1911 or Glock isn't an option due to size. Cons: It's not going to knock down anyone. Shots will have to be very accurate to be effective. Not nearly as common as 9x19. P32 only holds seven shots. The lack of capacity as well as stopping power would make this questionable for any kind of law enforcement use, but as a deterrent or carry gun, it'd be ok, as it's inexpensive as well as very easy to conceal.
User: Douglas R
I have never personally cared for the .32 ACP. I felt that it lacked the penetration of a heavier bullet with a higher velocity. With that said, I know that in the mid-1980's there were police agencies in Europe using it as an issue round. In shootings for that decade it scored a one shot stop in 70% of the cases. Really not bad at all. I think I'd steer clear of hollow point ammo. The gun will feed it perfectly, but those lowwer powered rounds tend to not expand well as hollow points and heavy clothing can cause real expansion problems in many varieties of hollow point. I'd carry the heaviest weight soft point bullet I could find and count on physics and placement to work out the rest for me. As long as you don't try to make the gun be something other than what it is, you should be very happy and adiquaitly protected. My daily carry gun is a Kel-tec P3AT (the same gun in .380 ACP) I like it a lot. I've got an ARMA Laser on mine and a fitted pocket holster. It's a great little self defense piece. Not my first choice for a protracted gun, but I haven't done that in years.
User: Maker
The .32 ACP is a small cartridge. It lacks the weight and velocity of larger calibers and will have less penetration than a bigger bullet. On the plus side, it's weakness is also it's strength, in that it is a small caliber that is fired from a small gun and therefore is much easier to carry than a full size 1911 in .45 ACP. As Boker said, think short range and as I was introduced to the term it was a "Get the F*(& of me gun" (just missing the expletive Boker! ;-) Now in the same package with a little heavier bullet is the Keltec P3AT in .380ACP. Having shot both and owning one, the P3AT has a little bit more jump and wants to ride up out of the hand with subsequent shots if you do not get a firm grip. I feel more comfortable with the additional power of the .380 and would recommend it. On the other hand I have seen a .32 ACP drill right into a 130lb hog's head and put him down. Remember though, it's still a better choice than nothing, but a poor choice. Have access to a larger pistol or better yet a long gun.
User: john r
The pros and cons pretty much both relate to its size. Pros are that guns chambered for it are small, easily carried and concealed, have low recoil. A small gun which you have with you beats a big one you left behind-every time. Cons are pretty much related to its lack of stopping power and the low quality of some .32 pistols. The Winchester 60 grain Silvertip ammo is the most effective. According to statistics of 151 actual shootings with this round, 99 (66%) resulted in one-shot stops. This is better than 25 ACP (27%), 22 LR Stinger (38%) and .38 Special 129 gr. Hydra-Shok (65%), but just behind .380 ACP Hydra-Shok 90 gr. (66%).
User: Doc Hudson
The biggest con for the .32 ACP is it's lack of power. The standard FMJ loading, which is all you will be able to find in most gunshops, has a 71 grain bullet at 905 fps velocity with 129 ft/lb of energy. This is less energy than most high-velocity .22 LR loads, and considerably less energy than that produced by ALL hyper-velocity .22 LR loads. There are only two .32 ACP loadings that I would advise for defensive use, the Winchester Silvertip, which produces 970 fps and 125 ft/lb of energy with a 60 grain JHP bullet, and Buffalo Bore's new .32 ACP +P load, which produces 1150 fps of velocity with 220 ft/lb of energy with a 75 grain hard cast Flat Nosed bullet. Personally, if I were going to carry a handgun with a caliber smaller than .38 SPL, I'd carry a .22 LR pocket pistol and load it with Remington Yellow-Jackets, or CCI Stingers. As a matter of fact, that is exactly what I do. When I can't carry my Always Gun, I carry an Iver Johnson TP-22 (same size and external appearance as the Walther TPH). I actually have a .32 ACP pistol, a Walther PP-copy, and I couldn't tell you the last time it was carried. I see no real advantage to a .32 ACP pistol for defensive use. Granted it is a great deal better to have a .32 than to count on begging for mercy, but there are many handguns available in more suitable calibers that are not much larger. If you won't consider a .38 SPL snubby, take a good look at the various .380 ACP's on the market. They are much better stoppers than the .32. Doc
User: Alchemist
I started my conceal-carry with a .32. I did some range tests with gelatin and plastic and was not really satisfied. I traded for a Beretta .380 and put it through the same paces. I still wasn't happy with the penetration and ballistics. I then, went to .357 mag and found a great Ruger Revolver I used for years. Now I carry a Colt in .45 acp and I am extremely confident with it. You just have to see what's good for you.
User: guitardan
Really just the caliber. If you are buying one to carry for self defense you should get something with a little more stopping power. I personally recommend a .45 Look at it this way when you do have to shoot somebody lord forebid but if it did have to happen wouldn't you want something that will do the job right the first time. If you use a 32 and the SOB doesn't die then you will have two sides to the story/incident of what happened. Buy a .45
User: Dan C
I owned a KelTec P32....great gun for backup, but I wouldnt use it for a primary defense. Like the other guys said, small power, but it can be effective in close quarters. The KelTec is too small for its own good. It is not accurate past 25 feet, given the fact that if you have to use it to defend yourself, you are going to be popping off rounds so fast you arent going to be aiming. Long trigger pull, small sight radius. A LAST DITCH EFFORT. Still, always bring a gun to a gun fight. I would look at 38 spcl and a J-frame Smith and Wesson revolver. more accurate, just as easy to conceal.
User: H
The only pros of the .32 acp is pistol concealability, light-weight & low recoil. Cons: Way too small; ammo is costly; quality defensive ammo is hard to find (best load is probably the Fiocchi 60 grain hollow-point, IF you can find it). Best. H
User: dca2003311@yahoo.com
Do yourself a favor and reconsider, and buy nothing less than a 357 Magnum for self-defense purposes.* It is a proven man stopper, & you can also shoot 38 caliber ammo in it.* You get two (2)* handguns for the price of one (1)*..Buy new or used and save $$$.* A new handgun doesn't shoot any better than a good used one.*
User: quinletc
Pros: Small Cons: Small The Kel-Tec .32 is a very small gun that fits nicely in your pocket and is likely as not to turn into a single-shot when fired. Kel-Tec's customer-service is excellent, but their little gun is of questionable reliability.
User: HunterFisher
I own a Beretta Tomcat and a 1914 Mauser. The Tomcat is a perfect carry gun for summer. It works well with cargo shorts and a tank top or T-shirt held in a waistband holster. Is it the best caliber for defense? NO, but loaded with Federal Hydra Shock's it sure beats .22's, ..25's and a loaded finger when S..t hits the fan.

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