.32 acp rimlock

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I wanted this in general discussion hoping for maximum viewing and replies.

Regardless of your brand of handgun have any of you experience the "dreaded" rimlock problem that .32 acp is prone to if you load poorly (kind of a DUH factor there) or had you firearm "disturbed" to where the cartridges became unaligned and rimlocked.

I really think that I want a Beretta Tomcat in .32 acp, but I have some apprehension about a semi rimmed case.

Any input from those with experience would be great.

thanks
 
I've had both the TomCat and Keltec. I've shot a 1907 Savage that belongs to my father-in-law a bit also.

I only experieced rim-lock once. It was because I intentionally loaded it with the rim over the one lower while loading the magazine to see if it would still feed. It didn't. (It was with the TomCAT that I tried it with).
I never much thought about it until I started seeing it mentioned on the internet. Ditto with the .38Super that shares the same "semi-rimmed" design.
I've never heard of any of the guys I've shot in competion with and against say anything about it with the .38Super. I quit shooting the Super when I got a S&W Perf.Ctr 9mm and haven't thought about it since.

If you will pay a little attention to the loading process I don't think you'll have a problem. Just realize that if you happen to get the rim of one cartridge over and behind another, It won't "strip" or feed itself. It'll just jam...
I never experenced it myself other than intentionally inducing it.

I've heard of it often, but I think it's mostly operator error. Although I suppose that anything is possible......

re: the TomCat.....
I really, really liked mine. It was very-very accurate, not just for a pocket pistol. It'd shoot ~2.5" groups to POA-POI at 25yds. However, I shot it to death. Literally.
After about 3,000rds (guesstimated, I shot it regularily for several years while I was carrying it as a back-up while employed in L.E.). Most loads were "american" factory equivalent with a 78gr bullet I cast over 1.6gr of Bullseye. However, I too shot a good bit of Fiocchi 60gr HP and eqivalent loadings (reloads) of both 60gr XTP's and Speer GoldDots duplicating the VERY HOT Fiocchi loading (1,050fps from the 2.125" TomCat). The frame and slide cracked. I sent it back to Berreta and they sent me another one...... FREE !
I traded it off "NIB" for something else.

I gave my Keltec to my brother. He carrys it as a back up on his job.

Either will give the average shooter decent service, but they aren't designed or built for heavy long term use like a S&W mod10 revolver or a Glock or similar mil.spec duty weapon. Kinda like an older S&W mod36 with +P, they'll shoot loose and break eventually.
 
i think that it mostly happens with hollow points, that may bit shorter than fmj.....i it is a problem, carry fmj....gpr
 
i bought a KT P32 a few years ago and picked up a couple boxes of ammo at the same time. i set out to function fire the little thing and experienced rimlock in the first mag. i cleared all these and dropped them in my shirt pocket. later examination showed the rimlocks to have rims too thick to slide under the extractor. of course it would rimlock. if checking them visually is too tejious, try cycling them by hand and after removing the rimlocks from the supply, see if this cures the prob. a different brand of ammo has had no problems. i cycle all my carry ammo before depending on it anyway.

your problem could be entirely different than mine. i am just relating mine. YMMV is the word or words
 
I have a CZ 83 that is VERY prone to rimlock with North American ammo. European feeds fine. I use mostly S&B. The difference is I believe in the shape of the case at the rim.

MySeecamp has never given me problems, probably due to the "tight" nature of the magazine. There's no wiggle room in the mag so the rounds remain stacked.
 
I've carried Tomcats for deep CCW ever since they came out (currently carrying an Inox). I've used FMJ & the old WW Silvertip load exclusively and have never experienced rimlock or any other reliability/functioning problem. HTH...
Tomac
 
I only use and carry Fiocchi FMJ and have never had a problem (knock on wood).

Works great in my Keltec. I preferred the Keltec to the Tomcat. It's much thinner.
 
I have been shooting .32 acp pistols for the better part of twenty years and have rimlocked a magazine exactly once in God only knows how many thousand of rounds fired.
It was with my Kel-Tec P32 and I got in a hurry loading up a magazine at the range.
I figured this problem only happened to fools and the careless until it happened to me and I now I am convinced it only happens to fools and the careless.

Load the cartridges carefully and make sure the rim of the top cartridge is in front of the cartridge below it and you will not experience rimlock.

By the way, except for my short and nonlasting adventure with Silvertips I haven't used anything but FMJ in my .32s
 
I bought a Kel Tec 32 when they first came out.
Never had a problem with rimlock and I thought that people just weren't being careful when they loaded short ammo, like CorBon, in their magazines.

Then I had several cases of rimlock in a couple weeks.

I recently bought a new CZ83 .32 ACP. It rimlocks bad with the short HP bullets.
 
I figured this problem only happened to fools and the careless until it happened to me and I now I am convinced it only happens to fools and the careless
ROFLMAO
 
I had 1 rimlock problem with a kel tec. I was a sceptic at first, but this happened to a spare mag. that I carried in my pocket. From time to time I unload the mag. to clean it. I am very careful about loading my magazines. That mag. in my pocket was rim locked and the only way to clear it was to disassemble it. I'm a believer now. You can load a h/p in the chamber and 1 h/p on the top of the mag, but no more. You can add a spacer to the back of the mag. (kel tec sells them) that will eleminate rim lock, but limits you to fmj or w/w flat nose only.


Yes folks it's a real issue.
 
It happens with HP or that Winchester flat nose junk (same OAL as a HP) doesn't seem to happen with the longer ball.
I get a Kt to pack befor a Beretta ,less weight, thinner ,and lots better trigger. Going to carry Beretta might as well go with a airweight J frame in 38spl. weight and width about same.
 
I had it happen with some hollowpoints and some lighter grain fmj. I started shooting the Fiochi 73gr and haven't had it happen since(knocks on wood).

I think with the longer fmj as long as your carefully loading it you wont have problems.
 
I've got about a dozen .32 auto's, mosty pre-war. Savages, H&R, FN's, Dryse, admittedly I don't shoot them all that much but I have yet to have a rimlock with any of them.
 
I carry My KT p32 with 2 HPs, one in chamber, and one at the top of a magazine full of FMJ. I prefer the FMJ in .32 for better penetration and no rimlock concerns.
 
I had never heard of the term until a couple of years ago. I didn't even know what it meant. So after reading about it I took several .32's and started working with them. I can only say from my own experiments, that to have a rim lock you really have to work at it, if you load the magazines the proper way you will never , ever have a rim lock. I feel it's a non issue.
 
Ron James said:
I can only say from my own experiments, that to have a rim lock you really have to work at it, if you load the magazines the proper way you will never , ever have a rim lock. I feel it's a non issue.
Click to expand...

Then you've never fired my CZ83. Doesn't matter how careful it's loaded...rimlock is almost 100% with certain cased ammo. The mag ia large, with plenty of room for rounds to move during shooting, and they do.
 
USP9 I thought you might enjoy seeing this picture.
The magazine on the right is the old style CZ-83 .32acp magazine.
The one on the right is the new and improved CZ-83 .32acp magazine.
See the difference?
The back indentations forces the cartridges closer to the front body.
The side indentations have also been slightly altered to allow cartridges to feed more smoothly up the magazine body.
This new design all but eliminates all problems with rimlock and ragged feeding.
If you are experiencing problem feeding with the newer magazines there is something else wrong with the pistol.HTH
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