Kel-Tec P32 for Carry?

[MedWheeler]

kBob writes:

I do want to learn how badly the ten round KT mag messes with conceal ability or drawing from the pocket of my dress trousers, jeans or "over hauls". I just miss picking one up before they sell out at the local gunshop every time and am reluctant to buy on line or by mail.

The gun disappears in dress pants pockets even with the ten-rounder in place. Probably ditto for overalls (never tried it myself.) Jeans, not quite so much.

I ordered mine, a Kel-Tec branded Meg Gar (MG makes all of KT's magazines) from an eBay seller. No issues whatsoever. Think it was around $20, but can't swear to it now.

 

[Monac]

I've had a Kel-Tec P-32 for quite a few years. It has been reliable, easier to shoot accurately in a range than I expected (I've never had to shoot it under stress), and surprisingly pleasant to shoot. It is flat and light.

Having said all that, carrying it regularly for self-defense depends on whether you think .32 Automatic has enough power to be effective. I am not going to express an opinion on that, because I don't have anything better to say than anyone else, and many probably know more than I. All I can tell you is that mine is a good gun, and would be pleasant and easy to carry.

The only other thing I would say is that I am not one of those people who think the threat of a gun is all you need, and therefore calibers like 25 Automatic or 32 S&W (the short one) are adequate. I think a gun needs enough power to be effective. How much power that is, I don't know. But 25 ACP or 32 S&W (the short one) are not enough, IMO.

 

[Armored farmer]

That size gun is easy to carry. I carry one (lcp)every day. The carry options are endless. When i get my 1911 or other gun, for whatever reason, the lcp becomes a backup gun.
My point is, it always goes. Spare magazine too.
I dont have any p32 experience, but i do like the size.

 

[RecoilRob]

I've had a P-32 for over 15 years and it's carried every day all day in the pocket along with a spare mag. Have fired P3AT's and think the 32 is better for what I want it to do...being slightly smaller, bit less snappy recoil, additional round capacity and slide locks open after last round.

In the 'Big Scheme of Things'...the 32 ACP will do the job statistically about 90% of the time just as well as a larger caliber. Doubt this? It is often (and IMHO reliably) reported that about 50% of miscreants you might encounter will be deterred by you striking a defensive position with a firearm....they don't want to be shot, by anything....so caliber here doesn't matter. The second category of miscreant is harder-core and will require you to actually shoot them...before they will willfully stop their activities. Again caliber doesn't play much of a role in this category, only that he/she realizes that they've been shot and then they quit. The third category of miscreant is that last 10%'er who for whatever reason will need to be physically stopped and will NOT quit until they cannot go any farther. Here caliber DOES play a part...but it is secondary to MARKSMANSHIP. A 32 properly placed will be more effective than a 45 in a less advantageous spot on this most serious type of miscreant. Of course the 45 in an equally good hit will do more damage and be more effective....don't discount that the 32 can do the job if used properly, so long as FMJ's are employed for the full penetration capability of the cartridge.

 

[BSA1]

The Kel-Tec P32 in .32 ACP has been calling my name for years.

They are inexpensive and I am in the market for a tiny "grab and go" type gun for running to the store or gas station. I live in an extremely hot environment so something small and light just works better sometimes.

Is the Kel-Tec P32 a good little gun? I'd probably carry FMJ in it. Anyone?

You want to carry a mouse gun to your local "stop-n-rob"?

For the mouse gun (.32) and rat gun (.380 & 9x18) I always choose penetration over expansion. With a small caliber like the 32 accurate shot placement is very important making a lot of practice necessary.

As for my shooting impression of the P32 it went bang everytime I pulled the trigger which I consider necessary for all of my guns regardless of the cartridge. It was accurate enough to hit a B-27 target at 7 yards. Let's just say that I was not impressed enough to buy one.

I see where you live is a secret but if legal consider Open Carry. With Open Carry you don't have to give up personal protection due to the weather.

 

[Venom007]

You want to carry a mouse gun to your local "stop-n-rob"?

For the mouse gun (.32) and rat gun (.380 & 9x18) I always choose penetration over expansion. With a small caliber like the 32 accurate shot placement is very important making a lot of practice necessary.

As for my shooting impression of the P32 it went bang everytime I pulled the trigger which I consider necessary for all of my guns regardless of the cartridge. It was accurate enough to hit a B-27 target at 7 yards. Let's just say that I was not impressed enough to buy one.

I see where you live is a secret but if legal consider Open Carry. With Open Carry you don't have to give up personal protection due to the weather.

I prefer not to OC for several reasons. Thank you though!

 

[foxmoor]

My P32 has been totally reliable over many years and I only carry FMJ in it. I’ve added a Crimson Trace laser and a trigger shoe and it borders on being pleasant to shoot. It is surprisingly accurate and I prefer this caliber in a gun this size/weight.

 

[berettaprofessor]

Totally reliable; I have two and one is in my pocket right now and the other sleeps with me. Reliable fire, not great sights, but it's a gun I don't intend to be using beyond 10 yards and I can keep it in a 6 inch circle at that range, firing as fast as I can pull the trigger. Adding a belt clip (left or right, your choice) is good for IWB in winter with a jacket or sweatshirt on.

 

[animus_divinus]

telling people to use only FMJ ammo with a .32acp is as bad advice as telling them to do it with a .380.. there is a lot of good self defense ammunition for both rounds that more than exceed the FBI parameters for an effective self defense round, this means adequate penetration with a pretty sizeable wound cavity. factory .32acp ammo seems to be pretty lightly loaded, .32acp is hotter than .380 and with heavier bullet its capable of pretty similar velocities

but if you dont think .32acp is adequate, you should look at this.. and remember the first two shots is just a 2.5" barrel which a lot of 9mm self defense ammo will perform poorly out of.. out of a 4.5" barrel from the VZ-61 which is the barrel length most 9mm tests are going to use, thats a significant wound track

 

[Venom007]

What loads in .32 ACP do you recommend animus?

 

[animus_divinus]

ive seen 3 different individuals test the extreme cavitator.. all three tests showed wound cavities as big as if they were hollow points but that wide wound cavity is extended about 8 inches, and they all achieved the FBIs standard of 12-18 inches of penetration.. also since its not a hollow point round theres nothing to get clogged with denim to stop it from performing so its not going to have the underpenetration issues you would expect from JHPs in .32

 

[MedWheeler]

Just keep in mind the issue with the P32 being seemingly-more prone to rimlock with shorter-than-FMJ ammo than many other .32ACP pistols. Using a spacer, improvised or sourced from KT (if they still offer them) may prevent the problem, but my experience with the one I installed in one of my magazines made that magazine unreliable. Having such a spacer installed will also close that magazine to full-length ammo.

The Fiocchi Extrema 60-grain JHP is supposed to be a good rouund as well, but I never came across any to try.

 

[Arizona_Mike]

You need further and other reports. Get a .38 snub.

With Kel-Tec you tend to either get a super reliable gun or a lemon.

Mike

 

[Cocked & Locked]

My wife carries this one daily and has for several years now. Nice little .32 pistol.

I strongly thinking about getting one for myself.

 

[roo_ster]

Get one. Like the wag above wrote, it is the gun to carry when you aren't/can't carry a gun.

I bought a KT P-32 when they first came out. Bought another one after I got married, as my wife bogarted my original, all-finish-worn-off-the-slide P-32. She hits COM at 7 yards all day long with it, it has little recoil, and is is so tiny, slim, and light she can pack it in "girl jeans."

Fired lots of rounds through both, never had a malfunction. All sorts of ammo: target FMJ, JHP, Buff Bore RNFP hard cast. Ate it all and kept on going.

I subscribe to the "penetration over expansion" school for bitty cartridges like .32ACP, so I prefer FMJ, TC, or RNFP over JHP, The new funky monolithic solids are not something I would trust yet.

The Buff Bore .32ACP RNFP is pretty darned spunky and there is some concern over damage to the P-32. I go back and forth over stoking the P-32 with it or with Winchester flat-pointed FMJ. Some folks have difficulty with the Winchester fodder, but I have not. No malfunctions yet. The BB PNFP has a larger meplat and (I think) is heavier.

The only mod I made to them is to lightly polish the feed ramp.

Maybe I am missing something with these rimlock/spacer kits, but I have not seen the need for them.

 

[FL-NC]

Not enough power for me. I prefer smaller 9mm handguns like the S&W shield or Ruger LC9. With a small handgun with limited capacity, and given the purpose of the handgun, I prefer to err on the side of power and make my few shots count.

 

[franco45]

I've owned several P32s. All have been 100% reliable. I use Fiochi 73gr fmj as my carry round in the P32.

 

[jonnyc]

Been my EDC for about 20 years.

 

[gbw]

My P32 had one problem early on, the extractor spring screw came loose. It's the later version with a screw holding down a flat extractor spring. Lock-Tite and and allen wrench and 5 minutes fixed it permanently, no other problems in about 600 rds fired.

Also nice that if something happens to it you haven't lost a $500+ pistol, makes carrying it an easier choice. The P32 is so small it get carried when nothing else will do. I don't know of a smaller/lighter pistol in any caliber.

That screw also acts as a firing pin retainer. Dry firing these guns damages the screw and possibly the FP. I got a great deal on a near new PF-9 that had been dry fired, the was FP wedged in the breech hole. That's the only issue I've ever seen with KT P32 and PF-9. I like them and have several but I wish they'd re-design them to be dry firable.

On the other hand parts are super cheap and easy to order. Very nice company to deal with. I'd get a spare screw & firing pin at least..

And get the belt clip - this is a surprisingly handy accessory.

Either Fiochi or Aguila ammo seemed the hottest, sorry I can't recall which, I want to say Aguila.

Adding an inexpensive set of the thin rubber or sandpaper grips like Talon helps with these little guns. I like rubber. Ebay for $12 or so. Same for spare mags.

 

[toivo]

I carry one in my right front pocket every day. In addition to the extra-round edge over the P3AT, it has the added advantage of locking open after the last shot. I hate pistols that don't do that.

Some tips:

• Don't dry fire it.
• Load it with FMJ.
• To avoid rimlock, use only round-nose bullets. If you have to shoot flat-nose or hollowpoints, get one of the magazine adapters for cartridges with a shorter OAL.
• Get a Northwood aluminum trigger. It will make the little pistol much more pleasant to shoot, i.e. no finger-pinching. When installing the new trigger, take a Dremel and trim away a bit of the material in the front of the trigger opening in the plastic grip frame: not much, just a half-millimeter or so. (The instructions say you "may" have to do this; take my advice and do it right off the bat. There's no downside, and it will save you having to disassemble the pistol again if you find that the trigger isn't resetting.)

 

[Deus Machina]

Keeping an eye out for these myself, now, since I'm forced to wear slacks that print around the .38 and don't wear a blazer all the time to hide a holster.
I looked and don't see that Kel-Tec still sells magazine adapters. Is there another source, or will I end up making up a 'flier wire'? My thought on the latter would be to make one with parallel wires up the back instead of one, to prevent the rim of an FMJ round catching in the notch when I take it out for practice.

 

[kozak6]

Summer's here are HOT and Bill Deshivs won't shut up about how great these pistols are. And then I keep seeing them for under $200 every time I'm shopping for other stuff.

I'm going to buy one sooner or later, I fear.

 

[Monac]

Summer's here are HOT and Bill Deshivs won't shut up about how great these pistols are. And then I keep seeing them for under $200 every time I'm shopping for other stuff.

I'm going to buy one sooner or later, I fear.

Most people my age look at the price of things (like guns, anyway) today and moan about how expensive they are. I look at a thing like this Kel-Tec and say "$200?! That's like $20 or $25 was when I was a kid. That's dirt cheap!" Really, I wonder how the price of a Kel-Tec 32 today compare to the price of a Raven .25 when they were first put on the market, factoring in inflation.

 

[Snowdog]

Once they upload, I'll post some images to illustrate the points I'll try to make here.

I own 2 Keltec P32s. I bought one the year they debuted, so it's a very early model gen 1. It has seen about 1k rounds of various things and has never experienced rim lock, nor has it malfunctioned other than a parts failure around the 700 round mark (hammer spring crapped out and was quickly replaced by Keltec free of charge with quick turn around).

I liked this pistol so much that I decided to purchase the "upgraded" gen 2. It has a different extractor, beefed up slide, beefed up chamber, loaded chamber cut-out and my favorite: a solid slide that does not require a flimsy part to hold in the recoil rod/springs. Not that the first one had any issue, but it sure did appear to be a weak spot if the pistol has one. The frame remains just as thin. Overall, the newer rendition is a smidgen heavier but barely noticeable.

I also have a Taurus TCP. For the most part, it's the same size but kinda better all the way around except for grip width. The TCP has a decently small grip, but the P32 has an almost absurdly thin grip area that allows it to be concealable in the smallest of places, including some shirt pockets.

It's just something to consider while you shop around. The P32 is an excellent performer and offers 7 +1 rounds of a 73gr deep digging horror. With proper placement, these have the potential to drop the biggest of thugs, but you have a much less margin or error than a comparable .380acp, .38special or 9mm.

Overall, with a FMJ loaded to original specifications (such as S&B and possibly Geco/RWS), it will pierce the brain case and just completely mess up a person's day. A human will stop all activities after a couple .32acp FMJs scramble the gray matter. Just be prepared to practice if that's the route you take. Mine serves as a BUG when I feel in the mood to have one. I carry my P32 in an ankle holster along with a spare mag and usually forget it's there.

 

[Madcap_Magician]

Mine was completely unreliable with anything but FMJ ammo. Recoil very mild, but still hard to shoot because of the heavy trigger pull and terrible sights.