Mousegun Workout: Keltec P32

[Rome]

Hi All!

I took the opportunity to run 50 rounds through my new little mouse gun: the Keltec P32. I must say, that after reading all the concerns everyone's had about "breaking them in" and all, mine shot extremely well out of the box. I ran some Winchester ammo through it today and was very pleased with the feel of the little semi-auto.

The trigger got better with every clip I ran. I also purchased the 10 round magazine which not only holds more rounds but provides a better hold of the little weapon.

One thing I will say is that you can't limp wrist this little beast. A strong, steady hand is important. Accuracy is something I still woring on, however. I have to get used to the sights which are minimal at best. But, hey, to be able to stick a conceal carry in my front pocket and have no once notice is worth all of it. (Hmmmm,maybe I should be concerned: "Is that a Keltec P32 in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?")

I've been carrying a Bersa .380 up till now. The .32 acp is so much smaller and lighter for conceal carry. I was really surprised at the report and kick although for such a little gun that is to be expected for such a small weapon.

So, I've give thumbs up for this little beauty and can highly recommend it to anyone looking for a nice piece to carry while wearing very little or evening clothes. You can even wear it around your neck with the lanyard attachment! Nice job Keltec!

I'd be interested in hearing from others who use this as a carry weapon.

Rome

 

[johnwill]

Actually, when I first fired the P32, I was surprised at the lack of recoil when you think it's only a 6.5oz gun!

 

[Rome]

You're right!

You're right about the recoil or lack of it! I was surprised myself. The dealer I purchased it from is an instructor and said that he initially had a hard time with function and traced it to limp-wristing. I had no problem with that, even with one hand. I also shoot my .45 with one hand, though, so maybe my wrist muscles are stronger? (just joking)

Tons of problems with any pistol can be attributed to limp wristing but the Keltec had none of that. And, I was truly please with the report. Enough to be noticed by the BG should it ever been needed yet not so bad that I lose my hearing on my right ear.

Rome

 

[Dave R]

Rome, I think you'll be pleased with the accuracy of the P-32 once you get used to the sights. Mine shoots to point of aim at 10 yards. When I bench rest it, I can occasionally get 2" groups at 10 yards.

The trick is to be able to shoot it accurately offhand. That's harder, given how small the gunt is, how easily it twists in the hand, and how long the trigger pull is.

After several hundred rounds of practice, I can generally get palm-sized groups at 10 yards, offhand, with a fairly rapid rate of fire. Adequate for self-defense, in my opinion (but possibly not in others' opinions). And almost good enough to have fun plinking.

I'm still working on it.

 

[Rome]

Thanks, Dave, for the vote of confidence. I, too, think that the "palm sized group" is just fine for self-defense and I also think that I can get used to the sites in the off-hand position. I'm not concerned. The use for this pistol is strictly for close-encounters and 10 yards would be at the outer limits of it's reach, accurately. The bad guys don't know that, however, and the bark of this little gun does command attention, especially when fired in a confined area. So, for all intents and purposes, it'll become my "always" gun.

Rome

 

[Snowdog]

Rome (superb name, BTW!),

I'm running close to the 1000 round mark with my P32 and continue to be impressed.
I did have the mainspring break after about 400 rounds or so, but the turn-around time from Kel-tec was a bit over one week, and I got a free case along with it, with apologies!

I've put somewhere between 400-500 various rounds (including the hot Cor-bon load) through it since receiving it back, not even the slightest hiccup.

It may not be a 45acp, but a 60gr JHP at 1050 FPS certainly can't feel too pleasant.


I've run some informal ballistic tests with different .32acp JHPs, feel free to contact me about a particular load may have questions about (I've just about tried them all, no failures of any kind with any).

Here's a few comparisons:

 

[David Scott]

I gave Thelma a P32 last Xmas to celebrate her CCW permit. The Cor-Bon is her carry load. Neither of us finds the report or recoil objectionable. The pistol itself is a little gem.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

They use magazines, not clips.

60 gr. at 1050 fps definitely is not a .45 acp and will hurt, but then again, so will a good poke in the eye. Snowdog, what happened to the comparisons?

 

[jtduncan]

I've been shooting and carrying my hard-chromed P-32 for about 1.5 years with some HydraShoks.

But the top of the top gunfighters recommend FMJ flatpoints for the 32 acp. The Silvertips are nice but penetration is the only way to make these little bullets somewhat effective as well as shots to the throat, neck, head, face.

They will at least have to check their face before attacking.

And those shots have been effective in real situations not considers by Evans Marshall and his OSS bullcrap stats.

Who makes these .32 acp flatpoints at self defense speeds?

 

[Carbon_15]

I to was plesantly supprised with my little p-32. I wasnt really in the market for one, bu thad heard SO much chatter about them, both good and bad, that I just had to see fo rmyself. At $250 it was a small risk anyway. Had a few FTE that left he case stuck halfway out of the chamber in the first 200 rounds (only with one brand or FMJ though) but that has since cleared up. The FTE's where few and not with a self defence type ammo, so I dismissed them. It has been 100% reliable since breakin. I was also able to get sub-palm sized groups at 10-15 yards when fireing as fast as I possibly could. The recoil is absolutely negligable. I am notorious for not likeing small guns. I understand that they have their place, but I just prefer full size guns with nice fat grips for range shooting. This is one of the very few small (and VERY small at that) gun that I actually enjoy shooting. I have yet to make a range trip without takeing it. It is comfortable in the hand despite its tiny size and points extramly well. Unlike many pocket guns, you dont have to fidget with it to get a workable grip. It just feels good. An accurate gun with crappy ergonomics and point charactaristics just wont perform in human hands. After giveing it a suprisingly good workout on the plate machine (which was quite entertaining as the light loaded plinking FMJ's wouldnt knock over the plates, just lean them back a little) I desided to try hitting my 8inch double spinner that was placed at 75 yards...just for a lark. I had been working it over with my Glock 10mm and wanted to see if the tiny little .32 from that tiny little gun could reach out past card table distances. Bleave it or not, it only took about 2 mags full before I got to where I could hit it with some regularity and I didnt have to use hardly any holdover. Out of 50 rounds (including the 14 "rangeng" shots) I was able to hit it about 23-24 times. Let me tell you, that gathered a croud..first laughting and giggleing at the dumbass with the toy gun, but after the first "ding", they went dead silent. non of the rounds fired at the spinner would have failed to hit an average sized man in somewhere the torso.

 

[Druggie]

I carry my P-32 everyday in my inside suit coat pocket. I try to take it to the range at least once a month, but that is not always possible. These guns are so lightweight, that limpwristing can indeed be a problem.

Another thing which can help the gun's performance is to keep it well lubed, and lots of folks on the KTOG forum recommend lightly greasing the rails. I know with MY gun, sometimes if weeks go by without shooting it, oils can evaporate, and lint can collect in the gun. I've notice that if I take a "dry" gun to the range (meaning that I haven't lubed it in several months), it will perform well for a while, then a few feeding failures will begin to occur--especially with the feedramp gets dirty.

If I haven't shot it in a while, I disassemble it, blow any lint out of it with some compressed air, use MiliTech 1 oil on the barrel, lug, inslide the slide, hammer and trigger mechanisms. and put a light coat of red gun grease on the rails and slide/hammer interface.

I ALWAYS disassemble and clean each magazine after each shooting session. I always put a very light coat of MiliTech on the mag spring, recoil springs, and guide rod.

For practice ammo, I use anything that is reliable and cheap--Sellier & Bellot, Blazer, Magtech. My carry load is Geco 73gr. FMJ's. My P-32 is hard chrome with a grey grip; my wife's is hard chrome with a drab green grip. I carry mine in a Hedley pocket holster. She sticks hers in her back jeans pocket when she goes to Wal-Mart (in a Bianchi wallet holster).

I did replace the recoil springs with Wolff 13 lb. springs (I believe stock KT's are 9 lb.), and I also replaced my mag springs with Wolff +10%. The slide is harder to rack, but if you carry the gun chambered, racking isn't an issue. The gun will cycle better and the mag will feed better with the stiffer springs. Lots of folks on the KTOG forum have made these changes with great success.

 

[swatman]

I think it would be great if kel-tec came out with a pistol this size chambered in .380..
Just wishfull thinking

 

[Snowdog]

so will a good poke in the eye

That's not the kind of "hurt" I had in mind.
The hurt I'm talking about leaves a ragged .40 caliber hole in a much needed organ, or perhaps eight such holes.
Personally, I would sequester a poke in the eye from, say, hepatic perforations.
Having said that, I wouldn't want to be poked in the eye either.

The comparisons were for expansion, perhaps I should have been more clear on that, along with using the word "sample".
I don't always proof-read my posts and edit my semantical mistakes, despite my tendencies to occasionally err due to hastiness.

Regarding my intent with my original post; I have recorded depth of penetration on all of the rounds I've tested.
I also have photographed the expanded bullets of most.
All informal testing, however, used Playdough as a medium (not exactly 20% ballistic gelatin).

These tests tend to be something done more for fun more than anything else, but some others seem to find the results interesting as well (though shouldn't be recognized as applied research).

 

[Snowdog]

Who makes these .32 acp flatpoints at self defense speeds?

Fiocchi's 60gr SJHP, since they seemingly prefer slight deformation to typical JHP expansion.


BTW, those targeted areas of the body you mentioned are precisely where I intend to place my 60gr Cor-bons if forced to fire.
These body parts may be somewhat smaller targets, but I don't exactly expect to engage an assailant at 25 yards with my defensive P32 either.

 

[Druggie]

Some of you may have seen this site, but the guy who did these 32 ACP gelatin tests did it with HIS Kel-Tec P-32. These tests have been my "go to" anytime I need to compare loads. Check out the FMJ's--Geco appears to be the hottest, then S&B--but Fiocchi is a well made reliable round. These tests are extremely comprehensive with "before and after" photos.

www.goldenloki.com

Here in Oklahoma, S&B ammo is pretty easy to find. Fiocchi--I had to order it from Georgia Arms. Geco--very "hit and miss". NAVY ARMS in NJ carries, but he runs out fast. Call: 1-800-669-6289. Ask for Chet. I paid $14/100--a very good price, and it is my carry load.

 

[22lovr]

I've had a love-hate relationship with KelTec: I HATED my P11 and absolutely LOVE my P32. Unlike the P11, which I "fluffed'n'buffed," tweaked and tinkered with in a fruitless attempt to get it to reliability, I have left my P32 box-stock and it has been flawless. The ugly little thing is a technological marvel. George Kelgren is a genius and I wish he would market a luxury version all in stainless steel. By the way, I have never-never had a limp-wrist episode with the P32; not so with the P11! Good grief, and the miserable thing would eject hot brass all over my forehead! The P32 is a keeper, my absolutely favorite carry anytime gun. Love those CorBon 60 gr JHP's. Jeff the 22luvr

 

[alaska1993]

I'm another fan of the P-32. It functions flawlessly in my hands but not so when I let a friend shoot it. I assume the failures are due to limpwristing. It is not the most accurate gun in the world but I can hit a plate at 10 yards and that is really all that matters. No, I won't be attempting double taps to the head with it. Remember gentleman, center of mass.

 

[Rome]

Thanks for the votes of confidence.

I've been to the range yet again with my little wonder and still haven't had to F&B or anything else. I've torn it down after 200 rounds, performed a cleaning and inspection and didn't find anything out of place, dinged or worn in any unusual way. Frankly, it has worked perfectly out of the box as others have testified.

I, too, am really surprised about the lack of any horrible recoil. It is easy to control without "overcontrolling" if you know what I mean. I fully expected the few rounds to whack my wrist bigtime but was pleased that it didn't happen. I thought that some of my success might be attributed to the extended, 10 round magazine I'm using although I also used the "standard" magazine with the same results. The big mag does fill my rather large hand well enough for me to have good control and also provides a full
10 +1.

I'm also going to sand the trigger a little more like another poster mentioned. There seems to be a small molding ridge in the center which is a little annoying but a little filing or sanding will fix that. The trigger pull, itself, does require a little extra control but isn't outrageous. I like it more than my brothers plastic DAO S&W .40.

So, after looking for about a year at a number of "popular" and some very unpopular mouse guns, I'm pleased that I took the $250 plunge and finally purchased this little beastie. It went out with me for the first time to a wonderful restaurant in a crappy part of a small city and it neatly fit into the breast pocket of my suit coat. I could hardly believe it was there!


Rome

 

[Blackhawk]

Thanks for the reports, Rome.

It went out with me for the first time to a wonderful restaurant in a crappy part of a small city and it neatly fit into the breast pocket of my suit coat. I could hardly believe it was there!

Now that gives a whole new dimension to the scene where a mugger says "give me your wallet!" ;-)

 

[Rome]

Precisely!

R