Kel-Tec P32 vs. NAA "Guardian"

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My first post! I'm going to get one of these guns but I am not really sure which one to get.Any info and pros and cons of each would be great! I have a CCW permit and this gun will be carried often.Which one should I get?

Thanks,

Bobby
 
I recently sold my NAA Guardian .32 (really needed the money for something else) but I liked it pretty well. Mine would not shoot CCI Blazers, which would misfire, misfeed or jam every single round. However, it shot 260 rounds of Hornady Custom and Fiocchi ammo just fine. I recommend Fiocchi in this round because of the much higher velocity. However, it is not a fun gun to shoot IMHO. After 50 or so rounds at the range, my index finger would start losing flesh due to the sharp trigger guard. For practice, I just started putting on a bandaid (In a real life defense situation I doubt that I would care about the comfort of my trigger finger) ;) It certainly didn't make my favorite gun list, but did well at filling the niche of a jeans pocket carry gun. I think that the gun was reasonable well made and durable. NAA also has one of the best customer service departments that I've ever seen. I recommend the gun.

DWM
 
I have carried a Guardian for over a year now. I am very pleased with this gun. It was very reliable right out of the box. The Guardian has been out long enough to build a good track record, and the company (NAA) has been around for years and has a VERY good reputation.

Kel Tec is a relatively new company who has done some very inovative things for CCW. Their track record is very positive and very negative at the same time. The P32 is a very good idea that may prove to be THE GUN for deep cover. Very light gun! I'm going to wait for about a year and let the rest of you field test the P32. If it passes the test of time and use, I may just get one...
 
I'll be field testing my Kel-Tec in about eleven days as the fedex tracker shows it will be delivered tommorow and then the %@!%$#& ten day waiting period can begin. I bought the Kel-Tec based on the size and weight advertized and not from any experience. The NAA has a very good reputation, but the Kel-Tec is more innovative based on the locked breech design. Should shoot very easily.

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TJS
 
I have held both of these and the guardian did not fell good to me. My P-32 will be at the store monday and I will pick it up friday when I get off vacation. The price on the P-32 will be $269 or about. the cheapest guardian I have found was $359. the P-32 has an optional belt clip and you can get 10 round mags with a grip extension. I should be able to tell you saturday how it shoots.

Hades
 
I had them both. Sold the Guardian. The Kel-Tec 32 has a better trigger and better reliability! Regards, Dennis
 
At the risk of repating myself yet again, I consider the P32 to be the best advance in pocket guns since the baby Browning of 1900/06. Locked breech design really keeps recoil down and it is not picky about ammo. Very flat and light and quite accurate.

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Cornered Rat
http://dd-b.net/RKBA RKBA posters
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(Hades, is that you over at e-budo as well?)

NAA is heavier, but smaller in height and length.
P-32 is thinner and much lighter.

P-32 has better trigger.
P-32 is easier to get a better hold on, while still being at least as concealable, due to lighter weight and thinner size.

P-32 would feed FN ball the vast majority of the time. NAA failed to feed same about 70% of the time.
P-32 is less expensive.

http://www.ktog.org/reviews-p32.htm for a detailed comparison.

John

p32_knife_spray.jpg
 
I'm also a fan of the Keltec P32, although I don't own one (yet). I have handled a couple, and the design seems very nice...except for the sights. What were they thinking? I realize that this is not a gun designed for careful sighting, but I find the dot on dot, no rear notch, very annoying. I'd almost prefer NO sights to what the gun comes with, so I wouldn't waste time trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do with the ones it has.

For those who haven't seen them, the sights consist of a normal blade front sight with a white dot, and no real rear site, just another white dot at the rear. I guess you are supposed to line up the dots vertically, but it seems very unnatural to someone used to normal handgun sights. Has anyone seen add-on sights for these?

A few other wishes:
(1) A single-action option. It frustrates me to see the little hammer go back, but not be able to cock the thing if I want to.
(2) A .22LR version (cheaper for plinking and practice).
(3) An external safety. I know it's not really necessary, but if I carry this in a pocket or fishing creel, I'd like a little extra margin of safety to avoid any accidental discharge.
(4) A stainless steel version.

I guess what I really want is the weight, size, and double-action trigger of the Keltec, combined with the sights, single-action capability, and .22 caliber of a Walther TPH. I still like the Keltec a lot, but I'd like it to be a little more useful "plinker" as well as a defensive gun.
 
I got to handle my P-32 yesterday when I did the paperwork. Very neat little pistol, I think it'll suit me just fine.
 
Handled one today. Great tigger and excellent weight (light). And FLAT. Price was $299. What are others prices like?
 
Paid $259 about six months ago. Dealer (Bullseye Boats and Guns in Kokomo IN) told me last Tuesday he is selling every one he gets to local LEO's. So his price is holding. Rumor has it that production may catch up with orders sometime by the end of the year. We'll see and if it does we'll see what that does to asking prices.

Jim in IN



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-- TANSTAAFL
 
At the Fort Worth gun show last weekend, my P32 was $349. Cheapest I saw. They are scarce still, hence the markup. Like DennisE, I knew I would be selling the NAA, which I did this weekend...at a loss, because I paid full retail when they were new... Dang!
 
Doug B,

To my knowledge, there are no after market sights for the P-32. This is a "stick it in their face and pull the trigger a lot gun" that was designed to be as snag free as possible. Thus, no slide stop lever or formal sights. I do not find the sighting setup that objectionable. You could always change the color of the front dot or the rear bar with Bright Sights Paint to provide a contrast. Sounds like you want a Pocketlite Mustang. Good luck, with Colt's no guns for the public policy.
 
I guess nobody wants a Seecamp anymore... I still think the Seecamp is the best of the breed... And the original... I understand that the prices are ridiculous compared to the new competion, but then I own Sigs... My local shop (in L.W.'s home state of CT) talked to L.W. himself, and will be getting more of them and selling them at a more reasonable price of $489.
 
I handled a P32 recently, and like its light weight and slim profile. However, the lack of any external safety in a gun with this light of a trigger I believe is a safety issue. Even the glock has a trigger safety; I think it would be advisable to keep this gun in a pocket holster that covered the trigger at all times while carrying.
 
KTOGer Jack Fusilier makes the best pocket holster for the P32. Not too much $$, either ($17?)

I found, in recent training, that my second shot from P32 on rapid fire generally went wild...but shot #1 was always dead on (from quick-draw, point shooting). Again, I fired over 200 rounds w/o any discomfort, malfunctions or cleaning.

P32 looks cheap and plastic compared to Guardian, but it WORKS great.

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Cornered Rat
http://dd-b.net/RKBA RKBA posters
http://dd-b.net/olegv Portrait, nature photos
 
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