P32 rimlock

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publius

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Is rimlock a real problem with the Kel Tec P32 or is it an overblown rarity? I would really like one but only if it's reliable. Definitely not the type of gun you can afford to malfunction when you need it.
 
Rimlock almost never happens to properly loded magazines.
That said, there are "rimlock kits" that you can use to modify your magazines, you can use ammunition that mimics the OAL of FMJ ammunition-like CorBon Powerball, or use FMJ ammo.
In just a second, some neophyte will come along to tell us for the 5000th time that FMJ is the only thing to use in a .32acp because of the FBI penetration tests, blah, blah.
Don't believe them.
 
It is indeed a problem, and no offense to Bill, but respectively disagree with him. The anti-rimlock kit doesn't work on my extended 8 round p-32 mags. I carry a Gold Dot in the pipe, and fmj's in the mag.
 
That's what I thought, Bill and I've never seen you give bad advice. I've got a Browning trigger coming your way to be re-plated, by the way.
 
I use rim lock kit in the factory mags for years now and never a problem

I don't trust extended mags for SD


You can load all but the top round of mag ball Top off mag and in chamber a HP . This will prevent rimlock also.

Winchester flat nose junk is same OAL as a HP. I had rim lock from that brand once. They are used in my mags with the rim lock kit . I will never shoot them in my ball mags.

I carry Corbon HP Either the JHP or DPX when you can get it.

In just a second, some neophyte will come along to tell us for the 5000th time that FMJ is the only thing to use in a .32acp because of the FBI penetration tests, blah, blah.
Click to expand...

Now Bill you know the FBI and their 12" min is the word of the all mighty.
Funny the 25 acp ball more than meets, Their requirements, but they won't carry it If Penetration and shot placement is king Then they should be packing the accurate and no recoil 25acp. :rolleyes: Might improve their range scores
 
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Rim-Lock does very much exist, and as stated above, it is a factor of cartridge over-all length, and nothing to do with how carefully you have loaded the mag. I have experienced it a few times with short FMJs and JHPs. Generally American brands are the worst. I load my mags with the longest European FMJs I can find, with a long JHP at the top of the mag and another up the spout. I haven't had any problems with this arrangement.
 
It's only a problem with short/flat nosed FMJ or HP ammo. My P32 has never malfunctioned with S&B or Fiocchi FMJ ammo. I only carry it with FMJ ammo anyhow since it's a small, light and slow moving round. Best to use European ammo since it's hotter than the American made stuff.
 
It's an easy fix if you want to carry JHP ammo... just compare the overall lengths of your load and a FMJ load and note the difference.

Buy a small spool of piano wire the same diameter as the difference, and a set of small "jewelers" files.

File a small centered notch in the rear of the magazine follower, cut a piece of piano wire the length of the mag + 1.5". Bend the wire in an L shape to fit from the floor-plate to the top of the the follower, then bend the short side like a paper clip to fit inside the mag and rest on the floor-plate.

Once re-assembled, the rounds will sit further forward in the magazine and the follower will ride the wire.
 
I have experienced rim lock exactly once in my lifetime. I have shot .25 auto, .38 Super, and .32 auto quite a bit. I have carried a P32 for about 16 years. Either I'm doing something right, or you are doing something wrong.
Regardless, carry full length rounds or install a rimlock kit.
 
...and nothing to do with how carefully you have loaded the mag
Click to expand...

Correct. Rimlock is a factor of the magazine, not so much the round although certain brands of pistols and ammo are more susceptible to it than others. Many manufacturers these days have figured out how to counter the rounds movement and "locking". One never hears of a Walther PP having this problem, but CZ owners, especially the 83 were thwarted by this problem until CZ redesigned the mag.

It doesn't matter how you load.
 
I havent had any problems with my Beretta 81 or NAA 32, guess I got lucky. I also just use ball ammo with a HP in the pipe.
 
PSP said:
One never hears of a Walther PP having this problem...
Click to expand...
Interesting you should say that, as my WWII Zella-Mehlis PP feeds and functions flawlessly with JHP Hornady Critical Defense.

Apparently nobody has told it that vintage military pistols are supposed to suffer rimlock and misfeed problems with JHP bullets. I've been careful not to mention this while the PP is in earshot. ;) It DOES, however, FTE or stovepipe about every 5th round if you feed it WWB FMJ; it's apparently more sensitive to cartridge power (or lack thereof) than bullet profile or cartridge OAL.
 
Rimlock has been a substantial problem with JHP in my p32. I only shoot FMJ. Kel-tec makes rimlock spacer kits for their magazines but I have never used them.
 
I have had rimlock happen with Berettas and Ortigies and other straght stack mags. To prevent it was just a matter of stair stepping the rims as I loaded the mags. It only seems to happen with rimmed or semi rimmed cases. Havent had it happed to double stack mags yet.
 
KelTec no longer sales the rim lock kit . They say P-32 doesn't rimlock .

I think was because people made their own kits a lot cheaper. I had rimlock with 1st box bought for my P-32 . I have installed kits in about 1/2 my mags Other mags I use ball in. Never had rimlock since .

Remember Seecamp made his mags to only shoot HP. I read his mags have his version of rim lock kit.
 
Never happened with mine, and I shoot it quite a bit. With any defensive pistol, shoot as often as you can, learn the quirks, if it has any, and do what you must to make it reliable.
 
It's happened to my twice with my P32, both times using Fiocchi 73gn fmj. Both times the next-to-top round appeared to be about 1mm shorter than the others, just enough for it to move forward in the mag a bit and allow the top round rim to catch. Both times required removing the base plate from the mag and dropping the rounds out that way. I could not move the slide or remove the mag, and a real PITA. Not something I'd ever want to experience in a SD situation. "hold off a couple minutes while I clear this jam, would ya?"

I have a Gold Dot chambered and next, the rest are Fiocchi fmj, but I check the length and load carefully.
 
rim lock occurs when short semi rimmed rounds slide over one another in a standard magazine. this sliding action doesn't occur with full length rounds such as rn fmj. nor does it occur in a LWS32 because the magazine has a spacer to only allow shorter rounds. flat nosed fmj can still rim lock because the OAL is shorter than design specs.
 
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