Recommend pistols in .32 acp caliber

Some of those old, and not so old big, all steel guns are fun for nostalgia, and range use, buy why carry a big, heavy gun chambered in a little, light weight round?

But that also brings up a question for the OP. Why a 32?
 
Cheapshooter, "Why a 32?" I have a bunch of pistols in .32 and they are a real pleasure to shoot, agreed my Savage, Colt and PPK's are a bit bulky and heavy however they still carry nicely and for most of the Twentieth Century the 7.65 was the accepted issue cartridge for military and police and defensive for civilians. Several models of my 32's would be an easy carry weapon today if it were not for the fact that there are many more potent pistols of larger caliber (but not size and weight) doing a better job than a .32 should be expcted to do.
 
Some of those old, and not so old big, all steel guns are fun for nostalgia, and range use, buy why carry a big, heavy gun chambered in a little, light weight round?
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Ever shot a 1903 Colt?
Ever had a hand injury or arthritis?
 
Cheapshooter, "Why a 32?" I have a bunch of pistols in .32 and they are a real pleasure to shoot, agreed my Savage, Colt and PPK's are a bit bulky and heavy however they still carry nicely and for most of the Twentieth Century the 7.65 was the accepted issue cartridge for military and police and defensive for civilians. Several models of my 32's would be an easy carry weapon today if it were not for the fact that there are many more potent pistols of larger caliber (but not size and weight) doing a better job than a .32 should be expcted to do.
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My question was specifically for the OP. Just wondering why, when you look at some of his other posts on other threads proclaiming his like for 40S&W, 10MM, and others why he is now asking about the 32acp. He did say CCW, but if he handles the larger calibers well, why not a 380, or Mini 9MM.:confused:
I also have a couple 32acp pistols. Fun to shoot, but ammo is on the high side for plinking, and kinda a pain to reload those tiny rounds. My "pocket" guns are chambered in 380, 9MM, and 38 Special. But I think some day I'll add a Kel-Tec P32 to my collection. Not so much for CCW, but more for range fun.
 
My question was specifically for the OP. Just wondering why, when you look at some of his other posts on other threads proclaiming his like for 40S&W, 10MM, and others why he is now asking about the 32acp. He did say CCW, but if he handles the larger calibers well, why not a 380, or Mini 9MM.
I also have a couple 32acp pistols. Fun to shoot, but ammo is on the high side for plinking, and kinda a pain to reload those tiny rounds. My "pocket" guns are chambered in 380, 9MM, and 38 Special. But I think some day I'll add a Kel-Tec P32 to my collection. Not so much for CCW, but more for range fun.
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larger pistols cannot be carried as easy as smaller pistols when certain attire is required this time of year. mini-380s kick more in large hands. I can shoot a 1911 45 easier than I can my Seecamp 32, but that's because I have a lot more to hold on to.
 
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I had one of the old Savages, neat gun, but the mag was a replacement, and not very good. Eventually sold it to a collector.

The .32 I have now, isn't a popular recommendation these days, its a Mauser HSc.

I do rather like it, about zero recoil. But by today's standards, it is "big" and heavy. However, that's not always a bad thing.

buy why carry a big, heavy gun chambered in a little, light weight round?
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because, IF the little lightweight rounds fail, you still have a decent weight of steel to wack someone with! That's why! :D:rolleyes:
 
I love those 1903 Colts (at least the way they look).

How DO THEY SHOOT????
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Wonderfully. The sights are microscopic but the pistol is easy to become proficient with and points well for most people.
 
My 1903 feels great in my hand. It is accurate, reliable, and has almost no recoil. I love the way it looks. It is awesome to have a pistol 100 years old that works so well.

And yeah, the sights are tiny.
 
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I love those 1903 Colts (at least the way they look).

How DO THEY SHOOT????
Wonderfully. The sights are microscopic but the pistol is easy to become proficient with and points well for most people.
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The reach to the trigger is a bit short for my long fingers, but it is still easy to make them work. Feels like a million bucks. They are very natural pointers, at least in my hands. Like just about any JMB design, this one works 100% with any ammo I've fed it to this point. I did change the recoil spring when I first got it with a factory weight spring from Wolff, just for insurance. Recoil isn't much greater than a Ruger SR-22. They are a good choice for people with small hands that are recoil sensitive, like my wife.

This is her house gun. This particular example is NOT drop safe (made in 1909), so the gun is kept with the internal hammer cocked (easier to retract the slide), loaded magazine (FMJ) and safety off. She doesn't like keeping a gun with a loaded chamber anyway, so it doesn't matter. Were I going to use one for serious purposes, I'd want one that was drop safe. There was a changeover sometime in 1922 - 1925 or thereabouts, you'd have to research it.





Didn't Patton sometimes carry a .32 Auto Colt M1908 (a slightly refined M1903) as his "social pistol"?
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I've seen conflicting information on whether it was a Pocket Hammerless 1903 in .32 ACP or a 1908 in .380 ACP. It may have been both. I think some officers, particularly general officers, were issued the .380 1908s with a parkerized finish during the war.
 
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Here is mine:

Colt1903_zpscab3342a.jpg
 
I don't really need a .32 since my .380 lcp covers that role, but that doesn't keep me from sometimes carrying an early sixties vintage FN1910/55, just because I really like it. The FN1910 was JMB's favorite and he carried one in his pocket until the day he died.
 
why in .32acp? because I want at least one handgun in each caliber.
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:D:D:D
Now we're gettin someplace! I can company letely relate!
You mentioned for CC only. That still takes it back to Kel-Tec P32.
But for range fun, and a classic do sign, the Colt, Walther, and Beretta mentioned would also be a good choice.
 
Colt 1903's are not the safest gun to carry. They lack some of the firing pin safeties and half-cock safeties that more modern guns like the 1911 and BHP have. They can discharge under certain conditions that do not involve pulling the trigger.

They are very nice. Point like a finger, look and feel great, and just a pleasure to handle and look over closely. They are also as flat as a day planner and should carry well despite their weight, but the safety issues put them off the carry list.

They also have a grip safety that is difficult to engage under stress. Go ahead and do some drills with a 1903 against a shot timer. I wouldn't be surprised if you could get shots off faster, more consistently with a Colt SAA (if we are going that vintage), than with a 1903 that will present a dead trigger from an improper grip a very high percentage of the time.

I've owned them, loved them, shot them, carried them, and sold them.
 
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