Seecamp Owners

J

JB in SC

New member
I've just picked up my LWS 32, much nicer than my previous two purchased about 10 years ago. Magazines are a definite improvement over the older ones. Anyone have any actual hands on experience with ammo other than Silvertips? Mine says "Silvertips Only", but I've heard that other ammo will function. I realize that the OAL and recoil velocity have a lot to do with proper functioning, but thought I'd ask.
TIA,
JB
 
You can use 2.3 to 2.5 grains of Red Dot powder and a Hornady 60HP bullet. I have experienced good reliablity with this load. Just make sure that you pull the trigger straight through and quickly or the Seecamp will misfire. Do not milk the trigger. The Seecamp operates on the margine of reliablity with its double action only trigger system.
The great failing of the Seecamp design is that it will not function with the heavier 70 grain bullets. The .32acp needs all the penetration it can get and the only option is to use a bullet that will expand less than the silver tip like the 60 grain Hornady. There has been some info to suggest that sometimes the Hornady's do not expand at all. This is to your advantage. To much is made of expanding bullets which often fail to penetrate deeply enough to incapacitate the intended target. Although the expanding bullets are best for civilian use because of ricochets the real world has shown that the full metal jackets bullets seldom fail to penetrate deeply enough to incapacitate the target.
The other failings of the Seecamp design are that it has no sights and is double action only. It was designed for the masses not the professional. With todays legal climate we will probably never see a stainless , striker fired single action .32 acp with a sweeping easy to disengage saftey like that which is found on the Baby Browning .25acp. W.R.
 
Larry Seecamp has said that Gold Dots will work fine in the Seecamp .32. Magsafe are supposed to be good as well.
Kentucky Rifle has one and has talked to Larry Seecamp several times. We should hear from him shortly & get his input.
 
Hi All...

Yes, I've talked to Larry Seecamp on a couple of occasions. The trouble was that I had purchased a brand new LWS32 and the Silvertips were tumbling. Larry told me that Winchester had made some changes in the Silvertip round that the little pistol just did not like. He was very honest and upright about the whole thing. He said to switch to Gold Dots. I did, and have had no trouble with "keyholing" since.
I've also used my calipers to measure the Silvertips and the Gold Dots. The Gold Dots were all very nearly the same length. There was a greater variation in the length of the Silvertips. In my opinion, the Gold Dots are better amunition. They also shoot "cleaner". However, Silvertips work just fine in my P-32 and Guardian. But, here again, they're awfully dirty.

Kentucky Rifle
 
JB in SC...

If you don't mind. Where did you get your new Seecamp? Did you have to wait?
I got mine, (NIB) from "Auction Arms" during the presidential election. I put in a low bid and, to my astonishment, it was accepted! I guess that everyone's attention was on that silly Algore, and just missed the opportunity to get a new Seecamp for a great price. I had it in my hands in TWO weeks. :) WHAT a hoot! Plus, I've made friends with Larry Seecamp. It's a great little pistol that I hate to put a scratch on, but as I said before, I carry nearly all I've collected at one time or the other.
I don't have many "safe queens". :)

Kentucky Rifle
P.S. Try the Gold Dots. They're a little more expensive, but much better in my Seecamp. I've got some .32ACP Magsafes, but I haven't tried them in anything but my P-32 as of yet.
 
I bought mine at a local dealer. They usually get about 5 a year. He had two or three in stock. I paid a little less than "going price" for mine with an extra mag. I bought two about ten years ago and let them go for astronomical prices. This is the first one I've seen in a shop lately. Mine was sealed in the factory box. I still think it's a good buy. I've owned both the Guardian and the P-32, I like the Seecamp better than either, especially the construction. Although the KelTec does have some advantges of locked breech and very light weight. I read your posts on the tendency to key hole with Silvertips. My Seecamp does have a very rough barrel, looks like they cut it with a dull tool. I'll certainly give the Gold Dots a try, they are available locally here. I ran about fifty rounds through the pistol and didn't notice any keyholes, but didn't really look that close. I was shooting it at about ten feet. Thanks for the help and I'll keep you informed on the progress.
Regards,
JB

[Edited by JB in SC on 05-13-2001 at 05:00 PM]
 
Thanks, JB

I'm always happy to talk to another Seecamp owner. Try the GD's and post the results. I bet you'll like them.
Seecamps are little jewels, aren't they? I've never seen one at a Louisville dealer, but at the last big Louisville gun show (hold on to your hat!), I saw a Seecamp with a price tag of $950.00!!!! I think THAT'S a little bit "out of line". I got a good laugh, though.

KR
 
Kentucky Rifle

I remember ordering my first one about ten years ago and waiting eight agonizing months to get it. That one was 100% reliable. Bought another one (used but out of the original shipment) and it was pretty unreliable (I suspected magazine problems). They got so expensive that my greed took over and I sold them. The advent of the Guardian and P-32 have eaten into some of the price gouging going on by some dealers. Most would be surprised how little mark up there is on these guns. Mr. Seecamp is still, in my estimation, a genius. Needless to say, I can see some improvements made to the gun over the years (slide, magazine, trigger), and actually the newer gun is cosmectically nicer than the old one. The barrel is still very rough with tooling marks (spirals) evident throughout the length. It still is a jewel, no additional "safety" or levers, no sights (none needed IMO), heel safety, just a smooth very small pistol with a great deal of panache. By the way, how is the barrel on your pistol? Smooth or fairly rough?
Regards,
JB
 
Forget the Seecamp...

...buy an Autauga MKll. I paid $229.00 for my Autauga. The previous owner had tried finishing it with an amateur polishing job. I took it to my favorite gunsmith. He milled off the sights, straightened the lines, bead blasted the top surfaces of the slide and frame, the trigger, trigger guard, front and back straps, and high polished the sides of the slide, frame and feed ramp. He also lightened the trigger pull. Total price? $360.00, ($229 + $130 smithing charges).

My buddy at the range saw it and said, "nice Seecamp. When did you get it?"

An as nice, stroked over weapon at half the price! Very high quality and reliability, (according to my gunsmith). Rarity, (only 3500 Autaugas were made). No worries about the 1000 round limit of Seecamps, (quote from Larry Seecamp, "...by the way, anyone who needs to put thousands of rounds through a pistol like the LWS32 [Seecamp .32] or LWS380 [Seecamp .380] in order to be able to hit the vital zones of a man sized target at mugging distance is not a customer I want". Geez, what arrogance!)

I was looking at a Seecamp the day I bought my Autauga. It was $650.00. I bought the Autauga AND a used NAA Guardian for $100 less!

As far as waiting. My favorite shop has four. Two new, two used, including the one I looked at 6 months ago. All are overpriced and all are display queens. They've had one of the new ones and one of the used ones for over a year. Seecamps? Don't need one, don't want one!
 
2Kiddad...

Don't hold back, tell us what you really think! First of all, there is NO thousand round limit on the .32ACP models. You can shoot them as much as you like. Seecamp told me that the .380ACP model isn't very close to being ready, and as far as the "one thousand round limit", he was talking about the RECOIL springs that might need to be replaced at the thousand round mark.
I was reading an article on .32's in a recent gun magazine and the writer said that the thing about Seecamps is that he had never, ever seen one fail under any circumstances. I'm not saying Guardians aren't nice, I own one, and I like it. However, in my opinion, nothing is like a Seecamp. If they weren't worth it, do you think people would wait years and pay well over the retail price to obtain one? As far as your favorite gun shop having some in stock, I'm sure that if you posted where that gun shop is located, the Seecamp lovers on the board would be grateful. There aren't any Seecamps around the shops here.

JB--My barrel is smooth. I'm sure if you sent it back, Seecamp would smooth out yours too. However, he's an eccentric dude. You might have to keep on him to get the work done.

Kentucky Rifle
 
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