Mouse Gun .32 ACP choice

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wnr700

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Have been wanting a Mouse gun/caliber for awhile.

Really want a 317 kit gun, but they are pricey.

I was considering a .380 but I have never seen any ammunition at my local Wally World or even Bass pro shops. In fact the guy working the guns section he sees maybe a couple of boxes each month.

But I have seen oodles of .32 ACP

Just for fun I may make a .32 purchase.

Any opinions on Kel Tecs, Walther PPK/S, or the Taurus Millenium.

I handled the Millineum in 9mm today and loved the feel. Not a mouse gun, but thought it will be the most accurate because of size and minimal recoil.

Held the PPK in .380 which is ergonomically SWEET. Expensive but reliability concerns me...

Plenty of used Kel Tecs at my local Pawn Shop. BUG gun for sure.

Anybody have an opinion on these three? All are about half the price of a S+W .22
 
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I would much rather trust my life to a 5 Shot S&W "Chief" 38/357 Special.

The Bodyguard style being my favorite.
 
Owned a 442 that was sweet, but I have a Taurus Model 85 2'' that carry daily.

Model 64 4'' that I started to carry more often.

Model 17 6'' that is a great plinker

A second .22 would be nice, because I love the caliber and would like to build a collection of them.

I'm content with what I have, and a Glock 26/27 or 19/23 is another option... but I really want to avoid dropping $500 to $600.
 
Have you looked at the old Colt 32 cal. pocket pistol. Neat smooth old gun. Not too pricey. 1903 model.
 
If you want a mouse gun, take a look at a Seecamp.
 
.32 ACP is readily available. If you go that route, you may want to check out some of the European manufactured stuff. They load it a little stouter than most US makers. As someone mentioned, a Colt 1903 is a nice FLAT gun for concealed carry; not small, but flat. I have not seen one for less than $400 and the supply is drying up fast. I have a Type III made in 1913 that was an heirloom and enjoy shooting it on occasion. Many of them seem to have poor barrels and finding a replacement will be well nigh impossible, although some other parts are around.

If you are considering a PPK, it sounds like you are rethinking the "mouse gun" idea, and that might be a good thing. Used S&W Model 36's are available for $300 or so around these parts, and would be my preference for something similar in size and weight to a PPK, at least from the cost aspect.

I don't own a Taurus currently. I had a Millennium in .40 several years ago, but only for a short time. It worked ok, but I got a good deal on a Glock 27 and let it go. Judging from posts on a few of the forums, Taurus QC and customer service generate a lot of grumbling.

Having said all that, I have a Kel-Tec .380 that I carry all the time, sometimes by itself, sometimes as a BUG to a M60 or Glock 27. The ammo for .380's seems to have re-materialized of late, so apparently supply has about gotten caught up with demand. I did get tired of not being able to find .380 there for a while, so started reloading for it (although I swore I wouldn't). I am using commercial 95 grain cast bullets and am shooting it a lot more often than previously. I will say that, with some practice, you can surprise yourself at 5 to 7 yards in fast point shooting. The long trigger pull is similar to that of a revolver and seems to help keep you on target. I carry Federal 95 grain FMJ's in it and have confidence in my ability with it for it's intended purpose, i.e., close range defense. No .380 is a bomb, but nobody wants to soak any of them up either. Good luck.
 
I have carried a KelTec P32 for several years now. One nice thing about all the 380s on the market is that lately I've been seeing these K32 used for <$200.

I've owned a host of other 32 semi autos over the years ranging is quality from a Nazi Police marked PPK to the various Spanish Rubys. For small, light and reliable I'm very happy with the KelTec.
 
I liked my Kel Tec P32, seemed to have all the bugs worked out and the 10rd mags were a nice option. The only .32 auto that I have now is a Walther PP, German made. Nice gun, you have to keep them clean, but easier to hit with than the small guns. I only run FMJ in .32s.

If you're set on a .32, the Smith and Wesson model 30 and 31 J frames are essentially recoil free and nice guns. I have a 3" 31-1, not much noise, very easy to control, quite accurate.
 
My wife carries a Sig P238 (380) and loves it. We bought her a ruger LCP first and had to send it back several times to get it to eject properly. It is now working fine but during the interim of waiting for Ruger to fix the LCP she tried the sig and loved it.
I finally gave up on Academy and Wally world and just order her ammunition from the internet.
As far as the Sig's reliability it has performed flawlessly. I know some people have had problems with it but this one seems to be a good one. It might be something just to take a look at.
 
My KT32 is my BUG to the usual J-frame I'm carrying. I purchased it when they first came out. It's a handfull w/71gr FMJ ammo, but I can hit the target @ 10 yards!
 
I understand that the Kel-Tec P32 and P3AT have a strong following, although I suspect that has as much to do with Kel-Tec's low price and high availability as any other factor. In my opinion the Seecamp is the best choice in .32 caliber. It's finely crafted, reliable, and small. It's a bit heavier than a Kel-Tec, but with such a small gun the weight is negligible.
 
I've had a KelTec 32 since right after they first came out. It's NEVER had any failures. I still carry it now and then when the situation calls for something that light and small. It weighs 6 or 7 oz and it is VERY thin. Seems like I carry Speer Gold Dots in it.

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North American Arms Guardian. Just like a Seecamp, reliable, and half the price, plus has a conventional mag release. Not really a determining factor for me, but I prefer the button style overall.
 
I have an ex-Bayerisches Staatspolizei Walther PP which shoots very nicely but is only a tad lighter and and a bit thinner than an Officer's ACP. There is also a nice shooting 1922 Browning with Reich's Bahnpolizei and Waffenamt wartime proofs, but has got have the most atrocious grip and grip angle of anything John Moses ever designed.

However the Kel-Tec is accurate and a nice size for this caliber. Mine has been reliable and functions flawlessly. I also opt for FMJ because it's going to take all the penetration you can get to poke a hole in something important. Winchester did make a truncated cone 71 grain FMJ bullet loading, but I have not found any lately, so I don't know if it has been discontinued or what. Despite a couple minor shortcomings, the Kel-Tec has been good for those times when the subject of concealed carry comes up and some guy describes some double stack, rail equipped, custom, mega-cannon as his carry gun while standing there in shorts, flip-flops and a T-shirt. When you say, "Gee, that sounds like a wonderful gun, I'd sure like to see something that nifty," the response is invariably, "Hang on while I go to my truck and get it." When you place the Kel-Tec on the counter, you are asked, "What's with the silly mouse gun?"

"That's what keeps you from getting to your truck."
 
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I've had a Kel-tec P32 for a few years. I rarely carry it as I am not comfortable with the .32 ACP in a self defense gun, but it was so cheap I figured I might as well buy it. If this is the caliber you want I highly recommend this pistol. Weighs half of nothin', extremely flat and shoots pretty good. One other nice feature is it came with a metal clip you can install and carry it without a holster. Not sure if current models come this way, but if not you can order it.
All that said, I'd still rather have a good J-frame.:rolleyes:
 
Keltec P32

I have had one of these for about 5-6 years and carried it often as a BUG mainly but also a primary when the situation called for very light and small. My specimen has been 100% reliable and works well enough to point shoot a magazine full of .32's into the boiler room quickly. I am not very confident in the .32 as a stopper pistol. If the other guy is well armed, the .32 may be a big problem. That being said, if I was going to tote a .32 auto, The Keltec will do and its very small, light and cheap. I like cheap in a using gun since if one has to actually use it it will be gone as evidence for a while. I have largely replaced mine with a LCP with laser. I don't think there is much evidence that the .380 is much of a step up though. For a very light and compact handgun I prefer the 337 I have on me as I write this.
 
The Beretta Tomcat is also a viable .32 acp option.
 
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