I think I got a good deal on this

[robertrwalsh]

Today I noticed a SEECAMP .32 auto on the shelf in one of my favorite LGS. It looked very nice and came with the box, papers and a total of 4 magazines with the floor plate extensions. I got it for $425, which I think is a very good deal under the circumstances. I remember back when dinosaurs roamed the earth this was the hot thing for a last-ditch belly gun. No manual safety. No sights. An actually pretty decent though long trigger pull. Hammer fired, not striker fired. Seemed like a decent deal to me. The only downside is they are very ammunition sensitive, but I am set up to load .32 auto anyway so it isn't that big a deal. Will post pictures after 10-day CA b.s. and give range report shortly thereafter.

 

[brucev]

Great pistol! Excellent deal. Sincerely. bruce.

 

[steveno]

if I remember right it was design around the Winchester 32 acp Silvertip hollow point

 

[kraynky]

I remember wanting one of those, maybe 25 years or so ago. I seem to recall they were $600 or more back then. But my "recaller" is damaged beyond repair, and only works in spurts.

Congratulations on the find! Having to wait 10 days for pictures is a good reminder for those of us in free states. But I'll wait.

 

[29aholic]

if I remember right it was design around the Winchester 32 acp Silvertip hollow point

Bingo. Steve is right they were specifically designed for Winchester Silvertips.. I had a fair amount of luck with Glaser Safety Slugs too.

 

[hkcavalier]

If it's reliable with the Buffalo Bore .32ACP LFN, that would be my load of choice. I'm sure it's possible to duplicate this load on a bench. BB gets about 850fps out of its really short barrel. Most 71gr JHPs available commercially get around 750fps from these guns.

I'm from the school that holds that anything below .380ACP/.38 Special in power is best as a flat nosed solid, to ensure penetration.

 

[robertrwalsh]

Yes, the original was designed to function with Silvertips. The newer ones have a slightly longer list, but all are JHP. Apparently factory ball ammo is a tad too long for it. I will find out for sure when I get it. I may even get one of the nice pocket holsters made for it by Seecamp.

 

[Alpo]

Some years back I read an article about it, and the writer said that while it was made for Silvertips, and factory ball was slightly too long to work, he set his seater die to the overall length of Silvertips, then ran all the factory ball through the die. This seated all the ball slightly deeper, and it worked perfectly through the gun.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I don't have a Seecamp, but have shot 32 ACP since dad let me shoot his Type M Colt. I always use Winchester STHP's for carry and RN lead reloads for plinking. If you think you want FMJ for penetration, forget current US made ammo. Spend the ammo and buy the GECO/RWS ammo from Germany! It is almost identical in power to STHP, and if it has the same POI in your gun, I alternate them with STHP so I have expansion and penetration in the same magazine. This has worked for me in Colt's, TomCat's and pocket plastics for almost 5 decades.

Ivan

 

[Muss Muggins]

That was always the knock against the Seecamp, that it was only designed to reliably fire one particular round of ammunition. Dad had one in his collection and we sold it, for about what the OP paid. Neither my brother nor I wanted it, but we both remember the quest for it when the Seecamp was introduced to the world . . .

if I remember right it was design around the Winchester 32 acp Silvertip hollow point

 

[Double-O-Dave]

To the OP - you got a very, very good deal on that Seecamp. I remember just having to have one about 25 years ago. I finally found one used, and it wasn't cheap. Though I think it has been outclassed by more modern handguns, I still can't part with mine as it is so small and gives you no real excuse not to be carrying it. Years ago I remember having a question about ammo compatibility, so I called the factory. To my surprise, they put "Larry" on the phone - Larry Seecamp - the founder's son. He spoke at length with me on ammo recommendations and was very patient and knowledgeable about his product.

I've told this one before, but here's my Seecamp story: years ago, I was working in a hospital ER (I'm a retired ER nurse) in a pretty bad part of town. I found I could run the drawstring of my scrub pants through the trigger guard of the Seecamp, and then tuck the piece into my underwear. The Seecamp was light enough and small enough that it escaped detection even under the thin fabric of the scrub suit.

We had an ER doctor that was the expert of everything, and during a dull moment, we were all sitting around shooting the breeze. The topic turned to handguns, and someone asked if it was true that I owned a Seecamp. I acknowledged that I did, and the ER doctor said something along the lines of: "well, don't come running to me for help if you're ever stupid enough to pull that mouse gun on someone." The guys started snickering, which just egged the doctor on. I finally told the doctor that if I ever had to use the Seecamp, and if things worked out the way I hoped they did, I would indeed need his professional help for 2 issues: 1st would be to remove my hand from what remained of my assailant's head after I shoved the piece up his nose and shook hands with his brain stem before pulling the trigger, and 2) to testify that the assailant was once a human being. I then asked if he thought his level of medical competency could meet those demands. Funny thing, a couple of days later, guess what was a banned topic for discussion amongst staff?

Congratulations on a good purchase of a good little pistol.

Regards,

Dave

 

[Dump1567]

Good find in Cali.

For me it's one of those nostalgia guns. For those that were around in the 80's & 90's, that was one of the guns to have. Right up there with other small 70's-90's guns. S&W model 36's, 60's, Walther (Interarms) PPK/S, Colt Mustang/Gov. 380, Berreta 950, 21, Tomcat, AMT .380, etc.

 

[hkcavalier]

I saw one today for $425 up here in WA. Maybe it's the new price everywhere?

A 442 is about a small a gun as I care to own.