Nine .25s or Eight .32s...

[JayFramer]

Right now I have a Beretta Jetfire .25 ACP and it's a nice gun, reliable with low recoil. But the ballistics of .25 ACP, well... they're the ballistics of .25 ACP. But the gun holds 8+1 so it has that going for it.

Thinking about "upgrading" to a Kel-Tec P32 firing the .32 ACP round, but capacity would be reduced by one round, 7+1.

So I'd lose a round, but would the greater power of the .32 ACP make up for it? Also the KT would be just a small, a bit thinner, and actually a couple ounces lighter.

This would be for a pocket backup gun. Thoughts?

PS: I am NOT interested in a .380. My reasons are my own, please keep the discussion to the two mentioned choices. Thanks.

 

[nate-dogg]

I would go for the 32. The likely hood of you needing 8+1 and only having 7+1 are slim if you ask me.

 

[FoundFather]

I would go for the 32. The likely hood of you needing 8+1 and only having 7+1 are slim if you ask me.

+1. .32 acp ballistics are, well, .32 acp ballistics, but they are less inadequate than .25. Even though the Beretta is a cooler gun.

 

[Jessie]

If you're going to choose between those two, then the .32.
But I wouldn't further handicap yourself by shooting it out of a Keltec.
Sorry, but I've actually seen them fall apart with magazines falling out, etc.
Spend a bit more and get something more reliable.

 

[Cal44]

If you're going to choose between those two, then the .32.
But I wouldn't further handicap yourself by shooting it out of a Keltec.
Sorry, but I've actually seen them fall apart with magazines falling out, etc.
Spend a bit more and get something more reliable.

Maybe get a Beretta 32 like a Tomcat.

That said, sticking with your .25 would be a way of saving money. 9 rounds of .25 would likely get the job done.

 

[BB57]

The ballistics of the .25 ACP are worse than the ballistics of the .22 LR.

I'm a pretty flexible and tolerant gut but .32 ACP is as low as I'd recommend anyone going. However there are also two caveats to that:

First barrel length matters in the .32 ACP. It matters a lot. .32 ACP ballistics take a significant hit in short barrels, and the shorter it is they worse it gets. Far more so than the .380 ACP, which is already much more affected by short barrels than 9mm Luger.

Second, there is pretty much one load that will allow for both expansion and 12" penetration. That's the 60 gr Hornady XTP and it is readily available from Fiocchi at fairly reasonable prices around $25 per box of 50.

However, to get 12" penetration plus expansion it needs to be launched at around 1000 fps to 1050 fps. That requires a barrel that is at least 2.75" long and longer is better.

Unfortunately, many of the .32 ACP pistols out there are attempting to go for small size and in some cases to go for .25 ACP small size:

Seecamp LWS-32 2.0"
Beretta Tomcat 2.4"
Keltec P-32 2.7"

Then there are the more traditional designs using barrel lengths the .32 ACP needs to be effective, but in packages that are larger and heavier than most folks want for a pocket pistol:

Walther PPK 3.3"
Bersa Thunder 3.5"
Beretta 81 3.82"
Walther PP 3.9"

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My personal favorite for a .32 ACP pistol is the Walther PP. It's accurate, reliable, and offers excellent terminal ballistics for a .32 ACP.

If you are on a budget, the Bersa Thunder in .32 is a good option in a PP sized package.

If you are looking for light weight and smaller size, I'll depart from some of the opinions people have stated above and suggest you could do worse than a Keltec P-32. It will launch a 60 gr XTP at around 975 fps where it will usually expand and penetrate about 11".

 

[glenwolde]

Are the two choices the Beretta vs the Kel-Tec or the .25 vs the .32?

In the former I'd take the Kel-Tec. Maybe two or three of them, they are cheap enough. If you have a problem with one you've got back-up.

If a gun genie granted me a wish for a .32, it would be the H&K P7K3.

 

[Daniel Howe]

Stay with a Beretta .32, if you shot me with a kel-tec I'd probably get mad and beat you up. ;-)

 

[Old_Cop]

I have carried a KT .32 for 20 plus years when deep cover is required. No issues but I shoot it only occasionally. In my younger days I carried a Colt 1908 .25 in a wallet holster (abusing the finish). I prefer the .32 but bullet placement is the key to effectiveness.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I have owned or shot a dozen or so types of 32's I have owned one 25! Of the 32's I really liked an old Ruby a gunsmith gave me. I sand blasted it and Parkerized it in about 3 hours. I left it in the Park. solution about 3 times as long as it needed and the coating was thick enough that I needed to refit the barrel, slide and frame. While the Parkerizing was still soft I dry fired (wild lots of oil) and that got the trigger almost Colt smooth! The gun functioned with GECO and Remington Ball ammo, it also functioned just as well as with Winchester Silver Tipped Hollow Points!

For the life of me, I can't remember why I ever sold it? Must of had something to do with owning 3 other 32's and having 4 kids under 6!

Somewhere around 1999 or 2000, I had a Berretta Tomcat (Very early with a butter smooth trigger and deep blue highly polished finish) and an early Kel-Tec 32. I decided I only need one 32 (that is just not the right kind of thinking!) I took them to by back yard range and fires 50 rounds of Remington FMJ ammo through each. Both were jam free, always ejected and both groups were about 3" @ 20'. So I ran 25 STHP's through each. Again no FTF's or FTE's the Kel-Tec was at 3" again, the Berretta was at 1.5"! My best friend still carries that Kel-Tec as a BUG!

Ivan

 

[Kanewpadle]

The P32. Depending on where you carry it, there is a ten round magazine available.

 

[max503]

Only criminals and pimps carry 25's.

 

[Marshal Tom]

+1 for all that BB57 said above. I am not a fan of either one of them but I would take the .32 all the way.

 

[Rammer Jammer]

In this case caliber doesn't matter to me as much as manufacturer.

I'll take a Beretta over anything Kel Tec any day.

 

[roo_ster]

I voted for the .33ACP.

The Kel-tec P32 has been around for 20 years and is generally considered their most reliable pistol. I bought one when it came out and another for my wife a few years later. Both reliable with all FMJ and HP I even cast WNFP. Super slim, super light. Shoots easy. Not blow-back so recoil is mild and operating the slide is easy. Even with the minimalist sights, no biggie to keep all shots on a human silhouette target at 25 yards, COM at 10-15 yards no drama, in the melon at 7 yards.

I love my Beretta 21A in .22LR but I would not buy that pistol in .32ACP, as there are too many reports of frame cracking in the .32ACP variant, even after they beefed it up.

Mass, Unloaded
KT P32 7oz
Beretta 21a .22LR 12oz
Beretta 3032 .32ACP 14.5oz

 

[Kronos]

How well do you shoot either one? If one better then that's your answer,personally I don't buy into the "such cal is better for defense" since you are not looking for a fight then any caliber will do to defend yourself.

I've carried a .22 for a few days a Beretta 21 actually and felt fine,a good .25 would work same with a good .32.

 

[Flattop5]

Right now I have a Beretta Jetfire .25 ACP and it's a nice gun, reliable with low recoil. But the ballistics of .25 ACP, well... they're the ballistics of .25 ACP. But the gun holds 8+1 so it has that going for it.

Thinking about "upgrading" to a Kel-Tec P32 firing the .32 ACP round, but capacity would be reduced by one round, 7+1.

So I'd lose a round, but would the greater power of the .32 ACP make up for it? Also the KT would be just a small, a bit thinner, and actually a couple ounces lighter.

This would be for a pocket backup gun. Thoughts?

PS: I am NOT interested in a .380. My reasons are my own, please keep the discussion to the two mentioned choices. Thanks.

I'd choose the .32. More power.


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[Triathloncoach]

I carry my LCP everywhere permitted. My only interest in a 32 originates from a Jim Croce song. The LCP is about as small a gun as they come for practical purposes. IMHO

 

[JH1951]

I would choose a reliable .32 over a reliable .25 any day. Round count being off by one is of no concern to me. But, please add that shot placement is king, so one less round should not matter in the slightest.

 

[RobertJ.]

Well, it all depends...

How many mice do you need to shoot?

 

[CB3]

IMO,
Having been a Keltecer for almost a decade because of price and size, including early 9mm, .40, .357 Sig, .32 and .380, I cannot recommend them unless you discipline yourself to keep the round count very, very low.

Small backup guns are sometimes referred to as "Face" guns. Good terminology. If you are in a situation where you need to fight with a small backup, your target is an eyeball, not a silhouette at 25 yards.

A .22LR HP will sufficiently scramble a brain when shot through a head port, ending the fight quickly. .25, .32, .380 etc. will all do the same thing.

We had a highway patrolman shot here in Utah about 15 years ago by a perp with a locally manufactured .22LR North American Arms teeny Single Action revolver. One shot just above the body armor pointed down toward the heart did the deed.

Priorities:
1. reliable firing;
2. shot placement;
3. concealability and accessibility;
4. caliber

FWIW, the perp above carried the .22 in an upside-down holster suspended over his chest on a neck chain. It was accessible in a hands on struggle with the trooper. In a pocket? Not so much.

 

[D Brown]

Right now I have a Beretta Jetfire .25 ACP and it's a nice gun, reliable with low recoil. But the ballistics of .25 ACP, well... they're the ballistics of .25 ACP. But the gun holds 8+1 so it has that going for it.

Thinking about "upgrading" to a Kel-Tec P32 firing the .32 ACP round, but capacity would be reduced by one round, 7+1.

So I'd lose a round, but would the greater power of the .32 ACP make up for it? Also the KT would be just a small, a bit thinner, and actually a couple ounces lighter.

This would be for a pocket backup gun. Thoughts?

PS: I am NOT interested in a .380. My reasons are my own, please keep the discussion to the two mentioned choices. Thanks.

My Beretta Model 21A has up to 9 + 1 capability with the aftermarket Mec-Gar magazines.

The KEL-TEC P-32 offers 7 + 1 in a package that's actually much thinner and lighter than the 21A.

They're both nice little pistols, but my vote goes with the .32 ACP.

 

[Grayfox]

My first question is what is the main function of the gun? A lightweight primary EDC or is deep concealment a requirement?
I own and have carried several .25acp pistols. I have complete confidence in mine if the need should arise.
While the Beretta is a fine firearm, I much prefer the smaller, flatter, easier to conceal and carry Browning and Colt designs.
When I do carry a .25, most often its my PSP-25 which is an outstanding clone of the Browning Baby. This thing is so small it can be concealed in a shirt pocket and is completely un-noticable in a pants pocket. Its also utterly reliable.

I have nothing against the .32acp. In fact, I own several. However, if I were to carry one, I'd much prefer a slightly larger gun such as the time proven Colt 1903 or Walther PPK.
The current crop of tiny .32s such as the Kel-Tec do nothing for me. Honestly, in that size range, I feel a good reliable .25 is a better choice.

You have to change tactics with a small caliber such as a .22 or .25. Forget center mass. These guns are intended to be used at bad breath distances. Stick the gun right in the BG's face and pull the trigger. Several times. You might get instant incapacitation, however, don't count on it. Instead, while the BG is distracted by the pain and blood, you run like Hell! Remember, the primary goal here is to survive the attack. Nothing more is required.

 

[Have gun-will travel]

When I worked for Durham NC PD I saw a guy get shot from 25 yards away. The HP round hit the victim in the throat. The bullet went thru the neck hitting the spinal cord killing him instantly. Don't underestimate the power of the 25 acp

 

[cjwils]

Seven 380's is better than either of those, and you can get a 380 in a gun almost as small.

 

[31FordA]

I'd go with the P32 KelTec, in fact I have for close to 20 years. My P32 has been flawless. It feeds ball and JHP ammo without a single malfunction. It's also more accurate than you would expect a little gun to be. Several relatives and colleagues have also bought P32's and have no complaints.

 

[Dump1567]

Clip it and go. 10+1 of .32 auto. I load mine with hot European ball.

Or pick-up the original 10+1 .32 auto.

 

[JH1951]

Or, since we digress, how about a real classic that is still a good carry tool:

 

[Echo40]

If I had to choose one or the other, then I'd go with .32 ACP.

 

[Drm50]

Caliber .32acp in a pistol I had compete trust in, which wouldn't a KT. I don't understand people who carry a gun for protection carrying second rate guns. Reminds me of a fly fisherman I know. Came up to my place to look for a Bear Pistol. Him and Buddy were making first Alaskan trip to fish. He was bragging about a new custom made fly rod he was getting for the trip. $600 for rod, reel ect. I as him how much he wanted to go on the bear gun. He said $40-$50, he didn't need anything fancy.