Seecamp 32

[Outpost75]

Don't know about Seecamp's WW2 experience, but amongst the OSS, SOE and some others, they trained using the Fairbairn-Sykes-Applegate method mostly with DA revolvers. Bullseyes Don't Shoot Back is a good textbook.

Old school FBI revolver point shooting videos are also informative.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

Don't know about Seecamp's WW2 experience, but amongst the OSS, SOE and some others, they trained using the Fairbairn-Sykes-Applegate method mostly with DA revolvers. Bullseyes Don't Shoot Back is a good textbook.

Old school FBI revolver point shooting videos are also informative.

That wouldn’t help a German Army Private in 1942 on the Russian front in Hand to Hand combat.

 

[ARgon]

Interesting seeing "precision shooting" and Seecamp used in the same sentence.
I don't know about others, but my example keyholes with all ammo that I've tried. When I called Seecamp customer service, their first question was, " is this about keyholing"? She basically said, it is what it is, live with it.

Larry put a note in the box that spoke to that, saying it was preferred by some using a certain ammo. I’m sure that note is still in my box.

 

[jaguargolf]

I had one. I bought it used. I could never get it to run well. I tried for a coupe of years.
I like small guns, I have Colt Vest Pocket, NAA Guardian, Beretta 950 BS.

 

[Randall_G]

Walther P-38 is DA on the first shot.

He was German Army and a Russian soldier was on top of him. The first trigger pull never ignited the bullet. The second trigger pull did get the Russian off him.

If he had to do a Tap Rack like a SA pistol he would be dead.

Thanks.

Don't need to tap/rack a SA such as a 1911 to second-strike a primer, just pull back the hammer, right? Perhaps Seecamp felt a second trigger pull is a better alternative.

Or maybe he was comparing the P-38 to Germany's other service pistol, the Luger? In which case, the toggle has to be pulled back a short distance to re-cock the firing pin.

 

[Smith391]

Back in the 1990s I remember cops paying $1000 for one as they were hard to get.

That is precisely the reason why you could get $1000 for an LWS32 back then ... Low production volume coming out of Milford, CT, coupled with long wait times for new factory orders, & high demand (particularly among the law enforcement community) created the perfect storm to drive resale prices through the roof.

The old cornerstone principle of "Economics 101" ... supply & demand.

 

[Smith391]

Based on your serial number, yours would be a 1991-92 production model.

Here ya' go...

Now, the LWS32 manufacturing date chart won't help you pin down the year of production for custom serial numbered guns, but I think this serial number might give you some insight as to when this particular pistol was "born"...

 

[CH4]

Larry put a note in the box that spoke to that, saying it was preferred by some using a certain ammo. I’m sure that note is still in my box.

View attachment 780314

"... a desirable feature for short-range defense." True, if the perp is naked.
FYI, Hornady 60 gr FTX also keyholes.

 

[CH4]

I want some cool grips for mine

 

[2152hq]

The little Seecamp pistols are very nicely made.
The 32acp is rated for HP specific rds only, but the 25acp edition was sold as able to work with any HP or FMJ ammo. Just to stay away from the use of aluminum cased ammo use.

Both rds are 'semi-rimmed' cases. That they can rim-lock is a possibility I guess. But why the 32 would be a problem and not the 25 ?

They do make these statements:

"__The LWS .32 was designed around the original Silvertip cartridge. Initially, we tried to get the pistol to shoot everything, including ball ammo."

"We quickly learned, however, that the problem of potential jams caused by random shuffling of rounds within a magazine because of excess play, now popularly referred to as rim lock, was something we had to take seriously. Rather than to have a pistol that marginally functioned with a variety of ammo, we opted to produce one that was maximally reliable with Silvertips – the only hollow point available to us at the time. For this reason, we provided spacers for our magazines."

Also:
"--Magazines start out with ammo preferences and will in time also develop ammo preferences. A magazine designed to accommodate ball ammo invites rim lock and other feed failures with hollow points due to excessive front to back slop, and a magazine that is regularly used with a particular type of ammunition will adapt to form a liking for that configuration just as shoes eventually adjust to a pair of feet."
(This statement seems a bit odd to me)

So the mag 'spacer' limits the room in the mag to keep the SilverTip ammo from shuffling back and forth,,better reliability?
FMJ rds are therefore generally too long (OAL) for the mag with the spacer in place?.

Why doesn't this issue come up in the .25acp version when using HP, FMJ different bullet styles/lengths.

The Seecamp is designed around the Czech Vz45, a straight DA only .25acp pistol. No safety, slide latch, buttons, etc,,and no sights. They function perfectly with any ammo I've put through them.

What is it about the 32acp that makes the design go ammo specific.

The 32 (and the 380) are both a delayed blowback design. The 25 is not.
The former 2 have (or orig had?) a groove cut in the chamber for the fired brass to grab on to for an instant upon firing to slow the action down a bit.
Same idea that Colt used in their 38spcl Target 1911A1 target pistols.

Just some thoughts.
I never bought one for myself. They were the Must Have mouse gun back when they first came out that's for sure.
I still have a Cz45 (25acp) and that'll do for being small, reliable and very easy to shoot accurately.

Nice discussion. I appreciate the photos, , personal experience info and tech talk.

 

[Wickerboots]

The NAA Guardian is a great alternative to the Seecamp. Sold my NAA for a S&W bg380, but now thinking of eliminating 380acp from my stock in favor of more 38sp. I can push a j-frame twice as far as any 380 I’ve tried.

 

[Law-dog]

Back in the 1990s I remember cops paying $1000 for one as they were hard to get.

That was the common price. Mine is marked special edition, but I have no idea what that means. Anybody know? It was purchased around 1998 or so.

 

[Malkovich]

While I fully recognize the Seecamp has sort of a cult following, I just have a hard time understanding why in today's day and age it still does. Yes, it is small and compact but only holds 6+1 in 380acp. It has no sights, is unreliable with most readily available ammunition, magazines often need specialized factory fitting and they are hard to shoot well.

In contrast Ruger makes the new and improved LCP Max in 380 which weighs 10.5 ounces, comes with both a 10 and 12 round magazine, has excellent night sights, is totally reliable with almost any ammunition available, is accurate, readily available for about $400+ and new spare magazines fit perfectly right out of the box.

I have shot (friend guns) both the Seecamp .32 and .380 but could never get them to work for more than a few rounds in a row due to ammunition difficulties. Sometimes you just can't find the recommended Silvertips or a couple of other specific rounds people say work. In contrast the Ruger LCP Max eats anything and works!

So while the Seecamp has been a popular cult-like pistol for decades now, I still scratch my head in search for the reason why...... I am not saying the Seecamp isn't a well made, smooth, sort of neat little gun - got that, but today it is just my own opinion there are much better and more viable choices out there with a whole lot less on the negative side. And let's face facts, the Seecamp is strictly for SD purposes and needs reliability with readily available ammo.

If memory serves me right, the Seecamp owners manual calls for specific ammo or it indicated ammo restrictions.
If that’s the case, then unless a user had FTFs or other malfunctions with the Seecamp approved ammo, it wouldn’t be fair to discuss reliability shortcomings.

 

[Rimfire Fanatic]

While I fully recognize the Seecamp has sort of a cult following, I just have a hard time understanding why in today's day and age it still does. Yes, it is small and compact but only holds 6+1 in 380acp. It has no sights, is unreliable with most readily available ammunition, magazines often need specialized factory fitting and they are hard to shoot well.

In contrast Ruger makes the new and improved LCP Max in 380 which weighs 10.5 ounces, comes with both a 10 and 12 round magazine, has excellent night sights, is totally reliable with almost any ammunition available, is accurate, readily available for about $400+ and new spare magazines fit perfectly right out of the box.

I have shot (friend guns) both the Seecamp .32 and .380 but could never get them to work for more than a few rounds in a row due to ammunition difficulties. Sometimes you just can't find the recommended Silvertips or a couple of other specific rounds people say work. In contrast the Ruger LCP Max eats anything and works!

So while the Seecamp has been a popular cult-like pistol for decades now, I still scratch my head in search for the reason why...... I am not saying the Seecamp isn't a well made, smooth, sort of neat little gun - got that, but today it is just my own opinion there are much better and more viable choices out there with a whole lot less on the negative side. And let's face facts, the Seecamp is strictly for SD purposes and needs reliability with readily available ammo.

NAA has a 380 clone that’s a little bigger and a 32 as well. LGS has the 380 for $430.00. The 380 holds six. I make holsters so I don’t have to worry about finding one for it.

 

[ARgon]

Always wished they had made a 22.

 

[tlawler]

You guys are all enablers! I think about my former Seecamps sometimes when I follow posts like these. I haven’t thought about getting another for a couple of years after one I was looking at got sold.

So now I just happened to look and found a Milford from 1994 that comes with two mags, some nice holsters, a nice Seecamp factory mag pouch, and two boxes of silvertips. He’s asking $600, and if I could talk him down to $550, it doesn’t seem like too bad of a deal.

Yeah, count me in as one of the Seecamp cult

 

[ARgon]

You guys are all enablers! I think about my former Seecamps sometimes when I follow posts like these. I haven’t thought about getting another for a couple of years after one I was looking at got sold.

So now I just happened to look and found a Milford from 1994 that comes with two mags, some nice holsters, a nice Seecamp factory mag pouch, and two boxes of silvertips. He’s asking $600, and if I could talk him down to $550, it doesn’t seem like too bad of a deal.

Yeah, count me in as one of the Seecamp cult

Jump on that, ole boy!!