Kel tec p32

[bigdee]

Looking for small pocket pistol. Must be small and tame and the kel tec .32 looks appealing. Anyone have this gun? Was first interested in a SCCY CBX2 but 9mm might be a bit snappy for one hand use.

 

[gm280]

bigdee, I can understand you want something tame enough, but seriously, if you ever have to actually use any gun as a self defense weapon, the "tame" issue will never come into play. And I would go for at least a 9mm then anything of lesser capability. But that is just my opinion. If you practice with any gun, you will eventually come to get use to it and it will not be strange or bothersome after a short time. I mean if you are seriouly going to pull the trigger, you want it to have a serious effect on the thug. JMHO

 

[RobertThoreson]

I have the lc380 from ruger. I love it but like gm said, 9mm is the smallest I would use for actual defense. The lc9/380's are some of the best in my opinion and I did ALOT of reserching b4 buying. But as for size, a 9mm has very little snap. Proper grip and even the big guns are comfortable.

 

[Tnstratofam]

I also have the Ruger LCP 380. It is a good concealable pocket pistol. I wear it in an ankle holster and have a sticky holster that can be worn in the waistband or conceals nicely in a pocket. I also have a North American Arms Black Widow in 22 Magnum. It is very concealable however it is a very" Up close and personal" close range pistol as it has such a short barrel.

My every day carry is a Kahr CW 45. The LCP and the Black Widow are backup weapons 99% of the time. The rare times I can't carry my 45 or a 9mm the LCP fits the bill perfectly. I believe the Kel Tec 32 is also a good option for when carrying a larger framed less concealable pistol isn't practical

 

[bigdee]

bigdee, I can understand you want something tame enough, but seriously, if you ever have to actually use any gun as a self defense weapon, the "tame" issue will never come into play. And I would go for at least a 9mm then anything of lesser capability. But that is just my opinion. If you practice with any gun, you will eventually come to get use to it and it will not be strange or bothersome after a short time. I mean if you are seriouly going to pull the trigger, you want it to have a serious effect on the thug. JMHO

I have hipoint c9 for a house gun and recoil is not an issue,in fact i dont even notice it. A small 15oz gun with a two finger grip is what I have never tried before. I also shoot with only one hand.

 

[southkogs]

I've shot the Kel Tec once ... seemed like a nice gun. I've got a buddy who loves his. My "daily driver" is my LCP .380, but I have a Taurus 9mm that I can carry too.

 

[MTboatguy]

I would not choose a .32 for a defense weapon, my everyday carry is a compact .45 ACP, not much bigger than some of the .32's but carries more punch, my wife carries a 9mm and we both carry JHP ammo in them, both easy to shoot one handed and very accurate.

 

[bigdee]

I would not choose a .32 for a defense weapon, my everyday carry is a compact .45 ACP, not much bigger than some of the .32's but carries more punch, my wife carries a 9mm and we both carry JHP ammo in them, both easy to shoot one handed and very accurate.

The problem I have with the 9mm (along with being unpleasant to shoot) is printing through my pocket. I looked at the 9mm Diamondback but the reviews scared me away. I liked the SCCY CB2 but it is still larger than the .32. I carry 100% of the time, right now a PT22 when I need to conceal and a holstered Hipoint 9mm when on my property. Just trying to step up from .22 without being seen.

 

[Pusher]

Are you looking fr pocket carry or wasteband? I use the colt mustang xsp. Same as a kimber micro or a sig p238. The ruger lcp has a ton if kick so I'd stay away from thatbif I were you.

The keltec pf9 doesn't have much kick and is about as big as my 380.

The Sig's 9mm version of the p238 is about the same size.

If you go cheap for a taurus 738 tcp get the E model. I hear they're having good quality results.

Does shooting one handed mean you can't rack a slide?

You might check out national gun forum. We've had this exact discussion a few times.
You might also want to watch Shooting the Bull's youtubw videos on 380 rounds for penetration vs expansion. He shoots about 40 brands and makes to narrow it down to a top 4.

 

[bigdee]

I really like the SCCY CB2 9mm but don't know how well it will fit in my pocket. I guess I will have to try one on for size to see how how it fits. It is .5 inches longer than the 32 keltec and 1/4 wider.

 

[gm280]

Are you looking fr pocket carry or wasteband? I use the colt mustang xsp. Same as a kimber micro or a sig p238. The ruger lcp has a ton if kick so I'd stay away from thatbif I were you.

The keltec pf9 doesn't have much kick and is about as big as my 380.

The Sig's 9mm version of the p238 is about the same size.

If you go cheap for a taurus 738 tcp get the E model. I hear they're having good quality results.

Does shooting one handed mean you can't rack a slide?

You might check out national gun forum. We've had this exact discussion a few times.
You might also want to watch Shooting the Bull's youtubw videos on 380 rounds for penetration vs expansion. He shoots about 40 brands and makes to narrow it down to a top 4.

Pusher, how do you like your Colt Mustang? I use a SS Colt Pocket Nine that is out of production. It is a DA for all shots and I can carry 7 rounds with it. I bought a Sneak Pete waistband holster and it looks like a smartphone case. So even if I carrying it exposed, nobody really knows what it actually is. Doesn't even come close to looking like a gun case.

 

[MTboatguy]

I do have one other pistol I have carried at times and it is pretty small and that is a 9X19 Makarov, it is a nice shooting smaller pistol, the one I have is a Russian model and it is actually quite well made.

 

[Pusher]

I really like the Mustang. Mine's a polymer body SA with a safety switch on both sides so I always know when the safety is on. Those stainless slides do look good though I thought about getting one when I was shopping.

Funny thing is the XSP comes with an accessory rail but nobody makes accessories for that size rail yet.

 

[aspeck]

I had an instructor tell me that he RECOMMENDS .22 cal for younger shooters, women, and those with weaker wrists. a well placed .22 is more effective than a 9mm that is erratic. He also said if you have to shoot in self defense, you shoot till you hear clicking, change mag and start shooting again. HIS conceal carry gun is a .22. That said, I have an LCP .380 and I like the way it conceals, but I have trouble holding it because it is so small. I like a bigger, thicker handled handgun to shoot more accurately.

 

[gm280]

I had an instructor tell me that he RECOMMENDS .22 cal for younger shooters, women, and those with weaker wrists. a well placed .22 is more effective than a 9mm that is erratic. He also said if you have to shoot in self defense, you shoot till you hear clicking, change mag and start shooting again. HIS conceal carry gun is a .22. That said, I have an LCP .380 and I like the way it conceals, but I have trouble holding it because it is so small. I like a bigger, thicker handled handgun to shoot more accurately.

You are certainly correct. Anything that you can control is way better then a gun that you can hit the broad side of a barn with. And if that is a 22 rimfire, then so be it. Any gun is lethal if you can hit your mark. And never ever ever shoot to wound. If you have to pull a gun and use it, you shot to kill. Anything else will get you in serious trouble quicker then not having any protection. I just pray I really never have to experience such a serious situation, but I am ready if I have to.

 

[bigdee]

I had an instructor tell me that he RECOMMENDS .22 cal for younger shooters, women, and those with weaker wrists. a well placed .22 is more effective than a 9mm that is erratic. He also said if you have to shoot in self defense, you shoot till you hear clicking, change mag and start shooting again. HIS conceal carry gun is a .22. That said, I have an LCP .380 and I like the way it conceals, but I have trouble holding it because it is so small. I like a bigger, thicker handled handgun to shoot more accurately.

There are more people killed with the .22 than any other caliber. I agree with small and controllable, it is not a matter being intimidated by recoil...it is a fact that recoil on a small pistol will cause muzzle flip and the point of aim has to be corrected for the next shot. I like the .22 but the .32 is center fire with a little more punch. People talk about rimfire being unreliable but I have never had one fail to light off. The only problem I'm having with the 32 is ammo availability....never seen it in Walmart.
In a self defense situation I don't see myself having time to get into a two handed stance. A one hand point and shoot is the more realistic.
So i'm still undecided on what to trade my .22 for.....Keltec 32 or SCCY CBX 9mm.

 

[Pusher]

If you don't have time to shoot two handed you probably don't have time to rack a slide. That's why I carry with one in the chamber. If I didn't carry like that then I'd probably switch to a revolver.

If you want a sheet that compares 380's I made one up that you can sort by different criteria like length, width, height, action type, capacity. Just let me know how to send it.

 

[MTboatguy]

If you don't have time to shoot two handed you probably don't have time to rack a slide. That's why I carry with one in the chamber. If I didn't carry like that then I'd probably switch to a revolver.

If you want a sheet that compares 380's I made one up that you can sort by different criteria like length, width, height, action type, capacity. Just let me know how to send it.

That is why I like my .45 ACP, it is a double action, all I have to do is chamber a shell, slowly release the hammer to rest and if I get into a situation, all I have to do is pull the trigger, with the double action feature, I don't have to walk around with it cocked and hammer back. Nice little gun for carrying.

 

[bigdee]

If you don't have time to shoot two handed you probably don't have time to rack a slide. That's why I carry with one in the chamber. If I didn't carry like that then I'd probably switch to a revolver.

If you want a sheet that compares 380's I made one up that you can sort by different criteria like length, width, height, action type, capacity. Just let me know how to send it.

Thanks Pusher. Yeah, I always carry with one in chamber and hammer down on my Phoenix. My Taurus is DAO so it is safe to carry with one in the chamber and safety off. I have a striker fired Hipoint that I would NEVER carry with one in the chamber....it is my house gun. I would never carry any SA striker fired pistol in condition one. The SCCY I'm looking at is DOA with internal hammer that is always down until you pull the trigger....so very safe to pocket carry.

 

[gm280]

Most quality modern guns are designed so that they can be safely carried with a round chambered without any worry of it accidentally firing. Even dropping such guns won't set them off. But older guns have to be carefully checked before carrying them chambered.

I sadly true story about an older guns can be extremely unsafe. A guy in our hunting club (years ago when I still hunted religiously yet) was carrying a 45 long Colt pistol and while getting into a friend's truck as a passenger, the gun slide out of the holster and hit the ground on the hammer and fired the 45 LC cartridge hitting him just under his armpit. He was rushed to the hospital and survived, but it just shows how odd things like that can happen. One reason he lived was the fact that the old 45 LC rounds were very mild because of the metallurgy of the guns to hold high pressure rounds. If it was a 44 mag, he probably would have never made it. So if you don't know for absolute certain that your gun is safe to carry chambered, check it out first. JMHO