Pistols32

When a reader asks, "Which is the best gun for deep concealment?", or "Is there a good self-defense gun out there with limited recoil?", our minds immediately turn to guns chambered for 32 Auto (32 ACP).We understand that many, or most, GT readers would wonder about the 32s power, or lack of same, and that concern was addressed in one part of our test. Beside bench-shooting for accuracy, we also created an action test that focused on what these guns would most likely be used for-that is, rapid fire at little more than contact distance.In formulating our procedure, we took several factors into account. In close quarters there may be little or no opportunity to apply a support hand. Indeed, the hand opposite of the one holding the gun may be busy fending off a blow, the slash of a knife or, pushing back on the body of the assailant. Therefore, we decided to shoot this drill strong hand only.The target was placed 9 feet away, and we relied primarily upon point shooting. Three strings would be attempted, making note of accuracy and the elapsed time between shots (split times). Our target was an IDPA-style cardboard silhouette featuring an 8-inch-diameter circle in the upper "chest" area. We aimed for the middle of the circle.Start position was with the gun held in the right hand of our test shooter just below the point of aim with finger off the trigger. We decided that each string of fire should require that we empty a full magazine into the target. This speaks to the lower available power of 32 ACP, which in most cases produced less than 100 foot-pounds of muzzle energy.Our test guns in this and other assessments were the $361 Kel-Tec P32PK, an extremely lightweight Parkerized unit; the $573 Walther USA PPK, and the Taurus PT132SSP, $436 with stainless-steel slide. The Kel-Tec was the smallest and could be carried in a pocket holster. The Walther pistol was bigger and heavier but still easy to conceal. The Taurus offered the most capacity.Each gun was tested for accuracy from a sandbag rest. Test ammunition was American Eagle 71-grain TMJs, 60-grain Winchester Silvertip HP, and Speer Gold Dot 60-grain GDHP rounds. We had intended to limit testing of the Kel-Tec to a distance of 7 yards. But when we saw it print sub-1-inch groups, we decided to shoot the P32PK from 15 yards side by side with the Walter and the Taurus.Heres what we found:

In this test we look at semi-automatic pistols that are small enough to fit into one's pocket and avoid detection. One such pistol is the proven Kel-Tec P32. Because that gun fared well in a previous test of pocket pistols (October 2001), we wanted to see how the parent company's slightly larger model in .380 ACP, the Kel-Tec P3AT, fared against the .32. To round out the field, we also tested another .32, this one a pistol from Guardian North American Arms in a proprietary cartridge, the .32NAA.

Naturally, we wanted to find out how reliable these guns were. We also wondered how much difference the round would make in this specific application, and we had questions about concealment and deployment. Is pocket carry safe? Under what conditions would these guns likely prove to be a valuable asset? Would these pistols convince us to buy into the concept of pocket pistols, or would we find too many liabilities for their owners to live with?

Here's what we learned:

Kel-Tec's $295 P32 is a modern alternative to the Derringer, as is the $368 Beretta Alley Cat. But to our eyes, Walther's $499 PP is a durable icon with greater potential.

A major trend in pistols today is toward increased stopping power — the bigger the bullet, the better. This thinking, however, leaves a number of smaller cartridges and some otherwise good handguns sitting on the shelf.

The .32 ACP is one of those calibers which has been gathering dust, especially in the United States. Although it is still fairly popular in Europe, it has nearly been replaced by the more powerful .380 ACP in this country.

A minor comeback seems to be in progress for the .32 cartridge, as a number of handgun manufacturers have started offering pistols to exploit its capabilities. One of the few advantages the .32 ACP has over the .380 ACP is that it can be fired in sm...

In the January 1999 issue of Gun Tests, we gave you an evaluation of three .32 ACP pocket pistols made by Seecamp, Beretta, and North American Arms. Recently Autauga Arms, Inc., entered the pocket .32 pistol market with a bang, and we think the company's 32 Mark II is a winner.

This Prattville, AL-based company offers a stainless-steel, double-action-only semiautomatic with no bells and whistles. You chamber a round and that's it. The gun is all ready to go. Simply pull the trigger, which requires about 8 pounds of pressure, and the little gun fires each of its six-plus-one shots reliably, and with all the accuracy anyone would want.

Autauga is no newcomer to guns, having made precisi...