Believe it or not, there are still a few .32 ACP pistols still being made and ammunition for, them too. The .32 ACP was once one of the most popular concealed carry and law enforcement rounds sold, though its inadequacies have become more evident in the modern era.
I wouldn’t suggest .32 ACP semi-auto pistol for concealed carry, and neither would most personal defense experts, if you have any choice in the matter. A .32 pistol will work in a pinch, of course, but so will .22 LR, though you probably don’t want to rely on that.
Shot placement, as always, matters most, but the evidence has been in for some time that .380 ACP is generally considered the bare minimum for a self-defense gun if you can’t carry a 9mm.
But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a market for guns chambered in 7.62mm Browning. Not only are they small and light recoiling, there are some seriously collectible (and cool!) guns in this chambering. For the collector and enthusiast (and the carrier, too), there are some great guns out there.
Here are six .32 ACP pistols that are well worth a look.
Primus inter pares among .32 ACP pistols is and always will be the Colt Model 1903, a single-action semi-automatic pistol with a shrouded hammer. Originally called the Pocket Hammerless, it was designed by John Moses Browning during his tenure at Colt.
It was a very popular carry pistol in the early 20th century in the US and elsewhere, as it found global adoption for civilians, police and military officers. (Al Capone, John Dillinger, and both Bonnie and Clyde were fans.)
If you can’t afford a collectible original Colt 1903, US Armament Corp. began manufacturing them under license a few years ago, so you can actually buy a new one, though it will cost you. MSRP starts at $1275.
Of course, if you want to get deep into collecting, there are a couple of fantastic German models to keep an eye out for.
The Walther PP pistol series was first offered in .32 ACP (labeled 7.65mm Kurz) and issued in this chambering to numerous police officers and later to military personnel as well as the Nazi high command. (Hitler killed himself with one, which is a pretty good reason to own one.)
The PPK was also famously the concealed carry pistol of choice of James Bond. These days, Walther prefers to sell them chambered in .380 and .22 LR, but vintage models can be found in .32 ACP as well.
A related design is the SIG SAUER P230 and P232, which are basically PPK clones though they are slightly larger for better control. SIG made them mostly for plainclothes police, but it did gain some traction in the US concealed carry market.
Just like the PPK, the two-tone stainless finish P230 and .380 P232 are hammer-fired DA/SA subcompact. But unlike the PPK, they have SIG’s de-cocking lever on the grip instead of Walther’s slide-mounted de-cocking safety. Models in .32 ACP are more rare, but since the P232 was in production until 2014, you shouldn’t have trouble sourcing one.
The Beretta 81FS is still in very much in production, marketed as the Cheetah, though .380 models are easier to find that .32 ACP/7.62mm. The 81 is a double-stack compact, though a single-stack with thinner grip (the 82) can be found on the used market. It holds 12+1 of .32, with Beretta’s operating system.
It’s basically a ⅞ scale 92FS, replete with the open-top barrel and slide-mounted ambi de-cocking safeties. The Beretta 3032 Tomcat can also be had in this chambering if you prefer a topo pistola.
Of course, some people just want a light weight .32 caliber pistol that goes “bang” and don’t care about history or collectibility. If that’s you, Kel-Tec still makes the P-32 pocket pistol, a polymer-framed internal-hammer double action only mouse guns that holds 7+1 rounds of .32 ACP. The Kel-Tec P-32 has reduced pull weight of under 6 lbs, a decent trigger and a tiny 2.7-inch barrel length. MSRP is an affordable $325, but you’ll find them at retail for a song.
Any other .32 ACP pistols you feel should be added to the list? Sound off in the comments!
Others to be added to the list would be:
Mauser hsc
Sauer 38h
FN Browning 1910/1922
CZ 27
FN Browning 1900
Spanish Ruby (eibar)
Beretta 1935
CZ 50&70
Zastava cz70
I’d also add the H&K HK4, H&K P7K3, the Browning Model 1955 (Browning USA’s FN1910), the Remington Model 51 (the Pedersen-designed one, manufactured during the inter-war period), the Ortgies, and the FÉG 7.65mm AP-MBP (Hungary’s version of the PPK with an aluminum-titanium alloy frame).
For NFA items, the original Welrod and the Škorpion vz. 61 are very, very cool.
what can i say i do love my little Veritable “EXPRESS” FOR THE 7.65mm Belgium made she is nice little shooter after a day with the colt model 1889 38da.
I have the Beretta 81 and the Kel-Tec P32. Love them both. I also have the CZ-70, which is as close as I’ll probably get to a .32 version of the Walther PP/PPK (Land O’Goshen, those things are hard to find and expensive when you do!) Would love to have a Colt Pocket Hammerless. 7.65×17 FTW.
BTW, don’t forget the Seecamp. Superb little .32.
I second the Seecamp.
Agreed. Should have been in Top 6.
How the Seecamp didn’t make it on this list is a mystery.
Rookie, not sure I’d bet my life on a Kel-Tec. Never owned one but several friends have. All had problems. The .380 Jimmy carried had the mainspring break, not on the range, but while carrying it. The scary thing is he didn’t know it until he went to the range again with his daughter. He replaced the mainspring. The same thing happened again. He tossed it in a drawer and bought a S&W 642. Casey, Noel and others have had similar experiences.
Logically, Thuggy Boo Boo would love an unreliable Kel Tec for safety reasons because he’s mostly going to be stuffing it down his pants or using it for show and tell.
My used Keltec PF9 never malfunctioned but hurt like he!! to shoot even with a Handall Jr. Wildly inaccurate too(my similar sized Taurus 709 is great). The P32 feels like a toy but it’d work in a deep conceal. No plans on accquiring a 32 but who know’s…
I have a Kel Tec 32, and Keltec 9mm. They have been 100% reliable. Sold the 9mm, The 32 lives in the safe.
It is small and light, kicks hard.
I don’t carry it, I have plenty of 9mm Glocks.
Semi auto Scorpion in 32 should make a comeback, with brace.
Non NFA Welrod in 32 would be cool
https://content.osgnetworks.tv/firearmsnews/content/photos/cold-war-pdw-the-czech-vz-61-skorpion-24-770×513.jpg
Gadsden,
Fair point. I’m not generally a fan of KT products, but the P32 impressed the heck out of me when I reviewed it for TTAG (it’s linked in the article, but I’ll post it below). It’s not my EDC, but I do trust it enough for pocket carry for quick runs to the store, gas station and other “no excuses for not carrying” situations.
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/gun-review-kel-tec-p32-32-acp-semi-automatic-pistol/
Rookie, but why? When there are so many more reliable, and powerful, handguns that carry just as well in a pocket.
“When there are so many more reliable, and powerful, handguns that carry just as well in a pocket.”
If S&W come up with a pocket version of their “Bone Crusher” .500 revolver, I may have to draw down some savings, despite the Colonel’s $500 annual firearms budget.
Bought a pp at the rod and gun club on a German barracks carried it home in my whole baggage. Was burgled in Kileen Tx and it was stolen. The guy said good luck we can replace your gun we’ll give you 500 and I said tell me where you can buy a walther pp built in Ulm Germany for 500 and line me up a dozen of them. He paid 1100 that was in 87.
Make sure to read up on .32 rim lock before you go in whole hog on this caliber. It’s a pain in the neck to fix. There are some good hacks online for the Kel-Tec magazines. Never mix different length cartridges in a magazine, stay away from the shorter cartridges, even if they are more powerful for concealed carry, they can cause a rim lock. Ask me how I know….
I had that very problem in my P32 with Underwood Extreme Cavitators. Rounds chambered fine, but when they rimlocked in the mag I couldn’t get them unstuck without disassembling the magazine.
I still keep a Cavitator in the pipe of my P32, but the mag is strictly FMJ. Preferably Fiocchi.
The Underwood Cavitators were slightly shorter than the Lehigh XC. As it happend, the XCs are out of production, replaced by Extreme Defender.
My p32 runs that round fine the Tomcat is the one that won’t cycle that round.
I been carrying a P32 as my off duty carry, never had a problem with rimlock or reliability. Though this isn’t something u will go out and fire a 100 rounds with.
I guess there is no love for the Seecamp 32
“Another model to Czech out is…”
*snicker*… 🙂
Yes, the above comment is really stupid. But what you have to understand that Geoff the Goof has never known the pleasures of a woman.
Only .32 ACP I ever owned was a Beretta Tomcat. Never fired it. The idea of carrying a .32 was so alien to me I just sold the thing. Did own a Pocket Hammerless too. 1908 in .380. Martial markings. Mint. Stole it for $400. Strictly investment. Never carried/shot. Traded it to a friend for my first 03A3. Let me see, pistol in weak caliber, or rifle in strong caliber? No brainer.
Good thing you never fired it, worked on one a couple weeks ago and of course test fired it. Good lord! I’ve fired .45’s that didn’t kick as bad. That little tiny thing kicked like a damn Mule!
My biggest complaint with the Tomcat was the trigger pull. Horrible.
Compared to the DA on my PP, its buttery soft.
It could just be the one that I had. My pp was better. My effing Sigma was better. And that was a whole nother system. My Makarov was better.
Someone rigged a Trigger Pull Gauge to hold the tiny gun and it measured 10.5 DA and 5.5 SA.
Do you think a good gunsmith could shave a couple of pounds off that?
1900, 1910, and 1922 Brownings
1907 Savage
Before this China flue BS hit, I was going to buy the Beretta 81FS. The European import surplus guns are very cheap. Price wise.
Yes, i bought a Cheetah in .32 last winter on Classic, police trade-in, super solid pistol, very reliable, in excellent condition, functions flawlessly. I don’t carry it but i like having it and shoot it fairly often. Wouldn’t hesitate to let a loved one use it for self defense. I imagine they still have them, I may buy another.
A .32 might be the right step-up from my .22 Neos plinker. But none of the listed pistols looks as futuristic.
32 ACP CAN be a viable Self-Defense round. Yes, many/most factory HP/JHP loads under penetrate as per FBI recommendations. But an SD concealed carry gun isn’t supposed to pull the duties and FBI agent would want from their sidearm. It is meant to allow the defendee to break the dangerous situation and leave. In that, even non expanding FMJ AND slightly under penetrating HPs are more than sufficient.
AND, if we look at rounds, like Underwood’s Xtreme Defender, you get FBI penetration depths AND large wound cavities, making it more than capable.
Because, for some of us older people, with Arthritis, Carpel Tunnel and other kick averse maladies, 380 ACP, PARTICULARLY in small pocket/mouse guns can be too much. I don’t mean for the actual SD situation, as that is do what it takes to survive. But, we should all train, regularly with every gun we carry. That takes rounds down range, and THAT is where that kick and these maladies come into play.
Even your own article bears out that the Underwood loads are good SD rounds, and these are the old cavitator bullet, not the new, improved defender bullet, that fixes the rare feed issues of the older shape.
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/ammo-review-lehigh-underwood-make-32-acp-great/
Can’t believe no one’s mentioned the absolute most fun .32 pistol ever…
https://cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/IMG_5911-e1514406361459-513×513.jpg
Yes, even the non-NFA version is a hell of a good time. If you’re not a purist, there’s an adapter to mount an FS1913 brace (and even if you are it doesn’t require any permanent modifications), and if you don’t mind spending $200 for a permission slip, it’s very easy to SBR with the original wire stock.
Don’t take my word for it, TTAG thinks so too:
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/gun-review-czech-small-arms-sa-vz-61-pistol-threaded-barrel/
Aren’t most of us laying in supplies for SHFT rather than collecting things less useful for that? Since Feb, I consider ‘will I likely really benefit this?’ on every purchase I make. I gave up on a .50BMG for that reason. It was just too low on the list. I hope I get to it and back to collecting guns someday though.
Nah, if I need more than I currently have for SHTF, S will have well and truly HTF and no amount of small-arms ammo will be sufficient. Now’s the time to pick up the fun things that were previously hard to find, but now aren’t moving because people are only buying things that are useful for SHTF purposes.
I am trying to stock up on things like prescriptions (beyond 90days supply). I already have solar and wind power enough to run the house, more than a year’s worth of food, improved my door frames, doors an locks, cameras lights etc. One almost certainly can’t likely survive the worst case scenario but you can up to some point approaching it. I am trying to push closer to that point and consider that my spending priority for at least a few more months. “But that’s me, I am an aggressive gambler – “Mr. Vegas””.
I’ve had the 1903 Colt and the Walther pp. For shooting I preferred the Colt. I’m pretty sure the Walther was a safer carry gun. Mine was a West German police surplus model for less than 2 bills. Fun gun to play with.
Let us not forget that guns can be fun and recreational. They don’t all have to be combat kit.
I’ve never seen a .32 ACP CZ83. Mine, and all of the other 83’s that I’ve handled, is a .380.
It uses the same mags as the CZ82 which is 9mm Mak.
They are out there. In a different century on a different continent I carried one for five years.
I have 2 CZ 83’s 1 in .380 and now 1 in .32. The .32 is awesome to shoot, I prefer it over the .38. The CZ 83 is a underrated pistol, it has a lot going for it
I really enjoy shooting my grandfather’s 1903 Colt. I take it out and shoot it about once a year. Beautiful pistol. It was manufactured in 1921.
I cannot believe you ignored the Beretta Tomcat. I’ll take it over the p-32 any day as a bug.
Go to skouke, lern to reed. J/k, But it’s in there.
Kicks like a mule though!
I bought a North American Arms Seecamp clone when they first came out, along with Win Silver Tips to use in it. It came with a cordura belt bag/holster for “discreet” carry, like no one would know wth it was…It’s still sitting in the “holster” on my reloading bench and been there for years, though I don’t remember why. Certainly a dozen other guns I’d grab first if I was in the basement, along with my carry piece.
I thought the little NAA would be a good carry gun when my Colt Officer’s ACP was too big. Man, that was a long time ago. The Colt is so much heavier than my current Sig P365. The Officer’s ACP seems like it weighs a ton. And I’ll bet the little NAA weighs as much as my P365, seems to. They are/were(?) very well machined and finished.
“hoober” and “best” do not belong in the same sentence. They are mutually exclusive.
Ive shot a couple of hundred rds thru my p-32 with not problems also have a feg in 32 its better to have a 32 with ammo than a nine or 45 and cant find ammo for it
I have a PP and a Beretta 81. Great pistols – lots of fun.
Are they my go-to for defense? No, but few people will line up to be shot by one.
I have a little ammo for them- just in case. Pretty quiet if you had to shoot indoors.
With the current climate, 32 acp is some of the only ammo I see online. New shooters may do well to find a Beretta 81 and hunt some extra mags.
I will get a Stainless Tomcat if I can pounce quick enough when I see them for 350.
Would love for Beretta to make a poly frame Tomcat with 10+ rounds. It would replace my LCP.
You can find extended magazines for the Tomcat that will give you 10 rounds. Plus, one added advantage of having a 10 round mag in a Tomcat – is that it extends below the bottom of the grip
and gives guys with big hands a much better grip area on the pistol
I carry the NAA Guardian as a backup. Nice little pocket gun and shoots well although it can be a bit painful to shoot. Also have an exc Beretta 81 Cheetah in 32 acp. I bought from Classic Firearms for about 225.00 last year. Exc nice shooting little pistol!
Bad, Bad , Leroy Brown had fun with his.
Yep, and the razor in his shoe as well.
I approve of this thread. Jim Croce was awesome.
9/20-73 is robert n. elliott day.
Oh yes, wait a minute Mister Po-leasman
Wait Mister Po-leasman
Please Mister Po-leasman, look and see
(Oh yeah)
If there’s a warrant in your bag for me
(Please, Please Mister Po-leasman)
Why’s it takin’ such a long time
(Oh yeah)
To get caught for that crime of mine
There must be some word today
From DA so far away
Please Mister Po-leasman, look and see
If there’s a warrant, a warrant for me
I’ve been standin’ here waitin’ Mister Po-leasman
So patiently
For just a cop, or just a SWAT Team
Sayin’ I been oh so mean.
So many days you passed me by
An’ I kept saying, “Come an’ try”.
You didn’t stop to make me in
Or try to drag into hail again.
(Mister Po-leasman)
Mister Po-leasman, look and see
(Oh yeah)
If there’s a warrant in your bag for me
(Please, Please Mister Po-leasman)
have a Walther PP in 32acp. has good weight, 8 plus one, and really flat. very controllable, and I dont share the concerns that many have about caliber, as it was said , shot placement is king .I did have one rimlock problem once but I just pay more attention when loading and tap the mags . used in close, I have no concerns about it being able to stop someone. I do usually carry a 38 snub, but this gun comes out , gets carried. and with its low recoil I know I can place my shots. and I dont have to worry about it going through 3 of everything that is in front of it. now if you will excuse me, I am going back on you tube to watch more Garbage videos, because I never get tired of hearing them , and never get tired of hearing and seeing Shirley Manson.good day everyone.
Just a quick observation. Shouldn’t it be 7.65, not 7.62, as the author states in the article?
Yes. Yes, it should. But if that was the worst mistake mr. Hoober posted on this site…. [waves hand].
Inherited from my father
Savage Model 1915, 32 caliber
The Beretta 81 has a frame mounted safety and is not a de-cocker.
Yes the “powers that be” want you to arm yourselves with sub caliber armn’s. The push was made with the 5.56, and the 9mm. The author should think about some stuff before promoting the disarming of America. Old Slow Joe aint getting my vote but a 12 gauge with both barrels going off at once is a gut blowing, heads off, broke my finger Killer. So he’s right on that, only not how to use it
I have the Beretta 81 in .32 and .380. Also a Ortgies in .32.
No Tomcat?
There’s also the Beretta Model 90. Another copy of the Walther PP design. Beretta used an alloy frame and added slide release. It’s got beautiful lines, it might even predates the Sig P230 seires. To me, the sig’s are more like copies of the Beretta model 90. Cheers.
I love how people that have never owned a p32 always feel the need to put down the little pistol. I’ll put in the necessary disclaimer that everybody deems necessary when talking about owning a “lowly” Keltec pistol. I guess they feel that you’re a noob if you own a Keltec so need to prove your manhood by claiming to own others. Yes I have many other more expensive handguns and long guns. I either own or have owned multiple guns in almost every caliber under .500. And guess what pistol gets the most carry time? Yes, the little Keltec p-32.
And let me tell you why. Using fmj it is flawless in decades of use. I have a gen 1 from around 1999-2000. I just replace springs every few years. I’ve had many .380s and no matter what any of them say, they’re all heavier, and have way more recoil and at least one less round than the p32. And ballistically, a 32acp fmj will penetrate as good or better than a 380 defensive round and will tumble in the target. And fmj does not tend to rimlock. I’ve never had it happen in many years of carry.
The Keltec p32 is sooooo light. You literally do not know it is there. I can carry it in my gym shorts when walking my dogs and don’t even feel it then. It’s also a very natural pointer. The gen 1 with the angled slide actually has quite usable sights. And with the lack of recoil, follow up shots are waaay easier than 380 or a pocket 9..
Are there more powerful, better guns? Yes, and I own many. But I’m not going out to start ww3. I just want something on me that if someone is trying to harm me, I can pull out, and create separation from that situation. I am confident that my p32 will accomplish that. I can honestly say after many years, it’s my favorite little pistol to carry.
Jeffrey, I could have written the same post as you. A couple tweaks: I fight rust on that thing, due to the way I carry and I never have replaced the spring. Bought this in ‘08 – no problems with it operating. Nobody wants to leak.
Why no mention of shooting 32 acp in an appropriate 32 revolver? The cartridge fits.
What about the Taurus PT132?
Tanfoglio/FIE Super Titan II double stack 12+1 SA/DA, absolute gem
Bersa Lusber is a beauty, has a top rail on the slide, love it
NAA Guardian with the flush 10+1 extended mag, pretty sweet pocket pistol, high cap Seecamp-esque
Taurus 132, from the not so distant past
Love my nickel CZ VZ 61 Scorpion with black furniture
I am very hopeful to acquire a Crvena Zastava Mod 83, been on the wishlist a while. The 70 I had was absurdly accurate, any ammo, filthy condition, lackadaisical grip/positioning; nothing could keep that soldier from hitting what I aimed it at, solid groupings always. Also on the dream list; a fully engraved Cheetah. I love .32 ACP. I wish Glock would manufacture one, or somebody, anybody a conversion kit. Kel-Tec has more of a love/hate issue than Taurus, but I enjoyed the P32, never had an issue.
Has anybody heard of a 32 cal double action made by Forehand and Wadsworth made before 1891
Google the name and you’ll find a number of articles, including the one linked here. https://gundigest.com/more/classic-guns/forehand-wadsworth-other-guys-deserve-mention
Generally speaking, they were serviceable revolvers during a period when concealed carry was commonplace and many (non-gun) people liked to keep a small revolver handy.
CZ VZ 61 Scorpion! Taurus PT-132, Ortgies, Bersa Lusber, Super Titan II (12+1 double stack), Seecamp, Berettav 3032 Tomcat, l NAA Guardian. The CZ 70 I had was one of the most absurdly accurate and no maintenance pistols. Man do I miss it snd want a CZ-83. Crvena Zastava and Beretta (Cheetah) both offered and produced a good amount of gorgeous fully engraved modestly priced versions. The iconic CZ Scorpion SMG in semi-auto was just over $700 brand new in nickel plated form with like 10 25 rd mags from Bud’s in the mid-late ’00s. .32 ACP is an. underestimated and viable round, Lucky Gunner had a great piece on this with proper and thorough science and proof. Would love a 232 also. My grandfather brought back a Belgian .32 from WWII from a factory commandeered by the nazis he must have taken off the corpse of an SS scumbag, leather holsteelr with spare mag compartment with matching serial and mint condition. It has the small naxi stampings beneath the slide, eagle w/ swadtika insignia, etc. My mind recalls maybe FN, believe it was an Ortgies upgrade
I got a P-32 because it was the smallest lightest semi-auto in a somewhat-substantial caliber larger than .22 or .25, at the time. Then I got the P3AT before Ruger copied it. The P-32 was apparently appealing enough to somebody to steal it. Ser# 24805, stolen in 2013, $100.00 reward.
Yes, the CZ 83 is great, or so I am told. I purchased one and the seller did not send .32 ACP mags, but mags for the .380 version. Now I am trying to source one or two in .32 ACP but they are next near impossible to find. Anyone know where I can get one or two? All websites that are legit are out of stock. Only websites that claim to have them are not legit. So I am open to any and all suggestions. Thanks!
Have you tried the dealer locater at https://cz-usa.com/dealers/locate-a-dealer/ ?
I have the P32, Baretta 81, CZ-70, but one not mentioned is a very sturdy and reliable Zastava M-70. It looks and functions like a mini Torkarev.
The Italian Police Beretta Model 81 is one of the sturdiest .32’s ever made. Legendary reliability and way too cool not to have… Load it hot, no problem. Former police guns were still being sold occasionally in excellent condition a few years ago at very attractive prices though I haven’t seen them lately.. Ladies might have an issue, not because of recoil but the large nature of the weapon made for larger hands.. 12 plus one magazines is one reason they are stout..
I have a Bernardelli Model 60 in .32 ACP. Conceals easily, points naturally, and shoots accurately despite the sights. Handles only FMJ’s reliably though.
I have and still carry a 32 acp pocket pistol for close range defense. Yes, I also use 380’s but sometimes my KelTec or NAA Guardian fits into my EDC better. I still believe the little 32 is as effective as the 380 in a very short barreled pocket pistol. However, in a larger piece, I’ll use a 380, especially one with a double column magazine.
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