Kel Tec P-32 & Others:

In 1895 Theodore Roosevelt moved to New York as reforming Police Commissioner and one of his first acts was to make the Colt New Police Revolver in 32 S&W Long the standard issue side-arm.

Massad Ayoob, police officer, trainer and author proudly writes in 'Greatest Handguns of The World' that his fathers Colt New Police .32" was the first gun he ever fired when aged eleven.

- But Jeff Cooper is no fan of anything less than the .45" .. in his 1960s 'Fighting Handguns' he writes ".. the anaemic .32 auto pistol cartridge is the most popular handgun round ever built." 

- Mind you - Cooper calls the Military Mauser "a pipsqueak" - The Kentucky Rifle "slow, low powered & fragile" and the Peacemaker "is rather light for a serious sidearm."  - Don't you love a man with an opinion?

I do understand that the .32" calibre is no "Buffalo Gun".

Way back in 1899 John Moses Browning patented the .32" 'Automatic Colt Pistol' cartridge that is also known as the 7.65 Browning or 32 Auto.

He developed this round to power his first ever semi-auto 'pocket' pistol. This concealed hammer pistol was first made by Colt and carried the patent date April 20 1897 - while later examples had the additional patent date December 22 1903. (The 'M1903' pistol was made up till 1945).

Colt M1903 Component Parts.

Now, there will be some of you already mouthing a cruel sneer at the very thought of this much derided "mouse-gun" calibre. - But wait - there's more!

Police Forces (& Military) throughout the world carried small pistols in this calibre without complaint for decades.

32acp Colt M1903 (Early Ones Had Four Inch Barrels)

NZ Police Commissioner Walter Dinnie introduced .32" calibre guns (Colts, Brownings  and Webleys) into service in 1903 - and NZ Police did not change-up to the larger calibre .38" S&W for the Armed Offenders Squad until 1964.

Today the Kel Tec P-32 is still popular in USA for pocket carry or to keep in an 'inside-the-waistband' holster:

- Or a shoulder bag ..

32acp 'Muddy Girl' Kel Tec P-32.

- Yeah , that's funny-cute - but what about when it's loaded at 970 ft.per sec. with ...

Or - 'All Copper' expanding pills ..

Yeah I do know that "bigger is better" - and there are times when I might feel under-gunned even carrying a 10mm Glock G20 - say in an ambush combat action in a desert gully "somewhere in the middle east".

- But you can't always have on you (even where permitted!) - the exactly appropriate tool for the job - Indeed in some  countries you are specifically banned by law from even thinking about having such a tool or the need for it!

How about a nice "Classic" Walther PP in 7.65x17mm (.32acp)

8+1 capacity weighing in at 660gm ( 23oz)?

The above "PP" (Polizeipistole or 'police pistol') is (like other .32" "mouse guns") a blow-back design that seems to be renowned for reliable operation.

Or the even more compact 7+1 Walther PPK (Polizeipistole Kriminalemodell - Police Pistol Criminal (Detective) Model above.

Maybe I need to remind folk that the handguns permitted for sporting purposes here in NZ have to have barrels longer than 4 inches (4"- Good guns.  3.875"- Bad Guns")

SP101 Four Inch Six Shot 327 Federal Magnum - That's so Pretty..

Now it would be rude of me not to (again!) mention that users of .32" calibre revolvers can also include the .32acp pistol round in their extensive repertoire.. .32"S&W, - .32"S&W Long, - .32"H&R Magnum, - 327 Federal Magnum, plus .32"acp.

This Ruger LCR 327 Federal Magnum Looks Good Too

- But That's A Naughty Barrel.

- Could be handy. Now if 327 Fed.Mag. was loaded and fired from a carbine at more than 1,800 - 2,000 feet per second ..

This is not a recommendation - but when Ken Harbicht killed three grizzlies with three shots in his farm yard in British Colombia back in the 1980s - he was using a .32 Winchester Special. - Success in shooting is after all, about bullet placement.

Marty K.

After researching & writing 1,036 blogs I've got something NEW to try .. I've signed-up to Patreon. - In over five years I've not made one cent from this .. NOW you can send me a wee support $ - starting from $1. to get all this stuff from New Zealand - over a year that's nearly the price of one Shooting magazine. - Am I worth it?

https://www.patreon.com/posts/24075745