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.380 vs .32 - Make mine .32!

Winchester67

Winchester67

Professional
Sure, I type up headlines to get clicks. I am told that is an interweb thing. Anyway, specifically the .380 Ruger LCP with a six round magazine and one up the pipe for seven all in. Not afraid to say, a 7 round magazine in a .45 acp 1911 is my go to. Seven plus one is plenty for a .45, but what about the little .380? And what about the older brother of the Ruger, the Kel Tec P32? With this platform you get 8 rounds total. (lots of guys will tune in to bash Kel Tec. I have one that I got from a Cop that wanted to upgrade to a .380. Cops are always broke, so I bought it from him to give him a grubstake to buy the .380. This .32 was his always with him backup, he qualified with it and it has been reliable for both of us. Like Charter Arms, get a good one and they work great. So get a good one)

Despite all the work with ammo to get a reliable .380, I am unimpressed. I would rather have the extra round of the .32 with Underwood 32 acp 55 grain Xtreme Defender Solid Monolithic. Baby rounds like this need penetration, not expansion. Because if the bullet expands, it generally does not have enough moxie to penetrate deeply enough. So I vote for the extra bullet and a .32 acp over the .380 acp. And this is basically a swimsuit gun I guess. If I have a pocket, I can carry a .38 Special, so this has a very narrow need for me. Probably not even a need at all. But in tight clothing, the P32 is about the thinnest reliable gun out there.

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Even with the older loads before personal protection ammo was around, some famous and infamous people used .32ACP in the vintage days.

These thugs carried them:
  • Al Capone: Known to have carried a Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless in .32 ACP.
  • Willie Sutton: The famous bank robber was known to use the Colt Model 1903.
  • Bonnie Parker: Bonnie Parker and other members of her gang carried Colt Model 1903 pistols.
  • Adolf Hitler: It is believed he used a Walther PPK in 7.65mm (.32 ACP) to commit suicide.
  • Eugen Schauman
These good guys carried them:
  • General George S. Patton:Famously carried a Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless in .32 ACP as his personal sidearm during World War II, which was often referred to as a "General Officer’s Model".
    USCCA
  • Theodore Roosevelt:Carried an FN Model 1900 in .32 ACP, which was a very popular choice for personal defense in the early 1900s.
    Inside Safariland
  • European Police & Military: Throughout the first half of the 20th century, European law enforcement and officers commonly carried .32 caliber pistols (such as the Walther PP and PPK) until the shift to 9mm.
 
I believe that the .32 calibers, both auto and revolver, are highly under rated. If you do your part, they will get the job done. I'd have no problem carrying one and actually have from time to time. (y)
However, for a small gun, I do prefer my baby 1911. My Colt Mustang .380. ;)
 
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