I love the .32 ACP cartridge. I’ve written a fair bit about it, but I’m not sure if I’ve ever explained exactly why I love this little round so much. There are quite a few reasons, and they aren’t all necessarily practical. As an acolyte of the “One True Caliber” cult, I figured I could proselytize to the masses as commanded by John Moses Browning.
Pocket Pistol Perfect
If you’re looking for the absolute smallest, lightest, and thinnest semi-auto handguns that remain comfortable to shoot, then you need to look at the .32 ACP. The KelTec P32 wins the award for lightest and thinnest, coming in at 0.75 inches wide and 6.6 ounces. Meanwhile, the Seecamp is the shortest in both height and overall length.
Both lend themselves well to deep concealment. When it comes to pocket-sized guns, you have to find the right compromise between control and concealability, and the .32 ACP gives you exactly that. In these super-small platforms, it remains pleasant to shoot and is capable of rapid follow-up shots.
Outside of the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 2.0, I cannot think of any pocket-sized .380 ACP that is remotely pleasant to shoot. Dealing with recoil isn’t an issue until it affects performance, and I simply cannot shoot as fast or as accurately with a Ruger LCP as I can with a P32.
With the right European-loaded round, penetration isn’t an issue either. The round gets deep enough to hit vitals, though counting on expansion might be a bridge too far.
Historical Relevance
The .32 ACP was the first cartridge created by John Browning, and it was designed for the FN M1900, which was the first production pistol to use a slide. It was also the first truly successful semi-auto pistol cartridge.
The .32 ACP continued to appear in historically relevant guns during significant world events. This includes the French military’s heavy use of Ruby pistols in World War I.
Later, the OSS and British SOE used the cartridge, most notably in the always-fascinating Welrod pistol. Furthermore, U.S. General Officers were frequently issued Colt M1903s chambered in .32 ACP.
The round spread like wildfire and was one of the few cartridges equally popular in both the West and behind the Soviet Iron Curtain. This led to its widespread adoption by military and police forces around the world, as well as civilian shooters.
Historical gun enthusiasts have plenty of affordable .32 ACP options today. VZ 70s and Zastava M70s are common points of entry for enthusiasts and can often be found for under $300.
The Guns Rule
To put it plainly, most .32 ACP handguns are either interesting pistols or decent performers. While the market was a bit muddled by cheap “Ring of Fire” guns, the majority of .32s are, at the very least, fascinating.
Guns like the Remington Model 51, the Savage M1907, and the Colt M1903 are all sleek, excellent shooters. The hesitation-lock delay of the Model 51 and the double-stack magazine of the M1907 are brilliant pieces of small-arms history.
We also have the iconic Walther PP and PPK, alongside the Beretta Model 70, 81, and Tomcat. Sure, a lot of these guns were also offered in .380 ACP, but the .32 ACP variants are much more pleasant to shoot.
Guns like the Zastava M70 might be considered ugly by some, but they are distinctly unique. I prefer to call them “interesting.” The same could be said about the CZ 83, the Walther Model 4, and the Mauser HSc.
One of my personal favorites remains the VZ 61 Škorpión. I’m currently waiting for my ATF tax stamp to clear so I can finally turn mine into a short-barreled rifle (SBR). I really can’t wait to try it at a Steel Challenge match if they let me compete in the PCC (Pistol Caliber Carbine) division.
If you’re bored with the typical “black rectangle on top of a black rectangle” defining modern polymer gun design, the .32 ACP might quench your thirst. Outside of the KelTec P32, most modern and surplus .32s are mechanical works of art.
Suppressed Giggles
If you like shooting suppressed, you owe it to yourself to shoot some .32 ACP through a silencer, preferably on an incredibly small gun. Shooting a Walther suppressed is a blast, but one of the most entertaining hosts is by far the Beretta 30X or 3032 Tomcat.
Something about shooting a micro-sized gun with a suppressor larger than the firearm itself is effortlessly entertaining. The .32 ACP round suppresses beautifully, even through a standard 9mm can. It’s downright hearing-safe and offers negligible recoil.
Because most standard .32 ACP rounds are inherently subsonic, there is no supersonic crack to worry about. The round itself already has a low powder volume, and most of the available handguns utilize a straight-blowback design with fixed barrels. This means you don’t need to worry about a booster (Nielsen device) or reliability issues.
When you shoot it, you instantly understand why they picked this cartridge for the Welrod way back when.
Downsides?
Obviously, no cartridge is perfect. The biggest downside is price. The little .32 ACP typically commands a premium at the gun counter. There have been some great sales in the past, like Norma for $17 a box or S&B surplus for around $12 per 50 rounds, but those are the exceptions to the rule. You will most commonly spend $25 to $30 for a standard box of ammo.
Additionally, the .32 ACP is a semi-rimmed cartridge. When loaded into a magazine, you can occasionally run into “rimlock.” This most commonly happens with hollow points because their shorter overall length allows them to shift forward and backward inside the magazine.
So, not all is perfect in the land of the One True Caliber. For me, it’s a trade-off I’m happy to make. I don’t use hollow points because heavier FMJ .32s are usually required to get the desired penetration anyway, which completely eliminates the rimlock issue. I also make sure to stock up whenever a good online sale comes around.
While the downsides are worth mentioning, I can’t help but adore the .32 ACP.
