The .32 ACP / 7.65mm Browning Cartridge

…is probably the answer to the question: “What non-.22 cartridge is the most fun to shoot?”, and it’s most certainly true in my case.

The problem with the .32 ACP is that it’s an old cartridge:  it was very popular during the early 20th century (and is still among the most popular handgun cartridges ever), but was soon superseded by more powerful cartridges such as the 9mm Parabellum, .380 ACP (9mm Kurz) and of course the .45 ACP.

And justifiably so, because it’s really not a stopper, by any measure.  Of course, with proper bullet placement, your target is not going to feel well at all, but that’s pretty much true of the .22 LR as well.  (I’ll come back to the ammo later in this post.)

Still, of all the semi-automatic pistols I’ve ever fired (which is quite a few), those chambered for the .32 ACP were the most pleasant.  And the .32 ACP is also part of the question:  can any invention by John Moses Browning be that bad?  (Answer:  no.)  For that reason alone, the cartridge should not be easily tossed aside.

In the early 1900s, a whole bunch of gun companies offered a pistol thus chambered.  Here’s the doyen of them all, the FN / Colt / Browning 1903 (also commonly referred to as the “Pocket” model):

I’ve shot several of these, and all were exquisite guns to shoot.  One in particular, which had been expertly re-blued in Colt’s Royal Blue (non-original) finish, made me drool bigly, and offer the owner lots of money on the spot, but the bastard declined all offers with a supercilious sneer.  And I can’t say I blame him, either.  Collectors has a few in stock (such as the above example), and all go for about $1,500 to $2,000 depending on quality.

The next is probably the most popular of all, the Walther PPK:

I’ll come right out and say it:  the 7.65mm Browning (Euro nomenclature of the .32 ACP) version of this pistol is the best of them all to shoot, with gentle recoil and astounding accuracy.  I’ve actually done a side-by-side comparison of the PPK versions at the range, and while the .380 ACP/9mm Kurz version is okay, the 9mm Para too much — the .32 is the Goldilocks.  From a price perspective, I should say that the PPK carries the Walther Premium;  in decent condition, they can fetch anywhere from $1,200 to Stupid.

One pistol that needs mentioning is the Savage 1907:

Several things need to be said about the 1907.  The action is wonderfully reliable — the .45 ACP version performed well and was actually preferred by several of the testers against the Colt 1911 in the original U.S. Army tests — but the problem with the 1907 today is that most of them have been carried often, fired lots and not really looked after.  Consequently, they look like hell and need to be approached with caution.  The one I shot belonged to a good friend, and was in near-mint condition.  (Yes, he also told me to take a hike when I offered to buy it from him after a single mag’s worth of shooting.)

Another worthy of mention is “Eva Braun’s” pistol, the Ortgies:

Made after WWI, the Ortgies was very popular among serious target shooters in Germany, and won several national competitions.  (Hitler gave one to his squeeze, hence the nickname.  It’s still around.)  John Dillinger also carried one in his pocket, so you know it works.  When you can find one, a good shooter will run around $700 or so.

Finally, there are the modern .32 ACP pistols — i.e. ones still in current (or at least recent) production.  I’m going to come right out and say that I don’t care for most of them, for the simple reason that as a rule (Beretta 2032 Tomcat, Seecamp LWS, NAA, Kel-Tec P32 etc.) their barrels are too short (usually around 2″-2.5″), and to be honest, the .32 ACP needs a 3.75″ or longer barrel to get the most out of it, both in terms of accuracy and stopping power (such as it is).

The only modern .32 ACP pistol I’d consider is the SIG P230 (itself a near-clone of the PPK):

Confusingly, SIG uses the P230 nomenclature for its .380 ACP chambering as well, so if you’re shopping for one, check accordingly.  Of course, SIG doesn’t make the P230 .32 anymore because idiots, but expect to pay around $650 for one in decent shape.  Here’s one I’d get in a heartbeat, if I could find one in .32 ACP because it’s gorgeous:


(this one is in .380 ACP, judging by the ammo pictured)

Okay, and now we come to the really, really Bad Thing about the older .32 ACP pistols:  replacement / additional magazines.

Cliff Notes:  they don’t exist.
Corollary:  if they do exist, they go for Stupid Money.

The Walther PPK-original mags with the finger extensions are a classic example ($60+ coff coff), but at least Mec-Gar makes a decent substitute, for half that.  (The finger extensions are necessary, because unlike the Colt 1903, most .32 ACP automatics have short grips.)

And speaking of the 1903, replica magazines can set you back around $60.  (I don’t have the stomach to research what COLT OEM mags might cost.)

Finally, we come to the ammo.

Unsurprisingly (given the total number of guns made in this chambering), the .32 ACP is still popular, and just about everybody makes it, for a per-round cost of anywhere between 32 cents to 45 cents.  That’s quite spendy compared to its plinking competition (e.g. .22 LR at 7 cents), but I have to tell you that the fun factor more than makes up for it.  Mostly, the cheapest type is full metal jacket (FMJ), but I see that my Balkan buddies also make an affordable 71-grain hollowpoint (JHP) (~40 cents per pull vs. Winchester White Box at 66 cents, ugh).  If I were to consider carrying such a pistol (as a backup only), I’d load it with Hornady Critical Defense rounds.  Caveat:  I’ve only ever fired FMJ ammo through these pistols, and I don’t know if the JHP would have feeding problems;  but I doubt it.

Okay, here’s my final take on this topic.

With sufficient funds, I’d get the Colt 1903 in a heartbeat.  No question, no hesitation.

For about half the money, I’d get the SIG P230.  Also, without hesitation.

As for the cheaper or smaller guns:  I wouldn’t bother.

Your opinions may vary.

Just To Make Sure

…that I have this right.  Below is the evil, awful 15-round magazine as made by Glock:

And then what seems to be acceptable to the gun-haters:

Did I get that right?

I’m pretty sure that it would only take me a couple seconds longer to fire off 16 rounds from two magazines than 15 rounds from one.

Is this really the hill they want to die on?  Two seconds’ difference?  (figuratively speaking, of course)

(Next thing, California is going to ban the carry of more than one magazine on one’s person — ugh, perhaps I should shut up and not give them ideas…)

And of course, those .45 John Moses Browning boolets are going to arrive on target with, shall we say, a tad more authority than that lil’ 9mm Europellet.

I’ll stick to my 1911 and Chip McCormick mags, thank you.

Unexpectedly

Yeah, nobody saw this one coming:

Illinois’ new “assault weapon” and magazine ban is in effect, and on October 1, that state opened its registry for grandfathered weapons and magazines so that owners who already have legally purchased weapons can register them with the state. Illinois gun owners, of course, rushed to register their weapons and magazines in compliance with the new law.

Just kidding. Almost nobody has registered anything.

As part of the Protect Illinois Communities Act that was enacted earlier this year, the registration portal for firearms owners in Illinois that own certain semi-automatic firearms, accessories and ammunition opened Oct. 1. While the law bans more than 170 semi-automatic rifles, shotguns and handguns, it also bans handgun magazines over 15 rounds and rifle magazines over 10 rounds. Magazines do not have to be registered. 

Illinois State Police published the first round of statistics Tuesday, and of more than 2.4 million Firearm Owner ID card holders, 1,050 individuals have registered a total of 3,202 firearms, .50 caliber ammunition and accessories. 

“You’re at 0.0004%. That’s a rounding error,” gun rights advocate Todd Vandermyde told The Center Square.

To be fair, as Glenn Reynolds would say, that’s about half the number of Connecticut gun owners who rushed to register their AR-15s etc. after a similar law was passed there.

ILGov Fatboi Pritzker must be shitting in his capacious pants.

Quote Of The Day

From the Knuckledragger:

“Hornady’s Critical Defense is my choice for carry ammo, both in .357 Magnum and .45 by God ACP. It’s both accurate and reliable.”

It’s also the most affordable “premium” self-defense ammo.  I have it in my bedside .357, but I use Silvertips in my 1911.  (That said, I’d use the Hornady CritDef there too, if I didn’t already have an ummm adequate sufficiency of Silvertips already.)

Also, I have the Sadz because of the accident at Hornady (see link).

Wait A Minute

Okay, okay… this is seriously good news:

Renowned firearms manufacturer Smith & Wesson ditched deep blue Massachusetts and moved its headquarters to friendlier pastures in Tennessee.  Although the move was announced in 2021, it was on Saturday that the company officially opened its new 650,000-square feet building in Maryville as part of a $125 million relocation effort.

The company has been in New England since its founding in 1852, but Massachusetts’ strict gun laws are at least partly to blame for their exodus.

Not to mention the Massholes’ steep taxes, which the article notes.

And there was shooty fun and joyousness all round, you betcha:

Yesterday at Smith & Wesson’s new headquarters in Tennessee, Jerry Miculek set the #NRA World Record for hitting six steel plates with a 9 mm revolver at seven yards after a 1.88-second run.

So:  apart from not wanting to stay in the People’s Soviet of Massachusetts, why the move?

S&W CEO Mark Smith cited a welcoming regulatory environment and close collaboration with the Tennessee state government as a crucial piece of the plan to relocate. The company has said the new facility would create hundreds of jobs.

Tennessee has moved to loosen gun restrictions in recent years under Republican leadership. In 2021, the state passed a law to allow most adults 21 and older to carry handguns without a permit that requires first clearing a state-level background check and training.

Yeah, okay fine, but what are we Texans?  Chopped liver?  We have all the good stuff that Tennessee has, also better BBQ.

But let me not quibble.  Anytime a company — any company — comes to its senses and gets out of Communist America, it’s a good thing.

These are just a few of the S&W guns I used to own (before that tragic day crossing the Brazos by canoe), and under the right circumstances, I’d own quite a few more again.