The wee little P32 is such an underappreciated gun. I’ve been pocket-carrying one for a year now, and it’s been an excellent gun. People frown at Kel-Tec’s reliability. However, the P32 set the stage for what we know as the modern pocket pistol. It came out in 1999, well before the mini polymer frame .380 hit the market.
The P32 was a pocket-sized pistol in a subcaliber that was ultralightweight and easy to carry. The little gun was intended as a backup for police officers and a concealed carry firearm for the average Joe. In my opinion, the .32 ACP cartridge is perfect for a gun this size, and the .380 pocket pistols are too tough to control with very little additional benefit ballistically.
The P32 remains in production, but it seems as if Kel-Tec does limited runs of the gun. The .32 ACP is seen as a joke in the United States. We have this .380 ACP at a minimum attitude that is really silly. In such small guns, you don’t get much benefit from the .380 ACP over the .32 ACP, but you do get twice the recoil. I love the .32 ACP, and I carried a Gen 1 P32, but I have recently snagged a Gen 2 P32 to see if the new generation is worth the upgrade.
The P32 Gen 1 vs. Gen 2
In holding both guns, you can feel that the Gen 1 model is lighter than its younger brother. But, at just 6.6 ounces, it’s tough to argue that the Gen 2 is particularly heavy. There is a slight difference in weight, but both carry well. The P32 Gen 1 has a more wedge-shaped slide, whereas the Gen 2 has a blockier slide. To accommodate the heavy slide, the Gen 2 also features a slightly thicker frame. I think the Gen 1 looks better, but the looks aren’t necessarily a performance flaw.
The P32 Gen 1 used this odd set of sights. Basically, it’s a triangle cut in half. The rear sight had the bottom half, and the front sight had the pointy end. You stack the top of the triangle on the bottom of the triangle, and that’s your sight picture. It was smooth but not overly precise, and it wasn’t always easy to align properly on the fly. The Gen 2 uses more traditional sights with a front post and a rear open sight. The Gen 2 sights are admittedly less creative but better overall.
Another big difference is the extractor. The new extractor is bolted on and much larger. This ensures more reliable extraction versus the smaller extractor of the gen 1. My Gen 1 has never had a failure to extract, but more extraction is better than less. Currently, Kel-Tec only manufactures the Gen 2 model, but Gen 1 models still populate the used market.
Breaking down the P32 Gen 2
Kel-Tec isn’t afraid of color. They seem to believe in the idea that guns don’t have to be black. As you can see, mine is OD green, but there are FDE, Robins Egg, and more colors available. The base model P32 carries seven rounds, and sadly, the +1 magazine extension and 10-round magazines have been discontinued. You’re stuck with the seven rounds unless you get lucky and find an old, extended Kel-Tec magazine.
The P32 uses a locked-breech system, specifically a short recoil design. This is rare for a tiny .32 ACP pistol and quite impressive overall. It’s ultra-small, and typically, these guns would be blowback operated. A locked breech helps keep the weapon lightweight while reducing recoil and making the gun much easier to shoot.
The P32 uses a double-action trigger with a fairly long trigger pull. It’s surprisingly smooth and not necessarily heavy. It’s a little odd because the trigger itself doesn’t offer a second-strike capability. You have to work the slide to prime the trigger, and then the weapon will fire. One oddity about the P32 is that Kel-Tec does not advise you to dry fire the gun. If you want to practice, put a snap cap in the chamber, or you could break the firing pin.
At the Range With the P32
Tiny, double-action-only guns are often declared belly guns. I hate that term. Very few guns are belly guns. NAA Revolvers are belly guns. The P32 is not. It’s actually quite accurate. The addition of practical sights makes it much easier to shoot at longer ranges. I started at seven yards with a 10-inch gong and practiced drawing from my Desantis Superfly and firing two rounds at the target.
I consistently got two rounds on target in about 1.5 seconds. (I do start with the hand on my gun in the pocket.) I backed off to 10 yards and repeated the drill, scoring a nearly identical time. I went back to 15 yards and slowed it down to about 2.25 seconds. Finally, just for fun, I went back to 25 yards. My first go resulted in a missed first shot, but a hit with the second in a time not worth bragging about.
I stopped drawing but was able to hit the gong consistently with aimed slow fire. I added a ‘barrier’ that I could use as a rest and made those shots fairly easily. The all-black sights are a little tough to see, but they’ll soon visit the paint pen.
Rocking and Rolling
The P32 has a very pleasant recoil impulse. Shooting the P32 side by side with any pocket .380 shows the superiority of the .32 ACP in little guns. It barely bucks, and it doesn’t try to fight its way out of your hand. Making one shot with a pocket .380 quickly is possible. Making two isn’t exactly easy. Making two quick and accurate shots with a P32 is easy. Recoil isn’t harsh by any means, and it’s comfy to shoot.
The P32 also functions reliably. I only shoot shoto and carry FMJs with these guns. The reason is twofold. First, from short barrels, jacketed hollow points don’t tend to penetrate deep enough. A .32 ACP FMJ doesn’t over-penetrate like most other calibers and penetrates deep enough. The other reason is something called rim lock. The .32 ACP features a slight rim to it, and JHPs tend to be shorter than FMJs.
This allows some room to move in the magazine. This can result in rim lock, where two rounds are locked together due to the rim, and they won’t feed. With FMJs, the gun has worked perfectly, as has my Gen 1.
The Ultimate Pocket Pistol
Until someone else gets the courage to bring out a new .32 ACP pocket pistol, the Kel-Tec P32 is, in my opinion, the best pocket pistol on the market. It’s super small, super lightweight, and very reliable. It’s controllable and fires a rimfire cartridge capable of penetrating deep enough to stop a threat. The little P32 doesn’t get the love it deserves, and the Gen 2 only took a good handgun and made it better.
