32 acp vs 380 acp
how does 32 acp compare with the 380 acp i'm considering berreta's tomcat because of sa/da vs ruger's lcp dao.
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The Beretta is HUGE for a .32ACP. Compare the Beretta to a tiny 9x19 pistol or a .38 Special J-frame. There will not be much difference, and the power is far greater with the latter. 0 -
I have a Kahr PM9 My friend has the Beretta Tomcat. My PM9 is about 1/4 bigger but fits my hand much better and hits much harder. 0 -
DAO is no problem at pocket pistol ranges. I can hit a coffee can every time with my NAA Guardian at 20 feet. 0 -
Both are considered a bit anemic by todays standards, but .32s were commonly carried by European police prior to WWII and after. I have both, and carry the .380. More bullet, more velocity. 0 -
I personally don't care to go below .380. I like my sa Sig P238 (6+1) for pocket carry. Functions perfectly, and is quite accurate for its small size. 0 -
I have to agree with 5mmguy. I have an NAA .380 and a Kahr PM-9 and had a PPK .32. Even with SilverTips the .32 is marginal.` I like Speer's 125 grain "short barrel" 9mm load in the PM-9 over any .35 caliber load except my Sig P239 .357 Sig, but it's way bigger. 0 -
IMO with the advent of super small light pocket .380s like the Kel Tec (and its clone, the Ruger), .32ACP is ballistically obsolete.
In terms of pure ballistics, its going to matter which loads you are comparing, and from which guns, but as a first approximation:
.32ACP fires a 60 grain .309 bullet at 950fps
.380ACP fires a 90 grain .355 bullet at about the same 950 fps.
In other words the .380 is about 50% more powerful, and when you account for cross sectional area, punches a hole about 30% bigger. I think where you're shooting something as anemic as a teensy pocket pistol, you want every ballistic advantage you can get. Even a .380 is pretty weak.
I think the double action pull on the Kel-Tec is fine, and good enough for close range work with a small amount of practice.
IMO the best reason to go with the Beretta is NOT the single-action pull, but rather the tip up barrel design that makes that gun far easier to load for the first shot. Racking the slide on the small .380s can be difficult, especially for women or individuals lacking good hand strength.0 -
Well lets see so far nobody has answered your question. If you waNT TO KNOW WHICH YOU WOULD BE SAFER CARRYING. I would not carry anything smaller than a 38cal. And 9mm and 380acp are both 38cal dia. bullets. The 32cal. even though it is an 8mm. just lacks the stopping power. because of its small dia. and weight. .312dia average comerical wieght of bullets 60gr.-71gr. few hollow points being made/ 380acp .356dia. 95gr.- 100gr. several manf. producing hollowpoints.
Basically it comes down to this. I think what will stop a person high on meth. Guess what I would rather have a 380acp than a 32acp any day of the week. But I carry a HKUSP fullsize 45acp. But that is me.0 -
The Tomcat is a very good pistol. I have the Alley cat model. But heavy for what they are.
BUT for carry defence at first I carried a Kel-Tec P-32--UNTIL Kel-Tec brought out the P-3AT in 380cal.
The bigger-heavy bullet will do more dammage.0 -
quote:Originally posted by do_wa_diddy
Well lets see so far nobody has answered your question. If you waNT TO KNOW WHICH YOU WOULD BE SAFER CARRYING. I would not carry anything smaller than a 38cal. And 9mm and 380acp are both 38cal dia. bullets.
See above for a specific ballistic comparison.
In truth, none of the common ".38s" actually use .38 caliber bullets.
.380 ACP uses a nominal 9mm bullet which measures .355 or .356. .38 special uses a nominal .357 caliber bullet. For practical purposes they're identical.
The so-called ".32" actually uses a .309" bullet roughly comparable in diameter to common .308 caliber rifle bullets.
That aside, bottom line is that .380 is "weak" and .32 acp is "really weak". There are reasons to choose particular guns or calibers OTHER than ballistics, but on a purely ballistic basis, the .380 is better than any .32, particularly with good loads.0
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