Now that we live in a post-handgun-stopping power world, I’ve opened my eyes to a variety of cartridges that have fallen out of favor or never been taken seriously for self-defense.
A handgun projectile does one type of damage, direct contact with flesh, and admittedly, a larger bullet can create more damage, but it isn’t needed to win the fight. I don’t want to completely rehash any caliber debates. I want to share my findings and information that I feel is valuable. Today’s cartridge of choice is the .32 ACP.
According to specific internet segments, the .32 ACP is John Browning’s best caliber and the One True Caliber. The cartridge dates back to 1899, making it a genuinely ancient cartridge. I love the .32 ACP, and that love started with old guns. While the price of even Mosins has risen out of control, there isn’t a massive market for .32 ACP oldies.
This has kept their prices low, ushering me into appreciating the caliber. I love shooting my various ancient .32 Autos, with the Savage M1907 and Colt M1903 being my favorites. I even trust the .32 ACP for defensive use in niche situations. It’s not my first choice for a defensive cartridge, but it’s not my last.
The Modern Allure of the .32 ACP
I usually carry a .32 H&R Magnum or a 9mm daily. My KelTec P32 gets broken out when I need to be highly discreet in my carry method. I could be in a socially nonpermissible environment or go to a water park with the kids. In either situation, it can be challenging to carry a gun discreetly. The KelTec P32 is a Speedo gun if there ever was one.
That’s the first reason the .32 ACP could be a capable defensive cartridge. Guns can be tiny and extremely light for the cartridge. The P32 weighs 6.9 ounces, and it’s super flat and thin. It’s smaller than a pocket .380, like a Ruger LCP.
However, it has about half the recoil energy. I don’t mind recoil; I tend to embrace it as a scattergun enthusiast. However, I find the recoil generated by pocket .380s to be disruptive to my performance with the gun. I’m not just capable of shooting the P32 a little better than the comparable KelTec P3AT. I can zoom through .32 ACP rounds at a rapid rate.
For example, with the P32, I can draw from a pre-staged pocket carry holster and fire five rounds in 1.76 seconds into the black of a B8 target. My performance with the P3AT resulted in a 2.5-second time with comparable accuracy. If I tried to shoot as fast as possible with the P3AT, my accuracy would fall apart.
The .380 throws a nominally more significant bullet, but the performance isn’t all that better from the short barrel. It penetrates a little better, but not enough to justify the recoil, in my opinion.
Beyond Pocket Pistols
Many folks aren’t all that interested in carrying a pocket pistol anymore. For them, calibers like the 9mm offer excellent penetration, low enough recoil, and, overall, an excellent round. With that said, there are plenty of people who find 9mm handguns to be too harsh to control. We know this because almost every major company makes low-recoil firearms, like the S&W EZ series.
There are a lot of people who can’t even handle a .380 from a moderately sized firearm. The option for these shooters is typically a .22LR. The .22LR can be a capable defensive firearm, but you risk dealing with rimfire reliability. Sitting happily between the .380 ACP and .22LR is the meek little .32 ACP.
From my Beretta 81BB, the .32 ACP doesn’t seem to have more recoil than a .22LR. Maybe a hair more, but it’s a kitten. With Beretta in mind, they are releasing the 80X in .32 ACP, which delivers a modern, optics-ready, and light-ready .32 ACP firearm that’s roughly Glock 19-sized. It’s the only production .32 ACP in this size range.
This leads us to the second reason the .32 ACP can be an excellent defensive round. With the right gun, it appeals to shooters who are recoil-sensitive. It’s more reliable than .22LR and more capable, but it is incredibly light recoiling. The projectile gains some decent velocity from a long barrel and even better penetration.
Downsides
The first downside most people rightly point out is ammo availability and cost. Finding .32 ACP cheap can be tricky. I can grab a box of 9mm FMJs for 9.99 from Academy, but if I can find a box of .32 ACP FMJs for less than 25 dollars, I’m excited. That’s if I can see it because it’s not all that common.
Another downside is that while it meets the penetration standard, it doesn’t excel at that role. I always think about the Miami Shootout, where Dove’s 9mm round rested an inch from Platt’s heart. A shot that could have stopped the fight if it went just a little deeper. In a perfect scenario, the .32 ACP will work, but it’s less likely to work if it hits an arm, hand, or other extremity before it hits the torso.
Not Plug and Play
The .32 ACP is not as plug-and-play as other calibers. I’ll get penetration and expansion if I grab a 9mm and a box of 115-grain JHPs. I could pick a more optimized round, but 115-grain JHPs would work in most 9mm handguns. Using .32 ACP isn’t that simple.
,I’d suggest finding a European-based load if you’re using a pocket pistol. A hot .32 ACP, like the Fiocchi 73 grain FMJs. They are excellent penetrators from short barrels. You can use FMJs without worry since the round won’t penetrate beyond 18 inches in ballistic gel.
It’s unlikely to over-penetrate the threat. Hollow points slow the projectile down too much, which causes poor penetration. That 73-grain FMJ is perfect for the P32 but not for the Beretta 3032. Why? It exceeds 130-foot pounds of muzzle energy and could crack the 3032’s frame. It’s okay for the 30X.
The JHP Problem
If you have an older, larger .32 ACP like an 81 or the brand new 80X, then you can get enough velocity to use JHPs and even get some expansion. Not all JHPs, so you ended up being picky and sticking to stuff like the 60-grain XTP, which works nicely. Not only do you need to be penetration and expansion picky, but overall length picky.
The .32 ACP is a semi-rimmed cartridge, and that rim can cause rimlock when the cartridges move back and forth in the magazine. They can move if the rounds don’t meet the correct overall length, and some hollow points trim the tip. This can cause rimlock, which can’t be fixed by a tap rack bang. It’s a complicated, pain-in-the-bum malfunction.
After speaking with the folks at Beretta, I couldn’t help but ask why the 80X is limited to 12-round magazines. The little cartridge could squeeze a few more in the same space as 12 .380s. I was informed that with double stack .32 ACP magazines, you run into rimlock when you get over 12 rounds.
The .32 ACP and Me
The .32 ACP is like the youngest child. Even with all its imperfections, it’s going to be my favorite. I love the little cartridge, but I like to think I’m realistic about its capabilities and limitations. I do think it serves as the perfect option for low recoil, centerfire performance. That use might be niche, but it’s not bad considering this round was part of the dawn of semi-auto pistols.
