Paul everytime there's a new episode up, WE DID WIN A PRIZE.

Lucky Gunner made the point that the purpose of CCW is different than LEO or Military- a civilian needs to simply break contact with an assailant. A few rounds at close range of ANYTHING (including 22LR) will cause a large proportion of assailants to turn and seek medical attention- whereas a LEO needs to physically take the assailant into custody - and said assailant is likely to provide more of a challenge, and may require more lethal calibers like 9mm etc. most days- I carry a P32 which allows me to carry 365 days a year

Thanks for making the 32 ACP Ammunition Selection video.

I just love how the 'meat target' is evolving. It's now a very neat package, colourful and fun to see inside even when the damage is light

I am a lady (just a disclaimer) and i love my keltec p32. Its small, thin, lightweight w/very little kick. Its so easy to carry & conceal. I have an extended magazine that holds 10 bullets! I do have to use full metal jacket ammo to prevent jams. I enjoy all your videos! You are very entertaining, & I always learn something!

Ammo has not been proofed until it has passed the meat target. Thanks Paul.

Do I own a .32ACP? No. Am I planning on acquiring a .32ACP? Nope. Am I going to watch this new Paul Harrell video? HELL YEAH!

3:28 Love the new "behind the target" perspective. I propose you add this to all future videos. 😀

Thanks Paul for the valuable information on 32 ACP, my daughter uses this caliber because she is recoil sensitive!

I have but ONE .32 ACP. A Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless I inherited from my grandfather. I love the pistol, not so much the cartridge. I rarely carry it, but I shoot 50-100 rounds through it every year, in casual range shooting. It is in excellent condition, not for sale, and I use it as one of my "tuxedo guns" for formal wear occasions. I load it with FMJ bullets because it is reliable with those.

I don't even have this caliber nor do I intend to get a firearm chambered in it but I find the analysis interesting and will watch anyways. It's always great to learn something or benefit from the experience of others.

Good information. I’d like to see a presentation on .327 Federal Magnum in the future. Thanks.

I carry a 32 revolver but it's a 327 magnum and it will fire 32 ACP 32 short 32 long 32 H&R magnum and 327 magnum so I have a lot of choices. Great video!

My grandpa carried a Keltec P32 in his pocket from when he got it around 2000 until his health had declined too far around 2020. He loaded it with alternating fmj and jhp.

About a year ago, Mr. Harrell tested a several brands of .380 ACP ammunition. Among them was the 68 grain Underwood solid Copper. Underwood also makes a .32 ACP solid Copper round, and it would be interesting to perform the same test using that ammo in both the short barrel Beretta, and a Beretta Cheetah 82BB with a longer barrel.

Just carry something... ANY gun is BETTER than no gun.... 👌🏻

For what it's worth, In the 80's I picked up a PPK in .32acp and used the old school silver tips at 25 yds and the all stayed in the 8 ring. but I was younger then. I got similar results using a CZ 27. I'm happy with both. The PPK was a 1967 import.

My Colt 1903 .32 acp has always served me well as long as the most dangerous target was a tin can. 🙂

The man, the myth, the Pop Tart Legend.

I'd make the same recommendation for .32 ACP that I make for .380 ACP: Underwood Xtreme Defenders. Other channels have tested them in ballistic gel and they always penetrate at least 12". The XDs don't depend on expansion, so their wound tracks are reliably good for caliber. A bonus is that they're barrier blind.

Back in the 90's, I did a lot of testing of the .32 ACP. Back then, the typical .32 was a Walther PP or PPK sized handgun that was either a surplus pistol or one selected because it had less recoil than an equivalent blowback .380. Pistols of this size in .32 ACP have fallen out of favor, but they were quite easy to shoot with pinpoint accuracy. With the longer barrels of these guns, you might be able to get a bit of expansion with some hollowpoints. In my experience, the expansion wasn't really enough to matter. But in the context of citizen self-defense, where the typical mission is to break contact and escape an attempted ambush, a face full of 71 grain FMJ would likely allow one to get away, and I daresay your attacker would remember you. With these larger, heavier guns, hitting a target of that size at close range was doable with a little practice. The guns were fun to shoot which encourged that practice. I never advised any of my students to seek out such guns, but if they already had one, I would show them how to use it safely, and focus on the shift in point of aim necessary if they wanted to use it for self-defense. This is no different than if you choose a .22 or .25 in that role.

I carry a .32ACP. I carry it all the time, even just taking out the trash. I often carry a larger gun mind you, but I always have the .32. It is so tinny and lite that it is hard to talk myself out of carrying it. As for ammo, I use Sellier & Bellot 73gr FMJ. Normally for defensive loads I have either some expanding bullet, or that new screw driver tip stuff, but when I am down to .32 size, I go with FMJ. In my testing, I only got one type of .32 to expand. It was Hornady, but the penetration was junk. Everything else penetrated fine but did not expand, so if I am not expanding, I might as well go with a bit heavier. Also the S&B ammo uses the European loading of .32, which is a bit faster than US loadings, so a bit faster as well. Mine clocks in at about 850fps. All that being said, it is still weak. So the .32 I have with me is better than the 9mm I left in the car, but if I ever need it, I am throwing spit balls, and I have to keep that in mind.

My school teachers always preached "show your work." Paul Harrell did just that so we could see how he arrived at his conclusions. Thank you, sir. The .32 ACP commercial loads were developed for older four-inch barrel "service pistols" used by European police and military as a front-line weapon in the two world wars. I find that American .32 ammo has lower velocity than European .32 but my sample size is limited to a few hundred shots over a chronograph with three .32 caliber pistols. Modern pocket .32 pistols have nearly an inch and a half less barrel length (about 65% less barrel) than the old European "battlefield weapons." This causes more muzzle flash because there's some unburned powder and lower muzzle velocities. Britain issued Walter PP in .22LR to selected government officials living in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, but the .32 would seem to have been the superior choice. Nobody asked me, and when that pistol distribution took place, I knew only a little about guns. That world has vanished and better options are available--unless a .32 is the only practical option. European nations sometimes has a caliber restriction with .32 ACP as the "most powerful" cartridge permitted--those same countries prohibit hollow-point bullets as "inhumane."

I hear what your saying Paul, I do love my Beretta 30 32.

I have owned several .32s over the years, and the old ones are really thin. They are great guns to use for teaching, with the old ones being all steel and there for having almost no recoil. I was always told that the .32 needed a 3 to 4 inch barrel, and dont waste your money on hollow points, that round was designed for FMJ or round nose, and thats what you should run. I have always had good luck running FMJs with a 4 inch barrel. Up until the 60s in the US, .32 was one of the most common concealed carry rounds, brought to us by St. Browning himself. Its a fun round, but if you are going to carry it, understand it's limitations. As i was always told, just like with .22 and .25, Shot placement, Shot placement, Shot placement!

Great presentation as usual, Paul. I suspect that ammunition makers "teach to the test" and tune their ammo so that it makes for dramatic results when fired through the ubiquitous ballistic gelatin block. You go the extra mile and use a target medium much more representative of an actual defensive target.

Hi Paul, you’re probably aware of this but maybe some of your viewer are not. This is from Beretta about their 3032 Tomcat and ammunition , published 7/16/2007 and updated 10/14/2016. Quote “ with the introduction of many new high performance loads for the 32 automatic/32acp, we recommend that the designated ammunition should not exceed 130 foot pounds of muzzle energy…. If ammunition exceeding this specification must be used it should be fired on a limited basis only, excessive use may shorten the service life of the pistol’s components”. Beretta then provides a list of some suggested ammunition.

As a thirty five year law enforcement veteran I wouldn’t sell the 32acp too short. I recall a number of shootings where the 32 put people down. Several were one shot kills. A greater number died at the hospital. I personally know two officers whose lives were saved by their back up 32 auto. You need sufficient barrel length and the proper cartridge like Buffalo Bore 75 grain lead flat point. It’s a plus-p load at over 1000 ft per second. Great job on your videos Paul.

I was discussing .32 just today, LOL. I am quite fond of it, but I have no illusions that it's any kind of powerhouse. When my arthritis was darn near unbearable, I could shoot a .32 without pain when most .380s of a similar size were quite uncomfortable. It works, just like other small calibers work, but if you want 'better' then certainly there are more powerful rounds chambered in equally small (or smaller) frames. I happen to have a 1903 Colt .32 sitting beside me right now, although I've carried an airweight .38 all day.

Just here to say I appreciate all the work and thought that goes into these presentations. Thank you.

Paul Harrell one of the few creators that couldn’t make a clips channel, because we are all here for the tedious chronographs, shatneresque pauses and stories.

You nailed the problem with 32s early on for me Paul. These 69 year old eyes can't see the sights on the damn things!

I’d be curious to see how the Underwood 32acp ammo performs on the meat target. That would be a good part 2.

The 32ACP is super fun to shoot at the range. I picked up a Beretta 81BB "police trade in" for under $300 and it shoots like it hates to miss. That said, I wouldn't carry it for CCW. I have seen videos of good results in 32 from the Lehigh Extreme Defender solid copper projectile.

Love to watch your videos, great personality, good content, honesty and evaluation make them a pleasure to view.

Don't have a .32 acp, but I do have a .327 federal magnum Ruger LCR that can technically fire .32 acp, but I don't know why you would given all the better options you can fire in that gun. My wife is pretty small and can't handle a lot of recoil. So she carries it loaded with .32 s&w long 100 grain hardcast wadcutters made by buffalo bore. Out of a 2 inch barrel, velocity is around 820 fps. So that round is a lot more powerful in energy foot pounds than any of the.32 acps that Paul tested here today. It's actually a pretty impressive round that gets 16 inches of penetration in clear ballistics gel and the wadcutter projectile makes a nastier round than an fmj would.

I wish Paul would include the Kel-Tec P32. It is the size of a man's wallet, super light and extremely reliable, and super easy to throw in a pocket.

Excellent information as usual. I have a Seecamp .32 that is a pleasure to carry concealed and shoot at the range. I could never get to the level of marksmanship with this gun at 10 yards that Paul did in this video. Kudos 👏

Factual side note that I learned not long ago; European manufacture 32 ACP (7.62 Browning) ammunition is made with a case that has a slight taper on its semi rimmed cartridge, aiding in the feeding and ejection of the rounds vs the American manufacture 32 ACP ammunition. I can confirm this with a previously owned Beretta 3230 Tomcat and a Keltec P32. (I traded the Beretta for a Ruger lcp) and the ammo used was Aguila, Speer Gold Dot, Fiocci, magtech. Results; Aguila was quite dirty and made the firearms susceptible to powder fowling; Gold Dot would occasionally have rim lock hang ups; Fiocci and magtech ran flawless. For context, my personal Tomcat was manufactured in 1999 and the P32 was manufactured in 2019. Long story short, I recommend carry ONLY magtech or Fiocci in your 32acp pistol

Once, the .32 ACP was a very popular caliber choice, particularly in Europe, both military and police use. A more civilized weapon, for a more civilized time. Today, we have more and better choices, but I still like to take my 1903 Colt out to the range now and again. As Paul has said, more than once, if this is the only choice you have, then learn to use it well. It is better than what you can’t afford or get.

The best .32 ACP defense load for me has been the Underwood Xtreme Defender. I've done a lot of testing on .32 ammo over the years. I feel very confident with this load even in my little Seecamp pistol.

I am in the chronograph segment camp! I’ve found that all recorded and narrated aspects of the presentation are of value.

Oh great! A video about a caliber that I have no desire to ever own. I will probably watch it twice though, since well, it is Paul Harrell. Thank you for the knowledge Sir.

Paul, great review as always! I would love to see the Underwood XTREME Defender round tested (a Lehigh Defense projectile) since it is the solid copper round that doesn’t rely on expansion for increasing wound channels.

My grandfather's carry gun was a Walther PP in .32 with some kind of target sight. Not only as an "in town" gun but also in the woods. He explained to me so long ago he picked it because even though it was less powerful than .380, he could shoot it faster due to the lack of recoil and that it was more accurate. He nailed a lot of rabbits, squirrels, woodchucks, and other small game with it, and he was proof that shot placement is what keeps you alive.

Always good to see 32! One thing I’d love to see from Paul is the new and improved high tech bullet stop versus the old one, I’m wondering if there’s enough difference to make the difference.

Paul you have to get a Keltec P32 to fairly evaluate it against 380 and 25. I have a S&W Bodyguard 380 and my P32 is not only significantly smaller but I can conceal it in the back pocket of jeans while it's in a holster. I can hardly conceal the Bodyguard in the same pocket even if it has no holster, which is a safety issue because it has no external safety switch. I can actually keep a P32 hidden in summer clothes whereas with 9mm it's impossible and 380 is dodgy at best. If you only wear baggy clothes and you're 6'3 I'm sure this wouldn't apply but that's why I carry 32 ACP and with FMJ ammo it's been flawless with hundreds of rounds at the range.

We often carry small calibers such as .22lr, .22wmr, and .25acp...we are under no illusions that these little bullets will 'stop' a drug addled 300 pound brute, but our calculation is that said brutes are rather rare in our area (and usually would have police escort quickly)...our concern is the Wal-Mart parking lot, the footpath in the city park, and similar scenarios...we don't need to blow the bad guy up, just have them stop acting bad...poking unwanted holes is still poking holes, and dissuades most folks...also, the small calibers are small, light guns much more likely to be actually carried everyday...my .45 in the safe simply does me little good day to day, whereas my Jetfire gets a lot of fresh air...

Might be interesting to try Buffalo Bore's hard cast 32acp, it's heavier and faster than most 32acp.

Even though the hollow points didn‘t expand, I don‘t consider these bad ammo: none of the ammo overpenetrated! And that IS a great result for self-defense ammo!

3:37 fantastic never before seen, behind the scene footage!

Your videos are prob the most thorough and realistic I’ve come across.

Fantastic video as always. I am honestly not surprised to see that the hollow points under performed. If you are taking requests I would love to see you cover .32 long, .32 H&R Mag, and .327 Federal Magnum.

This is the second .32 video where you haven't mentioned that a 3032 tomcat is really pretty big for a pocket .32, but I think your point on pocket .380s not being much bigger still stands.

Postcard quality backgrounds with good science as I have faith Paul will deliver.

The only part that surprised me was you were able to find that much .32ACP ammo anywhere. I haven’t had much luck it finding that much variety in my area, and I am not that far away (

32 ACP: It's better than nothing.

I'm a .357 revolver guy. Getting older hasn't made that heavy sumbitch any lighter but I can shoot'er pretty good, got a comfortable holster, so to hell with it.

Thanks for another great test. I guess if I ever dig Mom’s 1907 Savage out of the safe, I’ll load 71 grain FMJ. I love the old ads showing the lady of the house defending herself with “ten shots quick!” But that was a more genteel age, when anything that went bang was considered defensive.😉 I like mouse guns, but as long as I have choices I’ll choose something a lot bigger.

I got an old S&W hand ejector from 1911 in 32 s&w long. It’s a 6 shot that’s half the size of a j frame 38 with 5 shots, so it’s a nice little compact revolver with a 4 inch barrel that fits in my pocket like a cell phone. The 32s&w long with 100 grain bullets packs a decent amount of force. It’s no dirty hairy gun but not bad either.

Nice! I know Paul doesn’t love the Tomcat, but it’s my go to pocket carry. Relatively few choices here in California that are roster compliant. I’ve found it to reliable, controllable, and concealable.

I am not advocating for 32acp, but it is my summer shorts and a tee shirt carry in a p32. Printing is my biggest concern. I usually work backwards from a sig p365, s&w j frame, or p32 based on what doesnt print based on what I am wearing. In 32, I carry the BB hard casts.

I'm guessing that the 32 ACP ammo would perform better in a longer barrel gun. That being said, most carry guns will have a shorter barrel as you mentioned. Some people just feel better using more "powerful" versions of a caliber even though it might not actually be an improvement. That is human nature. Thanks for another thorough test.

Saturday with Paul, awesome

The Beretta 3032 is a bulky gun for its size. However, it is also double-action single-action. Which I appreciate. Also. The tip up barrel is soooo sexy.🐿

Soooo happy to see 32acp get ANY attention!! Love the 32 acp. And I carry Fiocchi 32 semi jacketed hollow points rated at 1100fps. Hot rounds. And my carry guns are the Beretta Chetah, FEG APK and CZ 70.

That's it, bring out the .25ACP lever actions.

Good presentation as usual. As for my own take on it.... My wife is very recoil sensitive. Even a .380 M&P EZ isn't easy for her to shoot. With your videos as well as Lucky Gunner's gel testing I determined that the most power that I could give her would be .32 ACP...out of a Beretta 82 BB. 4" ish barrel and single stack for her small hands gives her 9+1. The extra barrel length should give appropriate expansion. The slightly larger overall size gives her super low recoil, excellent sight radius, and shoot-ability. I have put a box of ammo through it myself and love it. I'm also a fan of DA/SA for carry. You do have to manually decock this model or leave it on single action with frame safety like a 1911. I wish the new 80X came in .32 so that I could get her a brand new carry pistol.

@Paul Harrell another fun video! Please consider doing a comparison between 9mm FMJ vs 40s&w FMJ for a “if all you had was bulk target ball ammo” scenario.

Thanks for the review Paul! It was very informative as Seecamp LWS-32 owners are relegated to certain recommended 32acp ammunition, two of which are the Speer Gold Dot 60gr and the Winchester Silver Tip 60gr. Maybe one day someone will send you a new Seecamp in either .32acp or .380acp(there is debate about old Seecamps made in Milford CT vs the new Seecamps made in Southwick MA as the company was bought out in 2014 after the owner's death) for you to review.

I've long been fond of traditional .32 autos, and I have many of the classic designs which I use as street guns. I also handload it. I was quite taken for a time with the first generation Kel-Tec P32 some years ago. But then I got a chronograph. .32 ACP really suffers in a shorter barrel. The 2 5/8" P32 barrel would typically run 150-200 fps less with any load than the 3 1/2"-4" barrels of traditional .32 pocket guns. Only delivering 15 more foot pounds of muzzle energy than the .25 ACP. Eventually I went back to .25s for a truly small gun. Some calibers really drop off in velocity below a certain barrel length, and .32 ACP is one of them. The .22 Magnum also loses a lot in shorter barrels.

His presentation on this subject is perfect! It's impressive how the man can be so precise and comprehensive at the same time. Thank you for the video Paul! 👍

Wish we could compare the Extreme Defenders as well. I carried Silvertips quite a in my Tomcat and just hoped for the best shot placement if things went south. Other KZfaqrs seem to be getting great results with those copper Phillips-heads! Also IMHO, 7 yards is plenty to test accuracy & effectively as any more distance is going to be a bad shoot. Thanks as always!

One point that wasn't mentioned is the issue of rimlock with .32ACP ammunition, which uses a semi-rimmed case. The shorter JHP rounds have a tendency to move back and forth inside the magazine, and if the rim of the top round gets behind the rim of the round below it you'll have a nasty failure to feed that can't be cleared easily. For that reason alone I advise sticking with FMJ ammo, which has the longest overall length on average and is the least likely to move around inside the mag and suffer from rimlock.

Thank you sir for this video. .32 is a favorite of mine.

Thanks for the presentation Paul! It's as great and well-reasoned as I'd expect coming from you. I think what's holding 32 ACP back is the lack of market support. There aren't many pistols chambered in the caliber and some of them, as you noted in your presentation, aren't that different in size/weight of some pocket 380s. On that note, I really wish Ruger would make an LCP chambered in 32 ACP; IMO the LCP is the perfect size for a pocket pistol in 32 ACP. Even though you could get a version in 380 acp, it'd be more difficult to shoot well and Ruger can market the 32 as a lower recoiling version. But since Ruger doesn't make them, I've settled on the next best thing: the Keltec P32. From my experience, I can shoot the P32 faster and more accurately than my LCP max due to its lower recoil/muzzle flip. Also, the P32 is far easier to carry due to its lighter weight and thinner profile. Because of this, I find myself carrying the P32 more often than the LCP Max. Although the 32 acp is less effective than 380, it's a tradeoff I'm willing to make in exchange for better shot placement, faster follow-up shots and ease of carry. But everyone's circumstances vary and what's good for me may not be good for someone else.

Thank you & the crew for for the presentation. I'm guessing most pistols in .32 were intended to be "gentleman's pistols."

Always informative and interesting content. Thank you.

Excellent video. Thanks Paul.

Great video, Paul. Much appreciated.

It would be interesting to see how the same ammo faired out of the 3.9” barrel of a Walther PP

Man, love all the content you’ve been rolling out lately

That damn Paul is something else. Thanks brother 🤙

Outstanding AF, thanks for the info Paul and crew!

Fantastic overview of the mainstream micro category. Thank you.

Dunno if this makes sense but Ima one of those guys tries to keep things simple (easily confused type me), & have decided to have all my, "self-defense tools" in one caliber only. In my case, 9 mil. Availability of & cost the deciding factors for me. Realizing of course different factors for different situations. Appreciate PH's insights in all things shooting still which is why I like almost a million other guys look forward to every new upload. t/y Mr H.

Another hit video Paul ,thank you!

Now it's a weekend! Thanks PH!

Would love to see you shoot a Kel-tec P32 with some underwood xtreme defender ammo and hot European ammo such as fiocchi & s&b. That tiny pistol is a lot smaller than that ruger lcp and holds 7+1 with flush mag. It's probably thinner than that baby browning 25. Thanks for the video.

.32 is an awesome round. I have a beretta cheetah that is by far my most accurate and favorite pistol.

Thanks Paul!

Thank you, Mr. Harrell.

There is an interesting article on the Buckeye firearms association entitled, An Alternate Look at Handgun Stopping Power. It was compiled from police/fbi reports. Might be worth a look.

Thanks Paul ! I carried my ruger 380 max today in my front pocket with 11 rounds in a Alabama holster and didn't have any problems with weight or printing and i can shoot it very well ! no reason to carry small rounds that could sacrifice your safety !

Thank you for making it over /threw your crony very good job bless you

love your videos, very comprehensive and u are very knowledgeable

In the future, I wonder if you could perform a similar test using Buffalo Bore .32 ACP ammunition. I'm told it's loaded "hotter" than the others you presented.

Great Video as usual, I wonder if the fact that 32acp was designed for the colt pocket hammerless which has a 3-4” barrel makes any difference or if that doesn’t matter with modern loadings, would be interesting to see if they expanded any better with a little longer barrel

Good video Paul thank you 👍👍

Hey Paul, I just found your channel today. I’ve spent a good portion of the day watching your videos at work and at home. I love your videos. Straight to the point.I enjoy the history lessons as well as the chronograph. Thank you for taking the time to explain everything even if you have to repeat yourself from things you have said in previous videos.