I recently picked up a Kel-Tec P32 to see if it had something unique to offer compared to other tiny CCWs. I especially wanted to compare it with my beloved Ruger LCP, which I did a thread on earlier.
Easy to forget that today's huge category of "micro .380s" was actually launched back in 1999 by this gun chambered in .32 ACP. Kel-Tec did some minor revisions (Gen 2) in 2005, and the P32 remains in production today, though they seem kind of lightly distributed (even by KT standards).
The basic differences between the P32 and an LCP or Kel-Tec's P3AT are: (1) .32 vs .380; (2) 7+1 vs. 6+1; (3) 10 oz loaded vs. 10 oz empty; (4) last shot hold-open vs. nothing (P3AT) or a manual hold-open (LCP).
Mine is a distributor special run with a tan slide. I had heard enough complaints about the bluing on these pistols being weak or rust-prone that I wanted to hold out for a pistol with a colored or hard-chromed slide. I think the tan slide is Cerakote.
The P32 is barely smaller than the LCP - about 0.1 inch less in every dimension - yet when you add up those tiny differences and combine them with the P32's weight advantage, it does carry differently than the Ruger. The P32 in a pocket holster seems to almost float in your pants pocket. You can literally forget whether it's there. It sags less because it is lighter, so it prints even less than the LCP. Granted, the LCP already carries wonderfully. But if you want to truly maximize convenience and/or concealment, adding a P32 option could make sense. For example, if you were a petite woman who had to conceal on-body in a dress or other nice clothes, I bet you would notice this difference.
The grip checkering is great, aggressive and there's plenty of it. Helps keep control of the little pistol. The mag release is polymer with a good stout spring, so I've had no accidental release.
The trigger is DAO and is merely tolerable. It has a hitch at the end of the pull -- which thankfully is starting to smooth away with use. If you get a post-2013 LCP, the Ruger's trigger will be superior to my P32's. Also, the P32 trigger has a pronounced curvature of the front face. It would probably be fine for many women's slender fingers but isn't ideal for an average man. My fingertip tends to rest on the tip of the trigger face instead of nestling in the curvature. Some P32 owners do homebrew jobs reshaping or filing down part of the trigger to cure this quirk. I prefer the LCP trigger but the P32's is workable.
I have fired 200 rounds of Sellier & Bellot 73 gr FMJ ammo through the pistol. It displayed the classic "break-in" behavior. I got 3 malfunctions in the first 50 rounds (1 failure to eject and 2 failures to go into battery). Then I had one FTGIB in the second 50 rounds. Then problem-free for the last 100 rounds. The S&B is hot European ball ammo, typically chronoing 850-900 fps from the P32 barrel (link). I have no interest in trying hollowpoint ammo in this pistol; the tests I read put grave doubt on the ability of JHPs to penetrate enough in .32ACP. I am sticking with FMJ. I would like to try some other brands of .32 ball, especially Fiocchi. It has a rep for good velocity and reliability while being a smidge less hot than the S&B.
Several online reviewers of the P32 talk about how the recoil is a "pussycat" (Nutnfancy) compared to the micro .380s. I disagree. At least with the S&B ball, it's snappy, similar to shooting my LCP. Again, the P32 is really light. It's controllable and it doesn't bother me, but I'm not convinced that a recoil-adverse person would see a big difference. Nutnfancy was using US-made hollowpoint ammo, which again I have no interest in for this gun. So maybe it was loaded a lot lighter than the S&B ball.
Accuracy is fine for the purpose. Here's a five-shot group at 7 yards. Pretty sure I could do better too.
Overall I'm pleased with the P32. Back in the day you used to read about owners having to do "fluff and buff" polishing to cure rough machining on Kel-Tec pistols, including really cringey stuff like having to buff off horizontal machining grooves in the feed ramp(!!). None of that here. The pistol is not a SIG (or an LCP) but it is appropriately well finished. At about $250 it's also fairly priced, though you should bear in mind that Ruger has gone really aggressive lately with LCP prices -- I see a lot of new LCPs for around $220. That's an amazing deal. So buy an LCP first, for sure, but don't discount the P32 if you also want an even slimmer and lighter pistol that is still a functional tool.
Easy to forget that today's huge category of "micro .380s" was actually launched back in 1999 by this gun chambered in .32 ACP. Kel-Tec did some minor revisions (Gen 2) in 2005, and the P32 remains in production today, though they seem kind of lightly distributed (even by KT standards).
The basic differences between the P32 and an LCP or Kel-Tec's P3AT are: (1) .32 vs .380; (2) 7+1 vs. 6+1; (3) 10 oz loaded vs. 10 oz empty; (4) last shot hold-open vs. nothing (P3AT) or a manual hold-open (LCP).
Mine is a distributor special run with a tan slide. I had heard enough complaints about the bluing on these pistols being weak or rust-prone that I wanted to hold out for a pistol with a colored or hard-chromed slide. I think the tan slide is Cerakote.
The P32 is barely smaller than the LCP - about 0.1 inch less in every dimension - yet when you add up those tiny differences and combine them with the P32's weight advantage, it does carry differently than the Ruger. The P32 in a pocket holster seems to almost float in your pants pocket. You can literally forget whether it's there. It sags less because it is lighter, so it prints even less than the LCP. Granted, the LCP already carries wonderfully. But if you want to truly maximize convenience and/or concealment, adding a P32 option could make sense. For example, if you were a petite woman who had to conceal on-body in a dress or other nice clothes, I bet you would notice this difference.
The grip checkering is great, aggressive and there's plenty of it. Helps keep control of the little pistol. The mag release is polymer with a good stout spring, so I've had no accidental release.
The trigger is DAO and is merely tolerable. It has a hitch at the end of the pull -- which thankfully is starting to smooth away with use. If you get a post-2013 LCP, the Ruger's trigger will be superior to my P32's. Also, the P32 trigger has a pronounced curvature of the front face. It would probably be fine for many women's slender fingers but isn't ideal for an average man. My fingertip tends to rest on the tip of the trigger face instead of nestling in the curvature. Some P32 owners do homebrew jobs reshaping or filing down part of the trigger to cure this quirk. I prefer the LCP trigger but the P32's is workable.
I have fired 200 rounds of Sellier & Bellot 73 gr FMJ ammo through the pistol. It displayed the classic "break-in" behavior. I got 3 malfunctions in the first 50 rounds (1 failure to eject and 2 failures to go into battery). Then I had one FTGIB in the second 50 rounds. Then problem-free for the last 100 rounds. The S&B is hot European ball ammo, typically chronoing 850-900 fps from the P32 barrel (link). I have no interest in trying hollowpoint ammo in this pistol; the tests I read put grave doubt on the ability of JHPs to penetrate enough in .32ACP. I am sticking with FMJ. I would like to try some other brands of .32 ball, especially Fiocchi. It has a rep for good velocity and reliability while being a smidge less hot than the S&B.
Several online reviewers of the P32 talk about how the recoil is a "pussycat" (Nutnfancy) compared to the micro .380s. I disagree. At least with the S&B ball, it's snappy, similar to shooting my LCP. Again, the P32 is really light. It's controllable and it doesn't bother me, but I'm not convinced that a recoil-adverse person would see a big difference. Nutnfancy was using US-made hollowpoint ammo, which again I have no interest in for this gun. So maybe it was loaded a lot lighter than the S&B ball.
Accuracy is fine for the purpose. Here's a five-shot group at 7 yards. Pretty sure I could do better too.
Overall I'm pleased with the P32. Back in the day you used to read about owners having to do "fluff and buff" polishing to cure rough machining on Kel-Tec pistols, including really cringey stuff like having to buff off horizontal machining grooves in the feed ramp(!!). None of that here. The pistol is not a SIG (or an LCP) but it is appropriately well finished. At about $250 it's also fairly priced, though you should bear in mind that Ruger has gone really aggressive lately with LCP prices -- I see a lot of new LCPs for around $220. That's an amazing deal. So buy an LCP first, for sure, but don't discount the P32 if you also want an even slimmer and lighter pistol that is still a functional tool.
