Kel-Tec P32 | |
---|---|
Type | Pocket pistol |
Place of origin | United States |
Service history | |
Used by | Private citizens and police officers |
Production history | |
Designer | George Kellgren |
Designed | 1999 |
Manufacturer | Kel-Tec CNC Industries Inc. |
Produced | 1999–present |
Specifications | |
Mass | 6.6 oz (190 g) unloaded. [1] |
Length | 5.07 inches (129 mm) |
Barrel length | 2.68 inches (68 mm) |
Width | 0.75 inches (19 mm) |
Height | 3.50 inches (89 mm) |
Cartridge | .32 ACP |
Action | locked-breech |
Feed system | Detachable box magazine; capacities: |
Sights | Fixed, iron (two variants) |
The Kel-Tec P32 is a sub-compact semi-automatic pistol using the short-recoil principle of operation that is chambered in .32 ACP. [5] It was designed by George Kellgren. [6] It is manufactured by Kel-Tec CNC Industries Inc., of Cocoa, Florida and was designed for concealed carry by citizens and by law enforcement officers as a back-up gun. [7]
Manufactured by Kel-Tec CNC Industries (founded 1991) in the city of Cocoa, Florida, United States, the P32 has a barrel length of 2.68 inches (68 mm). [8]
Unlike almost all blowback pocket pistols of the 20th century, P32 operates on Browning's short-recoil principle with a locked breech, [9] allowing to mitigate recoil despite the very low weight (this solution became popular in the following decades).
Similar in concept to a revolver, the P32 has no manual safety, relying instead on the long double-action trigger pull and an internal hammer block to provide safe operation. [9] The pistol meets SAAMI guidelines, and will not fire if dropped. The P32 has passed extensive SAAMI drop-testing at the H. P. White labs, as well as drop tests to military specifications. The trigger must physically be pulled for the gun to fire. [9]
The P32 is made of the following materials: SAE 4140 ordnance steel for the barrel and slide; 7075-T6 aluminum for the internal frame which houses the firing mechanism (machined from a solid block of aluminum); and Dupont ST-8018 ultra-high-impact polymer for the checkered grip, frame, and trigger. [8]
The Beretta 950 is a semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured by Beretta since 1952. It builds on a long line of small and compact pocket pistols manufactured by Beretta for self-defense. It was intended to be a very simple and reliable pocket pistol.
.32 ACP is a centerfire pistol cartridge. It is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled cartridge developed by firearms designer John Browning, initially for use in the FN M1900 semi-automatic pistol. It was introduced in 1899 by Fabrique Nationale, and is also known as the 7.65×17mmSR Browning or 7.65 mm Browning Short.
Kel-Tec CNC Industries Inc., commonly referred to as Kel-Tec, is an American developer and manufacturer of firearms. Founded by George Kellgren in 1991 and based in Cocoa, Florida, the company has manufactured firearms since 1995, starting with semi-automatic pistols and expanding to rifles and then shotguns. Kel-Tec is a privately owned Florida corporation. George Kellgren, Kel-Tec owner and chief engineer, is a Swedish designer who also designed many earlier Husqvarna, Swedish Interdynamics AB, Intratec and Grendel brand firearms. The company has been developing and manufacturing a wide variety of firearms, ranging from semi-automatic handguns, i.e. pistols, to semi-automatic rifles and shotguns.
L. W. Seecamp Co. was an American manufacturer of pocket pistols located in Milford, Connecticut from 1981 to 2014. In 2014, Whalley Precision purchased the company and took over production of the pistols from their facility in Southwick, Massachusetts.
The Kel-Tec P-11 is a compact, semi-automatic, short-recoil operated pistol chambered in 9 mm Luger. It was manufactured by Kel-Tec CNC Industries of Cocoa, FL from 1995 to 2019.
In American English, a pocket pistol is any small, pocket-sized semi-automatic pistol, and is suitable for concealed carry in a pocket or similar space.
The Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless is a .32 ACP caliber, self-loading, semi-automatic pistol designed by John Browning and built by Colt Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut. The Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless is a variant introduced five years later in .380 ACP caliber. Despite the title "hammerless", the Model 1903 does have a hammer. The hammer is covered and hidden from view under the rear of the slide, this allows the pistol to be carried in and withdrawn from a pocket quickly and smoothly without snagging.
North American Arms is a United States company, headquartered in Provo, Utah, that manufactures pocket pistols and mini-revolvers, also called mouse guns. The company was originally named Rocky Mountain Arms when it was founded in 1972. In 1974 it was bought by new owners who renamed the company North American Manufacturing (NAM) and then North American Arms (NAA).
The Semmerling LM4 is a five-shot, manually repeating double-action pocket pistol.
The P-3AT is a locked breech, double action only, .380 ACP pistol introduced by Kel-Tec in 2003 and based on the P-32. The frame is made of polymer with an aluminum insert, and the slide and barrel are steel. It is the lightest production .380 ACP pistol in the world, weighing only 8.3 oz (240 g) empty, and is roughly the same size as many .22 and .25-caliber pistols.
The Colt Commander is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, and recoil-operated handgun based on the John M. Browning–designed M1911. It was the first mass-produced American pistol with an aluminium alloy frame and the first Colt pistol to be chambered in 9mm Parabellum.
A handgun is a firearm designed to be usable with only one hand. It is distinguished from a long gun which needs to be held by both hands and braced against the shoulder. Handguns have shorter effective ranges compared to long guns, and are much harder to shoot accurately. While most early handguns are single-shot pistols, the two most common types of handguns used in modern times are revolvers and semi-automatic pistols, although other handguns such as derringers and machine pistols also see infrequent usage.
The SIG Sauer P230 is a small, semi-automatic handgun chambered in .32 ACP or .380 Auto. It was designed by SIG Sauer of Eckernförde, Germany. It was imported into the United States by SIGARMS in 1985. In 1996 it was replaced by the model P232.
The Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammer was a short-recoil, semi-automatic pistol, designed by the American arms designer John Browning. It was a compact version of the Colt Model 1902 Sporting Model pistol derived from the original Colt M1900. The Colt M1902 Sporting Model and 1903 Pocket Hammer models differ significantly from the military-inspired Colt 1902 Military Model although they fire the same cartridge. Its design is in no way related to the Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless or the FN Model 1903 pistol.
The Kel-Tec PF-9 is a 9 mm caliber, recoil operated, locked breech, double action only, semi-automatic pistol based on Kel-Tec's earlier P-11 and P-3AT models. Kel-Tec claims the PF-9 is the flattest and lightest 9 mm pistol ever mass-produced. It was designed as a concealment and backup weapon for law enforcement and for civilian concealed carry. Kel-Tec first announced the PF-9 on February 9, 2006, and the new pistol was released into the market in the fall of 2006. The PF9 was discontinued following the introduction of the P15.
Bond Arms Inc. is an American firearms manufacturer located in Granbury, Texas which makes derringers, the semi-automatic Bullpup9 pistol, and will soon be putting a tactical lever-action rifle into production by the end of 2023.
The Ruger LCP is a subcompact .380 ACP pocket pistol manufactured by Sturm, Ruger & Co. It was introduced at the 2008 SHOT Show.
The .38/.45 Clerke, aka .38/.45 Auto Pistol, .45/.38 Auto Pistol, or 45/.38 Hard Head, is a wildcat semi-automatic pistol cartridge developed by Bo Clerke and introduced in Guns & Ammo in 1963.
The Chiappa Rhino is a revolver produced by Italian manufacturer Chiappa Firearms. The Rhino's frame is CNC-machined from a solid block of high-tensile aluminium alloy and all internal parts are CNC-machined from steel.
The Colt Officer's Model or Colt Officer's ACP is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, and recoil-operated handgun based on the John M. Browning designed M1911. It was introduced in 1985 as a response from Colt to numerous aftermarket companies making smaller versions of the M1911 pistol.
Today tiny 32 autos like the Seecamp, the North American Arms Guardian and the irresistibly slim and light Kel-Tec P32 have found their way into the backup position on the bodies of many police officers and armed citizens alike.