Kel-Tec P-32

Last updated
Kel-Tec P32
Kel-Tec P-32 (Yaf).jpg
Kel-Tec P32, blued finish
TypePocket pistol
Place of originUnited States
Service history
Used byPrivate citizens and police officers
Production history
DesignerGeorge Kellgren
Designed1999
Manufacturer Kel-Tec CNC Industries Inc.
Produced1999–present
Specifications
Mass6.6 oz (190 g) unloaded. [1]
Length5.07 inches (129 mm)
Barrel  length2.68 inches (68 mm)
Width0.75 inches (19 mm)
Height3.50 inches (89 mm)
Cartridge .32 ACP
Action locked-breech
Feed systemDetachable box magazine; capacities:
  • 7+1 rounds (standard) [2]
  • 8+1 rounds (extended) [3]
  • 10+1 rounds (extended) [4]
SightsFixed, 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 (7.65mm Browning). [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]

Contents

Design

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]

The gun is offered in the following colors: black, gray, tan, and green.

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).

Kel-Tec P32 with factory 10-round extended magazine. Kel-Tec P32, Extended 10 round.jpg
Kel-Tec P32 with factory 10-round extended magazine.

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]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "P32 .32ACP Pistol | Easily Concealed Carry | EDC Gun | Specs".
  2. ↑ "P32 7 rd Standard Magazine".
  3. ↑ "P32 One Round Magazine Extension". Archived from the original on 17 October 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  4. ↑ "P32-37 10rd Magazine". Archived from the original on 17 October 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  5. ↑ Hogg, Ian; Walter, John (29 August 2004). Pistols of the World. David & Charles. p. 188. ISBN   0-87349-460-1.
  6. ↑ Eimer, Bruce N. (7 June 2012). Armed - The Essential Guide to Concealed Carry. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. pp. 111–113. ISBN   978-1-4402-3002-8.
  7. ↑ Ayoob, Massad (2012). Gun Digest's Backup Guns for Concealed Carry eShort: Get the best backup gun tips and inside advice on concealed carry handguns, CCW laws & more. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 12. ISBN   978-1-4402-3423-1. 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.
  8. 1 2 "Kel-Tec P-32 Pistol". Kel-Tec CNC Industries Inc. Archived from the original on 30 July 2008.
  9. 1 2 3 Staff (2004). "Pocket Pistols Kel-Tec's 380 And 32 ACPs Versus NAA". Gun tests.

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