[gunsmoker]

Yesterday I shot my Kel-Tec P32. It has had reliability issues in the past, and the new ammo I tested yesterday didn't help. It had a couple of jams with Fiocci 60-grain HP rounds.

I also tested the penetration and expansion of the hot little Fiocci HP's compared to Fiocci, Rem-UMC, and Winchester FMJ rounds. They all penetrated soaked-wet newspaper about the same depth-- about 5 inches. Which is adequate, I think. For comparison purposes, a Speer Gold Dot 9mm +P, 124 grain went about 7" deep and opened up to .50, and a .38 snubbie revolver pushed a 129-grain Federal Hydra-Shock +P about 9" deep--but the .38 special HP bullet didn't expand a bit. That was a point-blank shot into the newspaper from maybe 3 feet away.

The Fiocci 60-grain JHP rounds seemed more powerful than the FMJ loads, but they did not open up and they did not penetrate any more. They did have deformed noses and the hollow cavities did open up a bit, but not enough to increase the overall diameter of the bullet though. I did not notice any greater diameter wound channel, despite the higher muzzle velocity and wider, flatter tip on the hollowpoints.

I'm disappointed in the 129 grain .38spl Hydra-Shocks. They performed just like a standard all-lead 158-grain semiwadcutter (either HP or not; since neither one will reliably expand from a 2" barreled snubbie anyway).

 

[mc30707]

keltec

thats to bad, I was thinking of buying one because of the size/concealability.
P3AT .380 or P32 .32 Auto. In the summer time, its sometimes not practical to carry my sp101

 

[gunsmoker]

P3AT

The .380 should be more reliable than the .32, since it has a lot more power to snap that slide back, and since the .380 ACP cartridge doesn't have the protruding rim that the .32 does. If I had money to buy more pistols, I'd get the P3AT. As it is, I'll still carry the P32 or the gun it replaced as my pocket pal, the NAA "Black Widow" mini revolver in 22 magnum with a 2.5" barrel and real sights.

 

[Jmark]

I would try some of the Speer 135gr 38 Special +P designed for the short barrels.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=738035&t=11082005

 

[Malum Prohibitum]

Re: P3AT

The .380 should be more reliable than the .32, since it has a lot more power to snap that slide back, and since the .380 ACP cartridge doesn't have the protruding rim that the .32 does. If I had money to buy more pistols, I'd get the P3AT. As it is, I'll still carry the P32 or the gun it replaced as my pocket pal, the NAA "Black Widow" mini revolver in 22 magnum with a 2.5" barrel and real sights.

No malfunctions yet with mine, but I do not shoot it as much as I should. I have not really shot it enough to make an accurate assessment of its reliability.