P32 Tuesday (1)

450 rounds

0 malfunctions, 0 stoppages, 0 parts breakage.

My two P32s, #68 and #69 had their maiden voyage last week. Both were shot in the configuration provided by the factory.

For most shooting, I used Fiocchi 73-grain ball, and as is my usual procedure, I fired several 5-shot groups. At 5 yards, both guns performed very well, but #69 produced a one-hole group. When I shot a few more groups though, the previous one-hole group proved to be a statistical anomaly, and both guns seemed equally accurate. I have settled on using #68 for the rest of the test. I have a few boxes of some other random ammo and after the reliability is well established with the Fiocchi, I will run some of the other rounds through the gun to see how it does.

For my first range session, I ran Cold Heat a few times. I need to get used to the very short length of pull (distance from the backstrap to the face of the trigger) and the relatively long trigger pull. Since I am not yet acclimated, I had a couple of instances of trigger freeze. Not in the usual sense of being unable to reset the trigger but I think my hand was not in the right position to support the long trigger pull. I have found that with such small guns, you need to be very particular in how you hold them. In addition to Cold Heat, I ran a few modified Bill Drills just to see what kinds of splits I could get. Finally, I shot on an IPSC steel target just for fun. I started at 15 yards and walked back to 50 yards before exhausting my ammo for the day.

The total round count for the first session was 150 rounds.

During my second range session with the little pistol, the gun fired 300 rounds. I shot most of them and a local student of mine shot the rest. The P32 is so pleasant to shoot that it is very easy to shoot a lot. I can’t say the same about most of my other little guns. I’ve included a few pics to show the relative size. Though 32ACP is not a dangerous game cartridge, the P32 is so much smaller and lighter than anything even close to it that I think it is in its own category.

The top pic shows the P32 compared to an LCP and a Baby Browning. The LCP has a rubber sleeve and an extended mag which makes it slightly bigger, but I think you get the idea anyway. The second pic shows them stacked up, and the third pic shows the relative thickness of the P32 compared to the LCP. As a PCP, the little P32 seems to be without peer, though that depends on your carry needs as much as anything else.

Stay tuned for next week’s shooting report, and if there is something you want to see done, let me know in the comments below.