basmoq

Anyone got an opinion on 32ACP Kel Tec? Good or bad, I'd love to hear it, I've been researching for a while, and I'm pretty set on getting this gun.

In case your interested, my only reason for wanting a gun is a person I put away a couple years ago. I have no love of guns, nor need for any more power than is necessary to scare someone off. I prefer a knive, so I find this gun a nice middle of the road, portable, light, yet it can still get a point across.

Anyone else agree?

Matt

zfleebin

From reading your post I would highly recommend you stay away from buying a gun. Brandishing a weapon (Legal term) is a serious charge and you really shouldnt pull out a gun unless you intend to use it as a last resort. I would suggest peppergas, stun gun, taser, anything but a gun.

seretogis

I echo zfleebin's comments. A gun is not a toy, and it is not something that you should carry around to "scare someone off", but to stop them dead in their tracks, pun intended.

__________________
seretogis - sieg heil
perfect little dream the kind that hurts the most, forgot how it feels well almost
no one to blame always the same, open my eyes wake up in flames

Moonduck

Cannot comment on your reasons. It's your life, though I'd suggest that you acquaint yourself very well with alternative defense concepts, your local laws, and a good defense attorney if you ignore the first two.

That said, Kel-Tec has an excellent rep for producing very good firearms. .32ACP is a bit anemic, but concealment restrictions sometimes require compromise on caliber size. Personally, I'd prefer to modify my attire and method of carry and thus be able to carry more gun.

Fire

also heard good things about their 9mm- if you have to shoot the guy, then you want to kill him, not just piss em off

__________________
Thought the harder, Heart the bolder,
Mood the more as our might lessens

GakFace

as for Basmoq's reasons. He would be able to defend himself if needed, BUT... I understand his reason to get one.. if all else fails, a gun would be a last resort.

__________________
RoboBlaster:
Welcome to the club! Not that I'm in the club. And there really isn'a a club in the first place. But if there was a club and if I was in it, I would definitely welcome you to it.

cuervo

Also consider Kel Tec's new .380. It is the same frame as the .32 but .380 gives a little more power and a wider selection of ammunition. .380 also doesn't have the ever-looming spectre of rim lock that the .32 does.

Remember that neither of them has a slide lock after the last shot.

123dsa

I thought the slide DID stay open much the same way that the walther ppks does- you have to drop the clip to close it. Am I off base here?

LSD

basmoq

As for my reasoning, the bast#$% wants me dead. Nuff said. on a lighter subject, I'm already quite handy with a knive, know the laws quite well, and would only pull a gun to shoot someone dead. I have no intentions of scaring anyone off by PULLING a gun on them. My hope is that if/when he pulls one on me, he'll think twice about it when I react with my own. Thanks for the suggestions everyone, greatly appreciated. I would still like to hear from anyone with an opinion on Kel Tec's though...

__________________
"There's someone out there for everyone - even if you need
a pickaxe, a compass, and night goggles to find them."

Moonduck

With this thread in mind, I endeavoured to examine a Kel-Tec in .32ACP at a recent gun show. I was impressed with the fit, finish, construction, weight, and compactness of the gun. I didn't shoot it, so can't say how it goes bang, but it looks to be a quality piece. It is really small too, so I can also see as how it would be a fairly serious jump to go to anything that used a beefier calibre.

I still advise you to take the necessary steps for legal carry and make damned sure that you know what you're doing before you strap on a firearm.

basmoq

I agree that more gun is better, however modifying of attire is not possible under my circumstances, and more gun also = more $. Both of which are concerns for me.

I appreciate your lack of a quick judgement on my intentions, unlike some others in this forum. Gakface knows me and my situation (which for personal reasons I don't care to share) and that I'm neither rash nor reckless when it comes to personal protection. I intend to register my wepon, and have a CCW. Unfortunately, I can't get one till March when I turn 21. But I couldn't afford it before then anyway...

SuperMidget

www.packing.org

There has been numerous threads on this pistol. Do a quick search and you will find more info and opinions than you can read. It's also a very good reference for state CCW laws and such.

As for my opinion, there is nothing wrong with the Kel Tec pistols. However, bumping it up to either the .380 +p or the 9mm wouldn't be a bad idea. Kel Tec makes affordable pistols in both of those calibers.

Either way learn your pistol and practice till you can't stand to smell gunpowder. Then practice some more. You should also consider getting some training. This may not be possible if you're strapped for cash, but always keep that option in mind.

basmoq

Thanks for the link, new here, and never noticed a search function.

Moonduck

Well, that said, good on ya! You sound liek you're going about it the right way.

SuperMidget is 100% correct here.

Personally, I would not mind carrying a .32ACP for self-defense. Then again I've been shooting for more than 20 years and trust in my ability to place my shots. Shot placement can make up for a lack of calibre.

I have a sort of flow-chart on concealed-carry weapons. It's a criteria that any potential CCW must pass before I'll actually consider it.

1) Is it a realistic possibility financially.

Sounds a bit obvious, but some people decide that they have to have that Seecamp, or they must carry a H&K P7M13 or whatever, and they can't really afford it. You have to buy the gun before you can carry it. (Personally, I prefer any gun I carry to not be too expensive. That way, the normal wear and tear of concealed carry won't bother me, and any possible damage can be inexpensively repaired.)

2) Is it safe/reliable?

This is usually the first question I ask as I will naturally avoid something I can't purchase. A concealed carry weapon must be, absolutely must be, 100% reliable. Accuracy can suffer, ballistic performance can suffer, size can suffer, but the gun MUST discharge every time the trigger is pulled and ONLY when the tirgger is pulled. No excuses, no alternatives.

3) Can I carry it concealed, and for long periods of time?

After safety and reliability, comfortable carry is the next question. That medium-framed .357 magnum may shoot well and be reliable, but it is pretty useless as a concealed piece if it cannot be comfortably carried for long periods, and concealed in such a way as to not print through your clothing.

4) How well does the gun fit me, my hand, my eye?

Fit is a very important issue. If the gun is painful to shoot, you won't practice it enough. Simple pain avoidance will kick in and you will find reasons to not shoot enough. You need to make sure that the weapon fits you in every way so that you will be as comfortable shooting it as possible. You want to minimize distractions visually as you cannot afford any more distraction in an already stressful situation such as would cause you to draw.

5) How much firepower does it have?

You will notice that this question is far down the list. There's a number of reasons for it. First is that most situations dangerous enough to necessaitate legally drawing your weapon will be defused by the simple act of you drawing your weapon. Stats show that the realization that the victim is armed is sufficient to stop most violent crimes immediately. Thus the very existence of the gun is sufficient enough threat to make firepower almost secondary to its' usefulness. Second reason is that any gun is better than no gun. Concealed carry is an avenue of last resort. If you have no better choices than a gun is better than the alternative, good firepower is merely a nice addition.

Also remember that firepower isn't just raw kinetic force. It is a combination of the round's power, magazine capacity, reload speed, accuracy (a missed shot is a useless, if not dangerous, shot), and bullet design. Hollowpoints tend to beat ball ammo in general, so a gun that reliably feeds commonly available hollowpoints is better. A quick magazine change time is better than a pepperbox or a gun that loads only from stripper clips.

---

In the end, practice is still your best friend. You can overcome a fair amount of problems simply by practicing until you wear off your own rough edges. When you can hit the target whenever, wherever, and under whatever conditions, you still need to keep shooting to maintain that skill. It is expensive to shoot enough to gain proficiency, but it beats the alternative of not being to perform should your worst nightmare be realized.

Good luck, basmoq, and try to enjoy the shooting practice that you do. It makes you learn faster.

basmoq

Thanks Moonduck, I really appreciate the advice

__________________
"There's someone out there for everyone - even if you need
a pickaxe, a compass, and night goggles to find them."

omega2K4

My favorite (Out of the pistols I own) is my Taurus Raging Bull. It fires a .454 magnum round that would EASILY take down someone. In fact, it might be TOO much.

__________________
"While the State exists there can be no freedom. When there is freedom there will be no State." - Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

"Reason has always existed, but not always in a reasonable form."- Karl Marx