Is it the size or how you use it?

[Guest Satt]

I have been talking to a lot of gun shop personel and others recently about the choice of a good carry gun. I am getting so many mixed reviews. In my civilian gun safety course, the instructor was really big on saying the round size does not matter, it's how you place the round and being able to react. He said statistically there have been more people killed with .22 rounds than any other size. I have also heard many people say you need nothing smaller than a 380 for SD. I am really attracted to the Kel-Tek P32 and I asked about it in another thread. I have heard that a .32 in your pocket is much better than a .45 left at home or in the car. I have six years of military firearms experience and I know how to handle a gun. I am just wandering if I should follow my gut and get a P32 that I would feel comfortable carrying all the time with my 5'4" frame, or get a bigger gun simply because "you can't stop nothing with less than a .XX"?

[Guest bkelm18]

Yes, anything is better than nothing, but if you're attracted to the P32, why not go with the P3AT? I own one and it's a gre...wow just saw your avatar... haha...umm anyways... the P3AT is a heck of a little gun. I almost always have it on me as a backup gun or as a warm weather option. As to the meat of your question, shot placement is more important than caliber up to a point. But most important of all, carry what you are comfortable with and can shoot. Lately I've been carrying my 1911. It's quite concealable in spite of it's size. I also carry a HK USPc in .40SW. Most people will recommend carrying anything from .380 and up. Just remember, there's no such thing as the one shot stop. You're probably going to have to put a few in the attacker before the threat is ended, that's where your shot placement becomes important.

[Guest canynracer]

I would say, something is better than nothing. I hear bad things about my 9mm things like "you are just going to piss the BG off" and other stuff like that...I would say, unless the nay-sayers are going to let you shoot them with it to prove their point, go with what you feel comfortable with.

nobody likes to get shot, wether its a 22, or a 50 cal...I would imagine that it hurts like hell.

my only question is why the .32? the p3AT in .380 is basically the same size in comparison...

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Calibers : .32 AUTO Weight unloaded lbs. : 6.6 oz. 186gLoaded magazine : 2.8 oz. 81gLength : 5.1"129mmHeight : 3.5"89mmWidth : .75"19mmBarrel Length : 2.7"68mmSight radius : 3.8"96mmMuzzle Energy Max : 200 ft lbs 240JCapacity : 7 + 1 rounds Trigger Pull : 5lbs23N

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Calibers : .380 AUTO Weight unloaded lbs. : 8.3 oz. Loaded magazine : 2.8 oz. Length : 5.2"Height : 3.5"Width : .77"Sight radius :3.8"Muzzle Energy Max : 250 ft lbs Capacity : 6 + 1 rounds Trigger Pull : 5lbs

just curious...

[Guest Mugster]

You're going to have to stop a crook, probably young, maybe right out of high school athletics and possibly on pills or meth...not your deconditioned 52 year old neighbor who finds it challenging to cut the yard once a week. The US Military dropped the .38 and went with the .45 because of failures to stop on the PI during the spanish american war. You probably want as much gun as you can reliably shoot and hit with. If the .32 is it, then go with it. Most would probably say that the .380 is probably as low in power as you would generally want to go for a defensive weapon. A 5 shot hammerless revolver might be a good bet for small and concealable.

[saintsfanbrian]

There is NO magic bullet. If I can hit you ten times in the chest with a 9mm but could only hit you in the body once with a .45 which one should I carry? Obviously the 9mm. Another thing to consider when deciding on a defensive round is how much are you willing to spend on range time. Being familiar with your gun and how it operates under EVERY condition is the only way to have a chance of survival. If you buy a .45 and can only afford to hit the range once a year due to ammo costs then you probably are better off leaving it at home as you are likely to hit an innocent bystander if you use it. Conversely if you can afford to hit the range at least once a month with 9mm then you should be comfortable carrying it anywhere you are legally able to.

Personally, all of my handguns are 9mm. I am deadly (pun intended) accurate with it at what I consider reasonable distances for self defense claims. I couldn't shoot the wings off a gnat at 50 yards with it, but at 50 yards, the DA is likely to have me arrested for manslaughter.

Anyway, carry what you feel comfortable with, not what some weekend warrior cop wanna be says you should. (not pointed at any of the dealers on this board)

That's just my 2 cents.

[Guest canynracer]

Personally, all of my handguns are 9mm. I am deadly (pun intended) accurate with it at what I consider reasonable distances for self defense claims.

true statement...I have seen it

[rstandley]

Go with what you would carry every day. just showing a gun to most thugs will make them stop. If they stop you can draw a bead on their head. And practice, practice, practice.

[Guest Satt]

Well, the reason I have been hesitant to get the P3AT over the P32 is because I have been reading that the recoil on the P3AT is unbearable when you are practicing, unlike the P32. I would actually like to carry the P3AT, but i also want something I won't be miserable at the range with after 2 or 3 shots. I also don't like revolvers. (Just a personal preference) That is why I have been looking into the Kel-Teks lately.

[Guest Boomhower]

If your that unsure about the recoil, try to find someone close to you that has a P3AT and is willing to let you try it out. Where do you live? Personally, I get bored real quick with loading 6 rds up at a time and it takes time to do that. My first session with my P3AT, I put well over 50 rds. thru it and would have put 100 more if I didn't have to eject and re-load every 45 sec., but there's a reason I bought it and it wasn't because of the capacity of the magazine.

[Guest canynracer]

3 mags

[Guest canynracer]

Well, the reason I have been hesitant to get the P3AT over the P32 is because I have been reading that the recoil on the P3AT is unbearable when you are practicing, unlike the P32. I would actually like to carry the P3AT, but i also want something I won't be miserable at the range with after 2 or 3 shots. I also don't like revolvers. (Just a personal preference) That is why I have been looking into the Kel-Teks lately.

I agree, if it is at all possible, you should try the 3at just to see. People have different opinions so what others think is unbearable, others dont have that experience.

some think the trigger on my sigma 9ve is unbearable...I dont mind it at all, in fact, I am so used to it now that I find it gives me more control. it is all a matter of opinion, and the only one that counts, is yours

I think you will be fine either way, the 380 may do better in stopping power, but either bullet is going to hurt whatever is in front of it if placed correctly.

Good luck with your decision, lets us know how it works out!

[Guest Satt]

Thanks so much everyone for your great comments!!!

[Guest bkelm18]

The recoil of the P3AT is not unbearable. Just keep in mind it's a very small and very light gun, so it's going to have some snap to it. The only thing I would consider remotely unbearable about it is that the webbing of your hand between your thumb and your index finger gets sore after a couple dozen rounds. It wouldn't be Kel-Tec's best selling pistol if shooting it was unbearable.

[Marswolf]

It wouldn't be Kel-Tec's best selling pistol if shooting it was unbearable.

I think that is a very good comment.

It's a short range gun and a lot of practice really isn't needed. You do need to practice enough to get in the general area you want to hit and more importantly to learn how to not limp-wrist the little gun. It will stovepipe with limp-wristing. So will larger guns.

[Guest Steelharp]

I think the... uh... "caliber" of your avatar is perfect. Use those... uh, that, I mean...

[Mike.357]

The only two things I can find bad about the P3AT is that everyone I have seen, (three of them) has issues cycling through an entire magazine. Did not seem to matter how firm a grip the shooter had. Also I don't believe the slide locks back after the last round.

[Guest TNDixieGirl]

"Is it the size or how you use it?"

In my opinion only, it's both.

[Guest DrBoomBoom]

The P3AT kick is not that bad, I've got guns that kick a lot harder, but, the ergonomics don't work for me. As bkelm18 said, it gets me in the webbing of the hand between the index and thumb. I've been carrying snubnoses, either mine (a 9mm) or my wife's (a .38 special) and can make them disappear fairly well. I keep mine in a different location, however.

[Guest Boomhower]

The only two things I can find bad about the P3AT is that everyone I have seen, (three of them) has issues cycling through an entire magazine. Did not seem to matter how firm a grip the shooter had. Also I don't believe the slide locks back after the last round.

I had a few of those, but after I tightened up my grip, I ran probably another 10 magizines thru it without a problem.....and no, they do not lock back. IIRC, the P32 does.

[The Rabbi]

To me the only decent thing about the P32 is the size. Everything else imo sucks.

Small guns are hard to shoot. There is no getting around that. The small size makes them difficult to manipulate, it is hard to get a good grip, the sights are practically non-existent, and I think the small parts will break much faster.

But if that's all someone can carry it is way better than nothing.

Personally I dont go anywhere without my 642 in .38spc.

[Marswolf]

The only two things I can find bad about the P3AT is that everyone I have seen, (three of them) has issues cycling through an entire magazine. Did not seem to matter how firm a grip the shooter had. Also I don't believe the slide locks back after the last round.

Yep the slide does not lock back. I haven't had any problem with either of my P3ATs running full magazines of ammo since I learned to not limp-wrist them and break them in (about the first 50 rounds on the first gun and first zero rounds on the second).

TNDixieGirl, I think my wife agrees with you.

[Guest canynracer]

TNDixieGirl, I think my wife agrees with you.

I knew it was a matter of time before SOMEONE said it

[Guest 270win]

A 32 is better than no gun at all and like others have said a lot of bad guys run off when they see any kind of gun. I once tried a P32 at a range and owned a P3AT for a short period of time. Both guns had numerous stove piping problems. The P3AT was even sent to a gunsmith to be refinished, fluff and buffed, and hard chromed and i still had problems with it. I went ahead and traded it in towards a S&W 642 38 Special. It fits in the pocket with a cheap uncle mike's pocket holster, is hammerless, and fires a decent round.

If i were looking at any 32, i would take a look at the Seecamp. They are more expensive than the Kel Tecs, but I'd pay for quality so it goes bang everytime i pull the trigger. You might want to look at the Kel Tec PF9 or the P-11. I had a P-11 and had absolutely no feeding problems with it, if you want to stay within the Kel Tec price range. The very small handguns seem to have more problems than only slightly larger handguns of larger caliber.

[Guest TNDixieGirl]

Well its true. It's the size AND how you use it.

If you can't hit the broad side of a barn, a .45 or .38 won't help you.

But if you can put a .22 round in the same hole on the target every time, your bad guy won't stand a chance if you're aiming at his head or heart.

And if Mars' wife was thinking what I think she was thinking, she's right too.

[Guest Boomhower]

And if Mars' wife was thinking what I think she was thinking, she's right too.

....that sounds like something my wife would say.