the 32 acp was popular for most of the 20th century in such famous firearms as the Colt
1903 pocket hammerless the French ruby the FN model 1910 the Mauser HSC
Developed in 1899 by the genius firearms designer John Moses Browning
the 7.65 browning was a character alongside James Bond in the Ian Fleming series
in his Walther PPK. I read the books, did you? Today we have three of my personal
32 acp pistols spanning an 85 year range - different philosophies different actions.
The Beretta 1935 the Beretta 81 and the Kel-Tec P32. This time on Gun Physics
The 32 ACP, 7.65 Browning is a small diameter round and a small cartridge doesn't push that
bullet very fast and here in comparison is a hollow point modern 9mm. Both are center fire
cartridges with known reliability we'll start with the oldest. The Beretta model 1935 produced
in northern Italy in 1944. Now, at this time in Northern Italy it was controlled by the Germans
the end of World War II and that little “4UT” mark that you see right there that tiny little thing -
not your run-of-the-mill 1935. There's a safety - you ever see a safety like that? I hadn't.
The Beretta 81 - part of the Beretta 80 series - the Cheetah models were introduced in 1976,
40 years after the 1935. Modern thumb safety and double action single action.
Almost 25 years later designed in 1999 we have the Kel-Tec P32. This thing is tiny.
Long trigger pull double action only.
The 1935 has a heel release for that magazine, common in Europe, common in the olden times.
8 round magazine. The 81 -modern magazine release, 12 round double stack magazine. Everything feels
normal. The kel-tec p-32 again with a modern magazine release and a seven-round single
stack magazine. The oldest versus the newest - 8 rounds on the left 7 rounds on the right
Now the triggers. Back for safe, forward for fire.
See the creep? Here's the reset. Creep.
That is a 10 pound trigger it's pretty accurate as we'll see later but it's a 10 pound trigger.
It's crazy. Maybe some reduced power springs. Now the beretta 81. First,
if you're carrying this thing in condition one, safety on, this is what you'll see first.
A little bit of take up here's the reset.
It's a nice trigger. Four pounds. Double action is pretty long at eight pounds but
smooth. Pretty nice. It's a transition from that eight pound double action to
a single action of four pounds - not bad. Safety works no matter where that hammer is
double action or single action. solid positive positioning and ambidextrous.
the Kel-Tec is double action only but that hammer is partially reset by the action of the slide.
See it? After that hammer falls trigger's dead until the slide resets it.
It's a long two-click reset. Seven pounds. Like revolvers? You’ll like this one.
Steel frame heavy and soft shooting for that 1935. Now the 81.
Both Berettas sport their former trademark open top slide.
Similar weight, similar recoil characteristics.
Now the P32 is tiny and light and kind of awkward and much more recoily.
But it's the P32 and not the p3AT so it's fine. Let's check the weight: 668 grams,
1.4 - so that's a pound and a half and 23.6 ounces.
23.3 ounces. 23.6. They're like the same. Those two have the same weight. Remember that 23.5
ounces? That's 8.3, 226 grams, and half a pound. Now that is light. Now here's one fully loaded
with a round in the chamber at 10 and a half ounces. OK let's add a kydex holster and clip
12 and a half. That's about half of either of the other ones unloaded no holster. Seven yards,
oldest to newest on my favorite holiday and celebration plate targets
Not bad for a 10 pound trigger in a 75 year old gun
These are all single action shots
Honestly pretty bad for a better trigger
I am really not that good without practice at double action triggers.
I had a cataract in my dominant right eye and so sometimes the glasses i'm wearing are not
conducive to shooting so i tried the 81 again without those glasses. Much better. And while
we're all about grace and forgiveness and second chances here's the Kel-Tec p-32. This one's better
still not great. I did a lot better my first time out - this is a four inch spread
from a seven inch plate with three full magazines on a Kel-Tec P32.
Take down. Take out that magazine make sure that the safety lever is in the safe position.
That's how it works? Really? Yeah that barrel just pops out
from the front slides through that big open slide
and then slide pops off. There it is. That's it. That is a really simple firearms design.
That's it for the 1935. Pretty simple. The 80 series and 90 series by Beretta has a very similar
takedown. You can start out by locking back the slide but you don't need to. Then you push in a
button from one side to release the takedown lever. Pushing that button - there it is -see
the button? And then release the takedown lever and then slide the take down lever down - rotate
the takedown lever down and then slide comes right off with the barrel and the recoil spring.
Just like the 92. On the Kel-Tec there are no external safeties no levers nothing like that this
thing's got to be tiny. So grab that little pin with a sharp edge pull it out slide it right off.
Twin springs on that guide rod and the barrel pops right out. Here's the reassembly
From back to front - beaver tails hammers and firing pins - look at the size difference between those
three - double stack single stack heel release - trigger guards and dust covers the classic
beretta open top slide or not - and the muzzles. The 1935 the 81 and the p32. Here's a comparison:
Got a capacity of 8 12 or 7 - weight 650 or 225 grams - the 35 is single action only the
81 double action transitions to single action and the p32 double action - the frame of the 35
is steel the frame of the 81 is aluminum and the p32 polymer - well i really like the 35 because it's
a world war classic - the 81 it's beautiful double action single action high-capacity modern pistol -
and the kel-tec p-32 it's the tiniest little lightest concealment pistol
you're gonna find - all of them fire that 7.65 Browning the 32 ACP - it's not a 9 mm but
it's a pistol. Hey thanks for watching Gun Physics. Your thumbs up really helps a lot in the ratings.
So thanks for that too and I've got new videos coming out most Tuesdays subscribe for more.