Kel-Tec P-32 here -
- Have they been reliable from the get-go, or did they require X number of rounds for break-in?
Mine was fairly reliable from the start. A couple of times in the first 100 rounds or so the slide would not go all the way into battery so I had to push it forward to lock but whatever that was seems to have smoothed out.
- Is either finicky about ammo?
Have only fed mine Wincheser white box FMJ and Federal Hydra-shoks. Reliable with both. BTW, some of that white box FMJ has a flat meplat. If one is concerned with penetration a good flat point will penetrate and still carry some shock. I believe some folks mix up hollow points with FMJ in the magazine to get the best of both.
- Does either require frequent or special lube to run smooth?
No special lube, I used Break-free on mine. Just keep it clean like you would any normal pistol you might bet your life on.
Something folks don't think about is that pocket lint collects in odd places like the bottom of a pocket holster,so it's worthwhile to inspect the holster and look in the barrel now and then. Also, don't smother it in oil since that attracts pocket dust bunnies. I mostly pay attention to keeping the slide rails and lockwork clean and a light coat of oil on the moving parts, the outside stays fairly dry.
- Any durability issues?
Not yet, but mine's only had a few hundred rounds through it.
