For a small CCW, is the .32 Seecamp still regarded as top choice, or has something else taken it's place?

Thanks

Well the Seecamp has never lot its quality, just some of its appeal. The Kel-Tec, which is well behind the Seecamp in quality has turned out to be a decent pistol with a significant weight and dollar savings.

And, the KT comes easily in .380, which I'll take any day (and twice on pay day) over the .32.

The number of micro 380s has certainly taken away the Seecamp's luster. Not to mention the Seecamp is notoriously picky about ammo.

What is considered to be the #1 choice in micro .380 caliber pistols?

IMHO, the Kel-Tec P3AT.

Gotta ask, though, why you want to know the "#1 choice in micro .380s", since everyone's opinion counts for exactly the same.

The K-T has served me well for years, and through several of them (note: do not take a P3AT to a public range, unless you want to part with it for more than you paid for it).

I wanted to know what was currently fashionable. Wouldn't do to buy an uncool gun, you know.

yes seacamp is still the cat's meow shoot one compared to same gun of other companies and you will see for yourself.It currently takes about 4 months to recieve from time of order though

I think it's passe now. Many better solutions for that problem now. There was a time when it was the best, and perhaps only good, solution to the problem of the perfect pocket auto with significantly more power than .22 lr or .25 ACP. That made it hard to keep up with demand for it at that time. Today, though, I'd much rather have a Kel-Tech.

I have always liked the attractive and dependable Sig P230 and P232 auto-pistols, both kind of in the Walther PPK style.

NOW! What I would regard as "fashionable" for a .380 Pistol is the NEW Sig P238 - that is styled like a Baby 1911 and has some interesting features.

As far as the Seacamp .380 ... I'd love to have one, but would hate to have to pay for a new one.

Of course the 'new' Sig P-238 is nothing more than a redone Colt Mustang. The main alteration seems to be the barrel/slide lockup. Everything else seems pretty much identical.

Yeh, I'd like a Colt Mustang too ...

now your size is twice as big with the 380 over the seacamp 32

Some size comparisons:

Seecamp vs Ruger LCP



Seecamp vs Kahr PM9



Seecamp vs Keltech

[img]http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=75717&stc=1&d=1207256264[/img]

I guess I will be the odd man out. Frankly I do not trust compact autos. The only exception is the baby Glocks. When I was in uniform I carried a J frame .38 Centennial for many years as a backup to my duty gun. I observed many various compact autos being used by newer guys and darn few ran reliably, eventually most guys either quit carrying a backup or switched to a J frame.

Some guys were just hard headed and would not listen to those who had gone down the same road.

For me personally, I would pick either a 442 or a Glock 26.

By far the coolest teeny auto is the Kahr P380. Absolutely loved the ones I got to play with at SHOT this year.

Problem is, haven't seen one since. They're extremely hard to find, but I'm still looking.

Pete

Yep. I would like to own one of those.

Try finding 380 ammo.

Easy. All I gotta do, is open the ammo cans in inventory, marked ".380ACP"..............

Share???

Might could.......... figure I'll see you in a couple months by now. Amazing what can be found stashed in your rig......................

The NAA Guardian is a good size, tho a might heavier than the Seacamp

OK, since we've gone from the .32 acp Seacamp, to the "NEW" generation of popular small/light .380 ACP Pistolas- i.e. Kel-Tec P3AT, Ruger LCP type CCW pistols, Etc. ...

There is a new guy ... I mean a new "gun" in town ...
The Taurus TCP, aka Taurus Compact Pistol.

This pistol is sub-compact and sub-Seacamp dollars. (Saw one for $257.80.)

Taurus PT-738: (blue)

Overall length - 5.19"
Weight ------- 10.9 oz.
Loaded chamber indicator.
6+1 or 8+1 with extended magazine.
Polymer frame.
D.O.A. - Oops, I mean D.A.O

You can also get one with a Titanium slide ... maybe the lightest pistol ever.

Getting back to the original intent of the thread and sort of re-inforcing my first statement:

What's "in" ? Well, that could be debated six ways till sunday.

What's "best": again, very subjective.

So, now we come back to having a gun you can fell confident in and take pride in; and I'm sensing that's what you're really trying to get down to.

So, with that in mind, I can say the Seecamp is really a great pistol; very high quality.

The Kel-Tec is not the quality of the Seecamp for sure, but it's a great little pistol that is lighter in weight and a fraction of the cost.

So the rest is for you to decide what you really need in a pistol. I think pride of ownership is never to be overlooked, so I could never fault you for such a thing. If you don't like it, you're much less to be enthused about it, and therefore much less inclined to take it out and enjoy it in the way of shooting. And at the end of the day, a pistol that is never shot, is pretty much worthless.

So buy the one you think you're going to shoot and shoot a lot.

Good points. I agree.

I stick with my model 60 no dash and the K-T for 99% of my CCW. Of course I carry both at the same time, the K-T is my "NYC" reload.

When in Tampa, Miami and other urban AO's it is either my G19 or Colt Commander with the K-T as reload.

RE: Syncerus,
_____________

Again, my 2 cents worth:

Let's return to your original CCW .32 ACP Pistol question ??? ...

I have previously extolled in this thread- the virtrues of some CCW pistols that I have never owned or have even fired ...

Size, weight, and even caliber aside ... My favorite ultimate small/size caliber pistol that I actually chose to own, and do often depend upon, IS my Beretta Tomcat Model 3032, .32 ACP Pistol.

There is enough meat left on this small attractive pistol that you still feel you are actually holding a real handgun in your hand ... plus, it has proven to be very much dependable and accurate.

It has a small hammer that doesn't snag, and I am glad that it's there. I like external hammers on my auto's. PLUS, it's being a SA/DA, it also has a tip-barrel feature that eliminates the need of manipulating the slide to chamber or unload a chambered round ... I appreciate that, and so does my loving wife.

My Beretta Tomcat is in the "Inox" finish (Italian for Stainless steel) - If I sold or traded it as I have been often pressured to do so, I would soon replace it with the lesser expensive blued model.

I like my "Tomcat" so much ... I would not want to be without one.

Google up the Beretta Tomcat, and see for yourself, I dunno, it may be just what you're looking for.

You've obviously never handled the two...

I own one and have handled the other. The Seecamp is a work of art compared to the Kel-Tech, but I'd much rather have the Kel-Tech in my pocket than the Seecamp.

I'm tempted to ask why but I understand that some guys would rather have a Kia than a Lexus...

Just as reliable. Lighter in weight. Slimmer. Lots cheaper, so I wouldn't cry if it got damaged, destroyed, confiscated.

Photos I have seen of the new Kahr 380 seem to suggest that it is slightly smaller than the P3AT shown for comparison. I have not seen one in the "flesh" yet.

Here's one, kind of pricey.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=138292774

Gentlemen,

I hereby confess to being a slave of fashion. I've put down a deposit on a Seecamp; the quality made my decision. I'll probably pick up a mid/smallish auto in .40 S&W at some point, but that will be in a few months.

In all honesty, I have the most faith in my P229 for "when the chips are down" use, and I am absolutely a member of the "bigger is better" crowd, but I'm also a member of the "what you have with you is better than what you have in the truck" crowd.

Thanks for the opinions, they were more helpful than you know, even the dissenting ones. I'm a legal CHL holder and I don't typically carry on my person for reasons of convenience, but I've decided that it's time to overcome my sloth.

I wonder if there are any 'after action' reports on these in 32?
Chronograph data in the American Rifleman a few years ago showed very low velocity and energy. Some were less than 75 ft lb as I recall.

In old reports, the .32 Silvertip was supposedly as effective as non-expanding 9mm and .38 spl ammo and just as effective as anything shot by a .380.

It's hardly a .500 S&W, but it's much better than nothing.

Besides, if I knew that I was walking into trouble, I'd take my 10ga.

A couple of years ago now, I decided I wanted a small pocket auto. Like many of us, want overcame need. I had admired the little Seecamp for many years but the 1 to 2 year wait had been too much for me.

I started my search by looking at the Keltec. I was not impressed with the quality of the workmanship, and reports of people needing to return them to get them to shoot were all over the internet at that time.

Long story short, Seecamp waiting time was reduced to 5 months with the popularity of the keltec, so I purchase the LWS32.

I have had it appox. two years now and it is utterly reliable, and built like a swiss watch. I am very pleased with it.

But, Ruger came out with the LCP and the quality looked much better than the keltec, so again that "want vs need" thing came to light and I purchased the Ruger.

I carry both at different times. The Ruger is a little thinner, and of course has a little more power with the .380. The Seecamp is a little shorter in both length and height, and it just make you feel good to carry.

Bottom line, the Seecamp is the "Cats Meow", but the Ruger and the Keltec will get the job done cheaper.

Its like a Seiko vs Timex watch, both work.

I killed a deer with one in 1988. OK, that's overly dramatic, although technicaly true. I put a coup de grace on a mortally wounded whitetail that was just about dead without a finisher. When I skinned it out, I found a dent with a perfect impression of the Silvertip hollow point on the cervical spine, and bullet frags in the meat. There was no penetration whatsoever. I guess the deer didn't need much persuasion at that point in its life. I went back to the Beretta 21A .22LR that I bought when I was on the Seecamp waiting list. That puppy will spit out Stingers with the speed of a race gun, and with great accuracy. With a spare mag, it makes up in capacity for lack of oomph on the receiving end.

I do agree with Kevin that the Seecamp is a high quality pistol.

I was once on a two year list with Seecamp just to get on a one year list to reseve a handgun for production. Would have been a three year wait but I read about the NAA Guardian/Seecamp knockoff to be introduced and didn't go on the one year list.

The little Guardian is a neat pistol and a tad heavier than the Seecamp.

I'll second Cheyenne on the Beretta 21A in 22lr. Mine was extremely reliable. Suprisingly accuracte and would like to see what one could really do if they had a set of proper sights.

Update:

I went with the Seecamp and managed to get it to the range last weekend. All in all, I'm very impressed and pleased with my purchase.

Congratulations on your Seecamp purchase. I hope you will be as happy as I am with mine.

Think of it as a deterrence, not a stopper. If a man with a baseball bat is determined to bean you with it, the .32 ACP (short of a point black heart, spine, or brain pan shot) is not likely to stop him. For that it all starts with a hot .38 Special HP load (preferably from a three inch or longer barrel), and gets better as you approach .45 caliber projectiles. But what you have working in your favor is that most people are terrified of being shot by anything. It's in that category of attacker where your Seecamp will serve you well.

Congrats on buying a very nice little piece. I hope you never actually need to pull the trigger on anyone with it.