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Seecamp .32

35K views 72 replies 36 participants last post by  ripley16 
#1 ·
I'd like to hear what you folks think about this firearm for defensive carry. I had the opportunity to handle and fire one recently. VERY VERY well made and within 5 yards I can keep them in a large cereal box size target. There are NO SIGHTS!!!! so it's all point and shoot. It is TINY! I have a G26, love it, but as i said on another thread, sometimes it is too big to carry (just the way it is...:frown:), so I really need a pocket pistol. (my wife would argue the need part). I live in MA, so my choices are limited. I have always been intrigued by the Seacamp. Limited to the .32 as the .380 is not approved in this state...:aargh4:

tell what ya think! Have a happy holiday! :santaclaus:
 
#2 ·
Some general comments on the .32 ACP are in this recent thread: http://www.defensivecarry.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?116636-Honest-thoughts-on-.32-ACP&highlight=

The Seecamp is a high-quality weapon, and it was designed around the Winchester Silvertip round - not hardball, not any other JHPs. That rigid requirement may have been relaxed over the past few years, but in any case, when stoked with the proper ammo the Seecamp is reliable. Larry put no sights on his tiny guns because he knew how they would be used - "point and click."

The Seecamp is pricey when compared to the plastic Kel-Tec .32 I occasionally carry, but you're getting some fine craftsmanship and a gun you'll be proud to pass along to the next generation. When I kick the bucket, my Kel-Tec will probably go into the recycle bucket along with the milk jugs!
 
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#45 ·
...Larry put no sights on his tiny guns because he knew how they would be used - "point and click."
Jeez! For that kinda money, I hope you get more than a "click" (JUST KIDDING!). It's definitely a quality piece.

I'm a big fan of .380's (for a mouse gun) - have no real experience with a .32. I'd be more inclined to go with one of the quality .380's out there - the Ruger, SIG P238, Kahr, or (my favorite) the SIG p232. Granted, these are mostly bigger than the Seecamp, but you get a lot more "bang for the buck". A P3AT or an LCP conceals about as well, and packs considerably more 'horsepower' (Just sayin').

Regards,
Jim
 
#4 ·
I missed out on a really nice Seecamp .32 last spring for $400... one owner that was 75 years old. The gun only had 40-50 rounds through the tube. I just didn't have the funds at the time and wasn't willing to part with another to trade. Now, I wish I had parted and traded. I would love to have the seecamp .32.
 
#5 ·
I missed out on a really nice Seecamp .32 last spring for $400... one owner that was 75 years old.
Fear not. Go to Gunbroker and buy a new one for $425 every day.

I have a .32. I considered a .380 but I hear the recoil is painful and the price is too.
I love to look at mine. I never get tired of it. It came with a DelFatti Ostrich holster (probably why I paid too much.) and a bunch of spares.
A bit of Simichrome and it looks like new.
It drops in my pocket like my car keys. No reason to NOT carry it.
I love it.
However. Be aware it is VERY finicky about ammo. Max length .910". So it will shoot WWB FMJ, Gold Dots, Silver tips, and not much else.
I actually bought a digital caliper to measure ammo.
 
#13 ·
I've had a LWS32 for quite a while. I've tested every available brand of ammo except the truncated WWB QA4255. As long as it fits in the mag, it has fed and fired just fine. I currently carry Winchester Silver Tip, which has been readily available and one of the least expensive rounds found.

When I practice, I never "aim". Point and quick-shoot yields a fist sized group at the 3 yard range I generally use. The first time my brother shot my Seecamp he shot about a 2" group! I was impressed.:hand5:

In over 24 years my Seecamp has proven to be a dependable, solid up close and personal defensive gun. The new ones are probably even better, as Seecamp now makes them with better material and are made on CNC machines. The magazines are lightyears better now too.

Cons;
Take down is a little funky. You need a spent case and a tool. It isn't hard to do, just has to be learned.
Almost always will stovepipe on the last round. The gun is not designed for ninja quick mag changes...period. If that's important to you, this is the wrong gun.
You need an inserted mag to rack the slide.

Pros;
You said it...TINY.
Reliable.
Seecamp stands behind his pistol.
Solid stainless steel, very robust.
Nice trigger.
Parts are easy to buy and cheap.
Smooth, melted, slick as a baby's skin.
Prices have come down the last few years. I see used guns in the sub $400 area routinely.

24 and still looking good, (new mag, new grip panels).
 
#14 · (Edited)
I love mine, it has a time and a place, and I don't think any other gun does its job as well. You ought to look around over at pocketholsters.com, and seecamp.com. Take a look at the overlay pictures to get an idea how tiny it is. Read the owners manual online, there is a very specific manual of arms to the Seecamp. I find using it the way it was meant to be gives flawless performance. Larry Seecamp is also a very accessable CEO. Even if you wind up hating it, you'll be able to get out of it easy.

ETA
Ripley, I have never had a stovepipe, mine is 050xxx serial if that means anything.
 
#17 ·
Very nice gun, but a .32 caliber pistol is not good enough for self-defense. I think it would be better to get the Seecamp LWS .380 or another small pistol in the same caliber such as the Ruger LCP, Kel-Tec P-3AT, MR Micro Desert Eagle, Bersa Thunder CC, a Diamondback 380 or any j frame in .38+P. Sure, it is better to carry a .32 than a stick but it would be better to carry something of a larger caliber to stop the threat.

Friends don't let friends carry mouse guns!
 
#20 ·
It's a beautiful gun but not suitable for self defense in my very un-expert opinion. I think it would be a fun gun and if you want to stretch it, then a back up gun but can't see a .32 as any kind of serious SD type gun. There's just too many other options available that are close enough in concealment and shootability to make it worth the effort to come up with a better solution.

But again it's a beautiful gun and I think it would be a lot of fun. I've heard good things about them and that the recoil is negligible due to the weight.

Gideon
 
#21 ·
Far as .32: Never shot one so pretty ignorant. But .32 was used by European police for many years, and plenty of American gangsters carried the Colt 1903 in .32 - (a good bunch to trust). I think having 10 (perhaps more, I iive in NY which has limit of 10 in mag) should leave you with few BGs that aren't still charging after - and you're goal in SD is stop and attack so you can get AWAY. Maybe one won't feel a thing, but look at it this way: the chances on average that any of us will actually need to use an SD weapon are highly remote to begin with. The chances on top of that highly unlikely chance you will also meet some emergency where 10+ .32 rounds will not halt an attack enough for you to escape are likely on the order of you being hit by lightning. So...... my advice, do what gives you the most comfort and accuracy shooting fast under severe pressure. If it's a .32, fine, use it.
 
#23 ·
If you are going to carry a .32, use FMJ ammo. The FBI calls for 12-15 inches of penetration in gel. Expansion is NOT a substitute for penetration. To disrupt a vital area, your bullet first needs to reach it.

See testing here, done with a KT P32:

http://www.goldenloki.com/ammo/gel/32acp/gel32acp.htm

IMHO, JHPs are pointless (ha ha) in .32, and marginal in .380 - I keep my LCP loaded with FMJ.
 
#26 ·
Hmmm.. Now I want one...

Personally, I prefer the .32 over a .380 in a package this small. My Keltec .32 accompanies me often when no other firearm can (Not a push for the Keltec - only commenting on the size of both guns).

You can conceal these things pretty much anywhere but the shower.
 
#28 ·
I have carried a Seecamp LWS 32 for years as a secondary or tertiary gun. I won't carry it as a primary unless absolutely forced to do so, but if so, I much prefer it to running or praying. Mine works perfectly. It is usually loaded with Cor-Bon ammo or WW Silvertips. I view it primarily as a contact weapon, and a shot to the face or skull won't really need hardball for penetration. There are a fair number of historical data points involving defensive stops with .32 ACP, many of which involve Silvertips. I'll usually take a bit of loss in penetration over a greater likelihood of skidding around the skull and only making a shallow flesh wound, but others may reasonably differ.
 
#30 ·
I don't think the .32 has a bad rep from the internet. In fact the Keltec .32 was what precedent the whole fervor over the .380. And despite what any generalized statistic says about stopping someone, I think the internet mantra of "not feeling undergunned" with a small caliber will evaporate when we're (God forbid) faced with that real world situation. We won't be saying "I'm glad I got my trusty .32". We'll wish to God we had something larger and perhaps more of it and we'll wish we'd trained more to use it! To use another over used banter, it's better than a sharp stick but if you're every truly forced to use a gun defensively, I think you'll wish you had more than a .32, or even a .380. I love that gun but honestly for SD I think we need to be more realistic. If we can carry something with more caliber and capacity than we do with a little practice and shoot it as well, then I think we should. But if that's really the largest caliber you can shoot well, then I think it's perfect. I carry a .380 in the pocket when in dress cloths without a cover and tucked. Don't like to but for some situations I choose to. Personal Journey based on some universal principles; :redface:

Still love those guns!
Gideon

Gideon
 
#32 ·
you hit the nail on the head....with dress clothes (work) I have a hard time carrying my G26 in a way that is totally concealed. I would love to carry my 1911 or g22, but that just wont work for me, and I HAVE TRIED like heck!!! :mad: Need to go small pocket gun, and in MA my choices are VERY limited.....seecamp seems to be the best choice. Also think about the sig p238, but i am concerned about carrying this little guy in condition 1....no grip safety.....on the 1911 the safety is 3 fold to deal with the potential problems of cocked and locked.....
 
#34 ·
When forced to downsize it is my first choice. And I chose between a NAA Gardian and LCP in .380 but nothing fits as good nor gives me the confidence that the Seecamp does, even if its .32. I have had good luck with almost any ammo that is to spec. If the ammo manufacturer is not holding his ammo to spec you may have problems. But I test out what I am going to use and buy a couple boxes of that lot and never have had a FTF or FTE. I think I paid $325 shipped for mine a couple of years back. It was slightly used with two mags and original box and papers.

This is mine in a PCS holster. This whole rig takes up no more space than a LCP or Gardian does without the spare mag tagging along. And it fits well in the pocket like this.

 
#36 ·
Simichrome will sold as metal polish at a mom and pop hardware store, perhaps in the paint department. (Perhaps paint stores, too?) Forget Lowe's and Home Depot; they may sell it, but will have NO idea what you are asking about, or how to look it up.

As for carrying a mere .32 ACP pocket pistol, well, I favor service-cartridge weapons, myself, but there is much to be said for a small weapon, at times; even Col. Cooper mentioned this, in reference to, IIRC, a .22 LR Walther PP or PPK: "I have a gun; leave me alone!" There have been times I wanted to be REALLY covert, in a few specific situations, and have toted a Seecamp and a blade.
 
#37 ·
I can't wear a suit coat or other cover at work so pocket carry is it for me under those circumstances. I had a smart carry but actually had a Ruger LCP slip out when laying on the floor (I know, laying, not sitting at a desk). With a J frame it was very uncomfortable with the smart carry. And going to the bathroom :redface: well that didn't work out to well. I persisted with it until the strap on mine was worn a bit but at the end of the day I didn't like it.

I wanted the SIG .380 but I don't like a thumb safety or an SA trigger on a pocket gun. Had a Keltec P3AT and the LCP and liked those both but when Kahr came out with the P380 it all came together. Light and small and flat; perfect for pocket. Hi end trigger and "real" sights, no eternal safeties, etc. I consider that to be that best all around true dedicated pocket gun currently on the market by far. Only negative is the price. I'll carry a J frame in the pocket with casual dockers after work as a BUG but it's too big of a chunk in my pocket. I'm only 5' 7" and slender so my pockets are smaller/tighter than the big guys so the pocket .380 is a choice I make but I don't like it. The alternative is to get another job but I can't do that right now so.....

Anyway, don't get me wrong, the Seecamps have good reputations. I'd recommend FMJ ammo and a lot of rounds down range to prove out the reliability.

Gideon
 
#38 ·
Gideon, the Seecamp was built around hollow point ammo, and only has one recommended fmj loading. I follow the Seecamp owners manual, and mine has done everything they said it would, flawlessly.
 
#42 ·
The only reliability problems I've ever seen w/ the P230/232 is when the shooter doesn't have a high firm grip. I've heard that a weak recoil spring might contribute since it's a blowback, but I've only heard about it.
 
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