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Gene L
Senior MemberPosts: 12,750 Senior Member
.32 ACP for defense

I know, I know...there are a LOT better rounds out there, but I kinda wanted to get my James Bond on...been carrying a Walther PPK ("Like a brick through a plate glass window.") Well, not quite but it definitely was a step up from the .25 Beretta he carried prior to that. But it's easy to carry and easy to shoot. I've got a PPK-S in .380, which I've had for 30 years, and it's an accurate and reliable weapon. I won a contest with it in reduced light shooting because of the sights.
The PPK was made in 68, so it's not all that old. I don't feel unarmed carrying it. I was looking for a Berns-Martin holster for going full Bond, but found out they didn't make holsters for automatics. Oh, well. Fleming got it wrong on a couple of accounts.
Anyone remember what other handgun Bond had in his Bentley?
The PPK was made in 68, so it's not all that old. I don't feel unarmed carrying it. I was looking for a Berns-Martin holster for going full Bond, but found out they didn't make holsters for automatics. Oh, well. Fleming got it wrong on a couple of accounts.
Anyone remember what other handgun Bond had in his Bentley?
Concealed carry is for protection, open carry is for attention.
Replies
Bond woulda slept with A LOT more hotties if he had one of those.:jester:
I do enjoy shooting the random .32's that cross my path from time to time. I've shot plenty of .380 PPK's, and, while it's not like the round is Dirty Harry material, in a light, blowback gun like that, it definitely has some snap. Had a co-worker at one time with a Manhurin-licensed .32 PP - thing was a hoot & a half. Wouldn't mind picking one up in that chambering.
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
I've had something similar. The PA-63 and it takes 9x18Mak. It's a Walther clone. I wouldn't feel unarmed either, but the 9Mak is a better choice.
Winston Churchill
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.... now who's bringing the hot wings? :jester:
Now Wife and I enjoy my Colt 1903 and her custom Walther PP in .32 on the range, mostly for the variety. They’re a delight to shoot, and have that certain panache that our more modern handguns may lack.
NRA Endowment Member
-Mikhail Kalashnikov
Jerry
So am I. Read the chapter near the beginning of the book (No, I don't remember which one) where his boss is insisting he must upgrade his arsenal. "You have a license to kill- - - -not be killed". A PPK became his primary carry piece and the .38 Special was the heavier-caliber backup. On the first mission with the new guns, an old friend he hires to help him gets BBQ'ed by some sort of huge all terrain vehicle with a flamethrower, and Bond empties the .38 at it with no noticeable damage. His after action report contains the comment I referenced above.
Jerry
I read Doctor No in high school, and as I recall, there was a scene in which he debated whether to take the Walther or a S&W .38 (a Model 10 possibly) to the island. He decided on the Smith due to power and range in outdoor conditions. On coming ashore, he was momentary bothered by the encroaching effects of salt water on the fine bluing.
But I guess if you're in a world where an AR-7 is a valid anti-aircraft weapon, a .32 Auto must rival Mjolnir for effectiveness. Hooray for Hollywood!
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
Jerry
Now that you mention it, I do recall seeing a picture of Connery holding a Colt Woodsman or similar .22 pistol.
NRA Endowment Member
http://jamesbond.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_firearms
They were chambered in .22/.25/.32/.380 or 9mm Kurz (short) to my knowledge. I think a variation of something akin to 9X18 Mak caliber was offered and probably more in small numbers in the family tree.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
Yep, just verified mine has a mag with 8 .32 ACP rds in it.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
AKA: Former Founding Member
:uhm:
Jerry
It does work when used to shoot a kneeling and handcuffed political prisoner in the back of the skull. But for a gunfight, something bigger is better
-Mikhail Kalashnikov
- George Orwell
Jerry
I'm no proponent of the .32 ACP, but......
It was the issue sidearm for the OSS in WWII. And those guys knew a little bit about homicide.
Just saying...
Mike
N454casull
I have a wartime PP in .32 ACP - very fun and pleasant to shoot and I can't miss with it!
Now with all that said, I carry a 9mm - the ammo's far cheaper and the gun really isn't any larger than a PP, and weighs less!
Best advice is know yourself/abilities/ gun/ammo have confidence in it and practice shootin it.
Not the optimal caliber, but I don't feel under-armed if I choose to have it handy and remember first rule is to have a gun. Better than any .22/.22 Mag or .25 ACP. Sure I'd rather have a .357/.38/9mm/.45 ACP and it wouldn't be my first choice if I knew I was about to go in harms way.
Thing is, these days with all the polymer light weight sub-compacts in .380/9mm you can get a lighter and smaller, more easy to carry pistol in a larger caliber and even in .32 that are reliable and cheaper.
It sill is a gun to be admired for its quality and reliability.
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
I am somewhat with you, but if it's just him and me in a normal SD HD situation, I think I could survive with my .32 ACP, however, one reason I don't use it for carry anymore, well not on a regular basis, is because of the church shooting here in Texas
and the Las Vegas catastrophy where the shooter was carrying a substatial weapon. I don't want to go up against an AR with one. In that scenario I want 9mm or bigger, preferably bigger. But I carry my 9 because I feel pretty confident I can dispatch someone no matter what they're shooting. The only exception to this if someone has an AR or longer range weapon I wouldn't feel good shooting at someone at 50 yards with it. But I'm not carrying a .30-06 around town.
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
The common theme with the little pocket rounds seems to be, when you try to make them expand, they quit penetrating enough. The nifty thing about them though, is that if you stick with the FMJ's they penetrate plenty, and with a flat-nosed FMJ, you might actually get a slight effect that's a little wider than the initial diameter.
I seem to recall that one of the "one-shot stop" studies (Marshall, maybe?) put the effectiveness of .45 ACP hardball somewhere around 60%, and that these little FMJ pocket rockets were not too far behind.
Browning was clearly no dummy. On the one hand, he gave his U.S. military customers what they wanted - an excellent and powerful service pistol. On the other, he was no stranger to the effects of bullets on game animals and knew that stops are rarely instant. It likely crossed his mind at some point that, if you're going to be looking at a few seconds of bleed-out time regardless of caliber, a 20-ounce pocket pistol has a number of advantages over a 40-ounce service one. It seems unlikely that a man who grew up in a culture of elk hunters would design the .32, the .380, and even the .25 (and a boatload of different guns to shoot them) if he thought they'd be useless. Working in the early smokeless/jacketed age that he was, he was probably even more on the ball than we routinely give him credit for.
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee