Kel-Tec P-32 vs. Kel-Tec P-3AT, Pros and Cons
Kel-Tec P-32 Pros
1. Has slide lock
2. Holds 7+1
3. Very slightly smaller and lighter
4. Less recoil
Kel-Tec P-32 Cons
1. Rim-lock problems mainly with hollow-point ammo.
2. Smaller and less powerful round
3. Harder to find ammo and less variety
Kel-Tec P-3AT Pros
1. No rim-lock problems
2. Larger and more powerful round
3. Easier to find ammo and greater variety
Kel-Tec P-3AT Cons
1. No slide-lock
2. Holds 6+1
3. Very slightly larger and heavier
4. More recoil
I debated the same thing and finally went with the P-3AT, here's why:
I wanted the gun that had the best compromise between size, weight, stopping power, and reliability at a reasonable cost.
The slide-lock wasn't a big deal to me because most self-defense situations are over before a 6 or 7 round magazine is empty anyway.
For this same reasoning the number difference between 6 more powerful rounds or 7 weaker rounds may be a toss up.
The P-32 would be better loaded with non-expanding ammo for two reasons:
1. The possibilities of rim-lock with expanding ammo and...
2. .32 does not have enough power to expand well, so it’s probably better to go with non-expanding ammo and rely on the deeper penetration for stopping power.
The .380 ammo does expand quite well and at the same time the penetration is fair. With non-expanding ammo .380 penetration is more than adequate, and at any rate better than the .32.
So, for 1 oz. more weight and 0.1" more in length I went with the .380, and found that the recoil isn't all that bad, especially if you add finger extensions to your magazines and a slip-on grip.
Two years and over 2000 malfunction-less rounds later I still think I made the right decision
