Seecamp .32 for wife

[dctfn]

Hello Folks,

I am reseaching some possiblities that would fit my wife's need for a CCW. She has shot my Sig P230 .380 and is skittish with the recoil. My wife nor I have shot a .32 cal. pistol. I am assuming the recoil is significantly less.

I think the Seecamp is a good choice for her and would be interested to hear your experiences with this pistol. Recoil, reliability, etc. Perhaps kel-tec might be another consideration.

Any recommendations on pistol performance and where to purchase would be much appreciated.

Thanks, Fred

[HiFlight]

dctfn...

The 3 small .32 autos that come to mind that you might research are:  

Seecamp .32
NAA Guardian .32
Kel-Tec .32

All will do a good job for you, the Guardian is somewhat heavier, the Kel is lighter.  The Seecamp and Guardian are very similar in size with the Kel being just a bit larger, but the thinnest, lightest, and least expensive.

You might wish to check the following link for comparison:

http://www.mouseguns.com/PocketAutoComparison.pdf

[Richard S]

Fred:

If your wife would be willing to handle the recoil, the R9 would be ideal for her CCW.  Mine is not, so she carries this Seecamp chambered for .32 ACP:

I have a Guardian chambered for .32 ACP, which I sometimes carry as a backup:

For elegance and "cult-gun" status, the Seecamp wins.

For durability and ease of maintenance, the Guardian wins.

Both the Seecamp and the Guardian are the straight blow-back design, which results in more felt recoil than a locked-breach design.  Nonetheless, my wife finds the recoil acceptable -- and she is what you might call "recoil averse."

I have no experience with the Kel-Tecs, although some people whose opinions I respect think highly of them.

Good luck with whichever design you select for your wife.

[erh]

dctfn -
  I can,as of just the other day; Thanks to "Theirishguard"! say that "I own all 3 mentioned .32acp pistols, and an R9s!"
  Reality is; all 3, .32's have a "Fairly Substantial Snap"; that is not to say they (any of them...) are unmanageable by any means.  
  I will say regardless of anyone's "Thin Skin"; (I'm really just being objective..!) all 3 are in about the same "Ball Park" in comparison to a Sig P 230 or 232, (have both of these also...) if not just a bit more "Snappy", due to their lighter weight and recoil systems.  
  My wife has permanently adopted my S&W Model 36, 3", .38spc.  

Hope this helps,

Eric  

PS - I Love My; Seecamp, & all of 'em others..!

[theirishguard]

My wife had a Seecamp .32 for years and just sold it a couple of years ago. She loved it and shot it well but did not carry it at all.
Tom

[Aglifter]

I shot in a Kel-Tec 380 today, and the recoil was tiring after 50 rounds, but nothing like the R9 -- however, for a small(er) light recoiling gun, I'd suggest either a sp101, loaded w. 38 specials, or a steel J frame -- or a Bersa, if she doesn't mind the size/weight.

Also, a Colt 32 pocket auto is a wonderful thing.

[MountainMan]

Fred

The Seecamp is the top of the line in small pocket pistols - the difference between a Kel-Tec and a Seecamp is like the difference between a Ford Focus and a Rolls Royce - they will both get you there but you can't compare the joy of the ride.

 I have four LWS.32s and a LWS.380 on order - so I'm biased.

To find out more on the Seecamp go to the Seecamp Forum:

http://seecamp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl/YaBB.pl

Saying all of that if your wife is recoil sensitive you may want to consider a  S&W J-Frame.  But if you want an auto I have found that many women have problems racking the slide.  Many are nervous on leaving the gun loaded in the house so the unloading and loading a round in the chamber becomes a problem.

I still feel the Beretta .32 Tomcat should be looked at.  A little heavier than the Seecamp and a little larger.  Just the right size to tame the .32 recoil.

The nice thing is with the tip-up barrel loading and unloading the chamber becomes simple without ever having to pull back the slide.

You can also find the tip-up barrel in some Beretta larger calibers also.

You can get the Seecamp from Tom Watson (theirishguard) on this forum - PM him - Tom is a dealer and very trustworthy - many on the forum have bought guns from Tom, including several myself.

Dave

[dctfn]

Thanks to all for the various suggestions. My wife does not have much strength in her hands. Perhaps the Beretta Tomcat would be a good choice.

I should receive my R9 next week (Thanks Tom!). I would assume the recoil spring on the R9 is stiffer than the Seecamp. If she is able to manage racking the slide on the R9 then the seecamp will be a good choice, also considering she really likes the looks of the Seecamp.

Great Folks/Great Forum

Cheers!

Fred

[Richard S]

Fred


I still feel the Beretta .32 Tomcat should be looked at.  A little heavier than the Seecamp and a little larger.  Just the right size to tame the .32 recoil.

The nice thing is with the tip-up barrel loading and unloading the chamber becomes simple without ever having to pull back the slide.

You can also find the tip-up barrel in some Beretta larger calibers also.

If you settle on a "tip-up" Beretta, just emphasize that your lady should keep her shirt/blouse buttoned to the neck during practice.  The tip-up design has a nasty tendency occasionally to throw hot brass casings straight up into the air and straight down into the aforementioned shirt/blouse.  (Don't ask me how I know.   )  

[dctfn]

Thanks for the info Richard. Wow, not a good scene, even though there is a certain degree of humor there, I can visualize a mishap like that would not go over well on the home front. My imagination runs wild on how the rest of that day, evening, week, month would go!!   :-/

Fred

[Michigunner]

I was constantly being hit in the face while using a Kel-Tec P3AT.

Must have been some serious limp wristing!

I was almost ready to put safety glasses over the regular glassses.

Bill

[GeorgeH]

If she didn't like the Sig 230, 380, then neither the Seecamp, Guardian, Kel Tec, nor R9 would be for her.

She will have to work into a pocket gun. Get her a nice J frame alloy 38 and a NAA mini revolver and let her gain the experience necessary for her next purchase.

[dctfn]

Thanks George!

I tend to agree. The 230 being a straight blowback action does increase felt recoil. It is larger than the others mention, but I bet the felt recoil is about the same accross the board.

I recently considered purchasing a S&W AirLite M342PD 38+P

How does it size up to the 230 in regards to felt recoil?

Appreciated,

Fred

[erh]

If she didn't like the Sig 230, 380, then neither the Seecamp, Guardian, Kel Tec, nor R9 would be for her.

She will have to work into a pocket gun. Get her a nice J frame alloy 38 and a NAA mini revolver and let her gain the experience necessary for her next purchase.

Well said GeorgeH..!  I concur.

Eric

[dfsutton]

If you settle on a "tip-up" Beretta, just emphasize that your lady should keep her shirt/blouse buttoned to the neck during practice.  The tip-up design has a nasty tendency occasionally to throw hot brass casings straight up into the air and straight down into the aforementioned shirt/blouse.  (Don't ask me how I know.   )  

This happened to my wife but in a more "random luck" kind of way. We were shooting my Beretta 8000 at an indoor range in her hometown. Well, during one of her magazines a shell casing was ejected to her right and somehow caught the divider instead of flying more towards the back. This particular shell deflected off the divider and dropped straight into her low-cut blouse.  The end result was a set of matching blisters in a sensitive area and a wife that still flinches to this day when she shoots that particular gun.

The lesson that we learned from all this is that appropriate clothing is essential for any sporting activity. We decided to stop by the range that afternoon as an afterthought at the end of the day and were not appropriately dressed.

As a side note, it was fairly funny. However, the slight humor that I found in that situation was repaid ten-fold by my wife in resentment towards me. Not quite worth it.