Kel tec p32 or Ruger lcr 22mag

molonlabe

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The misses had an incident when out walking our dog and is now interested in carrying while she walks.

Knowing that she will want something as simple as possible and keeping in mind it will need to be really lightweight I have it boiled down to these two options.

We have a Ruger LCP and if she wants to carry that then great...but if that is too much recoil then either of these should be much more manageable.

Anyone have legit input on either of these?
 
I've shot the 22 mag LCR. It handles well enough and all that. The trigger is good as triggers go, but because of the rimfire deal with 22 mag it requires a stout pull. Be sure she's ok with that. It's also loud and produces a good flash which could startle the unprepared. If she is ok with those things I think that 22mag as a carry option is legit. It's a badass little round and puts out a helluva bark.
 
I have a P32 you are welcome to try out. I am in Cary.
 
If she is new to shooting you could start with a polymer .22 LR semi auto. Something like a M&P .22 compact or Ruger SR 22 are easy to shoot, lightweight, and even concealable if needed.

You could also get lite .38 Specials and 9mm ammo for something like a LCR or Shield. I don't have any experience with lite ammo but there should be at least the "placebo effect" when using that ammo.

Small guns are harder to shoot and less enjoyable to practice with. By the way, the smoothest shooting .380 I've ever shot was a Glock 42. Plus it's not as tiny as guns like the LCP and Kel-Tec.
 
OP do you reload? If you do you can tailor practice loads to help with getting used to the gun. Just a thought.

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When the G26 is too big for whatever reason, I take my P32. Very concealable and light weight. While it's not the range gun of choice it serves it's purpose well.
 
While a 32 cal is less than ideal I'll take a centerfire over a rimfire for SD any day. My P32 runs 100% with SD ammo.
 
I have a P32 and it runs fine. Something a little bigger such as the M&P 22 or Ruger 22 semiauto might work better. I think her trying it out is a great idea as mentioned earlier.

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My "don't have a gun on me gun" is a P32. It's also my work gun, as I don't worry if it gets messed up like I would a pricier gun. It shoots great. I don't care for little revos myself and 22mag is made for long barrels
 
Isn't the p32 the exact same size as the p3at? I've never shot either so forgive my ignorance but wouldn't you choose 380 over 32 on power and ammo availability?

Is 32 really that much easier to shoot?
 
Let me add in a few details...

I have the Ruger SR22 and she says that is too big to carry...so that eliminates most any of the small 9mm pistols with perhaps the exception of the kel tec or diamondback.

She took her concealed carry class with the LCP...and found it snappier than she would like for these circumstances.

The carrying device she has for her phone would hold the P32 no problem...debatable on the Ruger LCR.

All reports and reviews state the 32 is a much less snappy round as it is a smaller round with a smaller powder load.

So size and recoil are the key factors...this would be used strictly for going on walks etc when a holster would not be used.
 
I like my P3AT. Same form factor but a bit more snappy. Uber reliable
 
If you are going to carry a .22mag, I highly recommend the Hornady Critical Defense! Works well in all of mine. :)





@Brangus Please let me know if you ever want to go in on another case. :)
 
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The misses had an incident when out walking our dog and is now interested in carrying while she walks.

Knowing that she will want something as simple as possible and keeping in mind it will need to be really lightweight I have it boiled down to these two options.

We have a Ruger LCP and if she wants to carry that then great...but if that is too much recoil then either of these should be much more manageable.

Anyone have legit input on either of these?

I've been hashing over a similar choice. My little wife doesn't have much grip strength; so racking a slide can be a problem, as can be a heavy trigger pull. She is also recoil-averse.

She has dry-fired my LCR in .38 spl and likes the trigger a lot, but I'm afraid the triggers on the rimfire models would be too heavy. I'm going to have her try my LCR with some reduced-recoil loads, and if that goes reasonably well, I'm thinking the sweet spot might be the LCR in .327 Fed Mag. It can handle such a wide range of loads, all the way down to .32 S&W Long (or Short, if available) that I'm sure we can find a cartridge that she is comfortable shooting. Plus it's a tad heavier than the .38 which should help further with recoil, and holds an additional round.

If the .327 doesn't work out, then I'll have another revolver, and she'll get a can of pepper spray.
 
but I'm afraid the triggers on the rimfire models would be too heavy.
Might be. They are not like the centerfire triggers. It pulls even throughout, but it wants to be told what to do. What I've found with guns like that is it makes the squeeze difficult and people wanna jank the trigger and then the barrel starts to wander around. Double whammy that with a lightweight gun and new shooter. Takes a lot of practice to get to automatically not-yanking-on-it mode.

My almost universal recommendation when I get the "doesn't like recoil and/or heavy trigger and/or not a frequent shooter type person", is one of my old favorites; S&W Model 10-6 with 4" barrel.

If they can fit a 2.5" barrel they can fit a 4.
Like buttah trigger.
Light enough to carry, heavy enough to help, perfect for the home.
Wide range of ammo from rat shot to lady load to nuclear tipped.
Point & shoot/plug & play. Might be the easiest gun to use ever invented.
Glock doesn't make the worlds most reliable handgun, S&W does and it's called a model 10.

Of the dozens of newbies I've gone through, the model 10 is the only centerfire gun that they all liked. Rifles included. The DA/SA exposed hammer M10 is perfect. Half will shoot SA and the other half DA, whatever they're comfortable with. I've also learned that snubbies and little autos are not well received. They do all the things new/infrequent shooters hate, they jump and kick and sting. These folks need to start with some 'weight' to the gun, a grip that fills the hand, simple sights, and an easy to use and understand trigger. Then you got 'em and the auto's and ar's are soon to come.
 
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Might be. They are not like the centerfire triggers. It pulls even throughout, but it wants to be told what to do. What I've found with guns like that is it makes the squeeze difficult and people wanna jank the trigger and then the barrel starts to wander around. Double whammy that with a lightweight gun and new shooter. Takes a lot of practice to get to automatically not-yanking-on-it mode.

My almost universal recommendation when I get the "doesn't like recoil and/or heavy trigger and/or not a frequent shooter type person", is one of my old favorites; S&W Model 10-6 with 4" barrel.

If they can fit a 2.5" barrel they can fit a 4.
Like buttah trigger.
Light enough to carry, heavy enough to help, perfect for the home.
Wide range of ammo from rat shot to lady load to nuclear tipped.
Point & shoot/plug & play. Might be the easiest gun to use ever invented.
Glock doesn't make the worlds most reliable handgun, S&W does and it's called a model 10.

Of the dozens of newbies I've gone through, the model 10 is the only centerfire gun that they all liked. Rifles included. The DA/SA exposed hammer M10 is perfect. Half will shoot SA and the other half DA, whatever they're comfortable with. I've also learned that snubbies and little autos are not well received. They do all the things new/infrequent shooters hate, they jump and kick and sting. These folks need to start with some 'weight' to the gun, a grip that fills the hand, simple sights, and an easy to use and understand trigger. Then you got 'em and the auto's and ar's are soon to come.

You're' making me want a Model 10!

It would no doubt be a great shooter/trainer for both of us, but she wouldn't carry something that big and heavy.
 
Isn't the p32 the exact same size as the p3at? I've never shot either so forgive my ignorance but wouldn't you choose 380 over 32 on power and ammo availability?

Is 32 really that much easier to shoot?
Yes they're same size and no its not any easier to shoot. Both suffer from sharp recoil and in my hands they both have trigger slap which makes them unpleasant. I carry a P3AT many days though.

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I'd get the LCR and load it with those pink tip Critical Defense Lite loads. Stick it in a fanny pack and tell her she can't have her cake and eat it too. That fanny pack can carry her gun and phone. She'll be much better off than trying to use a P32...because it fits her phone case. Where will said phone be when said P32 is in its case???

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