.32 ACP

.32 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol), also known as the .32 Automatic is a pistol cartridge. It is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled cartridge developed by firearms designer John Browning, initially for use in the FN M1900 semi-automatic pistol. It was introduced in 1899 by Fabrique Nationale, and is also known as the 7.65x17mm Browning SR or 7.65 mm Browning.^[2]

History

John Browning engineered a number of modern semi-automatic pistol mechanisms and cartridges. As his first pistol cartridge, the .32 ACP needed a straight wall for reliable blowback operation as well as a small rim for reliable feeding from a box magazine. The cartridge headspaces on the rim.^[3] The cartridge was a success and was adopted by dozens of countries and countless governmental agencies.

The .32 ACP cartridge was chambered in a variety of popular blowback automatic pistols of the day, including the Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless, the Savage Model 1907 Automatic Pistol, and the Browning Model 1910 Automatic Pistol. The .32 ACP was used^[4][5][6] in the assassination of archduke Franz Ferdinand by Gavrilo Princip, and the pistol, a Browning M1910 (serial number 19074), is on display in the Army Museum of Vienna.

Allegedly, Adolf Hitler committed suicide with his personal .32 ACP Walther PPK.^[7] by pressing it against his right temple and pulling the trigger while simultaneously biting down on a cyanide capsule.

Design

The .32 ACP was designed for blowback semi-automatic pistols which lacked a breech locking mechanism. The relatively low power made it a practical blowback round. It is still used today primarily in compact, inexpensive pistols. Cartridges in .32 ACP are also sometimes used in caliber conversion sleeves, also known as supplemental chambers, for providing an alternative pistol caliber carbine function in .30-caliber hunting rifles.

Performance

The .32 ACP is compact and light, but short ranged, having marginal stopping power.^[8] Weapons chambered in it are often valued for their compactness and light weight relative to larger caliber pistols, particularly for concealed carry use. It offers more velocity and energy than the .32 S&W, which was a popular round for pocket defensive revolvers at the time of the .32 ACP's development. Although of lighter bullet weight, the .32 ACP also compares favorably to the .32 S&W Long in performance.

The .32 ACP is quite suitable for varmint hunting, although most handguns chambered for this round have little, if any, type of sights for improving accuracy.

The .32 ACP is one of the most common calibers used in veterinary "humane killers", such as the Greener Humane Killer. The relatively low power is not a concern with a muzzle-contact shot, and the round has been found to be perfectly adequate for the purpose, even for fully grown horses and bulls.

In Europe, where the round is commonly known as the 7.65 mm Browning, the .32 ACP has always been more widely accepted than it has in America, having a long history of use by civilians as well as military and police agencies.^[2]

Today the cartridge increased in popularity due to modern compact concealed carry pistols chambered for it, such as the Kel-Tec P-32, Beretta Tomcat, Seecamp LWS 32 and North American Arms Guardian .32 This increase in popularity has led many ammunition manufacturers to develop new, better-performing loads for the cartridge.

Synonyms

• 32 Auto (typical designation in America)
• .32 Browning Auto
• 7.65x17mm
• 7.65x17mmSR (SR — Semi-Rimmed)
• 7.65 mm Browning (typical designation in Europe)

Prominent firearms chambered in .32 ACP

• FN M1900
• FN Model 1910 and 1910/22
• Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless
• Mauser HSc
• Sauer 38H
• CZ-50
• ČZ vz. 27
• Walther PP
• Walther PPK
• Seecamp LWS 32
• Škorpion vz. 61 Machine pistol
• Kel-Tec P-32
• FÉG 37M Pistol
• North American Arms Guardian

See also

• .32 NAA
• List of handgun cartridges
• 7 mm caliber for other cartridges of similar diameter (7.0 - 7.99 mm diameter)

References

1. ^ Federal Cartridge Co. ballistics page
2. ^ ^{a b} Barnes, Frank C. (2006) [1965]. Skinner, Stan. ed. Cartridges of the World (11th Edition ed.). Iola, WI, USA: Gun Digest Books. pp. 289. ISBN 0-89689-297-2. 
3. ^ Wilson, R. K. Textbook of Automatic Pistols, p.254. Plantersville, SC: Small Arms Technical Publishing Company, 1943.
4. ^ Johnson, Melvin Maynard; Charles Tower Haven (1941). Automatic arms: their history, development and use. W. Marrow and co. p. 46. 
5. ^ Weir, William R (2005). Turning points in military history. Citadel. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-8065-2627-0. "The spark was supplied by a .32 caliber pistol" 
6. ^ Miller, David (2006). The History of Browning Firearms: Fortifications Around the World. The Lyons Press. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-59228-910-3. 
7. ^ A.E. Hartink, The Complete Encyclopedia of Pistols and Revolvers, page 368
8. ^ Hornady (2003). Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading. vol I (6th Edition ed.). Grand Island, NE, USA: Hornady Mfg Co. pp. 710. 

External links

• Is The .32 Mission Feasible?
• Ballistics By The Inch .32ACP results