For a good part of my growing up period the 7.65/32acp caliber pistols were quite popular and sold from many different makers, almost all European names like Beretta, Mauser, Walther, Bernardelli, Webley as well as the two big French names, MAC Mle and MAS. The annual Shooter's Bible was full of them and quite a few were also sold through the big catalog and auto parts outlets.

Then in 1968 importation of most of them was banned as well as many of the better 22, 22lr, 25acp pistols and the 38S&W & 32 S&W Long revolvers. They were not banned because they were inefficient, unreliable or hard to conceal but rather because they were effective, reliable and easy to conceal. Since the US makers at the time were marketing 9mm and 357 Magnum and other larger bore handguns the REALITY became that anything smaller then 9mm Luger or .357 Magnum was just a joke and not what a MAN would carry.
Over a half century has passed and it seems that a return to the easier to carry, easier to manage, accurate 30 caliber and smaller 9mm family like 38 Special and 32acp. We're even seeing new 22 caliber options being accepted and in fact highly promoted.

The most recent example is Walther's announcement of the return of the PPK and introduction of the PPK/s in 32acp.

Fortunately I have a large stash of 7.65 ammo so I can count on my Walther PP in 7.65 still getting fed without paying a Grand for the new-comers.

Nice looking pistol. I have always liked the design, aesthetics, and function of the PPK-style firearms.

For their size & weight, the .32 blow-backs such as the PP and PPK have a lot of muzzle rise, which bothers a lot of shooters. Fine pistols, all the same.

It's rare to see new 32 ACP pistols in shops, Beretta's Tomcat is one of the few. It's small but holds 7+1, the pop up barrel is handy. I have one and it's very concealable in an IWB holster, but 32 ACP/7.65 mm ammo is hard to find. Glad to see Walther will again be making the popular PPK/PPKs in 32 ACP. Kel-Tec made a 7.65 mm pistol, don't know if they still do. 9 mm seems to be the rage in concealed carry, 380 ACP (9X17) seems to be the bare minimum. Many of us still like 32 ACP and 25 ACP, they're reliable center fire calibers.

NuJudge wrote: Sat May 11, 2024 6:00 pm For their size & weight, the .32 blow-backs such as the PP and PPK have a lot of muzzle rise, which bothers a lot of shooters. Fine pistols, all the same.

Snappy is the word. I *AdOrE!* .32 acp pistols and will probably have to have a Walther PPK/s in .32 acp if I can get it in stainless. But it's gonna be a snappy, slide biting, little bastard.

VooDoo

edit: Uh Oh. https://waltherarms.com/firearms/ppk/pp ... less-steel

Walther tells me they *might* have new .32 acp PPK/s available in a year. Got my heart set on a new Beretta 30X Tomcat - 8 round mag, reworked trigger, pop up barrel moved to a button and the mag release is now in a normal place. Which is not available either. I suspect I will own whichever one is to be had but list price on the Tomcat is almost 1/2 of a Walther PPK/s.

One of them will commune with the pair of Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerless I own.

VooDoo

https://www.brownells.com/guns/handguns ... o-handgun/



I love it...Walther PPK/s in .32 acp available now. Still more coin than I want to spend but the longer I look for the Beretta Tomcat 30X I'm lusting for the more I'm justifying the price. No fair.

VooDoo