View source for .32 ACP

{{Short description|Pistol cartridge designed by John Moses Browning}}
{{Infobox firearm cartridge
|name=.32 ACP
|image=7.65x17 mm Browning ReconTanto.jpg | image_size = 230px
|caption=Standard (left) and [[nickel]]-coated military (right) [[Full metal jacket (ammunition)|full&nbsp;metal jacket]] (FMJ) .32&nbsp;ACP rounds
|origin=United States
|type=Pistol
|designer=[[John Browning]]
|manufacturer=[[Fabrique Nationale]]
|production_date=1899–present
|case_type=Semi-rimmed, straight
|bullet=.3125
|land=.3005
|neck=.3365
|shoulder=
|base=.337
|rim_dia=.358
|rim_thick=.045
|case_length=.680
|length=.984
|max_pressure=20500
|max_cup=
|primer= Small pistol
|is_SI_ballistics=
|bw1=60
|btype1=[[Hollow-point bullet|JHP]]<ref name="fiocchi_20140929">{{cite web |url=http://www.fiocchiusa.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=296&Itemid=183 |title=32 Auto 60gr Fiocchi JHP |access-date=September 29, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121012359/http://www.fiocchiusa.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=296&Itemid=183 |archive-date=2015-01-21 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|vel1=1,100 ft/s (335 m/s)
|en1=161
|bw2=65
|btype2=JHP<ref name="federal_20130919">{{cite web |url=http://www.federalcartridge.com/ballistics/ |title=Federal Cartridge Co. ballistics page |access-date=2007-02-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070922160252/http://www.federalcartridge.com/ballistics/ |archive-date=2007-09-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|vel2=925
|en2=123
|bw3=71
|btype3=FMJ<ref name="geco_20130919">{{cite web |url=http://ballistics101.com/32_acp.php |title=Geco 7.65 Browning/.32 ACP |access-date=June 23, 2016}}</ref>
|vel3=984 ft/s (300 m/s)
|en3=158
|bw4=73
|btype4=FMJ<ref name="selliet-bellot_20130919">{{cite web |url=https://www.sellier-bellot.cz/en/product/pistol-and-revolver-ammunition/pistol-and-revolver-cartridges/products/detail/294/|title=Sellier & Bellot Pistol and Revolver Cartridges |access-date=October 22, 2015}}</ref>
|vel4=1,043 ft/s (318 m/s)
|en4=177
|bw5=75
|btype5=Lead +P<ref name="Buffalo Bore">{{cite web |url=https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=132|title=.32 ACP +P |access-date=July 26, 2024}}</ref>
|vel5=1,150 ft/s (350 m/s)
|en5=220
|test_barrel_length=4 in,<ref name="fiocchi_20140929" /> 4 in,<ref name="federal_20130919" /> 5.9 in,<ref name="geco_20130919" /> 3.9 in<ref name="selliet-bellot_20130919" />
|balsrc= <ref name="fiocchi_20140929" /><ref name="federal_20130919" /><ref name="geco_20130919" /><ref name="selliet-bellot_20130919" />
}}

'''.32 ACP''' ([[Automatic Colt Pistol]], also known as the '''.32 Auto''', '''.32 Automatic''', '''7.65mm Browning''', or '''7.65×17mmSR''') is a [[centerfire]] [[pistol]] [[Cartridge (firearms)|cartridge]]. It is a [[Rim (firearms)#Semi-rimmed|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]].<ref name="cotw">{{cite book | last = Barnes | first = Frank C. | editor = Skinner, Stan | title = Cartridges of the World | edition = 11th | orig-year = 1965  | year = 2006 | publisher = Gun Digest Books | location = Iola, Wisconsin, United States | pages = 289 | isbn = 0-89689-297-2}}</ref>

==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 (firearms)|blowback operation]] as well as a small rim for reliable feeding from a box magazine. The cartridge [[Headspace (firearms)|headspaces]] on the rim.<ref name="wilson">{{cite book |last= Wilson|first=R.K. |year=1990 |orig-year=1943 |title=Textbook of Automatic Pistols |url= |location=Plantersville, SC |publisher=Small Arms Technical Publishing Company |page=254 |isbn=9780935632897}}</ref> The cartridge was a success and was adopted by dozens of countries and many governmental agencies.

When the .32 ACP cartridge was introduced, it was immediately popular and was available in several blowback automatic pistols of the day, including the [[Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless]], the [[Savage Model 1907]] automatic pistol, the [[Ruby pistol]] and the [[FN Model 1910|Browning Model 1910]] automatic pistol. Gun popularity rose after firearms expert [[Geoffrey Boothroyd]], of the UK, informed author [[Ian Fleming]], his countryman, that [[James Bond]]'s [[Sidearm (weapon)|sidearm]] should be a [[Walther PPK]] chambered in .32 ACP. A significant factor in recommending this round was its availability throughout the world in the 1950s.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Ian Fleming |date=March 19, 1962 |title=The Guns Of James Bond |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1073622/index/index.htm |url-status=dead |magazine=Sports Illustrated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005022218/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1073622/index/index.htm |archive-date=2013-10-05 |access-date=2013-10-03}}</ref>

Between 1899 and 1909, [[Fabrique Nationale de Herstal|Fabrique Nationale]] produced 500,000 guns chambered for .32 ACP.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Shooter's Bible Guide to Cartridges |publisher=Skyhorse |year=2011 |isbn=9781616082222 |editor-last=Woodard |editor-first=Todd}}</ref> [[Heckler & Koch]] produced the [[Heckler & Koch HK4|HK 4]], their first handgun, in 1967. 12,000 HK 4 pistols were produced in .32 ACP for the German police and other government agencies. Several long guns have been chambered in .32 ACP, from the Tirmax and Dreyse carbines to the [[AR-15]]-style [[Armi Jager]] AP-74.

Modern so called "[[Pocket pistol|pocket pistols]]" are commonly chambered in .32 ACP such as the [[KelTec P32]].

==Design==
{{More citations needed section|date=March 2025}}
The .32 ACP was intended for [[Blowback (arms)|blowback]] semi-automatic pistols, which lack [[Breech-loading weapon|breech]] locking mechanisms. It was [[John Pedersen (arms designer)|John Pedersen]] with the [[Remington Model 51]] that delivered a true locked breech for the .32 ACP cartridge. The low power and light bullet of the cartridge allowed Browning to incorporate a practical blowback mechanism in a small pocket-size pistol. It is still used today, primarily in compact, inexpensive pistols, unless the pistol is used for [[International Shooting Sport Federation|ISSF]] competition, where the cost then escalates. Cartridges in .32 ACP are also sometimes used in [[caliber conversion sleeve]]s, also known as ''supplemental chambers'', for providing an alternative pistol caliber carbine function in .30-caliber hunting and service rifles.

Some comparison of the .32 Automatic as defined by [[Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute|SAAMI]] and the 7.65mm Browning as defined by [[Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives|CIP]] may be useful. Although some of the cartridge measurements differ by as much as {{convert|0.0063|in|abbr=on}}, the names are considered to be synonymous. However, the maximum average pressure as measured by a transducer on the test barrel is {{convert|20500|psi|MPa|abbr=on}} according to SAAMI,{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}} while CIP allows up to {{convert|1600|bar|psi|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1984-06-14 |title=7,65 mm Browning |url=https://bobp.cip-bobp.org/uploads/tdcc/tab-iv/tabivcal-en-page12.pdf |website=[[C.I.P.]]}}</ref> This may explain why the cartridges from European manufacturers tend to chronograph at higher muzzle velocities than those from American manufacturers.

==Performance==
[[File:32and380.png|thumb|.32 ACP (left) next to a .380 ACP (right)]]

The .32 ACP is compact and light. While some believe it has marginal [[stopping power]],<ref name="hornady">{{cite book | last =Hornady | title = Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading | series = vol I | edition = 6th  | year = 2003 | publisher = Hornady Mfg Co | location =Grand Island, NE, USA | pages = 710 }} {{No ISBN}}</ref> it has been used effectively by military and police worldwide for the past century. Although .32 ACP handguns were traditionally made of steel, they have been produced in lightweight polymers since the 1990s. Their light weight, very low recoil and very good accuracy relative to larger caliber pistols make them suitable for [[concealed carry]] use. Some popular pistols chambered in .32 ACP include the [[KelTec P32]], [[Walther PP]] and the [[Walther PPK]] as well as the [[FEG PA-63]], which is a clone of the Walther PP.

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 with lighter bullet weights, the .32 ACP also compares favorably to the [[.32 S&W Long]] in performance. Some European {{convert|73|gr|abbr=on}} .32 ACP loads provide similar performance to the [[.32 H&R Magnum]] {{convert|77|gr|abbr=on}} lead flat point and {{convert|90|gr|abbr=on}} lead [[semiwadcutter]].

Even though the .32 ACP is capable of killing small game, most handguns chambered for this round utilize fixed sights and are designed for use against human-sized targets at fairly close range, which greatly limits their utility as hunting handguns.

.32 ACP is one of the most common calibers used in veterinary "humane killers", such as the [[W. W. Greener|Greener]] humane killer.

In Europe, where the round is commonly known as the 7.65mm Browning and features a different rim sizing, .32 ACP has always been more widely accepted than it has in America, having a long history of use by civilians, law enforcement personnel, and security forces, along with limited issue by military forces.<ref name="cotw"/> During the second half of the 20th century, several European countries developed firearms for police, chambered in [[9×18mm Makarov]] while chambering the same pistol for civilians in .32 ACP and [[.380 ACP]]. Examples include the [[CZ-82|Vz. 82/CZ-83]] from Czechoslovakia, [[FEG PA-63|FEG PA-63/AP 765]] from Hungary, [[SIG Sauer P230]] from Switzerland, and [[P-83 Wanad]] from Poland.

The cartridge has an increased popularity in the United States due to modern compact [[concealed carry (USA)|concealed carry]] pistols chambered for it, such as the [[KelTec P32]], [[Beretta Tomcat]], [[Seecamp]] LWS 32 and [[North American Arms]] Guardian .32. This increase in popularity has led many ammunition manufacturers to develop new loads for the cartridge to increase performance. However, these subcompact guns typically have barrel lengths around {{convert|2.5|in|abbr=on}}. The traditional steel guns chambered for .32 ACP have barrel lengths around {{convert|3.5|in|abbr=on}}. Different barrel lengths can have a significant effect on bullet performance, with longer barrels providing higher muzzle velocity and energy. For example, a [[Cor-Bon]] {{convert|60|gr|abbr=on}} .32 ACP [[Jacketed hollow point|JHP]] has {{convert|130|ftlbf|J|abbr=on}} when fired out of a {{convert|2.5|in|abbr=on}} barrel and {{convert|165|ftlbf|J|abbr=on}} when fired out of a {{convert|3.5|in|abbr=on}} barrel.<ref>{{cite web |title = Ballistics by the Inch .32 ACP Results | url=http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/32auto.html | access-date=2013-10-03}}</ref> A shorter barrel length can also reduce the range of a bullet.

==Gallery==
<gallery class=center>
File:Cartridge .32 ACP CC BY-SA 4.0 by Grasyl.jpg|.32 ACP cartridge
File:32 mod.jpg|Modern versions of the .32 ACP include heavier bullets with advanced expansion
File:.380-32 ACP.jpg|.380 ACP (left) next to a .32 ACP (right)
File:32caliberhandguncartridgecomparison.png|From left to right: .32 Short, .32 ACP, .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Magnum and .327 Federal Magnum.
</gallery>

==Synonyms==
* .32 Auto 
* .32 Browning Auto
* .32 Rimless Smokeless (Used on early pistols chambered for it)<ref>{{cite book|page=21|title=Jane's Guns Recognition Guide|year=2005|author=Ian Hogg|isbn=9780007183289|publisher=[[HarperCollins]]}}</ref>
* 7.65mm Browning 
* 7.65×17mm
* 7.65×17mm Browning SR (SR = Semi-Rimmed)

==Prominent firearms chambered in .32 ACP==
{{div col|colwidth=18em}}
* [[Astra A-60]]
* [[Bayard 1908]]
* [[Beretta 3032 Tomcat]]
* [[Beretta M1915]]
* [[Beretta M1935]]
* [[Beretta 70|Beretta Model 70]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.berettaweb.com/mod_70/mod_70_P5.htm|title=Beretta Web|access-date=2013-09-30|archive-date=2014-03-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301042841/http://www.berettaweb.com/mod_70/mod_70_P5.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Beretta 80 Models|Beretta Model 81 and 82]]
* [[Beretta Model 90]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.berettaweb.com/Beretta%2090%20Roma/Beretta%20Roma%2090.htm |title=Beretta Web|access-date=2015-09-09}}</ref>
* Bersa 84 (Lusber)
* [[Bersa Thunder 32]]
* [[Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless]]
* [[ČZ vz. 27|CZ-27 (Vz. 27)]]
* [[CZ-50]]
* [[CZ-70]]
* [[CZ-83]]
* [[Škorpion vz. 61|CZ Škorpion Vz. 61]] [[Machine pistol]]
* Dineley machine carbine
* [[Dreyse M1907]]
* Erma KGP-68A "Baby Luger"
* [[FÉG 37M Pistol]]
* [[FEG PA-63|FÉG AP 765 Pistol]]{{efn|The FÉG AP 765 is a variant of the FÉG PA-63.}}
* [[Frommer Stop|FÉG Frommer Stop]]
* [[FN M1900]]
* [[FN Model 1910]] and 1910/22
* [[Hamada Type pistol]]
* [[Heckler & Koch HK4|Heckler & Koch HK 4 P11]]
* [[HK P7|Heckler & Koch HK P7K3]]
* [[Jieffeco Model 1911]]
* [[KelTec P32]]
* [[Llama firearms#Model Listing - Self-Loading Pistols|Llama Bufalo/Danton/Llama I/Llama X-A]]
* [[MAB Model D]]
* [[Mauser HSc]]
* [[Mauser Model 1914]]
* [[Mauser#Mauser Model 1934 Pocket Pistol|Mauser Model 1934]]
* [[Ortgies Semi-Automatic Pistol]]
* [[Oznobischev 1925]]
* [[Pardini HP]]
* Pistola Aut. Celmi 
* [[P-83 Wanad|Radom P-83 Wanad]]
* [[Remington 51]]
* Romanian [[Pistol Carpați Md. 1974]]
* [[Ruby pistol|Ruby]]
* [[Sauer 38H]]
* [[Savage Model 1907]]
* [[Seecamp|Seecamp LWS 32]]
* [[SIG Sauer P230]]
* [[Star Bonifacio Echeverria#Pistols|Star Izarra]]
* [[Star Model 14|Star Model 1914/1919]]
* [[Star Bonifacio Echeverria#Pistols|Star SIS]]
* Steyr-Pieper Model 1908/34
* [[Taurus Millennium series#PT132|Taurus Millennium PT132]]
* [[Taurus TCP 732]]
* Taurus PT57
* [[Walther PP]]
* [[Walther PPK]]
* [[Webley & Scott|Webley & Scott M1905-M1908]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg/brit/webley-scott-e.html|title=Webley & Scott M1905-M1908|date=22 October 2010|access-date=2013-09-30}}</ref>
* [[Welrod]]
* [[Zastava M70 (pistol)|Zastava M70]]
{{div col end}}

==See also==
* [[.32 NAA]]
* [[7 mm caliber]] for other cartridges of similar diameter (7.0 - 7.99&nbsp;mm diameter)
* [[Derringer]]
* [[List of handgun cartridges]]
* [[Table of handgun and rifle cartridges]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://shilohtv.com/?p=2720 Is The .32 Mission Feasible?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703063732/http://shilohtv.com/?p=2720 |date=2013-07-03 }}
* [http://www.ballistics101.com/32_acp.php Ballistics 101 .32 ACP Ballistics Chart]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130320185813/http://www.goldenloki.com/ammo/gel/32acp/gel32acp.htm Golden Loki .32 ACP Gelatin Tests (Archived)]
* [http://mousegunaddict.blogspot.com/p/ammo-tests.html Mouse Gun Addict Ammo Tests] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003154718/http://mousegunaddict.blogspot.com/p/ammo-tests.html |date=2013-10-03 }}

{{John Browning}}
{{Colt's Manufacturing Company}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:.32 Acp}}
[[Category:1899 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Pistol and rifle cartridges|32 ACP]]
[[Category:Colt cartridges]]
[[Category:Colt's Manufacturing Company]]