New (to me) 32ACP/7.65 Pistols

[00-Guy]

Has anyone found a source for extra magazines?

$48 + shipping from Beretta

 

[Moonpie]

$48 + shipping from Beretta

They’re sold out.

 

[00-Guy]

They’re sold out.

I guess U2 is right. I Still Haven’t Found What I Was Looking For.

 

[Moonpie]

I haz magz. $80each. LoL

 

[jar]

So the Standard Grade 81 from DK Firearms shoots great and looks okay BUT when I took a picture of it I noticed something I'd missed during the Spa Day and internal clean up and inspection. Some prior owner scratched what look like initials very poorly on the slide.

So during the early Little League game Sunday I decided to get rid of the chicken scratches but try not to remove normal wear.

I began with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper and worked through to 2000. Then clean up with detergent & water followed by alcohol. I then applied several coatings of 44/40 burnishing with 0000 steel wool between layers and a final cleanup RemOil wipe down.

​

There is still wear on the sharp edges and signs of handling and holster wear. Now it still looks like a used gun but without the chicken scratches.

 

[motorcarman]

I guess U2 is right. I Still Haven’t Found What I Was Looking For.

Well if you are looking 'where the streets have no name', then you will never find it!!

 

[skfullgun]

Excellent job. Tell me more about this 44/40 burnishing process, please.

 

[jar]

Excellent job. Tell me more about this 44/40 burnishing process, please.

44/40 is a Brownells Instant blue. You wipe it on, count to ten and wipe it off. Then I take some 0000 steel wool (0000 steel wool will not harm the existing finish) that has had a spray of RemOil and lightly go over the blued area until it blends in with the rest of the slide. Clean off (to make sure there are no iron particles) and repeat until it matches the rest of the slide. Then wipe down with water to make sure there is no more reaction and finish with some gun oil.

 

[Moonpie]

44/40 is a Brownells Instant blue. You wipe it on, count to ten and wipe it off. Then I take some 0000 steel wool (0000 steel wool will not harm the existing finish) that has had a spray of RemOil and lightly go over the blued area until it blends in with the rest of the slide. Clean off (to make sure there are no iron particles) and repeat until it matches the rest of the slide. Then wipe down with water to make sure there is no more reaction and finish with some gun oil.

View attachment 182751

View attachment 182752​

Looks great. Good job.

 

[Moonpie]

Something I've noticed on these recent 81 imports.
Some have a stepped barrel.
I have two from DK. One with the step. One without.
The later gun(going by serial#) doesn't have the step on the barrel.

Took the stepped barrel gun shooting yesterday for the 1st time.
Absolutely flawless performance. 250+ rounds.
Fired PPU, Remington, Fiocchi, Winchester Silvertip, and Speer Gold Dot.
Very accurate and soft shooting.
These little 81's a great gun.
Get one if you can. They'll be gone before you know it.

 

[Moonpie]

Another new and interesting .32 fact.

.32acp ammo does indeed chamber and fire reliably in a Ruger .327mag single-action revolver.
Verified it myself just now.
Fired ~120rds of various brands in a Single-Seven.
Not super accurate but easily 2inch groups at 25ft.
Call it Minute of Beer Can.

This makes FIVE different cartridges that can be fired from this gun.
32 S&W, 32S&W long, 32 H&Rmag, 327 Federal Mag, 32acp.
How cool is that!

 

[satx78247]

To All,

I have an order in for a pair of Model 81 Berettas.

Has anyone come up with a great "near max" SD reload for the 81??- If you have, please share the "recipe".
(As strong as a Beretta is, when compared to MANY other .32ACP handguns, there should be a GOOD SD load that is HOTTER, but still safe, when compared to factory ammo.)

yours, satx

 

[motorcarman]

When I carry any of my 7.65 Brownings I use Buffalo Bore .32 ACP +P.

bob

 

[TxStetson]

To All,

I have an order in for a pair of Model 81 Berettas.

Has anyone come up with a great "near max" SD reload for the 81??- If you have, please share the "recipe".
(As strong as a Beretta is, when compared to MANY other .32ACP handguns, there should be a GOOD SD load that is HOTTER, but still safe, when compared to factory ammo.)

yours, satx

While I don’t reload 32 Auto, most of my reloading manuals agree, 60 grn Hornady XTP projectile over 2.3 grains of Bullseye (Lee says 2.6 grains), or 3 grains of Unique(Lee says 3.2 Grains) for max loads.

 

[rmantoo]

My brother loves his Cheetah.

 

[deemus]

They're a wonderful handgun.
With this large influx of pistols hopefully we will some aftermarket goodies like grips and sights.
There is already an aftermarket grip available but its ~$50!

Both of the ones I recieved from vendor DK run perfectly.

The trick on the ammo is to order on-line in quantity.
You can get PPU, Aquila, Fiocchi for around $10~12 per hundred if you use one of the ammo seekers.
Buying it one box at a time is mucho$.

If you can find it, the RWS 32 ACP ammo is the most accurate I have shot in mine. Have not seen any in while. Not sure if its a selling out problem or an import problem.

 

[jar]

I used FMJ 32acp as my defensive choice in all of my 32acp pistols and have been using that now for over a half century. I choose penetration over expansion and pretty much stick to European ammo if possible. Most common choices are Fiocchi, Geco and S&B.

 

[skfullgun]

44/40 is a Brownells Instant blue. You wipe it on, count to ten and wipe it off. Then I take some 0000 steel wool (0000 steel wool will not harm the existing finish) that has had a spray of RemOil and lightly go over the blued area until it blends in with the rest of the slide. Clean off (to make sure there are no iron particles) and repeat until it matches the rest of the slide. Then wipe down with water to make sure there is no more reaction and finish with some gun oil.

View attachment 182751

View attachment 182752​

Thank you!

 

[satx78247]

When I carry any of my 7.65 Brownings I use Buffalo Bore .32 ACP +P.

bob

motorcarman,

I'm pleased that you like paying Buffalo Bore prices, but I'm too cheap to do so, when I can load my own. = I've got a nearly new set of RCBS .32ACP dies in my storage locker.

I was HOPING that someone here had "worked up" a load for +P+ ballistics & that might well be UNSAFE in a weaker .32ACP pistol but that would work well in a Model 81BB Beretta.
(The Czechs used to load an about 90 grain SMG load that was a "screamer" out of a 4" barrel but I've not seen any for sale in YEARS..)

yours, satx
(I too have reloading manuals, btw.)

 

[motorcarman]

I reload ALL the 32 caliber I own. 32SW .32SW Long, 7.62x25, .32 ACP, 32 Nagant etc.
WHEN I CARRY a .32 ACP I use Buffalo Bore .32 ACP +P.

I do not load my 'carry' ammo, I shoot my reloads for practice.
I usually use Hornady Critical Defense or Buffalo Bore as 'carry' ammo.

Just don't need the possibility of having to explain my ammo choice (after a justified self defense) to a prosecutor about the 'killer-dum-dum-exploding' bullets I purposely loaded to maim and cause suffering to the person I just shot.

It's just my way to cover some bases. Might never happen but I don't tempt fate when not necessary. I use ammo designed for self defense as stated by the manufacturer.

bob