The 32 ACP (32 Automatic Colt Pistol, 7.65 Browning) was designed for Belgium's Fabrique Nationale by John Browning in 1897…the small, concealable semiautomatic pistols he was designing needed cartridges! The 32 ACP uses a .309-inch or 7.65mm bullet. Its original 71-grain bullet at 905 feet per second is no powerhouse, but it was a standard police and military cartridge in many European countries and remains a popular personal defense round. With modern jacketed hollowpoint loads it is much more effective than ever before. 32 ACP is no longer as popular as its big brother, the 380 ACP, but it is still widely manufactured and available.
