Anyone have experience with Seecamp pistol?

[ilikegunspdx]

I've been thinking about getting an ultra-tiny pocket (or maybe ankle?) gun for when I don't carry my sig p938 9mm. Just wondering if anyone has any first hand experience with these. I'm thinking of the 380 version but would also love to hear any info. on the 32 ACP version. The other gun I've been thinking of is the NAA min- revolver 22 mag.

From what I understand the ft/lbs of energy of the ones mentioned above are roughly:

Seecamp 380 - 125 ft/lb
Seecamp 32 - 85 ft/lb (BBI 2" barrel for federal hydra shock 65 grain JHP )
NAA 22mag with 1 1/8" barrell - 55-60 ft/lb (NAA sites shows 55 ft/lb with 40gr maxi mag JHP, 1 5/8" barrel = 64 ft/lbs)

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[Alexx1401]

It's been a long time so don't know if it's changed. LONG ago when I was searching for a pocket pistol Seecamp was the smallest and lightest around. There was a waiting list years long. So when you saw them for sale they were about twice the price. I almost bought one a couple times at a show. Problem was the owner had earned a reputation as a real a$$hat. If you got a problem he acted like he could care less. It was this that kept me from dropping the cash.
Don't know if he is still like this but now there is a LOT of great choices, Ruger, Taurus, Kel-Tec, NAA, all make real nice little pocket pistols. I have had 3 of the KT's, still own one. My hands down favorite these days is the Ruger LCPII in .380.

 

[KKG]

In the late '70s I worked for the Detonics .45 Associates. They were looking for Double Action Design that would work with one of their Full Sized Stainless Steel 1911A1 Guns. Seecamp was contacted and they provided a few Guns. Everyone felt the Trigger Pull was garbage to say the least. Shooting at a B-27 Target you had to be VERY careful to hold the Gun securely with both hands to keep ALL shots on the Target at 7 yards. At 15 yards there wasn't any chance of keeping MORE than one or two on the Target.

 

[titsonritz]

It's been a long time so don't know if it's changed. LONG ago when I was searching for a pocket pistol Seecamp was the smallest and lightest around. There was a waiting list years long. So when you saw them for sale they were about twice the price. I almost bought one a couple times at a show. Problem was the owner had earned a reputation as a real a$$hat. If you got a problem he acted like he could care less. It was this that kept me from dropping the cash.
Don't know if he is still like this but now there is a LOT of great choices, Ruger, Taurus, Kel-Tec, NAA, all make real nice little pocket pistols. I have had 3 of the KT's, still own one. My hands down favorite these days is the Ruger LCPII in .380.

That was a long time ago, no longer true. They are still one of the smallest, but with polymer's popularity many are now lighter. With the increased competition prices had fallen, availability is normal and as a result scalpers prices no longer exist.

IMO the NAA copy is a pale comparison. On the surface the "improved sight" and Browning style mag release sound better but in practice the sights are still pretty useless and serve to chew up clothing, fingers and hands, the Euro style mag release is the way to go on mouse guns IMO. Can't tell you how many times I pulled my Guardian out of my pocket only to have the magazine land on my foot.

 

[aflineman]

I like my Seecamp .32. Shoots nicer than my P32 did, but does not carry as well. It turns in my pocket, unless I carry it in a larger holster. If I carry a larger holster, I may as well carry my .38 Special. I do have one pair of jeans though where the Seecamp .32 works well, so YMMV.

 

[Alexx1401]

That was a long time ago, no longer true. They are still one of the smallest, but with polymer's popularity many are now lighter. With the increased competition prices had fallen, availability is normal and as a result scalpers prices no longer exist.

IMO the NAA copy is a pale comparison. On the surface the "improved sight" and Browning style mag release sound better but in practice the sights are still pretty useless and serve to chew up clothing, fingers and hands, the Euro style mag release is the way to go on mouse guns IMO. Can't tell you how many times I pulled my Guardian out of my pocket only to have the magazine land on my foot.

The only thing that kept me from buying a Seecamp back many decades ago was not the cost. It was the reputation Larry had gained for how he treated people. I have to assume he is no longer with us? So have to guess others have taken over these days? A couple times when I had a real good day at a show and had pocket full of cash I almost bought one. It was the nagging idea that if I got a bad one he would tell me to pound sand that stopped me. That is what I meant as in don't know if it's still that way. With the competition now I would think not but, never hear anyone say anything good or bad about these any more. For me when I saw KT advertising the coming P-32 that was the end of me even looking at one. Ended up with 2 of those. Later a .380 when they hit. Still have one of the original .32's that I don't carry any more. The Ruger LCPII kicked it to the curb.

 

[Alexx1401]

In the late '70s I worked for the Detonics .45 Associates. They were looking for Double Action Design that would work with one of their Full Sized Stainless Steel 1911A1 Guns. Seecamp was contacted and they provided a few Guns. Everyone felt the Trigger Pull was garbage to say the least. Shooting at a B-27 Target you had to be VERY careful to hold the Gun securely with both hands to keep ALL shots on the Target at 7 yards. At 15 yards there wasn't any chance of keeping MORE than one or two on the Target.

Being a LONG time lover of the .45 and the 1911 I tried a couple or 3 of their compact .45's when they were making them. I SOOOO wanted them to work but never could get one to work well enough. Every time I thought I had it one would hang up for no reason. Not a lot but, just often enough to worry me when carrying. The tech just did not seem to be there yet to mass produce something like that sadly.

 

[Dewzuki]

I've owned and carried a Seecamp .32 for a couple decades primarily because it could easily fit in my tuxedo pocket while at work. Slips into a deSantis billfold that doesn't print and is barely thicker than the gun. Only issue is they're VERY ammo selective. Silvertips are the only thing mine will feed and fit in the mags. I prefer my Ruger LCP .380 but when the tux calls the Seecamp rides. Cheers.

 

[titsonritz]

Only issue is they're VERY ammo selective. Silvertips are the only thing mine will feed and fit in the mags.

The original ones were designed around the Winchester Slivertip, which at the time was THE premier SD ammo of the day. Supposedly that is no longer the case and other type of ammo run reliably.

 

[KKG]

Being a LONG time lover of the .45 and the 1911 I tried a couple or 3 of their compact .45's when they were making them. I SOOOO wanted them to work but never could get one to work well enough. Every time I thought I had it one would hang up for no reason. Not a lot but, just often enough to worry me when carrying. The tech just did not seem to be there yet to mass produce something like that sadly.

I still have my Company Gun - we were each allowed to purchase a "Parts Kit" - which, I think, everyone did. Since I was building the Things, I didn't have any REAL issues. I didn't choose to use ALL of their Parts but included a Real Colt Part here and there. My Slide has Zero Sights - it was the First EVER - I can(could) hit a Coke Can all day long at 50 meters!!! NTB My Slide is a MATTE Blue which has held up VERY well. The Gentleman doing the Blueing gave it an Extra Long time in his tanks.

My Receiver has the Magazine Well Beveled and has been Electroless Nickel Plated and even after having LOTS of rounds it still shows Zero signs of wear!!!

All in all, it's done it's job very well.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

It's been a long time so don't know if it's changed. LONG ago when I was searching for a pocket pistol Seecamp was the smallest and lightest around. There was a waiting list years long. So when you saw them for sale they were about twice the price. I almost bought one a couple times at a show. Problem was the owner had earned a reputation as a real a$$hat. If you got a problem he acted like he could care less. It was this that kept me from dropping the cash.
Don't know if he is still like this but now there is a LOT of great choices, Ruger, Taurus, Kel-Tec, NAA, all make real nice little pocket pistols. I have had 3 of the KT's, still own one. My hands down favorite these days is the Ruger LCPII in .380.

That's interesting about the attitude thing. A bad attitude in a small company where the owner is visible doesn't exactly build a good group of die-hard fans that's for sure. I like the LCPII but sig p938 is almost the same size (but much heavier) so I kind of have that size gun covered. I'm kinda looking at the Seecamp or NAA as a micro-carry size, sort of a belly or 5 yard gun.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

In the late '70s I worked for the Detonics .45 Associates. They were looking for Double Action Design that would work with one of their Full Sized Stainless Steel 1911A1 Guns. Seecamp was contacted and they provided a few Guns. Everyone felt the Trigger Pull was garbage to say the least. Shooting at a B-27 Target you had to be VERY careful to hold the Gun securely with both hands to keep ALL shots on the Target at 7 yards. At 15 yards there wasn't any chance of keeping MORE than one or two on the Target.

I noticed on the seecamp videos I watched the shooter often gets a "hiccup" when rapid firing. I assume that's due to being longer travel and or or heavier than what they are used to shooting.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

I've owned and carried a Seecamp .32 for a couple decades primarily because it could easily fit in my tuxedo pocket while at work. Slips into a deSantis billfold that doesn't print and is barely thicker than the gun. Only issue is they're VERY ammo selective. Silvertips are the only thing mine will feed and fit in the mags. I prefer my Ruger LCP .380 but when the tux calls the Seecamp rides. Cheers.

Good to know on the ammo. THX! I haven't been following 380 ammo at all but I assume federal makes an HST round in 380 now? I wonder how that feeds in it.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

That was a long time ago, no longer true. They are still one of the smallest, but with polymer's popularity many are now lighter. With the increased competition prices had fallen, availability is normal and as a result scalpers prices no longer exist.

IMO the NAA copy is a pale comparison. On the surface the "improved sight" and Browning style mag release sound better but in practice the sights are still pretty useless and serve to chew up clothing, fingers and hands, the Euro style mag release is the way to go on mouse guns IMO. Can't tell you how many times I pulled my Guardian out of my pocket only to have the magazine land on my foot.

Re Seecamp vs NAA 380, Pretty much every review or video I've seen on the Seecamp praises it's build quality. For me build quality is usually not the first thing I look at in a gun but almost always is a really big factor for whether I keep a gun long term or not. The ones with good build quality I seem to appreciate them more and more with age and shooting. The ones with poorer build quality I appreciate less and less with age and shooting.

 

[Alexx1401]

That's interesting about the attitude thing. A bad attitude in a small company where the owner is visible doesn't exactly build a good group of die-hard fans that's for sure. I like the LCPII but sig p938 is almost the same size (but much heavier) so I kind of have that size gun covered. I'm kinda looking at the Seecamp or NAA as a micro-carry size, sort of a belly or 5 yard gun.

You have to remember I am talking about a LONG time ago. I have to guess Larry is no longer even around. At the time he had a pistol with no competition. He had a very small operation and everything he made was already sold, so he had no reason to care. I highly doubt its still run that way but I hear nothing about them anymore.
As for size / weight, the Seecamp and LCPII are almost the same. Ruger is slightly longer, same thickness, same weight. They are a lot of pistol in .380 so I have to guess the Seecamp would be too. The LCPII I have is fun to shoot now, since it's a matter of a few mags when I try. When I bought it I ran multiple boxes of ammo to make sure it worked. It was not even close to fun by the time I got into the 3d box. Was having a flinch as the damn thing got painful but it never stopped. The big advantage to the II is the trigger. It's along the lines of how a Glock feels and it is MUCH nicer. Does mean it needs to be carried with a holster that covers the trigger due to this.
Now the NAA. I had 2, still have one. Before KT announced the little 32 they came out with we bought a 1.5 inch .22LR, and a 1.5 inch .22 mag. I sold the mag version but have kept the .22LR version for some reason. They are amazingly well made little guns. Of course the little .22 is almost impossible to hit anything with that I am not almost touching. Used it a couple times when I needed something deep cover with a little holster that holds the gun and extra ammo. Figured if I ended up cornered it would be better than dial a prayer

 

[ilikegunspdx]

You have to remember I am talking about a LONG time ago. I have to guess Larry is no longer even around. At the time he had a pistol with no competition. He had a very small operation and everything he made was already sold, so he had no reason to care. I highly doubt its still run that way but I hear nothing about them anymore.
As for size / weight, the Seecamp and LCPII are almost the same. Ruger is slightly longer, same thickness, same weight. They are a lot of pistol in .380 so I have to guess the Seecamp would be too. The LCPII I have is fun to shoot now, since it's a matter of a few mags when I try. When I bought it I ran multiple boxes of ammo to make sure it worked. It was not even close to fun by the time I got into the 3d box. Was having a flinch as the damn thing got painful but it never stopped. The big advantage to the II is the trigger. It's along the lines of how a Glock feels and it is MUCH nicer. Does mean it needs to be carried with a holster that covers the trigger due to this.
Now the NAA. I had 2, still have one. Before KT announced the little 32 they came out with we bought a 1.5 inch .22LR, and a 1.5 inch .22 mag. I sold the mag version but have kept the .22LR version for some reason. They are amazingly well made little guns. Of course the little .22 is almost impossible to hit anything with that I am not almost touching. Used it a couple times when I needed something deep cover with a little holster that holds the gun and extra ammo. Figured if I ended up cornered it would be better than dial a prayer

Great info. The thing that bothers me about the little NAA 22 Mag is just how little velocity (and energy) there is from a cartridge that can generate such high velocity (and energy). Even some of the 4-5" barreled 22 Mag guns out there, it's all just gas and flame and not going into the bullet hardly at all (i.e "all show and no go").

Here is a graph of energy and chart of velocity for a 2" barrel vs. 16" barrel. NAA 1 1/8" barrel is the one I'm looking at so it's even less than the 2" barrel numbers shown.





I'm thinking about getting one of those $30 22 mag cylinders for my heritage 16" revolver just for this reason (for fun of course, not for defense or anything).

 

[Alexx1401]

Great info. The thing that bothers me about the little NAA 22 Mag is just how little velocity (and energy) there is from a cartridge that can generate such high velocity (and energy). Even some of the 4-5" barreled 22 Mag guns out there, it's all just gas and flame and not going into the bullet hardly at all (i.e "all show and no go").

Here is a graph of energy and chart of velocity for a 2" barrel vs. 16" barrel. NAA 1 1/8" barrel is the one I'm looking at so it's even less than the 2" barrel numbers shown.





I'm thinking about getting one of those $30 22 mag cylinders for my heritage 16" revolver just for this reason (for fun of course, not for defense or anything).

That was the reason I let my Mag version go. It had an extra cylinder to use .22LR but was quite a bit larger. When I looked at the ballistics with the .2WMR ammo in a 1.5 tube it was almost the same as the .22LR so no point. Now after I sold it CCI did come out with a version of the WMR made to get more out of the little short tubes. These guns still sell amazingly well and are now made in a bunch of different configurations. I have had many try to buy the one I have left since I never carry it. I just can't bring myself to let it go. It is an amazing little piece of machine work. Need to take it to the range again one of these weekly trips again.

 

[bmw2]

I had one for a while. Very high quality but shooting it was like holding onto a firecracker. Traded it for an air weight S&W.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

I had one for a while. Very high quality but shooting it was like holding onto a firecracker. Traded it for an air weight S&W.

Good to know. I've heard that quite a bit of the 380 version (from the reviews I've seen anyway). Thx!