Michael, I have shot over a dozen Colt Pocket Autos over the years, most in .380 (more recoil than .32), and most of which had the original hard rubber grips. A few (3-4) had checkered walnut. Many of these I put several hundred rounds through; a couple I've put several thousand through. I've never had any problem with the grips, and have never known any of my friends who own Colt Pocket Autos (CPA, for short) to have problems with them either. I'd say that as long as your grips are not cracked or damaged in some way, you should probably have no problem at all from shooting your pistol.
Original magazines are difficult to find, and expensive when you do find them. In good shape, price is generally anywhere from $50 to $80 depending on type and condition. Usually, you have to find a collector or a person with a gun and spare magazines to get one, in my experience. They pop up on Ebay every now and then; be sure to ask the seller if the feed lips appear to be bent, damaged or to have been monkeyed with in any way. Also, be sure to verify whether it is an actual COLT magazine.
Hope this helps,
John
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John
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