Tomcat

[Stud Duck]

I'm considering a Beretta Tomcat 32ACP with XS big dot sights for a CCW during the summer months, any thoughts, opinions, advice, complaints? All input appreciated.

The only thing that scares me about this pistol is clearing a jam when it may be needed most. We all know that in a stressful situation our fine motor skills vanish and we're left with gross motor skills. Looks to me like manipulating that little barrel tip-up lever would get you killed if your weapon jammed. Could you rack the slide and tip the pistol muzzle up to eject the jammed round since the pistol is lacking an extractor? I also hate that after the last shot, the slide won't lock to the rear, nothing like pulling the trigger on a BG and hearing a "snap" to remind you that you need to reload.

Any other suggestions for a warm weather carry gun? I've looked at Kahrs and Kel-Tecs, but from what I've read on their hit-or-miss quality I'd hate to bet my life on one.

[96fsshooter]

I have one and like it a lot. The triggers have been known to pinch.

You can't go wrong with any Beretta IMHO.

[Dobber]

I have had mine for a month or so now and really like it. I have run 350 rounds through it with no problems. I carry mine in my front pocket and it's a little thick depending on what I'm wearing.

[michael t]

I think the tip up barrel is about only good I found on the pistol. Its way to thick and large for a 32 Prints in my pocket. My PPK/S doesn't, The trigger makes my PPK/S feel like a target gun . I could really like if fix trigger and thin down. I have a 950BS, Seecamp took his 25 up to 32 and still same size come on Beretta you can do better.

[thingamajig]

You can rack the slide if you want, but I doubt it'll do any good. Even without an extractor, I've never had a failure to extract on my Tomcat.

I'd bet that if you somehow wound up with case or cartridge stuck in the chamber, you'd have to poke it out with a stick or something.

If you want reliable, go with a revolver. But, those don't lock open after the last shot, either. ;)

[Tomac]

I've carried various versions of the Tomcat as my casual CCW for years in a DeSantis "Trickster" holster (looks like a 2nd wallet when carried in my back pocket). I recently sold mine w/the XS tritium front because the large front sight would snag on the holster when drawing. Now I just carry an Inox Tomcat. Clearing jams? IMHO the Tomcat is for point-blank self defense and while I'm not worried about a jam (haven't experienced one yet in many hundreds of rds of .32 downrange over the years), if I did experience one I doubt I would have time to attempt to clear it before the situation became "up close and personal". Just my $.02 worth...
Tomac

[spober]

is the tom cat smaller ,lighter than a ppk/s 32?

[josp]

I bought one for my Dad to replace his POS Llama 380. It works wonderfully, but is a bit big for it's power (my kel tec 380 is thinner). I like the gun but feel there are better pocketable guns out there. As a sometimes carry and home gun,(if you have just one) I think it would be fine.
To answer your main question, it never jams with ball or Silvertips.
By the way, both my kel tec 380's (one for me, one for Dad)have not jammed if cleaned every 50 or so rounds. Since I don't carry 50 rounds with me, that's about all I expect.

[FotoTomas]

I have had two. They both were jammamatics and the second one had a bad habit of popping the slide during firing. I have NO desire to ever own another. Burned twice is once to many.

Saying that, some people do like them. It could be the early ones I was involved with have been improved. Even so I do not like them and the Kahr PM9 is my all season pocket medicine.

[Sturmgewehr44]

I've never ever had the stainless Tomcat jam. I've shot silvertips, hydrashocks, ball, Fiochi etc... with no cleaning or lube on the gun. I was kinda doing my own personal research project on the gun. To date, I've shot 750 rounds through the gun and it's never jamed.

But, as a carry gun, I too find that it's a little thick and heavy. An airweight 5 shot .38spl is lighter, but bulkier. Either way, it's not bad, but just not great.

However, I find that it is 100% reliable when you pull the trigger. My sister owns the blued version and I noticed that it is slimmer than the stainless one. At least the slide is slimmer on hers. The frames are the same size.

I think they used more "metal" on the stainless versions. For that reason, I think if I had to do it again I would purchase the blue or parkerized Tomcat and have it hardchromed.

That's if you wanna spend the extra money. I wouldn't waste my money on night sights. It is just a last ditch in your face defense gun. I'm not aiming it at anybody. I'm just pointing it and shooting it.

I must add, the .32 ball ammo has some zip to it. I wouldn't wanna get hit with it.

[Cousin]

My wife has a blued one and loves it. Granted, it's not an ideal pocket gun for me because of its thickness but it handles and shoots very well. It's a solid gun and has some heft but it also has good balance when held in the hand. My wife can hold it securely and very comfortably without straining to get the middle of the first digit on her index finger on the trigger. She handles it well and shoots it very naturally and very accurately. Trigger is reasonably smooth and even as well.

Whenever she lets me put a few rounds through it at the range, I find it to be accurate up to 25'. The tip-up barrel is actually a nice-to-have, especially for a woman like my wife with moderate hand strength, but if you don't want to use that feature, just rack away. All in all, I enjoy shooting it and wouldn't mind owning one for myself.

Although the .32ACP isn't the "ideal" self-defense caliber by any stretch, it's still reasonably potent, especially if the first round is delivered accurately and if follow-up shots are on target, too. Low recoil from the Tomcat helps a lot there.

Her Tomcat replaces a Kel-Tec P32 that she bought and shot for a very brief period of time. It was a nightmare for her and subsequently for me. I know a lot of people love the diminutive P32 and that it's an extremely popular pocket gun or B.U.G. but she had an awful lot of trouble and grief with hers.

[Arc Angel]

:) Whoa! It took me almost two years to decide which of the small, ‘mouse guns’ I wanted to carry. For the past 5 years I’ve had a Beretta Tom Cat inside one of my front left pockets.

The deciding factor for me is the Tom Cat’s extraordinary ability to handle and shoot just like a full-sized pistol! If I’ve got to go to a backup gun, then, I want to be able to hit accurately with it – like instantly – right out of the pocket. I don’t want to have to take the time to make a mental transfer from a big to a little gun. The thought of missing with the first several shots is something I dread.

Inside 15 yards, the Tom Cat WILL get the job nicely done for ya; I have, on occasion, fired from 25 yards with this little pistol; and, everything goes, nicely, into a 10" circle. (Try that with another mouser!)

It’s, also, kind ‘a neat to be able to have my hand inside a left pocket without anyone realizing that I’ve actually got hold of a gun!. So far I’ve put about 800 rounds through this little pistol. (It does have a slight tendency to shoot low; but, it has never jammed on me; and, you can really learn to love that tip up barrel.) I carry mine inside a horsehide Galco pocket holster; and, I’m pretty good at catching that hook on the edge of my pocket and clearing the gun on the draw.

If I had it to do all over again, I'd buy the Pearce wrap-around grip with the gun; the XS Systems, ‘Big Dot’ is well worth the money; and, I would definitely buy the newer stainless steel model.

Forget about this little pistol being too thick; it, still, fits into a pocket, feels and handles just like one of its big brothers; and it appears that it won’t wear out inside 2,500 rounds like some other little, ‘mousers’.

My vote is to go for it! :cool:




http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/Me_2U/TomCatWithGalcoHolster.jpg




PS: By the way, either buy your Pearce wrap-around grip from Big State Distributors in Houston, or Dremel out the cut for the more recent longer safety lever yourself.

I don’t, however, use the safety on my Tom Cat; the initial trigger pull is very long and heavy – This is all the, ‘safety’ I need.

(Beretta warns not to carry with a round in the chamber because if you should drop this little pistol, squarely, on either end, it could fire. So, don’t drop your Tom Cat!) ;)

[The Pontificator]

I had one and after about 250 rounds it died on me. The frame peened to the point where the gun simply jammed up. I sent it back to Beretta and it appears that all they did was file down the peened area and apply a bluing pen to the affected area. S(&^. I could have done that.

I got rid of it and never looked back.

My advice? Get a J-Frame.

[DrDanO]

I have 2 Tomcats (one is my daughters) Both are the narrower blued versions. I have put around 400 - 500 through mine and about 1/2 that through my daughters. No problems of any kind. I also have a Kel Tec 3AT, I trust the Tomcat completely, and though the Kel Tec has never misfired yet (about 300 rounds) I just have a definite feeling the Beretta .32 is much better made and more reliable. The Tomcat is heavier and thicker than the 3AT, and I interchange which one I carry, but I just feel better with the Tomcat... more accuracy than the Kel Tec too - better sights and for me, I like having the manual safety and tip up barrel... especially for my daughter.

When values are clear, decisions are easy.

Good Shooting...

[cowboywannabe]

anyone have a comparison pic of the stainless tomacat versus the blued version? im talking about a view from the backstrap showing the girth of the two......

[collim1]

Originally posted by FotoTomas
I have had two. They both were jammamatics and the second one had a bad habit of popping the slide during firing. I have NO desire to ever own another. Burned twice is once to many.

Saying that, some people do like them. It could be the early ones I was involved with have been improved. Even so I do not like them and the Kahr PM9 is my all season pocket medicine.


I got burned twice by Kel-Tec and left unsatisfied both times. I now carry a 442 and love it.

I hate having to realize that many people have had great success with Kel-tecs and I got burned twice.

In my best Bill Clinton voice "I feel your pain":supergrin:

[DrDanO]

After reading some of the posts about the Beretta TomCat I took mine to the range with the Kel Tec 3AT to just remind myself that I trust they will fire. I didn't prepare either one, just out of the pocket the way it would be if I had to use either one. Neither has been cleaned or oiled in about 3 months or so. Put 50 rounds through each. And again I am glad I purchased them both. They are not my Glock 19 or my Kahr P9, but they are nice for what they are. The TomCat is still a favorite carry because I just know it will fire when called upon and yes I do use the safety. The Kel Tec fired just fine also, just not as accurately (7 yard range for both). The only thing about the KelTec 3AT is it is so narrow that it is difficult to shoot very accurately compared to the TomCat, but it is a nice deep carry pistol... which is why I bought it. I'll just have to ask the bad guys to come a little closer so I will be able to hit them someplace meaningful.

Good Shooting...

When values are clear decisions are easy.

[s10trev]

I just picked up a Tomcat for pocket carry.

Are there any recomendations for Self-Defense Ammo? Right now I have a box of the Federal Hydra-shoks 65grain.

Any good webites to buy the ammo in bulk for the range?

[Sturmgewehr44]

I used to carry the Hydra Shocks and/or the silvertips. But, after a while I thought that the bullet was so small and really didn't penetrate all that much. So, I opted to carry the simple FMJ's. I'd rather get deeper penetration (with FMJ's) than just "ok" expansion + minimal penetration with hollow points.