32 ACP Tomcat jams

K

kell

New member
I got this Beretta Tomcat that will fail to eject over 10% of the time. I've tried factory Remington, Magtech, and Winchester (all 71 gr FMJ - they all seem to spec out at 129 ft lbs in print on the box, which is curiously what Beretta says is the max they will support). They all jam! I've loaded 2.2 Titegroup, 2.4 231, and 2.2 Bullseye. All max loads. They still jam. The case dosen't get fully ejected. It may be the first or last round or in between - doesn't matter. In desperation, I loaded a box of 71 gr plated round nose with 2.6 gr Titegroup. 50 rounds - no jams. This is about 10% hot. I see no signs of over pressure. I'd really appreciate any comments on this matter.
 
Sometimes guns need a breaking in period.

How old is the Tomcat? The very first ones were known for falling apart (lose the firing pin when fired).

I would consider a reduced power spring to weaken the blowback lockup.
 
Never had any functional issues is my old Tomcat. It’s a straight blowback design with no extractor so the only thing I can think of is to polish up the chamber to make sure there’s no unnecessary friction slowing the case from being blown clear. It’s a very crude/simple design with not much that go wrong.
 
SPRING

Brownell’s has them for $1.99. I’d buy 2. Try one and shorten it 1/4 turn at a time with a dremel until it is reliable.
 
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I'd rather put the spring on a long nail and take it to a grinder (let it spin on the nail) and go along the whole length of the spring.
 
“Bill DeShivs” said:
I doubt the springs have much to do with the jams.
Make sure everything is properly lubricated and hold the gun firmly.
Click to expand...

Can you tell us why? I agree with the basic premise which is new guns should be broken in and then the shooter skill must be grown.

OP: Has anybody else shot the pistol? Without jam issues? Also, have you confirmed that the extractor holds the case from falling out?
 
How old is the Tom Cat? Is a blued model? About 10-11 years ago had the same problem and it turned out to be a cracked slide. Look hard at it. Beretta gave me a brand new SS to replace it.
 
"Limp wristing" the gun can cause extraction failures, and could explain why hotter ammunition extracts properly.
But- the Tomcat should not be used with hotter ammunition.
 
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