Am I Nuts???

J

JohnK007

New member
Ok here's the scenario. I want to get a pocket pistol with a little more bang than the Bauer .25 I sometimes carry now for back up. So I was in the local cop shop when I spied the Beretta Tomcat (blue steel). I can pick it up for $275 NIB. But I got to talking to the general manager and got an idea. Why not put my Colt Detective Special up on consignment at his shop to pay for the Tomcat. I don't really carry the Det Special anyhow, as I prefer my Colt Agent instead. Is this a good trade, or am I completely nuts? I didn't commit myself one way or another.
 
To be blunt...

...my Tomcat has been fine for over 1k rounds. Only a couple jams in that time, all on the same 100+ round range session (had a couple old "pre-owned" 50-round boxes of ball lying around the shop and time to kill that day). If you already have an Agent that you prefer toting over the DS, I'd be the last person to tell you not to do some horse trading. Sure I have a few I wish I'd never traded away; after you pass the 200+ level, you're bound to regret one or two trades. However I've had the joy of owning 200+ guns as well, something that wouldn't have been possible had I sat on the same 5 or 10 guns and vowed never to sell or trade.

Eight rounds of .32 in a slightly bulky pocket piece or six of .38 in a really small belt gun; six of one, half dozen of the other? ;)
 
I've owned two Tomcats, and they were both reliable and fun to shoot...also the most accurate mouse guns out there, AFAIK. If I were on the lookout for another .32, I'd pick up another Tomcat without hestitation. They have usable sights, and a guy with big paws (such as myself) can actually get a decent grip on them. They feel like much bigger guns, and they shoot like .380s.

The Dick Special is a nice little sixgun, but if you already have an Agent to fill the same slot, I wouldn't feel too bad trading it. It will have more of a resale value than a Tomcat, but newer DS models are not exactly rare. That little Tomcat is one hell of a pocket gun...I've owned the P32, the Guardian and two Tomcats, and I liked the 'Cats the best. It isn't as flat and light as a P32, or as short as a Guardian, but it's more accurate and comfortable to shoot than either.
 
John; Get a REAL calibre. You can get a "lightweight" 38spl snubbie that weighs in the low teens. Wimp calibre's not necessary these days!:)Best, J. Parker
 
Oh, no!

Apparently my backup piece is in an "artificial" caliber. Now you've hurt my Tomcat's feelings, J. Parker...;);)
 
Hey, if a .32 is "artificial", what about my Beretta Jetfire? Does it still qualify as a "firearm"? Can I still come out and play with the big boys? :)

Listening to some folks, my .25 is not much better than a Crosman BB gun. I guess I could save some money and go with a CO2 pistol for backup. Cheaper to shoot, and all...and no pesky carry provisions.
 
Second the motion that Tomcat is POS!!! Rented one today at local range. OK accuracy, overall marginal feel. Alot of play in the barrel. Unreliable with Fiocchi 60gr. Liked my Keltec way better.
 
I've never owned one, and don't plan to. Everything I've seen, on the net, and on the beretta list, would suggest it's no more than a 2000-3000rnd. gun. Also, I think it' a mixed bag with them, as far as quality. But, you'll get that with every gun.
 
Hey thanks for the responses!! They were pretty much as I suspected they would be...all over the place! I've got to admit that Tamara brings up a very good point, I'll probably second guess myself on making the trade a minute after it's done. I've made some pretty bonehead trades in my day, and I don't want to add to that list. That's really why I posted this in the first place, if everyone came back screaming "Are you really THAT crazy?" then I knew my trade idea was a bad one. Seems like the jury is devided on this (not according to M16 though!). As far the "POS-ish" status of the Tomcat, I realize it's a crapshoot (pun intended), but so is every pistol we buy. A stinker can sneak through any assemby line. The Tomcat wasn't my first choice, I wanted to get stay in the Colt family with a Pocketlite, but my supplier can't get them anymore, and the little Beretta does seem to fit my "pocket carry" criteria comfortably.

So to sum it up, I think I'll go ahead with the Tomcat but I'm going to rethink the Det Spl trade. Maybe I'll just wait 'til I have the cash-ola and hang onto the Dick Special for now. Your opinions and responses have been great. That's why I like TFL... good advice from a great bunch of guys!! THANKS
 
I like the Tomcat. There is a reply to one of the threads in this newsgroups archives that should put to rest the 1000 round myth, etc. Mike in VA posted something on 3/18/2000.

As for my Tomcat, i keep it clean, never dry fire it (It warns against this in the manual) and I always shoot factory ammo rated at a muzzle energy of 130 ft/lbs or less. This means Winchester Silvertips or Magtech .32 acp.
 
Now you are back to reality. Hold on to the detective special and pay cash for the tomcat. A wiser decision you will never make.
 
If you want the Tomcat, get it. You have another gun to fill the detective special's place. As far as the post about the Kel-Tec being better than the Tomcat, pleeeease. I think the Kel-Tecs are over rated. I'd buy a Tomcat over the Kel-Tec. I think the .32 is a real caliber. Anything with gunpowder propelling it would be considered a real caliber. A .22LR has killed more people than any other caliber.
 
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