Beretta Tomcat - Any Users Out There ?

M

Mike H

New member
I'm considering .32ACP for carry in the summer months and I like the look and features of the Tomcat, I also like the extra weight, the P-32 is just soooo light.

Does anyone own and shoot a Tomcat ?, and if so any opinions would be appreciated. In addition, is .32ACP FMJ a better defensive choice than .32ACP JHP which may suffer from fatal underpenetration, fatal for me that is.

Regards,

Mike H
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mike H:
Does anyone own and shoot a Tomcat ?, and if so any opinions would be appreciated. In addition, is .32ACP FMJ a better defensive choice than .32ACP JHP which may suffer from fatal underpenetration, fatal for me that is.
[/quote]

I've got one. It was purchased for my wife, but she decided not to carry...
Since she doesn't want to carry, I elected to carry it myself, occasionally. It depends how I dress. It is the most concealable sidearm I own.
It's a nice little pistol (boy! does it toss those ejected shells!).
I've used Winchester Silvertips with no problems whatsoever. This have a good reputation for stopping power considering the caliber!
I do suggest you consider the newer Stainless Steel version. The one I own has an aluminum frame (corrosion resistant) and steel slide and internals.



[This message has been edited by Ezeckial (edited May 24, 2000).]
 
Same here...bought my wife a Tomcat..still haven't got her talked into taking the ccw class. I carry Kahr K40 most of time, but like the Tomcat when wearing shorts. I wish the stainless had been around when I made the purchase. Want a "car gun" now...can't decide between a Ruger or Keltec...leaning Ruger.
 
I had two of them. The first was replaced by the factory under warranty.

I had lots of problems -- including several busted firing pins. (You're warned not to dry fire them, and its a good warning; but even with a snap cap, the firing pin hits so hard that the snap cap is ruined in 50 or so trigger pulls.)

Mine was very accurate, and very unreliable -- but it was one of the early models, and they may have them straightened out, by now.
(I know of 5-6 people who sold them out of disgust, and the only guy I know still happy with his never shoots it.)

I shot mine a lot and after about 500 rounds the trigger smoothed out and really allowed for better accuracy. One day, at the range, the slide locked back -- of track -- and I had to use a nylon mallet to drive it back. Cleaned it up, sold it, bought a Kel-Tec P-11. Far better gun (but harder to shoot well), and not that much bigger -- with 10 rounds of 9mm, instead of 8 of .32.


Try the Kel-Tec P-32. Smaller, lighter, less expensive, with locked breech desigh, allowing the use of +p ammo. Also, the P-32 is supposed to be more comfortable to shoot, because of the design and the polymer/aluminum frame.
 
I picked up a stainless steel Tomcat yesterday, and took it to the range this afternoon. 50 Silvertips and 50 Blazers without a problem of any kind. Compared to the Guardian I used to own, the Beretta was much more fun to shoot and much more accurate. I was putting almost every shot into a 2" circle from 5 yards, and 4-5" at 12 yards from a rest. I got a little slide bite from it, but I have big hands

The DA trigger pull is pretty bad. I'm hoping it will smooth out some as it breaks in. The tip-up barrel is great. In fact, it's essential, or you'd have to be manually decocking the very small hammer on a live round after racking the slide.

The manual for the gun recommends that you carry it with the safety on, the chamber empty, the hammer down, and the magazine stored in a pocket or pouch. :) What is that, condition 9? Yeah, right. BTW, you can carry the Tomcat cocked and locked. Does anybody here do that?
 
Hi! I've had my Tomcat about 6 months now. Jam free except for one trip to the range that involved blowing off two mags of carry loads (Silvertips) and two boxes of Federal ball. It was nasty & filthy by the end and jammed twice on the last mag. Cleaned it and it resumed functioning perfectly. I bought mine used, and judging by a little blurriness around the "PB" logo, she may have already experienced a trip to Maryland and been refinished. It's bright blue finish, and despite six months of constant jacket pocket carry during my daily commute on a motorcycle in all extremes of weather, it hasn't shown the first sign of rust. I'm impressed. I carry it the same way I carried my Beretta Jetfire: round in chamber, half cock, safety on.

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"..but never ever Fear. Fear is for the enemy. Fear and Bullets."
10mm: It's not the size of the Dawg in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog!
 
I freely admit I bought mine strickly for myself(none of this I bought it for my wife but she won't carry stuff, humor intended here not slams).
I love this little powerhouse. I wouldn't carry it when the weather dictates heavy coats and sweaters and such, but this is my summertime carry piece. I have no problem betting my or my families lives on the stopping power of this little beauty up close and personal in light clothing.
I carry it with 60 gr Gold Dots inside a PagerPal holster(darn thing is invisable even while wearing light shorts).
I'm very satisfied with it and would and have recommended it frequently.
BTW, my wife carries a Taurus 605 loaded with 357 Mag, 125 gr Hi-Shok's, year round (purses and fanny packs are what she carries in).
 
Had one for over a year. Shot it twice this week at the range, didn't clean between trips intentionally. Also shot my P-32 at the same time, didn't clean it either. No problems in that regard.

I find that the Ton Cat (TC) has a more violent recoil than the P-32. It has sharper edges as well. Both shot well. Contrary to others, I have had no problems with the TC. It is very forgiving in what I feed it. The P-32 can have rim lock with CCI, reliable with other ammo.

The TC is much wider than the P-32 and heavier. I don't have large hands and unless I am careful in how I hold it, the TC's slide can "greet" me on occasion. The P-32 grip keeps your hand away from the slide. I MUCH rather the P-32 for carry. It's lighter and thinner, and that makes for less print. I use the belt clip with the P-32 and have NO problems.

The TC is harder to rack than the P-32, but the TC has that neat flip barrel for loading one in the chamber. It also has a safety and is SA/DA where as the P-32 is DAO. I have both a P-11and a P-32 and I can shoot either much better than the TC. The TC's trigger is not as smooth as the others. Maybe I have learned to shoot the DAO's well enough to appreciate them.

I will be taking my daughter to the range soon and will let her pick between them.

Ammo wise, when the CCI is used up, I will never buy anymore, ditto for UMC. S & B is great for the range and has never given me any problem. Fiocchi is the best. In 32 cal I use FMC only. In 9mm, the Fiocchi HP's are hot! Their 9mm HP is wicked and use it for carry.

Like any gun, how it fits in YOUR hand is what counts. If the gun is reliable in YOUR hands, that's the one for you. I have learned to shoot the Kel-Tec DAO's and love their simplicity.
 
Mine works fine. Accurate. The trigger is a bit far back before letoff but you learn to live with it. Nice little gun and it was the first one sold in Sacramento so it is early mfg.
 
I've had a Tomcat since they were first available.. I Love Them.

Mine has been excepetionally accurate. Hitting cans at what should be extreme distances for a gun this size (20 yards +) is no trouble.. and I'm not talking about slow-single-action-fire, either.

I had mine "Melted" by Clark Custom Guns. I carried it as my primary backup when in uniform at my old Dept, but my current job precludes me from qualifying with anything smaller than a .380... oh well.

-Rob

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-Essayons
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Ragin Cajun:
I find that the Ton Cat (TC) has a more violent recoil than the P-32. It has sharper edges as well. Both shot well. Contrary to others, I have had no problems with the TC.
The TC is much wider than the P-32 and heavier. I don't have large hands and unless I am careful in how I hold it, the TC's slide can "greet" me on occasion.

[/quote]


Yeah, I've been bit by that Tomcat slide a time or two myself!
 
I've had mine aobut two years, been a good little gun that I carry when something bigger would be indiscrete. My experience pretty much parallels everyone else's - surprisingly accurate for it's size (paint the front sight white), quite concealable, slide bites are a definite hazzard for those with medium or larger hands. Mine took about 200-250 rounds to smooth out, still doesn't like Fiocchi JHPs but is fine with Fed H/S, Silvertips, and GOld Dots and most any kind of ball. Likes to be kept clean and very lightly lubed (Militec-1), a pocket holster is a real god idea. Mine must be Tamara's gun's bother, cause after 100+ rounds it gets pretty funky and starts to misfeed. I like mine well enough that I might have to get one in stainless, too . M2
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mike H:
I'm considering .32ACP... [/quote]


I made two responses to this thread...
Now a question: Anybody have experience with the NAA Guardian (Seecamp clone)?
 
I just bought another one after foolishly selling my first Tomcat a few months ago. I prefer it over the P-32 and the Guardian (which I've all owned at some point) precisely because it is bigger, and fills my hand out better. It shoots much more comfortably than any of the other .32s, and the sights are actually usable. My new one is a relatively new production run, and it has been totally reliable with ball and Silvertips so far. I carry it in a DeSantis ankle rig with a spare mag in the front pocket, or in a pocket holster for shorts carry. It's a great little gun; you just need to stay away from the very early Tomcats as they can have some QC issues.
 
IMHO if you need a *tiny* .32ACP the Kel tec is the way to go for all the previously mentioned reasons. If you`re okay with carrying a .32 as chunky as the TC you may as well move up to a P-11/P-40 and have a REAL gun. .32ACP is great for last ditch guns but I`ll take 10+1 of 9mm+P over 6+1 of .32ACP any day! Plus the P-11/P-40 will last a lot longer given the TCs reputation for short longevity. Marcus
 
I had a Guardian that I sent back to the factory three times because it didn't feed reliably, and two of these times because something flew off the gun while shooting it (first the extractor, then half of the slide lock). After the third trip back, I demanded a completely new gun, which they gave me along with my choice of any option they offered, free. I chose the Novak night sights ($200 value) and sold the gun as soon a I got it. The sights enabled me to get back nearly what I paid for it, although after ammo, accessories, and shipping costs, I still felt like I'd taken a bath.

So the bottom line is that NAA's service is great, and there are certainly many people who've had no problems with their Guardians, but I felt like I would never be able to trust it. Compared to the Tomcat I just got, the Guardian is far more uncomfortable to shoot and far less accurate. It's also more expensive. My current dilemma when shopping for a .32 was between the Beretta and the Kel-tec, and I have to admit, the Beretta's looks won out.
 
Since the KT P-32 has come out, it was stolen the entire .32 acp market. .32 acp ammo sales are now brisk and retailers can't keep the ammo on their shelf. Why, the P-32.

sales of the NAA Guardian/mini-revolver, Seecamp, and Beretta Tomcat have dropped off. I see tons of them here in Seattle and they're not moving. People are waiting for their P-32s.

If you need an always gun, the P-32 is it and the gun rags love the darn thing. With a little TLC and fluffg and buff these are some real zingers that can pack enough punch to at least get some distance between you an a would-be assilant in case you don't have your Glock, Kahr, Sig, HK, KT, or Colt IWB.

PS - gunsmiths around here aren't too keen on the Tomcat. Ammo sensitive and several have gone kaboom. FYI

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The Seattle SharpShooter - TFL/GT/UGW/PT/KTOG
 
I put a mere 300 rounds through my Tomcat before it died. The slide spring arm bent out of shape. Only ammo I ever fired through it was Winchester Silver Tips. They jammed one out of every fifteen rounds. So, if you want to buy one, I’ve got one for you cheap.

Don
 
Well, I see that you all love your Tomcats, and maybe they've gotten better since they first came out, but...

I was beating on my local gunshop's door for 6 months before they ever got their first Tomcat. I bought one in the first two months of availability. (And YES, it was for my wife, she's a Child Abuse investigator)

The DA trigger pull was very tough, and long, and wouldn't break until it was almost touching the back of the trigger guard. (Finger pincher too). When I told the gunshop, they brought out another one, and it had the same problem. It did fire silvertips with only one or two jams every 25 rounds, but it couldn't fire anything else at all.

Again, I got hers early in the game, but I traded it quick for the a Kahr Micro K9. It's a great little gun, in a decent caliber, and she's VERY happy with it. I liked it enough that I went back and bought myself the Kahr MK40 as soon as it hit the shelves. I don't like it nearly as much though, because it's heavier than the MK9. The weight is distributed differently too. If Kahr ever makes their new Polymer version in a .40, I'm trading again.

[This message has been edited by Onslaught (edited May 28, 2000).]
 
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