Did Beretta solve their Tomcat .32 frame cracking issues?
- Thread starter Jack19
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Bill DeShivs
New member
The Keltec P32 is much thinner and lighter.
Being a locked breech gun, the Keltec's recoil is lighter.
While I own and like the Tomcat, I carry a Keltec.
BTW- the Keltec is less expensive, too!
Being a locked breech gun, the Keltec's recoil is lighter.
While I own and like the Tomcat, I carry a Keltec.
BTW- the Keltec is less expensive, too!
Doc Intrepid
New member
Yes, the newer Tomcats have engineering fixes that involve thicker frames.
I currently own two Tomcats. Both were originally the thinner frames, and mine were the Alley Cat versions with the XS big dot sights on the barrels. (Old eyes...)
One of my 3032 slides cracked. I sent the pistol back to Beretta. They sent me a new one as a replacement, but it had the thicker slide on it. My two Tomcats were NOT the INOX versions, however, my understanding was the slide cracking problem was not as prevalent on the INOX versions.
The slide cracking issue was in part due to user error. As described by a Beretta tech I spoke with, the Beretta 3032 Tomcat was originally designed around the original Winchester Silvertip round - a 60 grain jacketed hollow point round. Another round of a similar energy level was/is the PMC Bronze .32 ACP JHP - also a 60 grain jacketed hollow point projectile.
Specs linked here: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2900363648
Specs linked here: https://www.ammosupplywarehouse.com...age=product_info&cPath=1_53&products_id=34381
There are other manufacturers as well who offered 60 grain JHP self defense rounds, such as Speer Gold Dot, and the Fiocchi Extrema 60 grain JHP.
The Federal Hydra-Shok JHP round offers a 65 grain projectile, but after that many .32 ACP ammunition options jump to 71 and 73 grain projectiles.
These heavier .32 ACP rounds offer higher energy levels or heavier projectiles (or both), and more penetration - examples include Federal American Eagle 71 grain FMJ; Fiocchi 73 grain JHP; Sellier & Bellot 73 grain FMJ; and Prvi Partizan .32 71 grain JHP and FMJ.
According to the tech, what was causing the Beretta 3032 slides to crack was a steady diet of these higher energy rounds - which exceeded the design specifications originally established for the Beretta 3032 Tomcat. It had been designed around the 60 grain Winchester Silvertip specifications.
The thicker slides will now accommodate all 71 and 73 grain rounds, however, they do create a slightly chunkier 'feel' to the pistol. It still fits in my original holsters, so new slides are only marginally thicker, but it is a noticeable difference.
I've recently seen new INOX Tomcats for sale at my LGS, and I'm still a fan of them for pocket carry, especially in summer when you're wearing lighter shorts & T-shirts type attire. They fit my hand better than the Kel-tec .32 ACP pistols.
My thin-slide 3032 is more than 20 years old. It's had more than 2000 rounds through it. Most have been 60 grain rounds, after the other 3032 cracked and was replaced. In my experience these pistols are reliable.
Accuracy is about par with other very small, lightweight pistols with 4 lbs of torque or so applied to them in double action shooting. Mine are about on par with my J-frames at similar distances. I do have the XS sights installed, which are easier for me to acquire relatively rapidly.
There are many on internet forums who have apparently found their experiences with this platform to be less successful than mine, however, I purchased my first 3032 in 1994 if I recall correctly, and I've found them to be quite serviceable when 60 grain self defense loads are fired through them. (They're reliable with the heavier loads as well, however, for self defense purposes you'll probably want to use the design spec self defense loads.)
I do recommend you consider the INOX version if you have a choice, and if you can find an Alley Cat barrel with the XS sights on it I suspect you'll be happier with these sights.
Your mileage may vary. Best with your consideration & decision.
I currently own two Tomcats. Both were originally the thinner frames, and mine were the Alley Cat versions with the XS big dot sights on the barrels. (Old eyes...)
One of my 3032 slides cracked. I sent the pistol back to Beretta. They sent me a new one as a replacement, but it had the thicker slide on it. My two Tomcats were NOT the INOX versions, however, my understanding was the slide cracking problem was not as prevalent on the INOX versions.
The slide cracking issue was in part due to user error. As described by a Beretta tech I spoke with, the Beretta 3032 Tomcat was originally designed around the original Winchester Silvertip round - a 60 grain jacketed hollow point round. Another round of a similar energy level was/is the PMC Bronze .32 ACP JHP - also a 60 grain jacketed hollow point projectile.
Specs linked here: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2900363648
Specs linked here: https://www.ammosupplywarehouse.com...age=product_info&cPath=1_53&products_id=34381
There are other manufacturers as well who offered 60 grain JHP self defense rounds, such as Speer Gold Dot, and the Fiocchi Extrema 60 grain JHP.
The Federal Hydra-Shok JHP round offers a 65 grain projectile, but after that many .32 ACP ammunition options jump to 71 and 73 grain projectiles.
These heavier .32 ACP rounds offer higher energy levels or heavier projectiles (or both), and more penetration - examples include Federal American Eagle 71 grain FMJ; Fiocchi 73 grain JHP; Sellier & Bellot 73 grain FMJ; and Prvi Partizan .32 71 grain JHP and FMJ.
According to the tech, what was causing the Beretta 3032 slides to crack was a steady diet of these higher energy rounds - which exceeded the design specifications originally established for the Beretta 3032 Tomcat. It had been designed around the 60 grain Winchester Silvertip specifications.
The thicker slides will now accommodate all 71 and 73 grain rounds, however, they do create a slightly chunkier 'feel' to the pistol. It still fits in my original holsters, so new slides are only marginally thicker, but it is a noticeable difference.
I've recently seen new INOX Tomcats for sale at my LGS, and I'm still a fan of them for pocket carry, especially in summer when you're wearing lighter shorts & T-shirts type attire. They fit my hand better than the Kel-tec .32 ACP pistols.
My thin-slide 3032 is more than 20 years old. It's had more than 2000 rounds through it. Most have been 60 grain rounds, after the other 3032 cracked and was replaced. In my experience these pistols are reliable.
Accuracy is about par with other very small, lightweight pistols with 4 lbs of torque or so applied to them in double action shooting. Mine are about on par with my J-frames at similar distances. I do have the XS sights installed, which are easier for me to acquire relatively rapidly.
There are many on internet forums who have apparently found their experiences with this platform to be less successful than mine, however, I purchased my first 3032 in 1994 if I recall correctly, and I've found them to be quite serviceable when 60 grain self defense loads are fired through them. (They're reliable with the heavier loads as well, however, for self defense purposes you'll probably want to use the design spec self defense loads.)
I do recommend you consider the INOX version if you have a choice, and if you can find an Alley Cat barrel with the XS sights on it I suspect you'll be happier with these sights.
Your mileage may vary. Best with your consideration & decision.
Last edited:
Doc Intrepid
New member
One thing that remains somewhat mysterious to me, with regard to the matter of "what steel they used", is the fact that I have a Beretta 1935 in .32 ACP and mine was manufactured in 1955. It's only marginally larger than the Beretta Tomcat 3032 pistols, and it was manufactured for the Italian Army.
Here is a link (Wiki) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beretta_M1935
This Model 1935 is rated for the highest energy .32 ACP ammunition on the market, according to the tech I spoke with at Beretta. Nearly any .32 ACP ammo can be fired through it without any concerns.
So why did Beretta manufacture one little .32 ACP out of a steel that could handle nearly any ammunition on the market (between 1934 and at least 1955!) and design the much later production 3032 Tomcat to accommodate the Winchester Silvertip 60 grain JHP self defense load (ONLY) - i.e. it even says in the original manual that came with the Tomcat to stick with the 60 grain Silvertip loads. Haven't figured that one out.
Here is a link (Wiki) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beretta_M1935
This Model 1935 is rated for the highest energy .32 ACP ammunition on the market, according to the tech I spoke with at Beretta. Nearly any .32 ACP ammo can be fired through it without any concerns.
So why did Beretta manufacture one little .32 ACP out of a steel that could handle nearly any ammunition on the market (between 1934 and at least 1955!) and design the much later production 3032 Tomcat to accommodate the Winchester Silvertip 60 grain JHP self defense load (ONLY) - i.e. it even says in the original manual that came with the Tomcat to stick with the 60 grain Silvertip loads. Haven't figured that one out.
A few years ago while researching Tomcats I ran across people having problems with the frames cracking; don't recall any/many instances of the slides cracking. It seemed strange to some that Beretta beefed up the slide to solve the frame cracking problem, but some speculated something like the larger/heavier slide would reduce the impact on the frame.
I was going to risk it and buy an Alleycat (Tomcat with night sights) off Armslist, but the seller stood me up, and I got a P-32 instead.
Pic of frame crack on Tomcat:
I was going to risk it and buy an Alleycat (Tomcat with night sights) off Armslist, but the seller stood me up, and I got a P-32 instead.
Pic of frame crack on Tomcat:
Attachments
The Tomcat frame still cracks. their "fix" was to make a fatter (heavier) slide in hopes it would have a slower cycle and not beat the frame causing cracks. what they got was a gun that is still susceptible to frame cracking in the same place but now with a less concealable slide.
if you want a pocketable .32 the KT P32 is a better choice in my opinion.
if you want a pocketable .32 the KT P32 is a better choice in my opinion.
Electrod47
New member
In 2006 bought the Tomcat at Academy in Longview TX after obtaining my CCL. I had qualified with a 1911 and figured it was time for something more discrete. Blued version and noticed the frame had cracked after a couple boxes of generic FMJ. Left it alone for over a year and commented about what happened to a local gunsmith one day and he said bring it in. He told me he sent it in Beretta and went round and round with them on the phone??Whatever, He calls me up to get the gun. Beretta had replaced it with a brand new stainless model. Yeah, it felt beefier. Whats always surprised me about the gun is the accuracy. I have a home range and at 25ft, I can clean off a whole line of 8" steel plates really quick. You might think that's no big deal. Except I hit each one dead center, exactly where I'm aiming. I figure I could do a head shot if need be with it.
Agree that this sounds like a reversion in technology, rather than an advancement.
It's kind of a sad commentary, but having owned a lot of Berettas over the years, all of the ones I've kept are from the mid-1980's or before. Sad, because they are some of my very favorite pistols, and it seems like it wouldn't be too difficult to make something special, once again.
Bill DeShivs
New member
First- I have an early Tomcat, and I like it. I bought it to replace my Star Starfire .380-but then realized the Beretta was much thicker and just as heavy as the Star.
That said these guns don't have steel frames, they are aluminum.
Pushing the model 950 platform to .32 acp was probably a mistake. The .22lr versions don't even work particularly well.
That said these guns don't have steel frames, they are aluminum.
Pushing the model 950 platform to .32 acp was probably a mistake. The .22lr versions don't even work particularly well.
Mike Irwin
Staff
If I were going to carry a .32 (and I have considered it), I'd carry my Beretta Model 81.
A bit bigger than the Tomcat, but with 14 rounds.
A bit bigger than the Tomcat, but with 14 rounds.
I have 3 950BS, they are reliable as the rounds are smaller. BUT, I do see a lot of wear on the frame rail and other part after over 1000 rounds. Also, the main spring on one broke from shooting about 1500 rounds. The main spring is like a folk, not the usual cylindrical type, one side of the folk broke off. The gun was still functioning, just I could feel the slide could be pulled back easier, thereby I opened to check and found the spring broken.
They are NOT mean to be shot a lot. I would NOT buy a used one as you don't know how many rounds went through it. I bought the 3rd one ONLY because I limited to like 400 rounds or so to prove it and stop.
Firing a round is a lot more violent inside the gun than people think, it's literally a controlled explosion inside. I shoot a lot, I had different pieces broke on me on different guns even the bigger ones. I would not use any that I shot over 1000 rounds for self defense. You don't know what will fail after a few thousand rounds through the gun. Even the big Ruger Mark II gave me problem. The hammer spring housing broke on me after like 10,000 rounds!!! That's a huge gun for a .22LR.
Comments here say it has been beefed up, but if this Wikipedia page is right, Beretta has not kept up with modern ammo:
Beretta USA said:
The "fix" that Beretta implemented to fix the frame-cracking was to use a wider, heavier slide to reduce its velocity and lessen battering of the frame while cycling, no change was made to the frame itself. Many people attribute the Inox version to being stronger, but in reality, the Inox and "wide-slides" were introduced simultaneously and the gun's finish has nothing to do with the "fix" (some black-colored models like the Alley Cat also have wide slides and some of the older ones don't, but all Inox versions have wide slides AFAIK).
The Beretta manual specifically states not to use .32 Auto ammunition which generates energy greater than 130 ft-lbs. Most "American Spec" ammo such as Federal, Winchester, Remington, and Speer will be within this specification as will a few brands of imported ammo like Prvi Partizan, PMC, and Armscor. What needs to be avoided is the hotter "Euro-Spec" ammo like Fiocchi, Geco, or S&B as they generate significantly higher than 130 ft-lbs of energy as does the "+P" ammo from makers like Buffalo Bore and Underwood.
I've seen no evidence that the Tomcat was designed specifically for Winchester Silvertip or any other 60 gr JHP. The only guns that I've heard being designed in such a way are the Seecamps as their magazines are shorter and, until Winchester changed their 71 gr FMJ to have a flat nose and shorter oal, standard FMJ ammo wouldn't fit in the magazine.
As to the comparison to the Model 1935, they're really two very different types of guns. The M1935 is of all-steel construction and more of a "full-sized" .32 comparable to guns like the Walther PP, Sig P230, Mauser HsC, Bersa Thunder, Colt M1903, or Beretta Model 70. The Tomcat, by comparison, uses an aluminum frame and is much, much smaller and lighter. I own a M1935 and a 950B Jetfire and my wife's EDC is a 3032 Tomcat Inox and I can tell you that the Tomcat, while in between the size of the other two, is closer in size to the Jetfire than the M1935. The Tomcat is, in my subjective opinion, very similar in size and feel to the Model 21A "Bobcat" upon which it was based.
The Beretta manual specifically states not to use .32 Auto ammunition which generates energy greater than 130 ft-lbs. Most "American Spec" ammo such as Federal, Winchester, Remington, and Speer will be within this specification as will a few brands of imported ammo like Prvi Partizan, PMC, and Armscor. What needs to be avoided is the hotter "Euro-Spec" ammo like Fiocchi, Geco, or S&B as they generate significantly higher than 130 ft-lbs of energy as does the "+P" ammo from makers like Buffalo Bore and Underwood.
I've seen no evidence that the Tomcat was designed specifically for Winchester Silvertip or any other 60 gr JHP. The only guns that I've heard being designed in such a way are the Seecamps as their magazines are shorter and, until Winchester changed their 71 gr FMJ to have a flat nose and shorter oal, standard FMJ ammo wouldn't fit in the magazine.
As to the comparison to the Model 1935, they're really two very different types of guns. The M1935 is of all-steel construction and more of a "full-sized" .32 comparable to guns like the Walther PP, Sig P230, Mauser HsC, Bersa Thunder, Colt M1903, or Beretta Model 70. The Tomcat, by comparison, uses an aluminum frame and is much, much smaller and lighter. I own a M1935 and a 950B Jetfire and my wife's EDC is a 3032 Tomcat Inox and I can tell you that the Tomcat, while in between the size of the other two, is closer in size to the Jetfire than the M1935. The Tomcat is, in my subjective opinion, very similar in size and feel to the Model 21A "Bobcat" upon which it was based.
Webleymkv
I looked up the Beretta 3032 manual and I don't see where they write a recommendation about ammo that you quote. I can't find a publication date on the manual I'm looking at, so maybe it's an older version.
I'm not arguing. I really want to know where you saw that. I have been carrying Fiocchi 73 gr fmj in my 3032 for years. It doesn't get shot very much, but if Beretta says I need to switch to something else, I need to know that.
Thanks.
I looked up the Beretta 3032 manual and I don't see where they write a recommendation about ammo that you quote. I can't find a publication date on the manual I'm looking at, so maybe it's an older version.
I'm not arguing. I really want to know where you saw that. I have been carrying Fiocchi 73 gr fmj in my 3032 for years. It doesn't get shot very much, but if Beretta says I need to switch to something else, I need to know that.
Thanks.
Limnophile
New member
I bought my Tomcat Inox in 2019. The operator's manual has a section on ammunition, but says nothing about a need to limit muzzle energy. A card, however, was included that reads as follows:
NOTICE
The 3032 Tomcat is a small, lightweight pistol made for self-defense. Ammunition currently available suited for the Tomcat include 60 grain Winchester Silvertip, 60 grain Speer Gold Dot, 65 grain Federal Premium Hydra-Shok and a number of lower velocity 71 grain rounds, all of which have a muzzle energy of not greater than 130 foot/pounds (sic). Firing the pistol with higher energy ammunition will increase wear and tear. If you have questions concerning whether the round you wish to fire exceeds those recommended energy levels, consult your firearms dealer, the current edition of the Gun Digest or contact the ammunition manufacturer.
Most manufacturers of .32 Auto ammo use a 4.0-in test barrel, while the Tomcat has a shorter, 2.4-in barrel. A shorter handgun barrel will generally generate a lower bullet velocity due to less complete combustion of the powder charge, and kinetic energy is a function of the bullet velocity squared. Thus, the energy reported from a 4.0-in barrel will be much higher than that realized from the Tomcat's 2.4-in barrel.
NOTICE
The 3032 Tomcat is a small, lightweight pistol made for self-defense. Ammunition currently available suited for the Tomcat include 60 grain Winchester Silvertip, 60 grain Speer Gold Dot, 65 grain Federal Premium Hydra-Shok and a number of lower velocity 71 grain rounds, all of which have a muzzle energy of not greater than 130 foot/pounds (sic). Firing the pistol with higher energy ammunition will increase wear and tear. If you have questions concerning whether the round you wish to fire exceeds those recommended energy levels, consult your firearms dealer, the current edition of the Gun Digest or contact the ammunition manufacturer.
Most manufacturers of .32 Auto ammo use a 4.0-in test barrel, while the Tomcat has a shorter, 2.4-in barrel. A shorter handgun barrel will generally generate a lower bullet velocity due to less complete combustion of the powder charge, and kinetic energy is a function of the bullet velocity squared. Thus, the energy reported from a 4.0-in barrel will be much higher than that realized from the Tomcat's 2.4-in barrel.