bigjim
February 9, 2003, 10:52 AM
Beretta Tomcat
I purchased this gun in a impulse purchase from a Local gun shop and paid way to much for it as a result. I won’t tell you how much I paid because I know there are dealers that read this group, and I don’t want them lining up outside my home trying to retire early.
After ten days of finding out how really poor a deal I got, I picked up the gun and grabbed a few hundred rounds of 32 acp: 40 rounds Fed Hydra shock, forty rounds Speer Golden Saber, and 150 rounds of PMC JHPs and last a single box of fifty S&B FMJ. I also purchased two extra magazines.
They make this gun three ways. Blue finish, Stainless/aluminum, and Stainless/titanium.
I chose the stainless gun with the aluminum frame. The gun is very small and light. Easy to slip it loaded into your pants pocket or jacket pocket.
General Impressions:
Nicely made. Beretta does not fall into the trap that so many makers do in regards to really small pistols, of cutting corners and using substandard materials. Fit and finish is excellent. The gun looks like they just shrunk a top of the line handgun down to summer carry size. Magazines are nice as well seem to be the same quality as the full size guns. Anyone know who makes these? I am betting that they are made by Mec-gar. This gun features a open topped flip up barrel design that makes unnecessary to ever rack the slide.
This is a great feature for people with limited hand strength. This was a selling point for me because I want my wife to carry this. When trying to outfit recoil shy, weak handed very small people it is a challenge find a gun small enough and light enough in a caliber that will break the skin of an attacker. This gun is a set of compromises in that regard.
I have big fat meat hooks for hands. The Slide of the gun sliced the web of my hand just a little bit. I did not even notice while shooting. I took a dremel tool and softened the edges of the rearward part of the slide just a bit. My wife on the other hand has tons of clearance. She can grab the gun as high on the grip as she wants and still be in no danger of getting bit. She really likes the pop up barrel. She likes the ease of loading and unloading. She loves not ever having to rack the slide. The pop up barrel design also makes this pistol super easy to take down and clean. Bottom line for my wife is this, she does not like to shoot. Most guns are to big, recoil to much and she is unable to manipulate them. She will not be enjoying shooting this pistol either, but she knows it’s a skill every human being needs. She can use this gun, and while not her favorite activity, she can develop the minimum skills required.
The gun shot all of the ammo I bought with only one failure to Eject. That failure came in the first magazine fired with the PMC JHPs. I think my hand interfered with the slide travel. The gun showed very strong preference for the Hydra shock ammo. I could hold a group about a 1 inch across at seven yards with this ammo. About twice that with the other brands. All types of ammo fired will allow you to hit tennis ball at seven yards. Is this accuracy great? No this gun is not a target pistol for sure. I think what is going to be most interesting about this process is not the gun itself but how my wife reacts to it over time. I am wondering if having a gun SHE can load and unload, small enough for her to carry and shoot will over time allow her to begin to enjoy shooting. Time will tell.
I purchased this gun in a impulse purchase from a Local gun shop and paid way to much for it as a result. I won’t tell you how much I paid because I know there are dealers that read this group, and I don’t want them lining up outside my home trying to retire early.
After ten days of finding out how really poor a deal I got, I picked up the gun and grabbed a few hundred rounds of 32 acp: 40 rounds Fed Hydra shock, forty rounds Speer Golden Saber, and 150 rounds of PMC JHPs and last a single box of fifty S&B FMJ. I also purchased two extra magazines.
They make this gun three ways. Blue finish, Stainless/aluminum, and Stainless/titanium.
I chose the stainless gun with the aluminum frame. The gun is very small and light. Easy to slip it loaded into your pants pocket or jacket pocket.
General Impressions:
Nicely made. Beretta does not fall into the trap that so many makers do in regards to really small pistols, of cutting corners and using substandard materials. Fit and finish is excellent. The gun looks like they just shrunk a top of the line handgun down to summer carry size. Magazines are nice as well seem to be the same quality as the full size guns. Anyone know who makes these? I am betting that they are made by Mec-gar. This gun features a open topped flip up barrel design that makes unnecessary to ever rack the slide.
This is a great feature for people with limited hand strength. This was a selling point for me because I want my wife to carry this. When trying to outfit recoil shy, weak handed very small people it is a challenge find a gun small enough and light enough in a caliber that will break the skin of an attacker. This gun is a set of compromises in that regard.
I have big fat meat hooks for hands. The Slide of the gun sliced the web of my hand just a little bit. I did not even notice while shooting. I took a dremel tool and softened the edges of the rearward part of the slide just a bit. My wife on the other hand has tons of clearance. She can grab the gun as high on the grip as she wants and still be in no danger of getting bit. She really likes the pop up barrel. She likes the ease of loading and unloading. She loves not ever having to rack the slide. The pop up barrel design also makes this pistol super easy to take down and clean. Bottom line for my wife is this, she does not like to shoot. Most guns are to big, recoil to much and she is unable to manipulate them. She will not be enjoying shooting this pistol either, but she knows it’s a skill every human being needs. She can use this gun, and while not her favorite activity, she can develop the minimum skills required.
The gun shot all of the ammo I bought with only one failure to Eject. That failure came in the first magazine fired with the PMC JHPs. I think my hand interfered with the slide travel. The gun showed very strong preference for the Hydra shock ammo. I could hold a group about a 1 inch across at seven yards with this ammo. About twice that with the other brands. All types of ammo fired will allow you to hit tennis ball at seven yards. Is this accuracy great? No this gun is not a target pistol for sure. I think what is going to be most interesting about this process is not the gun itself but how my wife reacts to it over time. I am wondering if having a gun SHE can load and unload, small enough for her to carry and shoot will over time allow her to begin to enjoy shooting. Time will tell.