Beretta Tomcat, frame problem fixed?

Autodidactic said:
It’s exactly what the solution is, and exactly why they put that insert in. I have a Tomcat, and put only sub 130 ft pound cartridges through it. Important note, they mean 130 ft. pound out of the manufacturer test barrels such as 3-4 inch, not Tomcat. So out of ours it’s more like 100 or 110 ft pounds.
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That is even better. No Buffalo Bore ammo in my Tomcat!
 
jar said:
Mine was made in 2019 and had no insert.
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Sticker on my box says :Item: 2021-03241" so I am thinking this was made in 2021.

Autodidactic said:
Did your insert say also no projectiles over 71 grains? Mine may be old as it's 10 years old, but mine just has the 130 ft. pound limit.
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Verbatim the card says,

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. 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.
​
So when I read this my brain noted max 130 foot pounds and not greater than 71 grain, though it does not say not greater than 71 grain, I think that is implied. I am assuming that if I stay at or below 71 grain and 130 foot pounds, then lower velocity will be a given.
 
aaaaa said:
Sticker on my box says :Item: 2021-03241" so I am thinking this was made in 2021.



Verbatim the card says,

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. 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.
​
So when I read this my brain noted max 130 foot pounds and not greater than 71 grain, though it does not say not greater than 71 grain, I think that is implied. I am assuming that if I stay at or below 71 grain and 130 foot pounds, then lower velocity will be a given.
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Read what it says.

Certainly higher energy rounds will increase wear and tear. That's true with any ammo and any gun. But just as with any of my guns I have practice and carry ammunition. They see lots of rounds of the practice range ammo but only enough SD rounds to verify that they work and establish Point of Impact.

Just as I avoid +p and +p+ ammo for steady use (actually I avoid +p & +p+ ammo pretty much entirely) I stick to whatever is available at the time within reason for my Tomcat but certainly don't worry about running ammo that has heavier than specified bullet weights or higher energy levels.

Tools that get used are subject to wear and tear.
 
jar said:
Read what it says.

Certainly higher energy rounds will increase wear and tear. That's true with any ammo and any gun. But just as with any of my guns I have practice and carry ammunition. They see lots of rounds of the practice range ammo but only enough SD rounds to verify that they work and establish Point of Impact.

Just as I avoid +p and +p+ ammo for steady use (actually I avoid +p & +p+ ammo pretty much entirely) I stick to whatever is available at the time within reason for my Tomcat but certainly don't worry about running ammo that has heavier than specified bullet weights or higher energy levels.

Tools that get used are subject to wear and tear.
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So basically run the specified ammo for general practice, but can use higher powered ammo for SD and enough of it to practice with the SD ammo. Yeah, that is not likely to hurt the gun within reason. Makes sense. In a SD situation you want effectiveness, not protect the gun from extra wear.
 
aaaaa said:
So when I read this my brain noted max 130 foot pounds and not greater than 71 grain, though it does not say not greater than 71 grain, I think that is implied. I am assuming that if I stay at or below 71 grain and 130 foot pounds, then lower velocity will be a given.
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They don't imply anything. The reason 71 grains is stated is that there's no heavier 32ACP ammo produced, that I know of, which produces 130 pounds of energy or less. Next heavier projectile is 73 grains and well over 130 as far as I recall.
 
jar said:
Read what it says.

Certainly higher energy rounds will increase wear and tear. That's true with any ammo and any gun. But just as with any of my guns I have practice and carry ammunition. They see lots of rounds of the practice range ammo but only enough SD rounds to verify that they work and establish Point of Impact.

Just as I avoid +p and +p+ ammo for steady use (actually I avoid +p & +p+ ammo pretty much entirely) I stick to whatever is available at the time within reason for my Tomcat but certainly don't worry about running ammo that has heavier than specified bullet weights or higher energy levels.

Tools that get used are subject to wear and tear.
Click to expand...

aaaaa said:
So basically run the specified ammo for general practice, but can use higher powered ammo for SD and enough of it to practice with the SD ammo. Yeah, that is not likely to hurt the gun within reason. Makes sense. In a SD situation you want effectiveness, not protect the gun from extra wear.
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Not with Tomcats. Don’t run any hot ammo except in an Sd/emergency situation. It’s not like a Glock or Smith semi auto where it will simply accelerate wear over time.

Many people have tried what you are suggesting and got the frame crack. Those stories are all over the internet. That’s what the insert means.
 
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I think Beretta’s warranty response is pretty poor, and I say that as one who really likes Beretta. I was on the Beretta forum a lot, and saw discussion of this issue. Even a year after it became a known issue, people would contact customer service, and get responses like “oh, we’ve never heard of that…”.
Meanwhile, the P32 is thinner and lighter. Great for pocket carry…and I load it with the milspec S&B FMJ that was available around the start of the plandemic…it was cheap then. Beautiful ammo, with sealed primer and case mouth. Full power, and supposedly made for their Skorpian pistol SMG’s. The little Keltec, with its locked breech eats it up like it was made for it. That’s what I carry in it, and I don’t have to give ft.lbs a thought, other than desiring as many as I can get from the short barrel.
 
amd6547 said:
I think Beretta’s warranty response is pretty poor, and I say that as one who really likes Beretta. I was on the Beretta forum a lot, and saw discussion of this issue. Even a year after it became a known issue, people would contact customer service, and get responses like “oh, we’ve never heard of that…”.
Meanwhile, the P32 is thinner and lighter. Great for pocket carry…and I load it with the milspec S&B FMJ that was available around the start of the plandemic…it was cheap then. Beautiful ammo, with sealed primer and case mouth. Full power, and supposedly made for their Skorpian pistol SMG’s. The little Keltec, with its locked breech eats it up like it was made for it. That’s what I carry in it, and I don’t have to give ft.lbs a thought, other than desiring as many as I can get from the short barrel.
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I agree. I like my Tomcat, and got it for a screaming good used deal. Always wanted a classic .32 ACP. So here we are.

But, I don't like the reports of bad customer service on this. It's bizarre that in the 21st century Beretta couldn't do some simple fix of the area that cracks. Supposedly, it doesn't actually affect the function and is non-essential. Some people simply remove that. Beretta won't approve that due to liability.

Still, I don't use mine for SD except very occassional carry. Hence, I shoot the low power stuff to keep it in good condition. However, I do have some hotter Fiocci if there ever was a need to use that gun for something more. I wouldn't hesitate to load it up with hotter stuff if I had to use it or someone else had to use it for defense. It will last through some mags.
 
Question. If the limits for the Tomcat are 71 grain and 130 ft-lbs muzzle energy, can one of those go higher if the other is lower?

Reason I ask is the HORNADY CRITICAL DEFENSE - 32 ACP - 60 GRAIN FTX look really good but is 133 ft-lb muzzle energy tested in a 2-inch barrel. But I would think that is inconsequential given it is well under the weight l imit of 71 grains.

Other question, since this is a HP will it be shorter and possibly get rimlock in the mag?
 
aaaaa said:
Question. If the limits for the Tomcat are 71 grain and 130 ft-lbs muzzle energy, can one of those go higher if the other is lower?

Reason I ask is the HORNADY CRITICAL DEFENSE - 32 ACP - 60 GRAIN FTX look really good but is 133 ft-lb muzzle energy tested in a 2-inch barrel. But I would think that is inconsequential given it is well under the weight l imit of 71 grains.

Other question, since this is a HP will it be shorter and possibly get rimlock in the mag?
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It’s not about weight limit but ft pounds. A low power higher weight is fine. 133 is close enough I’d consider it. However, if that is out of a 2 inch barrel arguably it’s a 140–150 foot pound round out of the longer barrels used in the other round tests. I would propose it is in the too hot category.

FYI, the Underwood .32 ACP extreme defender is viable and under 130 ft pounds.
 
Autodidactic said:
It’s not about weight limit but ft pounds. A low power higher weight is fine. 133 is close enough I’d consider it. However, if that is out of a 2 inch barrel arguably it’s a 140–150 foot pound round out of the longer barrels used in the other round tests. I would propose it is in the too hot category.

FYI, the Underwood .32 ACP extreme defender is viable and under 130 ft pounds.
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Yep, I see two nickle plated at Underwood, but the tips bother me, one is like bladed and one is like the tip of those screwdrivers used in motorhomes. I am concerned about feeding for any non-standard tip, and in fact the HP even concerns me. Would like a nice ball ammo with nickle plate but the demand in .32 ACP is apparently not there and we should be happy to have as much choice as we do.

We will see hos the PPU ball ammo shoots in the Tomcat, soon as I get to the range, which hopefully is this afternoon.
 
aaaaa said:
Yep, I see two nickle plated at Underwood, but the tips bother me, one is like bladed and one is like the tip of those screwdrivers used in motorhomes. I am concerned about feeding for any non-standard tip, and in fact the HP even concerns me. Would like a nice ball ammo with nickle plate but the demand in .32 ACP is apparently not there and we should be happy to have as much choice as we do.

We will see hos the PPU ball ammo shoots in the Tomcat, soon as I get to the range, which hopefully is this afternoon.
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Ppu works, and so does the underwood. FYI, one reason the “screwdriver tips” work is they are basically shaped like an FMJ with channels cut out. I have some and shot it through the tomcat. Supposedly, they do more damage than FMJ. The fun part is they put cross shaped holes in the target. Almost none of the HP options are good out of the pocket .32 ACPs. I suspect the critical defense is from Hornady, but I bet it only penetrates like 9 inches.
 
Autodidactic said:
Ppu works, and so does the underwood. FYI, one reason the “screwdriver tips” work is they are basically shaped like an FMJ with channels cut out. I have some and shot it through the tomcat. Supposedly, they do more damage than FMJ. The fun part is they put cross shaped holes in the target. Almost none of the HP options are good out of the pocket .32 ACPs. I suspect the critical defense is from Hornady, but I bet it only penetrates like 9 inches.
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Thanks. You saved me $100 as I was contemplating buying some of the Hornady rounds, but I have 5.5 boxes of the PPU and if it runs good in the Beretta today, I will bet a few more boxes because one can never have enough ammo. The 50-round boxes of PPU FMJ are only a few bucks more than the Hornady 25-round boxes and I can get the PPU at the LGS and not pay shipping.
 
aaaaa said:
Thanks. You saved me $100 as I was contemplating buying some of the Hornady rounds, but I have 5.5 boxes of the PPU and if it runs good in the Beretta today, I will bet a few more boxes because one can never have enough ammo. The 50-round boxes of PPU FMJ are only a few bucks more than the Hornady 25-round boxes and I can get the PPU at the LGS and not pay shipping.
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Nice, with how hard it is to find .32 acp especially for the Tomcat, it’s worth buying a small stash.

Funny story, I bought about 300 rounds of hotter Fiocci .32 acp before I knew about the Tomcat limitation. I haven’t fired them. But like I said, if I ever had to press the Tomcat into serous use I’d load it up with the hot stuff.
 
Autodidactic said:
Nice, with how hard it is to find .32 acp especially for the Tomcat, it’s worth buying a small stash.

Funny story, I bought about 300 rounds of hotter Fiocci .32 acp before I knew about the Tomcat limitation. I haven’t fired them. But like I said, if I ever had to press the Tomcat into serous use I’d load it up with the hot stuff.
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I had about 4 boxes of that Fiocchi Range stuff and it is hot, about 73 grains and much higher muzzle energy. In monkeying with the Seacamp LWS 32 with the mag spacer removed and discovered the PPU all fit fine, but half the Fiocchi's were too long. Turns out, the PPU are pretty consistently under the standard OAL of 25mm, closer to 24.5, whereas the Fiocchi ranged pretty much anywhere from 24.5 to 25 mm. I like consistency.

Shot the shorter Fiocchi's out the Seacamp and the longer ones out the Kel Tec P32. Good riddance.
 
aaaaa said:
I had about 4 boxes of that Fiocchi Range stuff and it is hot, about 73 grains and much higher muzzle energy. In monkeying with the Seacamp LWS 32 with the mag spacer removed and discovered the PPU all fit fine, but half the Fiocchi's were too long. Turns out, the PPU are pretty consistently under the standard OAL of 25mm, closer to 24.5, whereas the Fiocchi ranged pretty much anywhere from 24.5 to 25 mm. I like consistency.

Shot the shorter Fiocchi's out the Seacamp and the longer ones out the Kel Tec P32. Good riddance.
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Nice. Yesterday I saw a Seecamp in the wild for the first time used at Bass Pro
 
aaaaa said:
What did you think of it. I got rid of mine. Too small for my hand and only 1.5 fingers fitting on grip is just not good.
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It seemed really nice and well built. Yes, it is very small. The used price tag was $600 or so. No way Jose. Lol, the gun counter salesman said "That's one of those Saturday Night Specials." I had to inform him of what the term means.
 
Autodidactic said:
It seemed really nice and well built. Yes, it is very small. The used price tag was $600 or so. No way Jose. Lol, the gun counter salesman said "That's one of those Saturday Night Specials." I had to inform him of what the term means.
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I paid $450 and mine was a later model with the beefed up slide that was done for the .380 version, so my .32 was pretty solid, but the gun was nasty and would smack my finger with the trigger guard. In 4 or 5 range trips i mostly has jam fests, until I finally got it to run 150 rounds of PPU without jams and then the last trip a few mags of hollow point without jams. Not sure what was going on, maybe I was finally getting to hold the gun tightly enough. Limp wrist seems to magnify with smaller pistols. If I were to do it again I might have tried the NAA Guardian, but not now. Traded the Seacamp .32 in for my Beretta Tomcat (new) and got $250 off, which was good considering the gun shops were offering about $150 for it outright or not even wanting it, said might do better in the fall as gun sales were lower in summer. Good riddance to the nasty little thing.
 
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