Beretta Tomcat .32 ACP

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The Sentinel

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I've never fired a Tomcat .32 ACP but am seriously thinking of purchasing one for concealed carry. I'd like to hear about how this particular gun handles and if it's the right choice for a concealed carry. New to the world of firearms, but am open to suggestions.
I already have a Ruger SP101 3" .357 mag, but it gets a little cumbersome and heavy. Thanks in advance. Really need some help with this decision.
 
I've had a Tomcat for a couple of years, I like it well enough, it's a good little pocket gun. It's suprisingly accurate for its size, even with the dinky sights. The DA trigger is pretty heavy, SA is OK. It is a blow-back, so recoil is a bit snappy for its size (grip is small- I can only get two fingers around it), and there's a good probability of slide-bite if you've got big hands. I put on a set of Ajax diamondwood stocks, which have a larger palm swell, which help alot.

Mine took about 200 rounds to break in before it became thoroughly reliable, and it will start to misfeed/stovepipe after 100+ rounds in a single range session. It likes Silvertips, Gold Dots and Federal HS JHP's, and most any decent Factory FMJ. It likes to be kept clean and lightly lubed, and a pocket holster is a real good idea.

FWIW, it is only lightly smaller than my 642, and weights about the same, loaded. Five rounds of .38 +P vs. 8 rounds of .32 - your call. I still carry both. HTH.
 
My only 2 complaints about my Tomcat (before selling it to my boss for a glovecompartment gun), were 1. When carried in my backpocket, sitting on it would activate the mag release, and it would come out 1/4" (not good in an emergency situation), and 2. Because it is direct blowback, the slide spring is the retarder for the action and is a B---- to retract. I know it has a tip up barrel, but still folks:banghead: :banghead:
 
I've a couple of these, both INOX later-model versions. No issues whatsoever, save that the Tomcat should be kept clean and lint-free as it can be a tad finicky otherwise.

As XLMiguel noted, the 3032 can be quite accurate (both of mine are). I much prefer the Tomcat to any Kel-Tec (I've owned a couple crappy examples of those), but then, I prefer metal over plastic and even the Tomcat's heavy DA pull is better for me than the long, sproingy Kel-Tec's trigger pull ...

Wouldn't recommend any handgun for back-pocket carry. Sitting on a gun? Hmm ...
 
At one time I owned the Tomcat, P-32 and the Guardian, ( don't ask. long story) . The Tomcat broke on me twice, once a spring and once the firing pin snapped. I also didn't like the grip shape and when compared to the other two it was uncomfortable to shoot. I sold the Tomcat, gave the Guardian to my wife and I now carry the Kel-Tec P-32. And before the bigger is better group starts posting, yes I am very comfortable carrying a .32. It is with me when my bigger guns are in my safe.
 
Ron James, funny you should mention that also, after selling mine to my boss (to carry the P32 full time), he dry fired it a couple (like 5-6) times and the firing pin broke. It took me 2 months to get a replacement for him.
 
Tomcat

I own the INOX version. Great gun, very reliable and well made. It is very thick and very heavy, however. I actually haven't carried mine one time since I bought my (much less expensive) Kel-Tec P-32.

The KT has been 100% reliable thus-far with the excpetion of a single "rim-lock" issue that could have occured on any .32 ACP.

Also, as much as I like the tip-up barrel on the Tomcat, I really prefer a DAO trigger for a carry gun.
 
I like the Tomcat. The one I had was very reliable and a nice little shooter. My only complaint was w/ the trigger....and I don't think there is much you can do w/ that little trigger because of its size & what it's trying to accomplish
 
Hey, thanks for all the responses. I think I'll keep on looking for that "perfect for me" concealed carry pistol. The guy at our local gunshop was really pushing a Walther, I believe, P22 for a concealed carry. I'm not sure if a .22 will actually get me out of a jam. Any thoughts on this?
Our area is experiencing an upsurge of gang "activity" in broad daylight and an escalation of home invasions. This is completely new for such a small town, (Think Mayberry RFD) but it is as if all of a sudden the bad guys are moving in and taking over.
 
To be honest, the Tomcat is a nice looking and feeling gun, I personally don't like the KelTec .32, it feels like a toy squirt gun in my hand. The problem with the Tomcat as I see it is that for what you get, it is pretty chunky, fat and oversized. You can carry a KelTec p11 in 9mm or a Bersa .380 for about the same size. I have also heard of problems with frame or slide cracks in older Tomcats.
 
Beretta Tomcat

My wife and I both tote Beretta 3032 INOX Tomcats. I feel it is one of the best little self defense pistols on the market. It has an external safty and the tip up barrel always lets you know if the chamber is loaded. Since the 32ACP is a weak round, I keep mine loaded with "Extreme Shock" rounds and she keeps loaded with Winchester silver tips. The early model Tomcats had some serious flaws with the frame and slide. The new INOX has a thicker slide that seems to solve all problems. I have owned many types of pistols, but when I leave the house I always have my Tomcat. Other types of pistols do not have adaquate safty mechanisms, too bulky, or some other problem.
The Tomcat meets all the requirements for concealed carry. Buy one!
 
I'll wager that there have been a half-dozen or more threads on the Tomcat on this very forum in the past two months alone; you might want to try a search and see if you can find anything useful in them ... lots and lots of folks have wieghed in, me included, with this note:

Bought one for the wife; it crapped out after 66 rounds (trigger); never could get a single magazine to run through without some sort of misfeed or ejection failure; it took weeks to get Beretta to authorize a return; had to pay for the return myself; it took more weeks for a new gun to be sent in its place, with no explanation of the initial problem on the original gun. Bottom line: you can do better -- many more reliable firearms in .32 caliber are out there.
 
In my opinion, the Beretta Tom-Cat model 3032 it far too big (width)
and bulky for pocket carry. Although a Seecamp LWS-32 cost more,
its smaller, and made of all stainless steel with Lexlan grips~! Larry
knew what he was doing, when he brought these little firearms to
market. ;) :D
 
I bought a Tomcat about 10 years ago.
What I liked about it was the tip up barrel for loading/unloading.
It was easy to take down for cleaning.

What I didn't like about it was slide bite (grip a bit high and the slide will hit the web between forefinger and thumb). They're heavy, considering their size and, most of all, they have too many sharp edges for pocket carry.

The DA/SA trigger was OK. I rarely shot it SA.

All in all, the Tomcat was a good design way back when. There are better choices in 2009.

I sold mine and bought a Ruger LCP...much lighter, totally dehorned (for pocket carry) and fires a bit more powerful round.

I thought about a Seecamp and actually handled a NAA Guardian, but the LCP is the better choice, IMHO.
 
Mine was ok, not great. I also had the slide bite problems. My father-in-law liked shooting a lot more than I did. His hands were smaller than mine. It is a heavy gun for its size, I sold it after about a year or so and replaced it with a PPS. One more thing, mine had the crimson trace grips which made it very difficult for my wife to pull the slide back so it ended up sitting in the safe instead of her carrying it.
 
i have a Tomcat matte black, its a nice little gun its very light thats the reason i bought it . its pretty accurate and has a 7+1 capacity which is equal to the capacity of a .45 8 rounds is enough to stop any attacker with a .32 acp caliber with 60 gr winchester silvertips.
 
I would steer clear of all current production Tomcats. Do a search for "Tomcat" and "cracked slide." You should find some interesting information.
 
Do not buy a 22cal anything as a carry gun. Yes it will kill but before the bad guy kills you? and it may not fire. Nothing wrong with tomcats for me except weight. It is a heavy weight for a little gun. I carry one for 15+ years and slod just to get a liter handgun that fit my hand better in my oldr age. If you find a good used one ,by it. just practice. If look'n new and the price of a tomcat is what you want to spend there are many to choise from today. Go to a indoor gun range or two and handle different guns and rent a couple to try. There is a tomcat at our local range.
 
I wouldn't buy any tomcat that I hadn't put 200 rounds through myself. Seriously.

My dad just recently got burned on one, and that experience, plus lots of searching past threads (because of that experience) on the internet has not done anything to change my mind.

I think it's a cool gun, and a great idea, but the execution can be, uh, not very good with some samples. Beretta has many fine moments in their history. The tomcat is not one of them, IMHO.
 
.32 tomcat baretta

I own a .32 baretta and I have to say that, that litlle gun saved my life. I had it in my pocket on my way to work. I got held up at gun point, searched, (they did not find the gun) forced into the business to give the robbers the money. Thanks to my small concealed .32 that they did not find, I am here today. I must say it works like a charm, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.:D
 
For the same money, (or very close to it), you can get yourself a Seecamp LWS in .32. Best pocket gun out there, bar none. Get a Seecamp and be done with it. (Won't have to worry about your frame cracking either like Tomcats are prone to do.)

BTW, I'm a HUGE Beretta fan - just not their BUGs.
 
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