Beretta Tomcat Opinions

[Sean85746]

Does anyone out there have experience with the Beretta Tomcat .32acp?

I am looking for a DEEP concealment peice. The Beretta has obvious quality going for it...but I am looking for anyone who has, or has had one, and can give me a no-nonsense opinion.

Thanks in Advance!

Sean

 

[Coltdriver]

I had one and got rid of it.

Weighed too much to be a great concealed carry piece and the recoil is fairly sharp for such a small cartridge.

Take a look at a kahr pm9. Very light and very small with a reasonable recoil because it is a locked breech. Alternatively an airweight j frame snub nose hides very well and is very light.

 

[cls12vg30]

I heard that the .32 Tomcats were less reliable than the .22 and .25 Bobcats which are based on the same frame. I like my Bobcat, I would consider moving up to a Tomcat if I hadn't heard so much about the reliability difference. It seems like a parallel between the Kel-Tec P32 and P3-AT, both the same frame, but I've heard about a lot more promblems with the P3-AT.

 

[steelhead]

When I was looking into a .32 ACP, for a BUG or "always gun", it came down to the Kel-Tec P32 and the Tomcat. Luckily, I was able to extensively shoot both and as a result decided on the P32.

Reasons why I picked the P32.

1. Lighter and thinner than the Tomcat (6.6 oz. vs. 14.5)
2. Easier to conceal
3. Less felt recoil in the P32 than the Tomcat. (locked breech vs. blowback)
4. Reliable and accurate
5. DAO


Things I liked about the Tomcat.

1. Tip up barrel.
2. Safety
3. Grip size (felt like a real gun in the hand)
4. Brand name
5. Sights (but they were more snag prone - and not really needed at contact
distances)
6. Reliable and accurate


There have been 2 issues with the P32 but they have not soured me on the product and 1 has been resolved.

1. The extractor needed to be replaced with a sharper one (this was a
couple of years ago - so the new sharper extractor may now be standard)

2. The 10 round mags do not always leave the slide locked open on the last
round. Never carry it with a 10 rounder anyways and with the size
increase, you might as well carry something in a larger caliber. Never had
a problem with the standard mags.


Also, a lot of people talk about having to do a "fluff and buff". Mine never required one.

 

[Ankeny]

I had a Tomcat. I packed it in a Kramer pocket holster. The gun was heavy and thick for a pocket gun and the trigger was just horrible. I got rid of the Tomcat in favor of a P3-AT. No problems with the Keltec, yet. (knocks on wood).

 

[Sean85746]

I had one and got rid of it.

Weighed too much to be a great concealed carry piece and the recoil is fairly sharp for such a small cartridge.

Take a look at a kahr pm9. Very light and very small with a reasonable recoil because it is a locked breech. Alternatively an airweight j frame snub nose hides very well and is very light.

I have an Airweight Bodyguard...it is a bit larger than I want to go. The Tomcat is to be a deep concealment gun. A tertiary peice, backing up a Glock 23, and a Glock 27.

 

[Gixerman1000]

I carry a Tomcat 3032 INOX as backup to my P7M8 and I like it very much, I have a little over 500 rounds through it without any trouble at all, even when full of pocket lint and it has been very accurate for such a small pistol, I can average around 2" groups at 15 yards point of aim, I do wish it was a little less wide but it still does the job as a pocket pistol.

It's also fun to shoot and the grip feels nice

 

[steelhead]

I have an Airweight Bodyguard...it is a bit larger than I want to go. The Tomcat is to be a deep concealment gun. A tertiary peice, backing up a Glock 23, and a Glock 27.

You mentioned "deep concealment" and after seeing that you already have a J frame and the smaller Glocks - I can't see the Tomcat fitting the bill. It is more of a "pocket pistol" than one for deep concealment. Although smaller than a J frame or PM9, I think it is still in the same niche because of it's thickness and weight. Unless, your starting out with a 105MM for a primary and this is the tertiary backup, I think it is too big for what you are talking about.

Then again, my definition of deep concealment may be radically different than what you are thinking of. If you wanted, you could put the P32 between your butt cheeks and no one would ever know . On a more serious note, I have used the clip accessory to secure the P32 in a sock, underwear, bathing suit, and to a t-shirt under a business shirt, etc.. It is so light and thin that you will even forget it is there. The above mentioned is not possible with the Tomcat.

 

[Mark whiz]

I can't say I'm overly impressed with the Tomcat.

I got one for the Ex as a carry piece. It shoots ok as long as you stay away from 71gr FMJ rounds and use hot HP loads...............otherwise feeding is not always dependable.

Also the grip screws tend to loosen up with use and if you don't check them often, the grips will crack and disintegrate in your hands..........mine did.

A thin piece of the side rail on the frame also broke off after putting probably 600 or 700 rounds thru the gun. And Beretta's cust service is definitely not a know good quanity either.

Go for the Kel-tec................they're local to me and good folks to deal with.

 

[azrael]

Nothing wrong with the Beretta unless ya want to put it into a pocket holster and carry it everywhere....To thick and to heavy for the intended purpose IMO...I have fired on and liked the way it shot, but carrying it in the pocket just didnt fill me with joy..

Derringer?? Not a chance...Nuff said..

Naa?? Have several of them...rarely carry them becuase of weight or lack of "umph" (.22 series) but I love them none the less..

KT?? I own several and they are my daily carry pieces...


I am,
Davethe perfect drugB.

 

[drf]

Just traded in my Tomcat recently in on a snubby .38...

I will never ever sell or trade any of my guns! Well, except the unreliable Tomcat...

I'm glad I got rid of it... many FTF and FTE problems with mine...

Could have been the mags, I dont know because others have had better luck with theres than I did..
To heavy for a pocket gun at just over 14 oz. and the grip is way to thick for a single stack .32...

I have never shot any Keltecs but I have handled a few and they seem very cheap in my opinion.....

The little Tomcat did seem very solid but after the problems I encountered I couldnt feel safe at relying on this little gun to ever protect my life....drf

 

[MikeB]

I have an Alleycat, basically a Tomcat with factory tritium sight. While I'm not in a hurry to sell it, I haven't even fired it in at least a year never mind carry it. I've found that a j-frame is just about as comfortable and a lot more reassuring to carry in a pocket. The Tomcat is relatively heavy and bulky for a .32ACP.

 

[XLMiguel]

I have one with about 1000 rnds thru. It's been reliable with everything I've fed it, is accurate for it's size. The DA trigger is pretty heavy, though, and with my big paws, slide bites can be a problem. It does start to act up after about 100 rounds (dirty little blow-back-), e.g. stovepiping or jamming the last rnd in the mag, so it's a real good idea to clean it thoroughly after each range session.

I replaced the stock grips with a set of Ajax Black Sliverwood laminates. They have a more pronounced palm swell and are more comfy for me (do use a dab of Locktite on the grip screws). It is a gun that likes to be lightly lubed and kept clean (pocket holster is a REAL good idea).

All in all, it's a good little gun, definitely has a place in my rotation, goes a lot of places one can't take a 'real' gun. HTH

 

[PATH]

Tomcat is too bulky for me. Also the slide always bit me. The Kel-Tec is lighter, slimmer and is just all around easier to carry. My Kel-Tec P32 has operated flawlessly since day one. I highly recommend it to folks. You might even move up to the ,380 as the size and weight difference with the P32 is negligible.

 

[eyz]

I'm back....

I've owned all three (thick slide Tom, regular slide Tom, and the smaller 22 Bobcat). The thick slide Tomcat is very well made and 100% reliable with all ammo. The regular one had a rare bobble depending on conditions. The Bobcat was very nice but a only a 22. I would buy the Thick slide version in stainless. The downside, it's a 32 and about the weight and thickness of a lightweight smith revolver that can shoot 135gr gold dots. I switched to a revolver. The Tomcat is still a fine gun. Another option is a well tested Keltec.

 

[Old Dog]

Love the Tomcat. Hate Kel-Tecs (had two, horrible, horrible triggers and parts breaking) ... Tomcat (mine ... er, the wife's is the latest generation INOX) is wonderfully made, accurate and reliable. I suspect most reliability concerns are due to not keeping the piece clean (they are finicky, I'll grant that) or ammunition/magazine issues.

 

[Yowza]

A Tomcat was the first gun I bought. I got it before I really knew anything about firearms because I was planning on getting a CCW permit and thought I needed something really small. It fits my hand very well for its size, but I've had problems with stovepiping in it. Tried several types of ammo and it was an issue with all of them. The trigger isn't that great, and I have to use the very tip of my finger to pull it. Not because it's too heavy, but because I just can't move it far enough otherwise.

If you ever remove the grip panels on one, be very careful of the thumb safety retention pin and spring. They're very small and can go quite far.

Bottom line is, I like some things about this pistol, but I wouldn't buy another one.

Rick

 

[Marko Kloos]

The Tomcat is my wife's main defensive gun, and she loves it. I've neve rhad an issue out of it, or out of the other two Tomcats I've owned over the years.

As a pocket piece, the P32 is superior due to it being flatter and far lighter. As a small main carry gun, the Tomcat is better, as it has better sights and is much easier to shoot well. (Around here, we call it "Little Big Gun", because it feels and shoots like a larger gun.)

 

[ezypikns]

I bought one and traded it away...

It had a problem with the trigger not resetting. I could have had it fixed under warranty, but I just traded it away. I bought a Kel-Tec P32. It's about as accurate as a Tomcat, weighs about a fourth of a Tomcat, and so far has been utterly reliable. I put it in a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster, and I can go out in any kind of clothing. I even forget it's there

 

[Shawn Dodson]

I've had my Tomcat since they first came out. I bought it for the role of BUG on police patrol. Never had a problem. Fed and fired everything I put in it. I still carry it as a "quick, out the door" CCW gun.

 

[williamcrane]

Tom Cat

I've owned one for about four years now. It is a two tone Inox (Black Slide and grips, powdered steel frame). I've never had any problem with it. I usually bring it out during the hotter months of the year here in Philadelphia. I have a pocket holster for it (Kramer, I think). It is a bit heavy, but I like that. The Kel-Tec just doesn't fill my hand. You do have to keep your hand below the slide, because of the sharp points at the rear.

I take it to the range about twice a year just to test it for function. I clean and oil it more often, just to keep it functional and ready to grab.

The firearm I carry most is a S&W 642, although, situation dependent, I will carry a SW1911 IWB in certain areas.

 

[gumshoe4]

Don't know if this helps, but I have a Taurus PT-22 which is totally reliable and a NAA .22 mag with 1 1/8" barrel, both for deep concealment. The NAA rides along when my wife and I go for our evening walks, but so does a folder as well.

I had a Tomcat a long time ago, but the J frame does a great job in essentially the same role. The Tomcat was OK, but I really like J frames much better.

Bob

 

[mec]

I got one of the very early ones. Got a couple of malfunctions in the first four magazine loads and none thereafter. It functioned everything on hand at the time and got velocities of about 800 fps with the available JHPs. (Corbon was not out with a load at that time.)

A big plus with it was that the magazine is long enough to shoot .32 ball ammunition. As for it being too big or too big for a .32, it is still smaller than the pocket revolvers I carry around. I found that I could shoot rested groups in the 2.5" range at 50 feet and the sights were much more visible than on the small 25 autos from beretta and elsewhere.

One local guy finally shot his until it began to malfunction. It took him about 3000 rounds of factory loads and reloads to do it. He sold it without trying a fresh magazine. Another guy had trouble with the trigger bar but this was because he bent the thing putting on a set of aftermarket grips.

Others who had the guns had to attend to their trigger fingerplacement or or their finger would pinch between the trigger and frame and prevent discharge.

Shortly after the guns were introduced, somebody who was having problems with his got a letter from a factory employee saying that the Tomcat was an "800 round platform." The factory quickly denied that it was only good for 800 rounds.

For what it's worth (and it's not worth much) I wrote it up for guns magazine. one of th editorial people thought it was cute when I quipped about "make a better mousegun and the world will beat a path to your door." So that was the title and Lou Ferigno the Hulk appeared with it in the Nagata photographs.

So, I had one and know of a couple of others that worked very well. I don't know if they have stood the test of time or not.