beretta tomcat

[kir_kenix]

i have been eying one of these latley (along w/ a SA micro compact) and i am seriously considering going and picking one up this next week. i like the feel of this little pistol (as opposed to the kt .32). it seems...idk...sturdier. i know that there is prbly nothing wrong w/ the kt, but it seems too light for a fun range gun. i tried looking up the tomcat in the search, but all i got was a bunch of "the kt is more concealable..." answers. im not really looking for a ccw gun (not yet anyway, im 19), but more a handy, fun little pistol to shoot (my fiance is warming up to the idea of getting a ccw tho...). i just want to know how this thing shoots. from what i have read they are fairly accurate for as small as they are, but thats all i read...accurate for their size. how accurate is that? i am interested in blasting cans at 25 yards or so. is this a minute of dr. pepper can pistol? is it pleasent to shoot (grip seems wide enough to absorb the mild recoil enough for my girl to shoot)? im not too crazy about the plastic grips, but that can be remedied w/ some grip tape or rubber wrap arounds. i just want to know from ppl who actually own these how good of pistols they are. if they are going to rattle apart after 800 shots or so then i will just look at buying a revolver. is the .25 counterpart (bobcat i believe) a better choice for our plinking needs.

idk...i seem to be rattling on now. guess i must be getting tired.

 

[cloudcroft]

"Plinking needs?"

I look at the Tomcat 3032 as a viable carry-gun rather than a plinking gun.

Perhaps a Beretta Bobcat 21A in .22LR -- not .25ACP, stay away from that caliber -- would be more suitable for "plinking"...but I also carry THAT gun, too.

Whatever, get the INOX versions of whichever one you choose.

KelTec says ALL their guns have a 6000-round service life. I guess that's plenty. Of course, the P32 is DAO if you like that kind of trigger.

Don't know how long the Tomcat would last, but it is one hell of a finely-made gun. And it's DA or SA...I like that choice and the tip-up barrel.

Can't help you with the rest of your questions...haven't been able to go out and shoot mine yet so it stays in the safe (carry my 21A for now)...I'm WAY behind on my shooting/chronographing chores.

-- John D.

 

[MartinBrody]

I had one and don't know why I sold it. It is better than accurate for it's size, it is more than capable of minute of Dr. Pepper Can at 25 yards, it just depends on how good a shot you are. As for recoil I remember it being light but it is snappy due to it's small size. The thing is built like a tank, never had a failure of any kind and it will hold up.
If you want a 32 auto for target shooting don't buy the Kel-Tec, they may be great if you want to carry a gun at all times and not even notice it, but I couldn't hit a Dr. Pepper can at 5 yards with it.
Other considerations might be a Bersa in 380, it is a little bigger, but my experience with them is that they are very accurate and also built to last.

 

[jonsidneyb]

A Tomcat can hit a soda can at 25 yards? Hmmm, that is pretty good for a mouse gun. I had no idea they could do that.

 

[Whirlwind06]

My KT .32 is pretty good at 25 feet. For small pocket guns that the max realistic range of them anyway. After all it is a self defense gun. 25 yards! Heck I couldn't even see a pop can that far away

KTs don't have a fixed barrel so the recoil is a lot less then blow back guns. And KT offers a lifetime warranty on their firearms. So even if you break it they will fix it. I have put 150 rounds at a time through my KT .32. I couldn't do that with my KT .380 after 50 rounds my hand was numb.

 

[Wedge]

I myself have been eyeing a cheap, fun gun in a slightly obscure caliber. So I won't tell you not to get the gun. They look well built (I have not handled one) but they are in between cheap and mid-priced. At $300 I would call them affordable.

You said you were 19. I assume that this is your first handgun. I will also assume since you posted on a forum that $300 is probably a major purchase. I bought my first handgun when I was 23 and still in college and it was a major purchase. Why do I mention that? My first handgun was a .45 Colt...not the most common caliber, so I couldn't afford to shoot as often as I wanted to.

For a plinker I think a better choice than .32ACP can be made. I would say .22LR or 9mm Luger would be the cheapest ways to get a lot of shooting done. Though 40 S&W and .45ACP are still pretty cheap (about 12, 15 and 20 cents per shot for the 9mm Luger, .40 S&W and .45ACP respectively - and it is easy to find a little cheaper if you look) and .22 Ammo is usually around 2 cents per shot.

For comparison, .25ACP ammo runs about 26 cents per shot and .32ACP runs about 28 cents per shot. Obviously YMMV on ammo costs but the relationship will stay the same.

Finally - match the gun to the activity. For CCW, .32 ACP is fine. For plinking it is not and you will be hard pressed to match .22LR or 9mm for cost of ammo.

If you really want the Tomcat by all means get it, but I have a feeling that for target & plinking work you will be disapointed.

 

[kir_kenix]

this isnt my first handgun, and i am just looking for something a lil bit different. i love full 1911's, but its hard to justify buying one every other month (since ive already got a line on a micro compact). i havnt owned much in .32 cept a walther and a full size browning. im just looking for something neat that will fill the very very tiny section of my collection. but i also want it to be pleasent to shoot. i really like .25 acp as well, but it seems outragously expensive for the price of the components, and ive never releaded it. i just keep eying the tomcat but i want somethinng that i am going to put quite a few rounds thru so i dont want it to fall apart.

 

[Wedge]

Ah. If this isn't your first handgun I would say go ahead and get it. Always fun to have something different in the safe and at the range.