I was finally able to take some comparison photos of the newer wider and heavier 3032 Tomcat slide next to the older blued 3032 Tomcat slide and the differences are obvious, even more than I had imagined.
The width of the slides are 1.060” wide for the newer slide vs .925” wide for the older slide making the newer slide .135” wider. This may not sound like allot to some of you but the difference is huge when looking at the photos especially the photo of the slides laying flat and even on their sides.
Not only was the newer slide wider but it was also slightly taller in the rear half and much taller in the front open half, the front open half of the newer slide being much taller was beveled at the ejection port to match the height of the older slide.
This info on the bevel is a quick and easy way to ascertain if a blued Tomcat has the older narrow slide or the newer wider slide without the use of dial calipers or a ruler.
Unfortunately I do not have a small weight scale so I am not able to give the exact weigh difference between the two slides, however I can say without question the newer slide was noticeably heavier just by holding them in your hand.
The frames were identical as far as I could tell and I could swap the slides on the frames, though the newer INOX slide would not pull all the way back on the black frame I’m sure all it would have needed was a little fitting and I see no reason why Beretta couldn’t retro fit the newer slides on the older blued Tomcats.
The blued Tomcat in the photos came from a friend of mine that I had not seen in a while, he bought the gun new at a gun show a few months ago and was nice enough to let me take the comparison photos of it even after hearing that he may need to send the gun back with a cracked frame soon after shooting it.