Kel-Tec or Beretta .32 Question

[GlenJ]

Anyone have experience with both the Tomcat and P-32?? I'm looking for a carry gun for my wife we already tried a Smith and Taurus 38 snub and it's to much recoil. I know the Kel-tec is concealed easyer but this won't be the issue all I'm concerned about is quality. On the kel-Tec BBs of course they bash the Beretta but I find it hard to believe the Kel-Tec quality could be better. What's eveyones opinions here???

 

[mtnbkr]

Dunno about the Beretta, the but the P32's recoil can be snappy. Are the Snubs alloy or steel? Have you tried lighter loads such as non +P or Target Wadcutters?

Maybe check out a 32 H&R Mag snubnose. Less recoil than a 38, but more power than a 32acp.

Chris

 

[Mark whiz]

I bought a Tomcat for the wife to carry................it's a quirky little toy.
It's VERY picky on ammo. Failure to feeds or ejecting GOOD rounds along with the spent case are common with anything but the best JHPs like factory Gold Dots, XTPs, HydraShoks, or Win Silvertips in 62gr. ALL of the 71gr FMJ RNs had problems feeding.
When I started handloading, I tried my hand at .32ACP for this piece too. I discovered that only loads on the hot end of the load data could be expected to feed well and be reasonably accurate out to 10yds.

You would think that a company like Beretta would produce a piece that would last a LONGTIME. Not in this case. After a couple years and around 700rds, a small chunk of the frame blew off just under the slide on the right side. And of course only 1 year of warranty

I'm thinking of picking up a Kel-Tec for the new, soon-to-be wife ............... if for no other reason than that I have a bunch of brass and over 500 bullets and no pistol to load them for. Kel-tecs ARE made just down the road from me, and they seem to be good folks - so I'd expect their Customer Support to be better thyan Beretta's too.

Since you're starting from scratch...................you might do better to consider the Kel-tec .380 slightly more power than the .32, but with little more weight, size, or recoil.

 

[The_Shootist]

P-32 or Beretta?

Haven't shot the Beretta, so all I can say is from heresay that "quirky" (as noted above) is a good way to describe that pistol.

Not so with my P-32. Over 1000 rounds through it...Corbon, Hydra-Shoks (my carry round) UMC, WW white box and NO...zero...nada...problems at all with ANY form of ammo. No jams, no FTF, no FTE, no rimlock - nothing. It just keeps eating whatever its fed. I also consider it a decent range gun, being able to burn 100-150 rounds in a range session without my hand coming off.

I'm extremely pleased with it, given I paid about $ 230 for it NIB.

Not so with the .380 version (P3AT). Too many guys (both on the Internet and my favorite gun shop) tell me 50 rounds of .380 in that sized pistol is only possible in a range session if you like pain.

If you are thinking of a .380, better to get a Bersa Thunder .380 than a P3AT

 

[mtnbkr]

I've shot the P3AT and didn't find it all that punishing. Then again, my 32acp handloads approach 380acp power levels anyway.

Chris

 

[SHOOT1SAM]

My wife & I have had both the Tomcat and the p-32.

We still have the p-32.

Sam

 

[Wilson 17&26]

My wife prefers the Kel-Tec P-32 as they are inexpensive, so you can buy several to better match your wardrobe.

 

[Old Dog]

Owned both ... still have the Tomcat. After three (!) bad Kel-Tecs (P-11, P-40, P-32, just trying them all), won't make that mistake again. There is a HUGE difference in quality. The Beretta is a beautifully-made, nice-looking, very accurate pistol and the recoil is unnoticeable. The tip-up barrel is a great feature as well and the trigger pull -- well, try 'em both out side-by-side and see which one you prefer.

By the way, there was a Kel-Tec vs. Tomcat thread just a month or so ago -- search function is your friend.

 

[XLMiguel]

Mark whiz - send your broken Tomcat to Beretta, they'll replace it free. I had an early production Tomcat and managed to break teh slide with some CorBon +P, sent if off to Beretta and had a new one less than two weeks later.

Mine was a finicky eater for teh first couple hundred rounds, but seem to be fine, now. It does like to be kept clean and lightly lubed. It starts to act up after about 100+ rounds at the range, so proably not a good choice for a protracted fire fight, but mine's been fine light duty CCW.

I have only fire a 9mm KT once (no fluff & buff), wasn't impressed, though a lot of folks like them.

 

[Tomac]

It's my understanding that the Tomcat (I have the Alleycat w/tritium front sight) is meant to be carried more than fired. That being said I haven't had any problems w/Winchester Silvertip or Blazer FMJ in mine. No hammer bite and far more accurate that a pistol that size should be. It's my deep CCW until I can afford a Rohrbaugh(sp?) pocket 9mm (or someone comes out w/a 9mm the same size as my Alleycat...)
Tomac