need a bit of help with tip up barreled autos

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trickyasafox

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Hi all!

recently my mother has shown strong interest in getting her Concealed carry permit, and we are starting to shop for a small firearm for her.

my mother shots only occasionally, but has little tolerance for recoil and prefers autos. That being said, arthrietis prevents her from being able to manipulate the slide on all of our semi-auto pistols, and i was looking for something in the tip up family to help her remedy that.

does anyone besides beretta manufacture such a thing? which models offered by beretta are reasonably 'soft shooting'? i know thats realllly subjective, but i am asking you fine people to reach for me here :)

i'm not against a 22lr, as far as i am concerned having a firearm is the vast majority of the battle, and i don't have an upper limit in mind, but if i had to guess, probably something in the 38spl to 9mm range.

she liked the feel and weight of my PA-63, but the recoil and trigger pull were WAY out of her comfort zone.

i know many will think revolvers are the way, and that may be a future avenue to explore, but i'm trying to respect her initial request for an auto (she liked the slim grip and the angles more i believe)
 
Beretta makes a decent .32 acp in a model called Tomcat and a .22LR in a model called Bobcat (i think that is correct) with tip up barrels. I used to own a Taurus .22LR tip up model but got rid of it because I felt safer with a J frame .22 revolver. Why don't you guys look into those too?
 
Taurus has many tip-up barrel autos in both .22 LR and .25 Auto. I hear all the problems from the early days have been worked out and the current pistols are all very reliable. http://www.taurususa.com/products/gunselector-results.cfm?series=SF1
They even have 8 models with Pink grips!! LOL

I suggest the .25 Auto over a .22LR pistol because the .25 Auto is more reliable than a rimfire round. There are some very good .25 Auto SD rounds out there. Speer, Fiocchi and Winchester all make SD rounds for the .25 Auto.
 
my mother shots only occasionally

All of these guns are on the small side with not so good sights. I agree having anything is better than nothing but Mom should go to the range more often if she gets one of these small guns. If she is recoil sensitive I'd advise against an Airweight if you get a J frame. An Airweight has about 2X the felt recoil of the same gun in carbon or stainless steel.

Printing is solved with a proper holster and what you wear. You can carry a really big handgun if you have enough jacket to hide it.
 
BOUGHT THIS ONE LAST SATURDAY

I'll give it a test drive today. Beretta web site states that a 60gr round is equal to the power of a .380. They recommend silver tips, gold dot and hydroshocks. The one thing that bothers me is that there is no extractor. I do like the thumb safety and the hammer gives a second strike capability.
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I have the Cheetah 86 tip up in .380. It has wood grip panels and I find the felt recoil with .380 JHPs to be worse than my Glock 26 with +P 9mm JHP. The gun works great, but the felt recoil is snappy. Perhaps rubber grip panels would help. It's very easy to carry as it is thin and light. It does have quite a few sharp edges, I usually carry in a leather OWB that works well. I really like the gun, it's usually my "Sunday go to meeting" gun, but I've never really warmed up to the recoil.
 
The Beretta Tomcat might be a good choice for her. I've got one....don't shoot it much, but it is a well made little gun.

I've read there were problems with broken firing pins (from dry firing, if I recall correctly) in the earlier models. Mine hasn't had this problem, but something to think about.

I do suggest you take her to a gun shop and let her get the feel for one. Will she be able to pull a DA trigger? Can she cock the pistol, or actuate the safety? Can she push the lever that releases the tip up barrel? BTW, that same lever is used for take down if pushed too far.
If she can do all the above, the Tomcat might be a good choice.

Another thing about the Tomcat is, if gripped high on the butt, it'll bite (slide bite). I've done this (more then once, I'm afraid).

Please don't think I'm trying to dissuade you or your Mom from the Beretta, but if her arthritis prevents her from racking a slide, she may not be able to handle the controls of the Tomcat.

One thing I do like about tip up barrels is the ease of unloading.

As far as caliber and ammo, I think a .32ACP is as effective in stopping an attack as any other caliber. Personally, I use Silvertips. They have always functioned well for me.

While you two are at the gun shop, you'll have a great opportunity to try other guns. She may find a revolver or other semi-auto that fits her better.

Good luck to both you and your Mom!
 
I have the Beretta Tomcat .32. I am a big fan. Here are the possible drawbacks for your mother:

1. The little lever to barrel tip-up was extraordinarily difficult to use until I put ~250 rds through it. You could solve this problem for her easily enough at the range I guess.

2. I definitely wouldn't say that the Tomcat has "kick," but there is a very sharp recoil. I had surgery on my right hand last year and it can get a bit sore after 50 rounds through the Tomcat. I don't know how surgery pain compares to arthritis pain since I don't have arthritis, but it might be an issue for her.

With that said, the Tomcat is really a great little gun. I have never had a misfire with it and I have put many rounds through it. Holster or pocket carry with it is a piece of cake.

I wish you and your mother the best in finding a firearm and learning how to use it. I did the same with my mother a couple of years ago and we had a great time.
 
I have the Beretta Tomcat and can recommend it as well, though the recoil is a bit snappy as has been suggested. If you can get her to consider a revolver, check out the Ruger SP-101 in .32 H&R magnum, which is back in their catalog after being absent last year. Taurus also makes a revolver in .32 H&R.
 
One thing that deterred me from the Bobcat .22 is the fact that it doesn't have an extractor.

I have never owned a Bobcat, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this means that if you have a bad round, a misfire, you have to pick the bad round out with your fingernails.

If you can't rack the slide in the first place, you can't replace the bad round unless you grab a loose cartridge and drop it in like you did originally.

Hard to do when your adrenalin is flowing.

And most of us know that .22's occasionally misfire.

Also, I have read at least one instance where the round fired, but the spent brass failed to eject.

Same issue.....pick with the fingernails and.....

In place of the Bobcat, I continue to rely on a .38spl J-frame in a pocket holster.
 
I own a Beretta 21 in .25 acp, but would highly recommend the .380 model 85 (?) tip up. I've only shot one once, but the recoil actually felt easier than my little .25. And it is a better SD round. They are hard to find and generally a little over $500 but a very nice little pistol if you can spring for that much.
 
TOMCAT TEST DRIVE

Bought a Tomcat last saturday and took it to the range today. Performed flawlessly and was very easy to shoot. Recoil was not bad at all. Started out slow..standing, two handed grip..and then progressed to pulling the trigger as fast as I could. This tip up gun is a keeper!
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To trickasafox

You asked and I will do my best to respond.

I carry a S&W model 317-2. It is an allot framed and cylindered J frame with steel and stainless steel parts. It weighs ten ounces empty. Add eight .22LR cartridges and feel safer than carrying a rock. It was not cheap by any means, but if confronted by bad guys I will not feel underpowered considering I carry a nice folding kife as well. My very young children shoot it quite well, so something to consider for arthritis. I solved the printing problem with a dencent quality pocket holster. Easy to carry, easy to love, easy to clean and goes bang every time.

Taurus does make a similar piece for a couple hundred less, but it weighs almost twice as much (18 ounces) and you have to specifically order the UL (ultra-light) version. It does have the up shot of being a nine round gun.

Hope this helps
 
Taurus has many tip-up barrel autos in both .22 LR and .25 Auto. I hear all the problems from the early days have been worked out and the current pistols are all very reliable.
Click to expand...
Must be true, as I have a PT-22 that has never hiccupped, even with the type of ammo they suggest you not use because of it's truncated cone design-Remington Yellow Jackets. It's generally what I shoot out of mine. This gun is too much fun. Here it is under my 2 Ruger toys.
100_0232.jpg
 
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