New member, long lurker. A used $219 Tomcat .32 ACP followed me home yesterday

Hi all,

I've been looking at the Tomcats and similar for a long time, and for some reason wanted a .32 ACP. Almost all of the used ones I had seen in gun shops were $3-400, and new ones are going for more than that. I was at Sportsman's Warehouse yesterday looking at hiking backpacks and there, in the used gun case, was a matte finish 2011 Tomcat, in good condition. I had no plans to buy a gun yesterday, but I knew I likely wouldn't find a cheaper Tomcat ever. I also wanted to own a Beretta.

After I bought it, I found the threads about cracked frames. I looked in that area, thankfully no cracked frame. HOWEVER, I found those threads including referencing Beretta's instruction to keep it under 130 ft. pounds for ammo after I had bought 6 boxes of Fiocchi online. I haven't shot the gun yet. It's hard to find .32 acp ammo at my LGS right now. I did order a few boxes now of PMC 71 grain which is 129 foot pounds.

 

Nice, should make a great pocket companion. There is one locally with the wood grips. It looks nice but it's not the 32 I've been looking for. I'm on the lookout for a Single Action Ruger in 32 H&R.
And welcome aboard BTW.

 

Thanks! I didn't know Ruger made a single action in .32 HR mag. I know there is the LCR in .327. I have a strange affinity for pocket pistols, and would like to begin collecting them. So far, one is functional and a Ruger LCP .380. This Tomcat is my first more classic one.

 

Unlike many here, I own (and like) a Tomcat. Just don't dry fire it without snap caps, and don't take the grip panels off (always in a plastic bag) for no reason without reading the manual first...I have zero use for .32 ACP, but I do collect Berettas, and the Tomcat is not a bad little shooter (pitiful sights aside). Tip-up barrel and frame-mounted safety are nice features.

 

Nice find!
Welcome to the forum.

 

My Tomcat would not shoot the Winchester White Box ammo. I think the overall length was too short. The trigger was kinda stiff, but the pistol went bang every time. It seemed well made. You got a very good price on yours. I paid $330 and thought I did okay.

I don't currently use 32 S&W long or 32acp in my SD pistols, but age will catch up with me eventually.

Beretta makes nice pistols. If you can find one of those surplus Model 81's online, that is a very fine "compact size" service pistol in 32acp. They were going for $200 a couple of years ago. I think you can still get them for around $300.

Beretta Model 81 32acp by Tallball posted Aug 22, 2019 at 4:30 PM

 

Thanks for the Winchester warning. The main challenge is finding ammo that fits Beretta's recommendations. The PMC does that I found. What are your thoughts on hot ammo like the Fiocchi I accidentally bought? If it's really true I shouldn't use it, I'll probably try to sell 5 of the boxes and keep one as a backup for emergency. I'm sure the thing could handle one box of it in a pinch and have heard of people shooting hot ammo out of the Tomcats.

As far as .32 ACP, I didn't buy it to be my primary self defense gun. I have a shotgun and Glock 19 for those. But, I have a thing for these old classy pocket guns. I may occasionally pocket carry it though.

Those Beretta 81's are sweet. If I were to get a similar gun, I'd likely get their .380 Cheetah though.

 

Ha! One day for the right one. They aren’t always easy to find. I’d like a bond arms barrel or revolver in .327, and you can use the .32 acp in it.

 

European produced .32 ACP is known for being loaded hotter than US stuff. It sure about PMC and others but I have never had any PMC that was hot in any caliber. Trial and error!

 

I’ve had a old Tomcat for a quite a while. It gets shot but not a lot & I’ve used Fiocchi & shot/carried it with Winchester silver tips. No frame crack so far. It’s great in a pocket holster when you need to go small.
Also have a Cheetah as shown above that’s a fun 32-my only complaint I have with them is struggling to find the tiny spent brass for reloading.

 

It's been awhile. We bought one for my Dad for Christmas when they first came out - in the mid-80s, I think.
Dad was always an "anything .32" type of guy. And as a matter of fact, he had one of those little .32 ACP Tomcats hidden somewhere in his robe, or under the blanket on board the motorized wheelchair he was stuck in for the last few months of his life here on Earth. The Tomcat's pop-up barrel feature worked well for Dad because there at the last, he wasn't strong enough to work the slide.
Anyway Autodidactic, welcome to THR!

 

There is something about the old school pocket pistols but also European duty pistols. I wouldn't mind collecting a few old school .32's and .380's, including duty-sized ones (Beretta Cheetah, Walther, etc).

Yes, I've heard the European .32 is hotter. It appears that is true, with Fiocchi and S&B being 160 + ft. pounds compared to the 130 ft. pounds for much of the acceptable (for Tomcat) American ammo. I guess PMC is made in Korea?

That's helpful for sure.

So you've shot the Fiocchi hot stuff and not had problems? I guess I'm worried about the frame crack.

Thanks for the welcome . Great story. .32's are cool. I'd like a .32 revolver too for some reason. It seems as if the pop up barrel serves people well who have restrictions with slide operation.

Ruger® SP101® Standard Double-Action Revolver Model 5773

Sp101 in .327.

 

"There is something about the old school pocket pistols but also European duty pistols. I wouldn't mind collecting a few old school .32's and .380's, including duty-sized ones (Beretta Cheetah, Walther, etc)."


There was a company in Hungary called FEG that made reputable handguns for a long time. They used to make good functional copies of the Walther PP and PPK. You will see them on Gunbroker sometimes if you keep your eyes open. They are usually inexpensive. I have one of each. They are nice shooters.

The Colt Government Model is a fine locked-breech 380acp pistol. If I understand correctly, it's a Colt copy of what was originally a Spanish pistol. I got the Colt affordably by being very patient. I'm pretty sure I've seen the original Spanish pistols (Llamas?) in 32acp as well as 380acp, and not very expensive.

For a more modern duty pistol... Taurus made a 32acp version of their PT111 9mm pistol (eventually known as the G2C). I think they were all DAO... maybe for sale to one or more overseas police departments? Anyway, they aren't necessarily expensive when they do happen to turn up.

I shoot these, and my other 32acp pistols, primarily with Fiochi or S&B FMJ.

FEG AP9 32acp by Tallball posted Dec 28, 2017 at 4:14 PM

Colt Government 380 by Tallball posted Jan 23, 2018 at 9:39 PM

Taurus Model PT132 by Tallball posted Sep 20, 2018 at 6:34 PM

 

I would be curious what kind of energy the Fiocchi loads produce from the short barrel of the Tomcat. I suspect it’s a bit less than the advertised 160 ft-lbs. Although it’s probably hot enough to still cause damage if one were to shoot a bunch of them through the little gun.

FWIW, I’ve shot a few factory loads over the chronograph. The 60 gr. Fed Hydrashock produces 104 ft-lbs from the little Tomcat.

The 71 gr. FMJ cartridges from Aguila and the CCI Blazer produce 100 ft-lbs and 99 ft-lbs respectively.

Those aluminum-cases Blazers have been some of the more accurate loads I’ve shot through the Tomcat.

 

Same with mine. I think it’s a combination of the short OAL and the flat point. I half wonder if Winchester designed them that way so they would fit in the tiny Seecamp pistol.

The Win White Box stuff ran fine through the Beretta 81, though.

 

Very nice. That Colt Government tho.. I have some .380 as well for my LCP. I plan to upgrade to a nice .380 at some point. The LCP was my dipping my foot in the water. Got it for $269 new, which is good for nowadays.

An interesting point about the foot pounds. I bet the >130 foot pounds are based on a longer barrel, to be sure. But, I've read responses from Beretta where they state that yes indeed that ammo is too hot. They apparently mean the ammo rated for such energy out of longer barrels, regardless of what it is out of the Tomcat. More pressure still, perhaps.

The Winchester flat tip in .380 doesn't feed well in my LCP either.

 

Guys, it's not fair. I got the Fiocchi .32 acp ammo in the mail but not the approved sub 130 ft. pound ammo yet..

 

Prvi Partizan 71 g FMJ is my go to ammo. It's accurate and feeds great in all my .32 ACP pistols. According to their website, it has 174 joules of energy, which converts to just under 130 ft-lbs.

 

Very nice, I've used Prvi Partizan in other calibers.
Today I received my PMC .32 ACP in 71 grain, which is under the 130 foot pounds recommended. Now I can finally fire my Tomcat next range visit!

 

I finally got to the range with the Tomcat. I put 50 rounds through it with zero hiccups. It’s a soft shooting, sweet little pistol. One thing I will say, the sights aren’t easy to see as others have said. It takes some getting used to but by the end I was able to shoot a few tighter groups. I’m going to put a dash of bright gun sight paint on the far sight at the end of the barrel.

Here it is with my LCP. You can see the Tomcat is pretty small too.

 

The Tomcat is a last ditch get off me type weapon. Sights are meaningless. Anything within 10 feet should be instinct point shooting. We shoot these things to make sure they are reliable with the ammo we put in them. Taking them to the range and target shooting in any quantity is just for breaking it in