p-32 vs. Tomcat

[billyp]

Hello all,

I'm new here and I'm looking for something to carry for my 24/7 ccw. I'm stuck between the Kel-tec and the Beretta. What do you guys think about these two?

Any others options for small CCW would be appreciated.

I'm looking ot stay in the sub 300.00 range.


Thanks,
billyp

 

[pocketgun]

I don't think you will find a Tomcat for $300, so that makes the choice and easy one. How are you planning to carry it?

 

[Lonestar]

While I would always stand behind almost all of Beretta's firearms, I know that the Beretta Tomcats are a crap shoot it terms of reliability. The Kel-tec is a lot lighter and easier to carry, and while it is a cheap pistol, they are pretty reliable IF YOU GET A GOOD ONE. I would shoot least 100 to 200 rounds thru a Kel tec before I would trust it. If you have any problems send it back to KT.

 

[earthworm]

Go with the KelTec.Lighter,thinner & less expensive.I just paid +/- $260 for a brand-new-in-the-box 2nd generation P32 & Uncle Mikes pocket holster.Taking your $300 price limit that leaves $40 for an extra mag ($20 from the factory),a box of shootemup ammo (Remington:$11-$15),& a cupppa
coffee.
I second Lonestar:run at least 150-200 rounds through it or any other semiauto before you pack it.Try the .32 Silvertips too.

 

[pocketgun]

I put 200 trouble free rounds plus a minimum of 50 rounds of my carry ammo through my Kel-Tecs and any other pocket pistol I might choose to carry. The numbers are even higher for my larger pistols.

 

[Old Dog]

Enough from the Kel-Tec KoolAid drinkers. I've tried two Kel-Tecs: the P-11 and the P-40. Neither was nearly reliable enough to suit me, the P-11 fell apart, and both had the crappiest trigger pulls imaginable (and the P-40 was possessed of the most egregious recoil).

I (well, I and the wife) have two Tomcats in Inox. Put together like Swiss watches, a tad heavy, trigger pull in DA a bit gritty, but both exceptionally accurate and reliable. I'll go with the firm that's been making firearms several hundred years longer ...

 

[seed]

That's funny...I've read and heard that the Tomcats are having major problems. In addition, I have heard that Kel Tecs have sold an astronomical number of pistols and of those, yeah there have been some lemons...BUT, that is to be expected. And of those lemons, many were quite fixable AND this is allowed by Kel Tec (within reason) without voiding the warranty. But if you don't want to work on your gun (if needed), you can always just send it to Kel Tec and they reportedly are freakin' awesome to deal with.

Add to this the fact that early Kel Tec teething problems (specifically with the popular P-3AT) have been worked out in the 2nd generation. Also, size-wise and weight-wise, it's not a contest between Kel Tec and the Tomcat. If you are interested in the Tomcat, there is little reason to not just graduate to the much more powerful Kahr PM-9 or the Seecamp or NAA Guardian in .380...or in .32.

 

[pocketgun]

So Old Dog, what flavor is your Kool-Aid? "A tad heavy" and then some: 14.5 ounces (15.8 ounces for Inox) vs 6.6 ounces for the P-32. Too heavy and thick for pocket carry, too small a caliber to waste the effort to belt carry. If you have weak hands and can't rack a slide it is a good choice.

...and the P-40 was possessed of the most egregious recoil.

Considering it weighs about the same as the Inox Tomcat but uses .40S&W, what did you expect, a plinker? Some can handle it, and some just can't...

And like I said, he is going to have a tough time finding a Tomcat for $300, unless it is used.

 

[M2 Carbine]

I assume this is for pocket carry.
The Beretta is too thick and heavy compared to the Kel Tec.

Recently a company, ARMA, came out with a laser for the Kel Tec 32 and 380 that works great.
If I'm going to carry a 32 or 380 I want all the bullets on the target and (with practice) a (good) laser will assure that.
Friends that are just so-so with the 32 or 380 never miss when using my P3AT.

This is when I tried it on my 32.

 

[bpisler]

I would go with the Kel-tec for the simply
reason that it has a extractor.If you have a
failue to fire with the tomcat you have to
release the barrel,pull out the dud with
your fingers.Then you can rack the slide
to chamber a fresh round,no thanks.

 

[Whirlwind06]

Enough from the Kel-Tec KoolAid drinkers.

Joins us.
Resistance is futile.

Davidson's galley of guns has a sale on the KT .32 this month. Bought one myself. I think it will fill the gun to carry when I'm not armed category.

 

[Onmilo]

You won't find a better pocket gun than the Kel-Tec in .32acp.
The Beretta Tomcat is way too thick, for the size you may just as well carry a J frame .38 revolver.

 

[PistolShooter1]

I had the same reservations about the Keltec guns.
On a whim after selling a customer one, I decided to buy the little 32.
So far I have shot 250 rounds thru it with 100% reliability.(Magtec ball )

Tonight I am picking up 2 more mags for it and am going to shoot another 100 rounds thru it before I carry it as a deep concealment backup.

So far so good.

One vote for a Keltec 32 from a formerly skeptical shooter.

(Update) Another 150 rounds thru the gun, some Magtec and Winchester with 2 new magazines ran 100%.
I even let a lady shoot it on the range tonight at work who was looking for a new gun. She shot 4 mags thru it and loved it.
400 rounds, 100% from a stock gun.
(No fluff and buff etc....)

 

[billyp]

Wow....lots of posts.

Thanks for all the input. I can get the Tomcat for 304.00 new a little over budget but not bad.

My only reservation about the Kel-tec is I cannot handle it before I buy it. I'm a pretty big guy and I don’t want something that I can only hold onto with two fingers. I know they make the mag extension for the p-32 and I'm sure that would help...but, without touching it I just don’t know.

This gun will be used for SoB, ankle or pocket only, with ankle being the primary location.

I know that .32 acp isn't the best, but for something that I know I will have with me all the time rather than a larger caliber that I might leave at home I will settle with the smaller round.

Thanks again; and keep the opinions coming, nothing like a little debate to help in a decision like this.

 

[mtnbkr]

Back when I bought my P32 in 2002, I compared it to the Tomcat. I ended up with the P32 because the Tomcat was a bit too chunky for pocket carry IMO. I never had any problems with my P32 other than cracking the frame insert with extremely hot handloads (couple thousand factory loads, couple hundred hot handloads pushing 60gr bullets to 1100fps and 85gr bullets to 950fps). Kel-Tec replaced the gun and even it's replacement functioned flawlessly. I've since sold the P32 since I prefer revolvers, but I never had any problems that made me wish I had bought something else.

FWIW, today, I'd get a P3AT for the larger and cheaper caliber.

Chris

 

[Technosavant]

I haven't seen the Tomcat 3032 for over $300. There's a few in gunstores near me for about $280. Quite honestly, I find the size and weight fantastic for a pocket gun, and from what I have read, the quality issues have been resolved. The only reason I did not purchase one is because I went with a S&W 642 (still works as a pocket gun, and dwarfs the Tomcat). In the sub-$300 range, a Taurus Model 85 might be worth looking at (larger, but the .38spl is far more powerful than the .32ACP).

 

[MCgunner]

Contrary to Old Dog, my P11 has many thousands of flawless rounds through it, over 10K in the ten years I've owned it. Nothing has broken, still the best little pocket gun I have.

I had a Beretta, not a tomcat, but a tip up barrel .22 short. That thing was useful maybe as a trot line weight, that's about it. It was a POS in every way. Wouldn't feed a magazine without a jam and that was IF you could make it fire in two or three hammer hits. I swore off small Berettas, but I am looking to buy a P3AT soon to add to my carry battery. If I do have any problems, KT has the best customer service in the business, or so they tell me. I've never had to use it.

 

[NORTEXED]

I've owned both and still have the Kel Tec. The Tomcat was a beautifuly made gun, although a little heavy and a little thick. My biggest problem with the Tomcat though, was carying it in my back pocket in a homemade concealer (printed like a wallet), about half the time when I would sit down, the pressure on the mag release would pop the mag out. How embarrasing. The keltec has never done that. The mag release on the Keltec is stout granted, but I don't carry a spare clip, so it'as a moot point, I just want it to stay in there. The P32 shoots great and is just great for shorts and T shirt or jean carry. Based on it's performance, I bought a P11, and have been very happy with it also.

 

[NORTEXED]

ps billy, I love shooting my P32, and I'm 6'4 1/2" 310 lbs with baseball mits.

 

[Felonious Monk]

Disclaimer: I have drunk no one's KoolAid.

After narrowing down my first ever handgun about 6 years ago to a Taurus PT-111 or a Glock, I spoke with a gun shop owner about what he carried.
He and 3 others in the store at the time pulled as either a primary or backup weapon, a P-32.

He encouraged me to consider a P-11 at that time.
I told him I'd give it some thought, and began researching them via the web.

I came across KT's website, then KTOG, which was in full function at the time. I read and read reviews, owner experiences, and the amazing stories about KT going over the top to repair/replace and make it right if someone happened to get one that was not 100%.

I also saw the amazing level of owner support, step-by-step repair how-to's, easily achieved mods and improvements that could be done.

So faced with all of this, I took the plunge and purchased a new P-11, parkerized with night sights.

It had the typical ridiculously long DAO trigger pull, and I did the 2-3 easy trigger mods which were detailed on the forum, and to this day, I still have people tell me it's the sweetest DAO trigger they've ever shot.

I bought one of the last purple P-32's for my wife, and a black one for me, as well. Both are reliable and disappear in any pocket.

I then bought a 2nd Generation P-3AT. It is now my everyday carry, and I can't be happier.

I also have purchased several other carry guns, including 2 Sigs, a Kahr, and a Taurus.

I can shoot the P11 more accurately than anything else I own.
I can shoot the P3AT nearly as well. It is totally reliable, and it will do its part, if I do mine.

Your mileage may vary, but my experience with KelTec (the company) and KelTecs (the guns) have been 100% positive.

Sorry so long-winded. I hope this helps.

 

[pocketgun]

I never had any problems with my P32 other than cracking the frame insert with extremely hot handloads (couple thousand factory loads, couple hundred hot handloads pushing 60gr bullets to 1100fps and 85gr bullets to 950fps).

Wow, those are hot. Were those numbers out of a P-32? Did you use stock recoil springs?

So faced with all of this, I took the plunge and purchased a new P-11, parkerized with night sights.

It had the typical ridiculously long DAO trigger pull, and I did the 2-3 easy trigger mods which were detailed on the forum, and to this day, I still have people tell me it's the sweetest DAO trigger they've ever shot.

For those who don't know it, the P-32 and P-3AT have a different trigger system than the P-11: 5.0 lbs vs 8.5 lbs. My misperception that the P-32 had a heavy trigger kept me away from it for a long time.

 

[roo_ster]

The differences have been covered pretty well.

I have owned the Tomcat's little brother, the 21A in .22LR. It was a quality weapon and reliable.

I can say the same for the two P32s I own (one is the wife's, actually).

The P32 is just so much thinner & lighter than the Tomcat or 21A, my 21A has not been carried since I purchased the P32.

Alas, my P32 stays at home most times since I bought an alloy snub-nosed revolver. I only pull out the P32 when I am dressing down to near "speedo, flip flops, & light coat of oil" levels.

The KT P40 is not for the faint of heart or recoil sensitive.

 

[420Stainless]

Haven't ever shot a Kel-Tec, so no opinion there. My wife's Tomcat is a wonderful weapon. Very reliable and as accurate as her .38 snub. I know it is bulkier than the Kel-Tec, but I really can't understand those saying it is too big for pocket carry. My wife is a size 2 and it fits in her pockets just fine.

 

[mtnbkr]

Wow, those are hot. Were those numbers out of a P-32? Did you use stock recoil springs?

Yes, those numbers were from a P32 and no I did not use the stock recoil springs. I actually pushed the 60gr load to 1200, but it was overly harsh.

I only noticed the crack while doing a detailed cleaning. It never caused any functionality problems. As hot as they were, the loads were quite shootable, on par with factory 380s from the P3AT.

Chris

 

[pocketgun]

The 60gr @ 1200fps are .32NAA numbers - impressive. What springs did you use, Wolff 13lbs? I was hoping you would say stock springs so I could load mine that hot (60gr @ 1100fps) and not crack the frame. I bet it was the 85gr loads that lead to the cracking: CorBon loads its 60gr JHP to a bit over 1000fps in a P-32, and I haven't heard of cracking from using them.