Berretta 32 Tomcat

[03dime03]

I'm thinking of buying a Berreta Inox 32 cal. for the very few times I can't carry my PM9. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks to anyone who could help

[erice303]

If you really like it go for it but i would get an lcp or p380 over the Berretta. The modern 380s are lighter, thinner and in my opinion much better looking.

[Bawanna]

One big plus to the Tomcat is the tip up barrel. I have an aunt that just doesn't have the hand strength to rack a slide. Just don't happen for her. The Tomcat is the ticket for her. As I recall and it's been awhile since I played with it, but it doesn't have an extractor per se when the barrel is tipped up so you have to use caution to make sure the chamber is cleared when you tip up the barrel.
I'm not sure it's actually all that much smaller than the PM9 but if your looking you'll know more about that than I.

[03dime03]

Thanks Y'all for the reply.

I appreciate your time

[wyntrout]

Does the Tomcat have an extractor?? I remember reading about .22LR mouse guns and the Beretta was considered unsafe for CCW because it didn't have an extractor and if you had a misfire, you would need a ramrod to clear the chamber... not so good in a gunfight unless you can fiddle with it from cover:eek:!
Jes' sayin'
Wynn:)

[Goldstar225]

I've previously owned a Tomcat, very reliable and accurate. When it left me to be with the ex-wife I went shopping for a replacement. Ultimately I chose a Kel-Tec P-32 because of the thickness. The P-32 was also very reliable and accurate enough for it's purpose.

[Seahawk60]

Pretty big and heavy for the small caliber. I'd go with the much lighter and thinner Kel-Tec P3AT or Ruger LCP. Both in .380 cal which, IMO, is better than .32acp. Or, if you have the cash, a Kahr P380, also in .380 cal. It's considerably smaller than the PM9...especially the new "long slide" version. :rolleyes:

[TheTman]

I've had a blued Tomcat for many years now, back before they had such a big selection of pocket .380's. The tip-up barrel is a nice touch for those of us with arthritis as it fairly hard to rack the slide on my gun. I don't like the way it's finicky with ammunition. Most hardball feeds ok, but Hydra-shoks are the only hollowpoints I've had no problems with. I was really disappointed that it had trouble with Winchester Silvertips. It's pretty accurate at 7 yards, no complaints there. My main concern is winter carry where people have layers of clothing on and the bullet may not penetrate very deep. I still carry it farly often, mostly in summer months. If I had it to do over, I'd probably select one of the pocket sized Kahr's or if funds were limited, a Ruger LCP or Kel-tec P3AT. I really don't care for the .380, but it's better than throwing rocks.
What I'm really lusting after is the Boberg XR9-S in 9mm. This gun, (if it ever gets to market), is about the same size as the Tomcat, but comes in the much beefier 9mm+P caliber. It's going to be pricey, around $850, but what's a little piece of mind worth?

[wyntrout]

I haven't owned one or shot one, but I've held one and felt the grip was pretty fat for a "small" gun and it felt unbalanced. If you're thinking about the Inox version, it and the PM9 are similar in weight and width.
I think it important to notice that it has no extractor and you might have to use your fingernail to pry a defective cartridge free.
Excerpt from Wikipedia:

"Limitations
The .32 ACP cartridge is considered underpowered by American standards,[3] but considered to be sufficient to carry for self defense in other nations. The safety system is basic. The accuracy of the pistol is best suited for short ranges. Many users of the .32 ACP believe that a full metal jacket (FMJ) type of projectile is preferred over the expanding jacketed hollow point (JHP) type of projectile. This thought is based upon the premise that a FMJ is more likely to penetrate clothing and fatty tissue with enough energy remaining to also penetrate into vital organs. Proponents of the .32 ACP round suggest that with expanding projectiles such as the common self-defense JHP, much if not all of the projectiles energy will be absorbed during the travel through the clothing and fatty tissues, therefore being unreliable at making way to any vital organs.[citation needed]

The pistol lacks an extractor, relying upon the expanding gasses to force the spent casing rearward. This means that racking the slide will not remove either unspent or defective cartridges. This can lead to complications in a self defense situation, but is often balanced out by the tip-up barrel.

The document included with new Tomcat 3032 pistols warns that the owner should never use +P (high-pressure) ammunition that exceeds[citation needed]130 ft·lbf (176 J) muzzle energy."

Beretta 3032 Tomcat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beretta_3032_Tomcat)

It's definitely not for me, but everyone has his/her own opinion.
JMHO.

Wynn:behindsofa:

[03dime03]

Thanks again for all your imput

[Seahawk60]

What I'm really lusting after is the Boberg XR9-S in 9mm.

That's an interesting looking little 9mm.

SIG now has a tiny 9mm out, too. It looks pretty nice and is supposed to be priced in the $500 range with night sights. It's also hammer versus striker fired. Not bad...if it's reliable...