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MW surveyor
11-08-2011, 06:07 PM
Not sure why I'm even going to ask this question as I already have too many pistols. :D

Anybody know anything about the Beretta 32 cal Tomcats? I did a google search and found out that they had some problems with either slides or frames cracking. Saw a used one in the LGS the other day and for some reason it is drawing me to it. Also saw a Beretta 22 cal short there. It is really a mouse gun.

ltxi
11-08-2011, 06:57 PM
The Tomcats have been around a long time. As far as I know, they work well. Personally, I don't particularly like them. I wish Beretta had stayed with the pure, single action Jetfire/Minx form instead of reworking into a DA when they decided produce it in .32.

I have a Minx, the .22 short you happened across, I got new in the mid-'70's. It's one of the half dozen or less of my "never, ever part with it" guns. Fantastic plinker I never get tired of shooting. They're pretty scarce at this point.

melissa5
11-08-2011, 07:09 PM
I've got a Jetfire in .25. It's a sweet little gun.

ltxi
11-08-2011, 07:18 PM
I got rid of my Jetfires when I stopped carrying .25s. Definitely just as as nice, accurate, and well made as the Minx, but .25 is expensive for for plinking.

JFootin
11-08-2011, 07:33 PM
Not sure why I'm even going to ask this question as I already have too many pistols. :D

Anybody know anything about the Beretta 32 cal Tomcats? I did a google search and found out that they had some problems with either slides or frames cracking. Saw a used one in the LGS the other day and for some reason it is drawing me to it. Also saw a Beretta 22 cal short there. It is really a mouse gun.

22 short. Better be doing a double tap to COM if you want to bring that mouse down. :53: LOL! :D

gwbiker
11-08-2011, 07:36 PM
I had a Tomcat, bought used. Put 50 rounds thru it, cleaned and lubed it and did some dry fire afterward and promptly broke the firing pin.

Reminder to myself - use snap caps for Beretta dry fire.

The black Tomcat has frame breakage issues with HV .32acp ammo. INOX model has a wider slide and is free of frame breakage. Word is Beretta is now shipping black Tomcat's with the wider slide.

I sold mine and went with the slightly larger LCP and a smaller Kahr P380.

Small Beretta's are nice, but get the Bobcat (21a) in .22lr. Impressive mousegun for deep pocket carry.

yqtszhj
11-08-2011, 07:55 PM
I have the 21A bobcat form the 80's and that gun will shoot mini-mags all day long but wont shoot ANYTHING else without having lots of issues. $7 per 100 at wally world. It is fun to shoot though.

Ubaldo99
11-08-2011, 08:23 PM
Dont know too much about the Beretta Tomcats, Bobcats, Bearcats, etc., but most of the reviews I have seen online have not been too favorable. Might want to consider the Kel-Tec P32 as an alternative if you are thinking about something in .32 caliber.

Thunder71
11-08-2011, 08:35 PM
Really neat little guns, I almost bought one a few weeks ago. Seemed to have some custom wood grips on it and the nickel barrel... still tempted by it!

TheTman
11-08-2011, 08:46 PM
I just sold a .32 Tomcat, I bought it probably at least 15 years ago, something small to slip into my pocket so I could do a quick search of the ladies room on the interstate rest stops late at night/very early morning before I sent my girls in. That was back in the day before CC permits and all the small pistols available now. It never gave me much problem except for the occasional rim lock that .32's are suceptable too. I always thought it a fine little weapon, just an anemic cartridge. I sold it and bought an LC9 and then the DB9 which isn't much bigger than the Tomcat was. I didn't shoot it a whole lot, but the frame never cracked or caused me any concern. I think if I was going to go that small again, I'd get an elsiepea or possibly a P3At, or even a .32 NAA which is the .32 bullet on a necked down .380 case which has some decent ballistics. For a pocket pistol they have the 9mm's small enough now I don't really see any reason not to go with at least a 9mm, either a PM/CM9, or DB9, the LC9 is a bit bigger, but still fits in the front pocket well enough, and I'm a small skinny guy. It has a safety so I don't use a holster. The DB9 fits VERY well in my front pocket, but was having some trouble running it with my arthritic hands, it takes a very firm grip to get that gun to run properly. I'd probably get the CM9 if I had it to do over again. What intrigued me about the DB9 was this one had a compensated barrel, was all black, and no controls other than a pair of very unobtrusive take down buttons. I would like a safety on a pocket pistol if I have the choice, but I found a Galco pocket rig for $25 that works very well and covers the trigger up completly. The Range Officer shot the DB9 with no problems whatsoever, and spent some time with me working on the way I held it and I was finally able to get a magazine off with no hiccups. I had to call it a night by then as I had already shot about 250 rounds of 9mm, .40, and .45 and my wrists were aching bad. That little DB9 has quite a bit of recoil, since it's so tiny. I guess a very firm grip is required on that particular gun, and it must be held with your hand up high, as close to the beavertail as you can get it for it to function properly. The recoil of the Tomcat was pretty mild in comparison and didn't require any special hold, probably due to it being metal framed.
I never had to do much to the Tomcat except keep it clean and oiled, and point it and shoot and it usually went bang. The tip up barrel is a nice feature for those who have trouble racking the small slide. You just slip a round in the barrel, then lock it down and insert a full mag and you are ready to go. Beretta cautions against carrying it certain ways, I think with the hammer down and with safety engaged, in case it's dropped on the hammer, but I always carried it half cocked with safety on. Some folks have trouble shooting it because the trigger goes almost all the way to the frame before it breaks, some have to use their finger tips to get it to fire. I don't know if that issue has been addressed in more recent models or not, I'd sure want to dry fire it before I bought it, and see how that worked out. I sold the Tomcat, with 3 factory mags, and 46 Winchester Silvertips, and 29 Hydra-Shoks for $350. It only lasted on Armslist for a day before It sold. It shot the Hyrdra-Shoks and Silvertips equally well. The only jams I can recall were because of rim lock, from mags that had been jostled around a lot. I don't think I'd consider it any more than a BUG now.

mr surveyor
11-08-2011, 08:54 PM
MW Surv

Just buy a Seecamp LWS32 and be done with it. You got the funds... you know you do. (that's one that's on my "long list")

JFootin
11-08-2011, 10:40 PM
MW Surv

Just buy a Seecamp LWS32 and be done with it. You got the funds... you know you do. (that's one that's on my "long list")

I just read that the wait time on the Seecamps is 2 years! :eek:

MW surveyor
11-09-2011, 04:05 AM
Thanks for all the replies.

I had a P3AT and sold after I got the CW9 as I was never that comfortable with it. It was erratic in my hands as sometimes it would perform perfectly and other times not so good. Did all the KT fluff and buff, made sure the extractor screw was tight, held on for dear life, etc.

The Beretta Tomcat just looks good to me, but the more I think about it the less attractive it gets. Not sure I want a 32 or even a 380 anyway.

HMMM, I could use another revolver though. :)

dfdann
11-09-2011, 07:46 AM
I had a Tomcat. After three trips back to Berreta for failure to feed I got my money back and bought a Glock 26 which fires anything. Berreta tech service was not nearly as good as Kahr. I still have a Berreta .22 Model 21 which is a great plinker. I am still in the process of breaking in the P 380 which came back from the mothership with new frame and assorted parts. I hope it breaks in as I love it.
Dan

JFootin
11-09-2011, 11:36 AM
Has anybody tried the I.O. Hellcat 380 (http://www.ioinc.us/our-products/pistols?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=25&category_id=4) made right here in the Carolinas? Cheaper Than Dirt has them for $176.70 (http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/68116-1.html). Looks like another P3AT/LCP clone. Doesn't look like junk.

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee486/John_England/Miscellanious%20Guns%20and%20Holsters/68116.jpg

Chuck54
11-09-2011, 11:59 AM
I have a 950bs in 25acp (Jetfire ?)


It's a neat little pistol ....... feels better in my hand than it looks like it should.

Tiny sights but first time (only time) I shot it I was very surprised with it's accuracy. Nine rounds inside of six inches at three yards ...... backed up to seven yards and put nine more inside of six inches.


Don't think I will count on it as a defensive pistol ...... :)

TheTman
11-09-2011, 01:00 PM
MW, I don't see the point in carrying anything under 9mm these days with the CM9 available as are some other pocket 9's. You get much more bang for your buck with the 9. My carry revolver is a Charter Arms .44 special that I've been pretty pleased with. That .44 special is about as close to the .45 acp as they come in most concealable revolvers. It has some very good defensive loads available too. I'm using 180 Grain XTP. I put some Barami hip grips on mine so I could slip it down the front of my pants and hook the clip over my belt to keep it from sliding down my pants. It conceals very well like that with just a t-shirt over it.
It did return to Charter Arms once due to too much clearance between the cylinder and firing pin, the firing pin wasn't hitting hard enough to set off the primer. They fixed it up and had it back in a week or two and all has been fine since. It's not a heirloom piece, and is meant to be carried a lot, and shot less frequently, but I think it should last my lifetime with no further problems. It's rather inexpensive too, and very light weight, maybe 20oz's or so. There are a lot better revolvers out there, but you also pay the price, and there's not that many in .44 special that are this lightweight and concealable.

O'Dell
11-09-2011, 02:34 PM
Dont know too much about the Beretta Tomcats, Bobcats, Bearcats, etc., but most of the reviews I have seen online have not been too favorable. Might want to consider the Kel-Tec P32 as an alternative if you are thinking about something in .32 caliber.

I bought Vickie one of those in hard chrome earlier this year when we determined she couldn't rack the slide consistently on my LCP. We only shot 50 rounds of HP, but it worked well. I'd rather she had a 380 or 9mm in her jacket pocket, but if she can't operate it, what's the point?

mr surveyor
11-09-2011, 05:15 PM
I bought mrs surv a KT P32 about 5 years ago and it's HER GUN (just try to trade it away :eek:). Actually it's only one of two KT's I've owned that were always totally reliable. Even though I truly believe that hot ball ammo is the best round for the .32 acp, I keep her's stoked with one hot Corbon jhp in the chamber and one on the top of the stack, followed by the rest in fmj. No chance of rim lock that way, and if the first two shots lack sufficient penetration for a "stop", she knows to keep turning them loose until the gun is empty - or the threat is down. She prefers the small platform with low recoil, but given the funds I think an MK9 with reduced recoil rounds would be much better option.

Personally, I have plenty of good SD handguns (9mm, .357 mag, .40 S&W and .45 acp), but also have a lust for high quality mouse guns in real steel. The LWS32 has been on my "want list" for years, but the expense just can't be justified .... unless mrs surv would use it. Hhhhhmmmmmm.....

MW surveyor
11-09-2011, 06:01 PM
As far as "real" carry guns, I've got the CW9 and the Ruger SP101 in 357. The CW9 rides in my front pocket about 80% of the time. The SP101 is a 3" model so while I can at times pocket carry, IWB or OWB most of the time for it.

For higher round and fire power carry, I've got the CZ Phantom with 19 rounds of 9mm or the Para GI Expert with 9 rounds of 45! I have IWB'd both of these guns but it's not that comfortable. OWB with these is the way to go.

May just wait another year and get the Kahr 380 after all of the bugs are worked out. But like mr surveyor, I've got a hankering for an all steel mouse gun. :)

mr surveyor
11-09-2011, 08:42 PM
must be a surveyor thing:)

All the other handguns rarely see daylight. The CW9 for "social carry" and the 3" SP101 in .357 mag for most of the daily duty. My two other "favorites", a stainless Kimber Compact and Sig P239/.40 cal rarely get out of the corrall, unless I need to be on my best behaviour with the target.

Personally, I absolutely despise polymer for firearms. If an extra pound on my belt is a real issue when considering my percieved differences between polymer and steel (or quality alloy), I would opt for losing a few pounds of excess "me". Although the CW9 has been excellent in every way (except the fact it's tupperware) through some 1200 rounds (several hundred of which have been my own crappy reloads), it just ain't a forever gun like I would consider the MK9 to be. Still wanting the MK9, and here I am waiting for the CM9 to get perfected. Go figure.

Thunder71
11-09-2011, 09:20 PM
Jocko has over 30,000 rounds through his PM9 and that's just one example - I'm not too worried about my "Tupperware guns".

wyntrout
11-09-2011, 09:26 PM
A plastic frame doesn't bother me anymore, but I prefer that my self-defense pistols have extractors to positively eject duds or clear jams.

Wynn:)

mr surveyor
11-09-2011, 09:26 PM
maybe it's an old guy thing. I have guns that I consider "disposable" by today's use em up and throw em away societal views....i.e. the tupperware guns, and I have guns that I know my great-great grandchildren will cherish long after I'm gone.... finely crafted metal and wood.

I still miss the days of just changing out a few tubes in the TV set to fix it rather than tossing it to buy a new TV:cool:

wyntrout
11-09-2011, 09:41 PM
Someday some old dude will lament the good old days when they used REAL plastic to make stuff. The Chinese are trying find cheaper substitutes and use as little plastic as possible already.

Wynn:)

mr surveyor
11-09-2011, 09:45 PM
Someday some old dude will lament the good old days when they used REAL plastic to make stuff. The Chinese are trying find cheaper substitutes and use as little plastic as possible already.

Wynn:)



now, that there is funny!

unfortunately may be true too.

Thunder71
11-09-2011, 09:46 PM
I still miss the days of just changing out a few tubes in the TV set to fix it rather than tossing it to buy a new TV:cool:

... and your kids were the remote control.:D

mr surveyor
11-09-2011, 09:52 PM
... and your kids were the remote control.:D


shame on you.... you ARE old enough to know;)

MW surveyor
11-10-2011, 04:23 AM
Ahh, the days of taking the tubes out of the TV or radio and going up to the store that had the tube tester! Just try that with your new fangled circuit boards!

Which ever kid was closest to the TV was the remote control and the antenna "tuner"!

ltxi
11-10-2011, 05:26 PM
Someday some old dude will lament the good old days when they used REAL plastic to make stuff. The Chinese are trying find cheaper substitutes and use as little plastic as possible already.

Wynn:)


Real plastic....you mean like bakelite and early, mouse hair era optional vinyl auto upholstery?

wyntrout
11-10-2011, 05:52 PM
No, the stuff we have now. Somebody will use cheaper stuff that doesn't last as long or isn't as strong. Bakelite sucks... fragile. I NEVER liked vinyl upholstery... don't like leather, either. I like good cloth seats... not too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter.

Too many car makers these days want to cram leather upholstery and a hole in the roof down your throat with anything but the most basic model line.

In 2001 I was looking for a car for my wife. I wanted one with all of the latest safety features, no sun/moon roof, cloth seat coverings, WHITE (to reflect the SUN AND most visible color), and it had to have good performance... a lot less than 0 to 60 in 10 seconds.

We really looked at the Honda Civic, but the top model had a hole in the roof, couldn't be had in WHITE, and with the larger engine(HA!) it still took 10.2 seconds for 0 to 60 MPH! It was hard to find a car on the lot back then with ABS and other safety features, but the Volvo had them all, so we got an S40 with the Sport package... leather covered steering wheel and rear spoiler. It was the right length, too. I wanted something under 180 inches so that I would have enough room in front of it to use my work table.

Wifey wants to keep it so we spend a lot less money on repairs than car payments... and she's happy. I would really like to get her a small AWD SUV that Consumer Reports rates highly, but she doesn't want to spend the money.

I have my dream van... full-sized with AWD... 2005 GMC Savana and I think after over 7 years... it's all I want and I might have just passed 38 or 39K miles.

OOPS... I did it again.... got carried away off topic! :rolleyes:

Wynn:)

mr surveyor
11-10-2011, 06:03 PM
I never did find out how many nauga's it took to upholster my old .57 Chevy. The upholstery guy said it was a trade secret.

QuercusMax
11-10-2011, 07:29 PM
Well this is probably "off topic", except for the caliber:

I didn't think anybody had the slightest interest in 32ACP these days, but any mention of that little caliber always gets my attention because my first handgun was a Colt 1903 pocket hammerless 32ACP made in 1926 that I inherited from my dad, and still have. I've only put about 100 rounds through it and hadn't shot it for many years until recently, when I bought the only 2 boxes of 32ACP that my LGS had.

I shot it some when I was a kid, and remember being disappointed that it didn't seem much different than a .22 at the time, but now it seems much different.