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Old 03-24-2017, 02:35 PM
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I have a Beretta 3032 Tomcat. It's a wide slide Inox model.
I bought it mainly for my wife for ease of loading and lack of recoil.
I have been shooting it and really like it. It's accurate and well behaved.
I know that European LE and to an extent, military, have long used the .32acp and have been satisfied with it. I think the 9mm has since supplanted it, but it was adequate.
Being an American, and loving my wife as I do, I would like a little more power out of that package.
Buffalo Bore makes a respectable.32 acp but the manual states no +p.
I respect the manual and have not used any.
I also suspect that the manual states that because of the earlier frame cracking problems before the wide slide was introduced.
The stated pressures are not excessive with that round and wonder if any have used it with no problems?
I'm not worried about the warranty, I'm not the original owner and I understand that in itself excludes me from any Beretta warranty work.
I want something that is small, easy to shoot but as effective as is safely possible.
I know about .380s, small 9mm, etc. but remember the operating points that drew me to this one.
Tip up barrel, manual safety and low recoil.
To add;
I also bought her a S&W 34-1 Terrier in .38S&W.
With that one I did get some Buffalo Bore 125gr. which make that little revolver a respectable defense gun.
It's more of her nightstand gun.

Last edited by Jessie; 03-24-2017 at 02:42 PM.
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Old 03-24-2017, 02:39 PM
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The Tomcats have frame cracking problems - that thin area under the barrel. It happened to me on an original slide gun. There are a few reports on the wide slide guns having the same problem.
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Old 03-24-2017, 02:52 PM
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Consider .32acp standard velocity Silvertips
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Old 03-24-2017, 03:01 PM
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Clang444, I gave you a like, not because I actually like what you said, but I like information. Thanks. I did not know the Inox models have been cracking also.
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Old 03-24-2017, 03:03 PM
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It's such a low pressure and light recoiling round, I'm surprised that it cracked the original frames.
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Old 03-24-2017, 03:08 PM
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Quote:
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Consider .32acp standard velocity Silvertips
Thanks Jimmy.
If I'm using standard loads, I think I'll stick to FMJ for penetration. I may experiment with the Hornady critical defense and critical duty rounds since they may offer a good compromise.
If all that doesn't work....more range time for her and move up to a .38 spcl.
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Old 03-24-2017, 03:15 PM
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Hi Jessie:

I bought the same pistol for my young daughter to use (she has really weak upper body strength). I intend to load her little Tomcat with Winchester Silver Tips - the same rounds I load my .32ACP Seecamp with.

Good luck,

Dave
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Old 03-24-2017, 03:17 PM
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Speaking of .32's, I remember reading a story by O. Henry entitled Law and Order. Here's a fun little passage from that story:
"Pedro Johnson was a man who liked to amuse himself; so he kind of rides herd on this youngster, laughing at him, tickled to death. ....the kid seems to mention some remarks to Pedro, and Pedro goes up and slaps him about nine feet away, and laughs harder than ever. And then the boy gets up quicker than he fell and jerks out his little pearl-handle [gun] and--bing! bing! bing! Pedro gets hit three times in special and treasured portions of his carcass. I saw the dust fly off his clothes each time the bullets hit. Sometimes them little thirty-twos cause worry at close range."
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Old 03-24-2017, 03:30 PM
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If Pedro slaps my wife 9 feet away, my .45 will move him an equitable distance.
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Old 03-24-2017, 03:32 PM
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There's nothing wrong with the .32, just more right things about other calibers. I have a Mauser HSc from 1941 in .32 and would not hesitate to carry it for CCW except it has a lot of historical value and I wouldn't want it rusting away in the LEO evidence locker if I ever had to use it.

You might consider either a Sig P238 or P938; essentially mini 1911's in .380 or 9mm. They have thumb safety. My wife has kind of taken over my P238 because of its light recoil and very good accuracy.
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Old 03-24-2017, 03:34 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Double-O-Dave View Post
Hi Jessie:

I bought the same pistol for my young daughter to use (she has really weak upper body strength). I intend to load her little Tomcat with Winchester Silver Tips - the same rounds I load my .32ACP Seecamp with.

Good luck,

Dave
Is that round moving fast enough to penetrate and open up?
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Old 03-24-2017, 03:38 PM
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Quote:
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There's nothing wrong with the .32, just more right things about other calibers. I have a Mauser HSc from 1941 in .32 and would not hesitate to carry it for CCW except it has a lot of historical value and I wouldn't want it rusting away in the LEO evidence locker if I ever had to use it.

You might consider either a Sig P238 or P938; essentially mini 1911's in .380 or 9mm. They have thumb safety. My wife has kind of taken over my P238 because of its light recoil and very good accuracy.
I have a 938 and don't even want her to try it because I like it so much.
I will though, and if she can deal with racking the slide and likes it, I'll buy her one.
I was thinking she could deal with that Beretta tip up loading barrel much easier.
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Old 03-24-2017, 03:47 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jessie View Post
Is that round moving fast enough to penetrate and open up?
Jessie:

I would love to arm my daughter with something more powerful - the .32H&R Magnum comes to mind immediately - but I realize that as she is a small statured person, she'd never carry anything much larger than the Tomcat. I'd love to have her carry my .32ACP Seecamp, but she lacks the hand and upper body strength to cycle the slide. I've toted the Seecamp for years. It's not a fun pistol to shoot, and I cannot imagine trying to shoot one in .380ACP. When I first acquired the Seecamp many, many years ago, the WW-Silvertips were the only rounds recommended by the factory. I know from experience that I can hit the target reliably with Silvertips, and as I am old and kind of reluctant to change, have just stayed with the Silvertips even though other ammo is now approved by the factory: L.W. Seecamp Co. - Ammo Recommendations

Good luck,

Dave
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Old 03-24-2017, 03:59 PM
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The slides are INOX steel, but the frames are the same aluminum alloy. It's too bad, I really liked that Tomcat - easy to carry and conceal and easy to shoot accurately. I was using standard pressure FMJ ammo, never used +P.

The wide slide is to help dampen the slide inertia so it doesn't beat up the frame as much. I think Americans like to shoot our guns and practice with them (even pocket guns) a lot more than the Euros.

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Clang444, I gave you a like, not because I actually like what you said, but I like information. Thanks. I did not know the Inox models have been cracking also.
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Old 03-24-2017, 04:03 PM
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I'm in the same boat. My wife is very petite.
I have shot this Tomcat some and there is not much recoil to speak of.
It was shooting a tad left so I drifted the rear sight and it now fills the bullseye at 10 yds.
I find it a fun gun to shoot and think she can handle it just fine.
Getting her out to the property and doing it is proving to be the main problem.
Now that I have that and the S&W Terrier for her to try, and it's warming up, it's time to fish or cut bait.
My goal is to get her settled into a couple of guns she likes and then finding the best loads for each.
I think the Terrier is done withe the Buffalo Bores, but the Tomcat needs to be fine tuned.

Last edited by Jessie; 03-24-2017 at 04:07 PM.
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Old 03-24-2017, 04:15 PM
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My wife was CCW a S&W M642.
She saw and fell in love with a Glock Model 42 .380acp which she CCW. Seems it conceals better with her dress mode.
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Old 03-24-2017, 04:28 PM
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I'll look into that too.
I have a 642 and 442 but I don't think she'll like the recoil enough to practice.

Last edited by Jessie; 03-24-2017 at 04:29 PM.
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Old 03-24-2017, 04:49 PM
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Jessie, Dave- they are harder to find but you might want to have your wife/daughter look at the 332's in .32 H&R mag. They can practice with .32 longs and carry the H&R mags. The trigger on my 332ti is very nice and with longs a pretty soft shooter. There are some good defense loads in H&R.
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Old 03-24-2017, 04:57 PM
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Another .380 that she may be able to manipulate is the Remington. My wife's problem is arthritic hands and the Remington and the SIG 238 were the only ones she could manage.
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Old 03-24-2017, 04:59 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmyj View Post
Consider .32acp standard velocity Silvertips
Winchester Silvertips in .32 ACP have a good reputation. But the most important thing is to find the brand/load which functions 100% in your gun, even if it's FMJ. Having been a .32 ACP user for many years, I'm ashamed to admit I have never heard of a .32 ACP +P load. And I wouldn't use it even if there is such a thing.

Last edited by DWalt; 03-24-2017 at 05:01 PM.
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Old 03-24-2017, 07:12 PM
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shot placement x 3. I've been looking for a kel tec to carry in my pocket, but haven't seen one yet at a reasonable price.
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Old 03-24-2017, 07:55 PM
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If the .32 a.c.p. expands, it will not penetrate deeply enough.
Check out the Lehigh Defense 32 auto 50 gr. Xtreme Cavitator.
Copper bullet ,normal pressure, good penetration on gel tests , feeds well, causes extra wound cavitation due to unique shape of bullet.
Minimal recoil in my Kel_tec 32.
My Daughter uses the Lehigh bullet in her short barrel carry Kahr CW380.
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Old 03-24-2017, 08:03 PM
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Walther makes the PK 380. Easy to rack slide. Larger in size so recoil is manageable. DA/SA with thumb safety like the Berettas.
I believe Ruger now also makes a .380 based on their small 9 mm frame.
Favorite .380 carry loads are either Lehigh or XTP bullets.
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Old 03-24-2017, 08:43 PM
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The Europeans load 32 ACP much hotter that SAMMI specs allow. I had a 2 pound coffee can of RWS 32 FMJ's. They were about 100 fps faster than Winchester FMJ, and about the same feel as Winchester STHP.

I too have a early Tomcat 3032. It is the smoothest Berretta I have ever handled (My dad's wife has a 3032 SS model and the action feels like running two sheets of 60 grit sandpaper across each other!)

I only carry the Tomcat as #2 gun or even #3 gun! (usually in ankle holster) But all I carry in it is STHP! I bought a spare mag, but never took it out of the wrapper.

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Old 03-24-2017, 09:24 PM
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Quote:
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It's such a low pressure and light recoiling round, I'm surprised that it cracked the original frames.
.32 ACP (SAAMI spec) is 20,500 psi - more than the dreaded .38 Special + P (18,500) and almost at .32 H & R Magnum (21,000). Plenty of force to get the slide moving quickly against the frame.
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Old 03-24-2017, 10:40 PM
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Quote:
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Jessie, Dave- they are harder to find but you might want to have your wife/daughter look at the 332's in .32 H&R mag. They can practice with .32 longs and carry the H&R mags. The trigger on my 332ti is very nice and with longs a pretty soft shooter. There are some good defense loads in H&R.
Hi Jim:

Thanks for the recommendation. I have a 432PD in .32 H&R Magnum, and I would love to arm my daughter with that, but I absolutely hate off-body carry, and am encouraging my daughter to carry the piece on her person, and not in a purse, backpack, etc. As stated earlier, she's a little person, and the Tomcat is actually probably going to cause issues for her to carry on her person.

Regards,

Dave
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Old 03-24-2017, 10:54 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jessie View Post
I'll look into that too.
I have a 642 and 442 but I don't think she'll like the recoil enough to practice.
If you reload, start her with a small charge of Bullseye with a 148gr wad cutter.
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Old 03-25-2017, 12:11 AM
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The Sig 290RS in 380 is a really easy gun to rack, as is the P250 subcompact in 380.

I've never actually handled one, but I understand the KelTec P32 is easy to rack and is a locked breech design with minimal recoil.
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Old 03-25-2017, 12:30 AM
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I heard that there were problems with the Walther CCP, but if they've ironed them out, that should be an easy gun to rack.

However, proper technique can have the weakest racking the slide. One fo my coworkers, a 72 year old woman with diabetes owned and racked a Glock 22, and shot it pretty well, too!
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Old 03-25-2017, 12:55 AM
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My wife has a Ladysmith that I got her for Christmas that she shoots pretty well and likes to carry. She carried a Sig p238 for a while, but ended up liking the revolver better after practicing with a 19-3 w/ a 6" barrel.
She feels more sure of herself with the revolver, and confidence in what you carry is really important. Plus, she likes to train with it using .38 special, and will use it more more than any other weapon we have, so that counts for a lot.
If you like Beretta, check out the Cheetah in .380. My wife tried that and did OK with it.
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Old 03-25-2017, 01:48 AM
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I have one of the French made under license from Walther Manhurin PP in 32acp. First off have heard all the stories about American 32acp being under powered. Had a box of Federal FMJ and a couple boxes of Italian Fiocchi FMJ and decided to see what if any difference there was between the two different brands. First went the Federal FMJ, no problems with how that little pistol operated. Then the Fiocchi which was the same bullet weight. Slightly more felt recoil but the pistol ran well with it. Not much of a comparison but outside of slightly more felt recoil not much of a difference. Love that little PP. Definitely need a holster to go with it. Being over weight especially around the waist you could not tell if I was carrying or not. Great little autos. But you do need to watch how you grip it as the slide can bite you if not careful. Frank
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Old 03-25-2017, 01:59 AM
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Default Consider teaching her......

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Originally Posted by Double-O-Dave View Post
Jessie:

I would love to arm my daughter with something more powerful - the .32H&R Magnum comes to mind immediately - but I realize that as she is a small statured person, she'd never carry anything much larger than the Tomcat. I'd love to have her carry my .32ACP Seecamp, but she lacks the hand and upper body strength to cycle the slide. I've toted the Seecamp for years. It's not a fun pistol to shoot, and I cannot imagine trying to shoot one in .380ACP. When I first acquired the Seecamp many, many years ago, the WW-Silvertips were the only rounds recommended by the factory. I know from experience that I can hit the target reliably with Silvertips, and as I am old and kind of reluctant to change, have just stayed with the Silvertips even though other ammo is now approved by the factory: L.W. Seecamp Co. - Ammo Recommendations

Good luck,

Dave
Consider teaching her the "Left hand acroos and hold the slide and the right hand pushes the frame" technique for cycling. Makes hard slides much easier to handle.
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Old 03-25-2017, 09:41 AM
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I've had a KelTec P32 for 17 years, have always carried Silvertips in it. I picked the Silvertips because it had always been the load recommended for the Seecamp, and it had a good reputation. They've always run flawlessly in my P32, but then again just about everything has run flawlessly in my P32. The P32 serves as a back up gun, or back up to my back up gun.

I think any decent .32 load would be acceptable in the Tomcat. The important thing is a load that runs reliably, no .32's are likely to provide the mythical one shot stop. I've always figured that the 8 rounds of .32 in my KelTec should be enough to at least discourage the threat.
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Old 03-25-2017, 08:59 PM
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I have a Kel Tec P32 that feeds any type of round that I've tried. The key here is shot placement. This takes PRACTICE.

As stated above, NEVER expect a one shot stop.

This drill has been part of our qualifications for as long as I can remember.

Mozambique Drill - Wikipedia

At 7 yards (preferably further !) you should be able to do this without even thinking about it with any handgun that you carry to defend yourself or others.

Drill Of The Month: Failure To Stop - Bing video

Best,
Charles
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Old 03-27-2017, 06:42 PM
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Excellent drill for that round and most other handgun rounds, actually.

Last edited by Jessie; 03-27-2017 at 06:43 PM.
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