Tomcat

[Mustang51]

I sold off my last .32 some years ago ( a Walther PP). I took inventory, and I’ve still got close to a thousand rounds of .32 ACP. I was watching a video review of the Beretta Tomcat, and my wife is convinced that she wants one. For current or past owners, is the Tomcat a relatively soft shooter? Before I met her, someone tried to tell her the PPK/s would be the gun for her. It’s so unpleasant to shoot, that she turned it over to me. I figure the Tomcat would be better than the nothing that she carries currently. I’ve heard of the frame cracking issues, but I assume I’d be ok with standard pressure ball.

 

[minconrevo]

I sometimes teach concealed carry courses. The last Tomcat brought to one failed the initial class safety exam due to coming out of the carry case in a non-functional and unrepairable state. Definitely colored my perception of them.

 

[Jessie]

The later ones( Inox ) which is basically stainless steel corrected the frame cracking issue. It’s a little thicker than the earlier ones.
I have one I gave to my wife. She shoots it well, recoil doesn’t bother her much and she’s small. She really likes the tip up barrel loading.
So, for us it’s been a keeper with no issues.

 

[tndrfttom]

When the .32 Beretta Tomcat first came out 3 people I shot with got them as carry guns. Two of them shot theirs a lot at first to get confident with them and to be assured of their dependability; those two people both got cracked frames. (They used a variety of factory ammo). Beretta replaced both guns promptly but their faith was shaken in the design and they sold them. I'm told that later guns had heavier frames or other redesign to address the cracking problem but don't have any first-hand info.

 

[Bald1]

Guess I’m in the minority. My Tomcat is close to 20 yrs old. I shoot mostly cheap FMJ ammo thru it. Never had a single problem. It is pleasant to shoot recoil wise and feeds everything I’ve put in it. I put Crimson Trace grips on it and it’s way more accurate than u would think. It’s been my EDC on and off for years. Crazy prices nowadays though

 

[M E Morrison]

Might consider looking for one of those Berreta cheetas that were imported a couple of years ago. They are very comfortable to shoot.

 

[DWalt]

I have a friend who has one, or rather his wife does (in .32 ACP). She loves it. I have fired it several times. One tip - be VERY careful about removing the grips (or even better, never remove them). There is a little spring detent for the safety which will go flying off into the fourth dimension, and it is so tiny that you will never find it. And replacements are nearly impossible to find. My friend did that and later gave it to me to fix.

 

[S&WIowegan]

I've had one for literally decades and wife and I never had any complaints. I haven't shot it since before Y2K. Wife much prefers her Beretta model 84 in 380 cal (pop-up-barrel) for its' high capacity.

 

[Grayfox]

I bought my Tomcat used, but it came with all the original paperwork. There's a card in there that warns against using any ammo with greater than 130 Ft/lbs of energy.
I did some checking and found that most American made ammo is rated under that spec. However, most foreign ammo is above it.
Specifically The card recommends Winchester 60gr Silver tips, Speer Gold Dot 60 gr, and Federal Hydra-shok 65 grs and "a number of lower velocity 71 grain loads".
I've been careful to stay under the 130 ft/lb spec. However, my particular gun keeps having feed jams. I do like it and the idea of it, but I need to do some experimenting with ammo to find something reliable. Unfortunately I just haven't had the time.

 

[Jessie]

I bought my Tomcat used, but it came with all the original paperwork. There's a card in there that warns against using any ammo with greater than 130 Ft/lbs of energy.
I did some checking and found that most American made ammo is rated under that spec. However, most foreign ammo is above it.
Specifically The card recommends Winchester 60gr Silver tips, Speer Gold Dot 60 gr, and Federal Hydra-shok 65 grs and "a number of lower velocity 71 grain loads".
I've been careful to stay under the 130 ft/lb spec. However, my particular gun keeps having feed jams. I do like it and the idea of it, but I need to do some experimenting with ammo to find something reliable. Unfortunately I just haven't had the time.

Keep that chamber clean. I don’t know if it will help your feed problems, but it won’t hurt and it’s necessary to help ejection since there’s no extractor.

 

[Rlg#17]

Get her a tomcat, get her familiar with the manual of arms and let her have at it. I carried mine many times when something or anything else would be detected. Silver tips work well in mine, but I just don’t carry it anymore. I would bet it has 2k+ of rounds thru it with zero issues.

Sights are minuscule and pretty much suck. Chest hits @15 yards are easy. Da to sa second shot takes a time to get used to, but if you train to cock it during presentation, the sa is usually pretty sweet!

Regards,
Rick Gibbs

 

[pawncop]

I had one, carried it as a backup sidearm, inside the vest. Used Winchester Silver Tips. No issues, stopped carrying it as I upgraded to another caliber.

Sold it to one of the officers I worked with, he wanted it for his wife.

Never had a problem, I have heard of the issues regarding the frame, but have no first hand knowledge.

I would carry it if I was restricted to 32 ACP. Function and accuracy were acceptable for defensive distance.

 

[Funflyer]

I bought an Inox (stainless) Tomcat back in 2020. It's my 4th 32 auto and it quickly became my second favorite, just behind my Beretta 81. As far as recoil for sensitive shooters, the Tomcat isn't what I'd call a "soft shooter" with factory ammo listed at 130 pounds of energy. My tests show ammo listed at 130 energy will typically fire out of the Tomcat with about 110 pounds of energy. I reload several different bullets for my Tomcat and found it takes 100 pounds of energy or less to be in the soft shooter category through the Tomcat.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I am a big fan of the Tomcat! I have only used Silver Tip Hollow Point ammo. I bought it uses in the early/mid 90's. The only Beretta I have shot with a smother trigger was a 686 28 gauge O/U shotgun.

My dad's wife has a stainless 3032 and can't hit a barn if shooting from inside! The trigger is like dragging two sheets of course sandpaper across each other!

When it came time for the shooting portion of my CCW class, The really cute girl next to me had a brand new Blue 3032 (never been out of the box before) She thought it had "Absolutely Terrible" recoil and noise! The range staff was all over her "To Help" (mostly try to play grab ***!) After several stoppages, FTF's & FTE's the Rangemaster was yelling at the staff to get away from her and help others! I ask her if she wanted some help as I owned one and understood the gun. She said yes. I started with "This isn't personal! BUT you are doing it all wrong! NUMBER ONE, you are afraid of your gun. STOP THAT! NUMBER TWO, You think your gun kicks too much. STOP THAT! Hold the gun like this and squeeze the trigger and don't jerk! As to recoil, this gun is super mild, Shoot 3 shots from my gun (Model 28-2 4" with this light target ammo), That is more recoil but the weight makes it feel light, You don't want to carry an anvil that is 10% your body weight around, so understand this 32 is the gun you have!

Not very kind of me, but she quit wiggling her butt, and playing cutesy. She then started shooting much better! I had her qualify on the next attempt. Qualifying was 6 shots on a 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper at 10 yards. After we were done I went to apologize to her, but she threw her arms around my neck and was so happy to qualify! I explained she needed to practice several more times, and should shoot one of the 20 round boxes of ammo once every week or two for several months to get comfortable with her gun. I saw her at the local indoor range several months later and she was doing very good!

Sometimes, people need to take themselves and their gun more seriously!

Ivan

 

[Llance]

My EDC in .32 auto, is a Llama of the new design. It looks like a with a 1911 scaled down but has the same controls including a grip safety. Some people don't think too much of it, but after several range sessions with a variety of ammo I've never had a problem. And it is easy to carry owb in a beltslide holster and be unseen unless I'm not wearing a covering garment. I don't consider it, or any of the .32's to be a "hard" shooter. Maybe I just got lucky with this one but that is how it rolls.

I have several other .32's even one of the H&R self-loaders and other than the Ruby (that I would never allow anyone else handle) they all work like they are supposed to. The Ruby will sometimes do a double tap all by itself, even if the safety is in the on position.

 

[Retired W4]

I am a big fan of the Tomcat! I have only used Silver Tip Hollow Point ammo. I bought it uses in the early/mid 90's. The only Beretta I have shot with a smother trigger was a 686 28 gauge O/U shotgun.

My dad's wife has a stainless 3032 and can't hit a barn if shooting from inside! The trigger is like dragging two sheets of course sandpaper across each other!

When it came time for the shooting portion of my CCW class, The really cute girl next to me had a brand new Blue 3032 (never been out of the box before) She thought it had "Absolutely Terrible" recoil and noise! The range staff was all over her "To Help" (mostly try to play grab ***!) After several stoppages, FTF's & FTE's the Rangemaster was yelling at the staff to get away from her and help others! I ask her if she wanted some help as I owned one and understood the gun. She said yes. I started with "This isn't personal! BUT you are doing it all wrong! NUMBER ONE, you are afraid of your gun. STOP THAT! NUMBER TWO, You think your gun kicks too much. STOP THAT! Hold the gun like this and squeeze the trigger and don't jerk! As to recoil, this gun is super mild, Shoot 3 shots from my gun (Model 28-2 4" with this light target ammo), That is more recoil but the weight makes it feel light, You don't want to carry an anvil that is 10% your body weight around, so understand this 32 is the gun you have!

Not very kind of me, but she quit wiggling her butt, and playing cutesy. She then started shooting much better! I had her qualify on the next attempt. Qualifying was 6 shots on a 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper at 10 yards. After we were done I went to apologize to her, but she threw her arms around my neck and was so happy to qualify! I explained she needed to practice several more times, and should shoot one of the 20 round boxes of ammo once every week or two for several months to get comfortable with her gun. I saw her at the local indoor range several months later and she was doing very good!

Sometimes, people need to take themselves and their gun more seriously!

Ivan

I'm loving this story. Sounds like your staff needed to hear the whip crack if they are so easily distracted by a girl so cute. But it was you that got the ultimate reward, the hug. I recently sold an Inox to a young lady and gave her a box of ammunition to start her familiarization. I hope she took my advice.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I'm loving this story. Sounds like your staff needed to hear the whip crack if they are so easily distracted by a girl so cute. But it was you that got the ultimate reward, the hug. I recently sold an Inox to a young lady and gave her a box of ammunition to start her familiarization. I hope she took my advice.

I'm not one of the instructors! I was taking the CCW class. The main Person for those classes in my F-I-L, and he was attending his M-I-L's funeral. The range is a totally independent organization, and their staff was a bunch of bubbas!

But the story is about the Berretta 32. They as a class work fine if handled properly. I have a couple of holsters for mine a OWB and an ankle. The example I own shot better than a WWII Walther PPK and a Keltek P32.

Ivan

 

[BE Mike]

I am a big fan of the Tomcat! I have only used Silver Tip Hollow Point ammo. I bought it uses in the early/mid 90's. The only Beretta I have shot with a smother trigger was a 686 28 gauge O/U shotgun.

My dad's wife has a stainless 3032 and can't hit a barn if shooting from inside! The trigger is like dragging two sheets of course sandpaper across each other!

When it came time for the shooting portion of my CCW class, The really cute girl next to me had a brand new Blue 3032 (never been out of the box before) She thought it had "Absolutely Terrible" recoil and noise! The range staff was all over her "To Help" (mostly try to play grab ***!) After several stoppages, FTF's & FTE's the Rangemaster was yelling at the staff to get away from her and help others! I ask her if she wanted some help as I owned one and understood the gun. She said yes. I started with "This isn't personal! BUT you are doing it all wrong! NUMBER ONE, you are afraid of your gun. STOP THAT! NUMBER TWO, You think your gun kicks too much. STOP THAT! Hold the gun like this and squeeze the trigger and don't jerk! As to recoil, this gun is super mild, Shoot 3 shots from my gun (Model 28-2 4" with this light target ammo), That is more recoil but the weight makes it feel light, You don't want to carry an anvil that is 10% your body weight around, so understand this 32 is the gun you have!

Not very kind of me, but she quit wiggling her butt, and playing cutesy. She then started shooting much better! I had her qualify on the next attempt. Qualifying was 6 shots on a 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper at 10 yards. After we were done I went to apologize to her, but she threw her arms around my neck and was so happy to qualify! I explained she needed to practice several more times, and should shoot one of the 20 round boxes of ammo once every week or two for several months to get comfortable with her gun. I saw her at the local indoor range several months later and she was doing very good!

Sometimes, people need to take themselves and their gun more seriously!

Ivan

Recoil sensitivity from most handguns is just perception and can be treated, like you did. That is as long as you have a student willing to stay the course. The exceptions are people who have arthritis or other physical problems that impede their ability to operate and/or maintain a grip. You did well by giving out a little "tough love".

 

[BB57]

A few thoughts and observations.

1. I have a couple of Austrian police surplus Walther PP .32 ACP pistol.

I also have an FEG APK7S, a .32 ACP/7.65 Browning caliber steel frame Walther PP series clone that is similar to the PPK/S, as well as an AP9S and an APK9S, the same basic design in PP and PPK/S sizes but in 9mm Kurz/.380 ACP. The FEG pistols were all originally built for the 9mm Makarov and are just a bit heavier in the slide and grip frame.

2. The Walther PP in .32 ACP is a very low recoil handgun as it has a steel frame and weighs around 31 oz. The only small sized concealed carry handguns with less recoil will probably be chambered in .22LR.

If a shooter cannot manage the recoil of a PP or PPK/S in .32 ACP it’s a shooter problem.

In .380 ACP the PP starts to get a bit snappy in terms of recoil and it’s not unusual for a shooter to have issues with it in that larger cartridge.

Being slightly heavier, the FEG pistols are a bit milder to shoot in both .32 ACP and .380 ACP.


3. I also own a Tomcat (as well as it’s .22 Short grand daddy).

The .32 ACP Tomcat is smaller and lighter than a PP or PPK/S and when compared to a PP or PPK/S in .32 ACP the Tomcat has distinctly more recoil. It’s not excessive, but it’s more than you get with a steel frame PP series pistol.

A major advantage with the Tomcat is that there is no need to rack the slide, which makes it very friendly for anyone with limited hand strength. It can also be loaded after the magazine is inserted and the safety applied, which appeals to people who might be nervous racking a slide safety off to load a round in the chamber.

4. .32 ACP and 7.65 Browning, like .380 ACP and 9mm Kurz, are often called the same cartridge. They are and they are not, much like .223 Rem and 5.56x45 NATO.

In the US .32 ACP is normally loaded with a .311-312” bullet in a case with slightly thinner walls than European made 7.65 Browning that is normally loaded with a .308-.309” bullet in a slightly thinner walled case. European 7.65 Browning is also usually loaded a little hotter than US made .32 ACP. Where it gets complicated is the packaging as that’s often based on destination and intended market rather than country of origin.

In short, if it’s not a US company, assume it is hotter European ammo, or at least read the box carefully for weight, velocity and muzzle energy to ensure it is under the 130 ft pound threshold for a Tomcat.

Stay under that limit and a Tomcat will hold up ok.

(As an aside, the same difference in loading also exists with 9mm Makarov, as the US made ammo is on par with .380 ACP while the European made ammo is about 100 fps faster.)

 

[Mustang51]

Thanks. I’ve ordered an Inox, and should pick it up later this week. My ammo is Federal 71 grain. It shot fine in my WWII PP, Colt 1903, and Beretta M1935. If she likes it, and the gun likes the ammo, I’ll get her up to speed on it. Thanks for all of the info.

 

[coltle6920]

I,too,have the Tomcat and like it a lot. The sights really stink but I have no problem hitting a 5 1/2 target at 15yds. Just don't expect any small groups.

If yours is brand new don't be surprised if you have a lot of FTF or FTE. Clean it well and start with loading one in the barrel and just a few rounds in the mag. I found that after a while I was able to load more rounds with no failures.

 

[waffles]

I had a tomcat that cracked, met its eventual end at a gun buyback event. Until then it was a neat pistol but not always super reliable and not what I'd describe as a soft shooter.

 

[Breaker]

Congratulations, I have an INOX, and have had no issues. FYI I am sure the Federals will work fine, but the results of the Luckey Gunner Lab tests indicated the best penetration and effectiveness was with the Fiocchi 73 grain fmj if you can find a box for carry use. Take a look at it, it is an interesting comparison and informative.

 

[Buick]

I have and enjoy shooting a couple of .32's. Its an accurate round but pretty weak imho. If she doesnt happen to like rhe Tomcat, try her on a Kahr .380 or a Bersa .380.

 

[BB57]

Congratulations, I have an INOX, and have had no issues. FYI I am sure the Federals will work fine, but the results of the Luckey Gunner Lab tests indicated the best penetration and effectiveness was with the Fiocchi 73 grain fmj if you can find a box for carry use. Take a look at it, it is an interesting comparison and informative.

I did testing with Hornady 60 gr XTP ammunition. At right around 1000 fps in my Walther PP and it’s 3.9” barrel it came up a bit short on penetration at 10-11”.

However in my shorter 2.9” barrel Tomcat cover with muzzle velocities around 950 fps, it came I’m right at 12-13”.

In both cases expansion was reliable and excellent for the caliber.

As for penetration and expansion, the envelope for the 60 gr XTP is pretty narrow in terms of getting enough velocity to expand but not so much velocity that it expands too much, too soon and under penetrates. That’s a big consideration for both .32 ACP and .380 ACP as both rounds lose a lot of velocity as the barrel lengths get shorter.

But my Tomcat was hitting the sweet spot.


——-


I also fired some 75 gr cowboy cast lead bullets (12-15 BHN) at about 765 fps. They came out pristine and penetrated 27-28”.

I’m not a fan. It’ll create a through and through .312” diameter hole that isn’t going to do much to incapacitate unless you actually puncture the upper chambers of the heart or a major artery.

 

[BB57]

I have and enjoy shooting a couple of .32's. Its an accurate round but pretty weak imho. If she doesnt happen to like rhe Tomcat, try her on a Kahr .380 or a Bersa .380.

I have a lot of center fire handguns chambered for cartridges ranging from the .32 ACP to the .44 Magnum and 32,000 psi loaded .45 Colt, as well as some small revolvers in .357 Magnum.

I also have several small pistols in .380 ACP including the Walther PPK/S, the Kimber Micro, the RIA Baby Rock, the FEG SMC (an aluminum alloy frame PPK clone) and a Bersa .380 ACP.

I am not recoil shy, but the aluminum alloy frame Bersa is one of the sharpest recoiling handguns I own. Far worse than a steel frame PP and for what ever reason, harsher than the lighter FEG SMC. It’s one of the last handguns I would recommend for a recoil sensitive shooter.

—-

The Kimber Micro, Sig P238, Colt Mustang, etc are all locked breech designs that spread the recoil out over a longer interval. While lighter than a PPK, etc, they have a much softer feeling recoil than heavier steel frame blow back designs in .380 ACP.

If .380 ACP is preferred and recoil is an issue the Kimber Micro or Sig P238 are very good options.

 

[kaaskop49]

Interesting. A carry pistol in a marginal caliber and the mfgr (if I read correctly) recommends restricting the power of the ammo. Wonderful. Another variable to worry about. Seems like a good case for a 340PD. With 180gr hunting ammo if possible.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[BB57]

Interesting. A carry pistol in a marginal caliber and the mfgr (if I read correctly) recommends restricting the power of the ammo. Wonderful. Another variable to worry about. Seems like a good case for a 340PD. With 180gr hunting ammo if possible.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

It is what it is. It’s also important to put things in perspective.

The majority of armed citizen defensive handgun uses end when the would be victim reaches for or draws the gun. The average street criminal isn’t looking to get shot.

Of the small percentage that actually involve the gun being fired, many don’t involve the assailant being hit before the assailant flees. Of the assailants that are shot, half will flee or surrender to avoid being shot again. Incapacitation isn’t required, most are psychological stops.

What’s left are a small percentage of occurrences where the attacker is highly motivated, on drugs, etc.

Assuming the person uses reasonable situational awareness and good judgment to avoid going places where there me a much higher threat level, more gun will rarely be required.

On the other side of the coin, a small handgun like a Tomcat is easy to carry and is highly likely to be carried all the time, than a larger handgun.

And, for shooters who are recoil sensitive, it’s also likely to be carried, shot enough to achieve some level of proficiency and shot often enough to maintain a reasonable level of proficiency.

 

[gwpercle]

The Tomcat is a bit heavy and blocky for a 32 ACP ... I bought one to replace a Walther PPK ... it's not as small and light as the PPK but the wife just might love the extra weight for shooting .
The one feature she might truely love is the pop up barrel... load or unload without racking the slide , push the button and check status , remove or insert a round and push barrel back down ...easy-peasy !

She just might love the Tomcat . I never had any failures with factory loads or my reloads .
Gary

 

[Markmontana]

I’ve got a Beretta Bobcat in .22lr that I really like and I’m thinking hard about getting a Tomcat for use as a BUG. It’s been very reliable and remarkably accurate at 5yds. I love the tp up barrel!
My only concern is the effectiveness of .32ACP cartridge. Lucky Gunner Labs tested a variety of FMJ and JHP ammo and demonstrated good penetration with FMJ only. All of theJHP, including GDHP, failed to achieve FBI penetration and expansion was zero.

So, I have two questions. Am I better off sticking with the Bobcat and .22lr? Is the 32ACP “good enough” as a BUG. I really like this small Beretta platform and the tip up barrel. The Bobcat is really fun to shoot.Did I say I really like the tip up barrel?