Beretta Tomcat - anyone have one that works?
- Thread starter Newton
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I do have one in the Bruniton (black) finish, as well as an Inox (stainless.) No non ammo related issues with either.
You'll hear bad "traits" about virtually any gun you ask about. Glocks KaBoom, Sigs rust, Beretta 92's break locking blocks, 1911's aren't reliable out of the box, and on and on and on. Don't place to much stock in it. Buy quality firearms (your Tomcat is one) fire a couple of hundred rounds through it to test reliability and don't worry about the scuttlebutt.
You'll hear bad "traits" about virtually any gun you ask about. Glocks KaBoom, Sigs rust, Beretta 92's break locking blocks, 1911's aren't reliable out of the box, and on and on and on. Don't place to much stock in it. Buy quality firearms (your Tomcat is one) fire a couple of hundred rounds through it to test reliability and don't worry about the scuttlebutt.
I have had one now for over a year. The first time I shot it there was a crack in the frame just above the trigger. I sent it to Beretta and they sent me a new one. Haven't had any other problems. I don't recommend using this gun for target practice. Don't believe it was designed for shooting thousands of rounds. It makes a good pocket carry, point and shoot gun. I just shoot 10 to 20 rounds through it about once a month to make sure it works ok. The small crack it had didn't cause any firing problems.
I've put about 250 rounds through my black Tomcat since I got it many years ago. I'd call it reliable but I think it has jammed about twice. I quit carrying it after I shot an old rusty clothes dryer at close range and the FMJ's just briefly stuck in little dimples in the metal and then fell off. I now stick with more potent calibers but if I didn't have a choice a .32 would be okay. And the low recoil and noise is nice.
I did shoot a couple boxes of Silvertips through it before I decided to stick with FMJ's for penetration with such a low powered round. It wasn't picky with any of the ammo I put through it.
If you plan to use hollowpoints in any .32, you should research "rim lock" before you depend on it.
I liked my Tomcat but nobody else seems to (even a guy with a crappy old Bobcat). It hits you in the forehead with brass and the slide is sharp enough you could take it off and peel potatoes with it. It sorta looks like a potato peeler now that I think about it.
Don't take the grips off unless you know what you're doing. There's a fascinating little mechanism under there, which explains why there's no recoil spring under the barrel.
Oh, my safety broke, which I hear is a common thing. I don't know what it's for in the first place. I don't think anybody wants to carry a double action Tomcat cocked and locked. I never used the safety but I was always afraid it would get switched on by mistake and then my gun wouldn't work when I needed it. When it broke I ground the lever down smooth (not completely) so it wouldn't stab me in the belly and I put a carefully fitted little wire rod where the broken safety plunger and spring were. Now it's permanently locked in the off position.
That's my excuse for not selling it, because I'd have to fix the safety first.
I did shoot a couple boxes of Silvertips through it before I decided to stick with FMJ's for penetration with such a low powered round. It wasn't picky with any of the ammo I put through it.
If you plan to use hollowpoints in any .32, you should research "rim lock" before you depend on it.
I liked my Tomcat but nobody else seems to (even a guy with a crappy old Bobcat). It hits you in the forehead with brass and the slide is sharp enough you could take it off and peel potatoes with it. It sorta looks like a potato peeler now that I think about it.
Don't take the grips off unless you know what you're doing. There's a fascinating little mechanism under there, which explains why there's no recoil spring under the barrel.
Oh, my safety broke, which I hear is a common thing. I don't know what it's for in the first place. I don't think anybody wants to carry a double action Tomcat cocked and locked. I never used the safety but I was always afraid it would get switched on by mistake and then my gun wouldn't work when I needed it. When it broke I ground the lever down smooth (not completely) so it wouldn't stab me in the belly and I put a carefully fitted little wire rod where the broken safety plunger and spring were. Now it's permanently locked in the off position.
That's my excuse for not selling it, because I'd have to fix the safety first.
Glockman17366
Member
I've had mine (bought used) for about 8 or 9 years. Can't say I carry it or shoot it too often, but when I do it goes bang everytime.
I stick with Silvertips for carry (cycles fine) but when I practice, it's with whatever FMJ I can buy cheaply.
Slide and hammer bites do happen, so you don't want to grip too high.
This one was actually bought for my wife (tip up barrel makes it very easy to load and unload), but she never carried it.
I do like this little gun, but I'll probably sell it off when Ruger's new little .380 LCP proves itself.
I stick with Silvertips for carry (cycles fine) but when I practice, it's with whatever FMJ I can buy cheaply.
Slide and hammer bites do happen, so you don't want to grip too high.
This one was actually bought for my wife (tip up barrel makes it very easy to load and unload), but she never carried it.
I do like this little gun, but I'll probably sell it off when Ruger's new little .380 LCP proves itself.
Mine is about a year old and maybe 300+ rounds through it with no problems.I called beretta and was told Fiochi was acceptable ammo. I use FMJ and have tried no HP's. Mine is in my pocket most days. Accurcy is reasonable at 7 yards for its intended use.Byron
I have a well-used Tomcat 3032, 32acp. I've personally fired 2,000 rounds or more through it with very infrequent failures to eject, perhaps ten in that whole time. The previous owner didn't fire it much, though, and it's an older model.
glassman
Member
boraxis hit it on the head. I had issue with rim lock using JHP and switched to FMJ and have had no further problems with it. I also took the stocks off to clean it and wound up with a hand full of parts. Puting it back together was a bit of a challenge but it all worked out in the end. I usually carry a 642 but in the summer or when the situation prohibits carrying bigger, the tomcat slips into my pocket. Mine has been reliable and surprisingly accurate.
Update - the brand new Tomcat lasted exactly 3 magazines before the trigger bar disconnected from the trigger - although this did cure the horrendous trigger pull.
Gun store accepted it back exactly 24 hours after they sold it to me. Used store credit against a new Glock 26 instead.
These guns are indeed lousy, Beretta should be ashamed.
Gun store accepted it back exactly 24 hours after they sold it to me. Used store credit against a new Glock 26 instead.
These guns are indeed lousy, Beretta should be ashamed.
takhtakaal
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- Nov 16, 2007
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- 853
dirtdog said:
Really. I'm on my second one, no issues with either of them. The first I stupidly traded away. The second one seems less accurate, but it goes bang reliably enough.
Neener Neener
Member
I used to have one with the inox finish. I do not remember what types of ammo I put through it, but it was something from Wal-Mart. It went bang every time I pulled the trigger, without a single FTF.
Mine was really picky about what ammo it liked. It liked high velocity ammo. As long as it was kept clean and lightly lubed and fed high velocity ammo, it was very dependable.
The only real trouble i ever had with it (besides it's demands for high velocity ammo) was with after market magazines (they would either nose dive or stove pipe). I tossed 'em in the trash and went back to factory mags. End of problems.
It was a neat little plinker but my friend (an ffl dealer) had this Glock i wanted...and he wanted my Beretta...
The only real trouble i ever had with it (besides it's demands for high velocity ammo) was with after market magazines (they would either nose dive or stove pipe). I tossed 'em in the trash and went back to factory mags. End of problems.
It was a neat little plinker but my friend (an ffl dealer) had this Glock i wanted...and he wanted my Beretta...
Randyc74
Member
I've carried a Tomcat daily as a backup to my service weapon (Glock 23) It has been my go everywhere pistol for the past year and is carried in a pocket holster. I've put probably 200 rounds through it. No ammo issues using whatever was on sale at the time. I pull the trigger, it goes "bang."
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After my bad experience I did some reading on the Beretta forum (note to self - do that first next time), and there are a lot of stories about frame cracking and issues with stovepipes.
The Inox versions get much better reports. Oh well, I didn't have the confidence to buy another, so I'm going to put my brief Tomcat saga behind me.
The Inox versions get much better reports. Oh well, I didn't have the confidence to buy another, so I'm going to put my brief Tomcat saga behind me.
snorko
Member
Mine is 10 years old and has maybe 500 rounds through it. I have never had any failure to feed nor eject. most ammo was FMJ but quite a bit of gold dot and hornady HP.
The only hiccup was when my GF released the Bbl while the gun was in recoil. Sent it back to Beretta and had it back in 1 week. Nothing broken, just something mis-alligned. Thus I think they are strong and reliable.
The only hiccup was when my GF released the Bbl while the gun was in recoil. Sent it back to Beretta and had it back in 1 week. Nothing broken, just something mis-alligned. Thus I think they are strong and reliable.
Indianrider
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- Joined
- Mar 25, 2008
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- 4
Beretta Tomcat
I, too, have had a couple of problems with my Tomcat (black). First time after around 250 rounds, the firing pin broke. Sent it to Beretta and they gave me another. 2nd time, I discovered a crack in the frame that others have seen. Called Beretta and they not only sent me a replacement (INOX), they covered the shipping. They seem to be standing behind their products and that's one reason why I just picked up a PX4 Storm - 40.
I, too, have had a couple of problems with my Tomcat (black). First time after around 250 rounds, the firing pin broke. Sent it to Beretta and they gave me another. 2nd time, I discovered a crack in the frame that others have seen. Called Beretta and they not only sent me a replacement (INOX), they covered the shipping. They seem to be standing behind their products and that's one reason why I just picked up a PX4 Storm - 40.
I've got a Bobcat that I bought used. It jammed 90% of the time on various types of ammo including high velocity. I sent it back to Beretta and even though the pistol was probably 3+ years old and I was not the original owner, Beretta polished the feed ramp. Since the polish job I've only had to faiure to eject on the +1 barrel round.
Gixerman1000
Member
The problem was with the early blued Tomcats, the narrow slide didn't have enough weight to absorb the recoil energy so it would cycle to fast and with too much force, it would beat the frame to death, the INOX (stainless) Tomcats and the newer blued Tomcats have a much wider slide and do not have the problems the early ones did.
I have had an INOX Tomcat for several years now and mine has been a good gun, in fact it’s in my pocket right now.
I have had an INOX Tomcat for several years now and mine has been a good gun, in fact it’s in my pocket right now.
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