Beretta Tomcat

[redraidermgr]

Hey everyone,

My wife just ordered a .32 Beretta Tomcat the other day. We tried a model in the store but it was used, as well as being their display model and they wanted to keep it so we ordered a new one from them. It should be here in the next few days. I was just wondering if anyone had any hints, tips, or knows anything good or bad about the gun. Any info is appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Newton]

I was warned, warned, and then warned again not to buy one, so I did, and it broke on the 17th round.

They say the Inox versions have better reliability, the blued versions have a serious frame rail cracking problem (the trigger connector broke on the one I had).

If you do pick it up, I'd be interested to hear how it works out.

 

[Tomac]

I've carried various Tomcats for years for deep CCW and IMHO the Inox is the best of the breed. All my Tomcats have been 100% with FMJ or Winchester Silvertips but I now carry FMJ only as penetration is more important to me that whatever minimal expansion I might get from a JHP. Surprisingly accurate for its type, I prefer the DA/SA trigger to DAO designs (YMMV).
Tips: Clean & lube before firing the first time, use only quality mags/ammo.
HTH...
Tomac

 

[Gixerman1000]

I have had an INOX Tomcat for several years now and mine has been a good gun, every time I go to the range even if I’m not particularly practicing with the Tomcat that day I pull it out of my pocket in whatever current state of maintenance it’s in from being carried every day and shoot the ammo that had been carried in it, even dry and full of pocket lint it has always functioned reliably, it’s also pretty accurate for pocket gun.

They say the Inox versions have better reliability, the blued versions have a serious frame rail cracking problem

This problem is 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 and 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.

However there are still older blued Tomcats in dealer/distributer stock that have just not been sold yet, they are now kind of mixed in with the new Tomcats and it wouldn’t be uncommon at say a gun show to see a new (older narrow slide) blued Tomcat at one booth and a new (newer wider slide) blued Tomcat at another.

Beretta should have recalled the older blued Tomcat and updated them with the new wider slide rather than just addressing the ones that get used and come back with a cracked frame and a confused and/or pissed off owner.

I guess the bean counters at Beretta figured it would be cheaper to hope most of the old blued Tomcats just fade away but things like this damage the reputation of both the model and the manufacture.

 

[Moonclip]

I need to keep in mind the newer vs. older model prob. I've always shied away frok the Tomcat due to a gunsmith I highly respected telling me they were problem guns in the early 2000's. Anyone have a pic showing differences?

The practice of just shooting a gun as is from your pocket that you have been carrying is a very sound one.

 

[moe.ron]

Worst handggun I ever owned. That thing would just not function correctly and I tried at least 5 different kinds of ammo. It was gone in 2 weeks. There are many that have had better luck but I will never buy Berretta again.

 

[kokapelli]

I also had one that was unreliable.

 

[paradox998]

Tomcats still failing

I bought a new blued tomcat in December 2007. Frame cracked after 60 rounds and the trigger disconnector (I think that's the term) failed. Beretta sent a new one to replace the gun. Now what to do? Trade it? Try the new one and see if it fails? Sure does not seem like they have corrected the problem.

 

[Comanche180]

Tomcat

I got a Tomcat a couple years ago for the girlfriend. She thought it was cute, but the DA trigger was a bit much for her. The gun was okay until about 200 rounds, then it went to hell, couldn't handle the recoil and the slide came off the frame, partially. Nasty jam. I took it back and gave her a Bersa 380, no problems.

 

[searcher451]

I got one six months or so ago for the wife; she liked its feel and the flip-up barrel, and she was accurate with it on a test-drive. We put 66 rounds through the NIB gun we bought at a local shop before the trigger crapped out entirely. It also failed to adequately cycle a single magazine without either a failure to feed or a failure to eject before it died entirely.

A trip to the local gunsmith produced a repair, a ramp polish job ... and another quick trigger failure. After numerous phone calls and emails and weeks of nonsense, the Tomcat took a trip back to Beretta (at my expense, of course). They eventually returned a new gun that has gone about 75 rounds thus far without incident ... but I can still feel one coming on, like a tooth ache just waiting to wreck your day.

These guys may have been making firearms for 500 years, but they sure as shootin' don't have this model down pat. They ought, at this late stage, to be ashamed of themselves.

 

[MICHAEL T]

My 25 auto Beretta's 2 950 jetfires and a Model 20just keep going and going . I look at the cat but always all the bad reviews . Of course Ket Tec has bad reviews also But my 3 have been perfect.. Might look at cat again

 

[JERRY]

the only (modern) Beretta .32acp worth owning was the model 90 that they quit making due to lack of sales when this country was still primarily against lawful CCW.


the Tomacat was a great idea with poor excecusion....the design was good but the material was bad so they beefed it up to make it a rather chunky gun for only being a .32acp....

the trigger bar i dont understand the issues with because its the same design as the Bobcat .22/.25 guns design.

 

[Moonclip]

My mod 20 sucked as well. I want a .25acp mod 21 to go with my .22lr version. All my jetfires and minx single action versions have been good though.

Jerry, wasn't the Mod 90 the version made in Rome?

 

[JERRY]

i believe the model 90 was called the "Roma" (Rome) but was not made in Rome.

actually im not sure where in Italy they made them but i dont believe Rome was it.

 

[Moonclip]

There was a pistol made in Rome and not in the usual Beretta factory. That likely is the model.

 

[Anna's Dad]

Never had a problem with my Tomcat INOX. Maybe that's because it is an INOX based on what I'm reading here!

I also own one of the Model 90 "Roma" pistols although I haven't fired it.

 

[xx7grant7x]

I also have a inox in ,32 and for me it has been a great carry gun fits in a coat pocket or in my jeans with easy conceal ability fired lots of ammo with no problems, i'd like a nice pocket holster for it...and a front night sight though......

 

[makarovnik]

Get the Bobcat 21A and load it with .22LR Stingers. This is only a half-step down in energy compared to non +P .32acp. I know, I know nobody wants to use a .22LR for self defense. Carry an extra mag. 16 Stingers is going to hurt.

 

[Gixerman1000]

Anyone have a pic showing differences?

The width of the updated slide is about 1.055" or 1-1/16".

I don't have an old slide to compare but to take a wild guess I would say it's about 7/8" wide, you can easily see the difference between the two.

Here is a photo of mine, if some one has an older blued slide and would take a similar photo that would be great.

 

[redraidermgr]

Well we finally made it to the shop to pick up the tomcat today. We couldnt get the Inox version without reordering, but the Pistol that we picked up today is only a couple months old and definately has the larger slide. Hopefully we will not have problems with it. Now we just have to make it to the range with it. I will keep yall updated on how it goes at the range in the next week or two. Work is busy with both of us so getting to the range can be an ordeal sometimes.

I also would like to thank every body that chimed in and gave advice and knowledge about this little pocket gun. I was definately relieved when we got the gun and checked to make sure that it did have the larger slide today. My dealer is also making a call to beretta to see how often an occurence that that is. He says he has sold hundreds of them and has never had anyone come back to complain about it. He said he would keep me updated as well.

Thanks

 

[guntotinguy]

The one the wife used as a back up 'frame broke' (during a TV news shooting for women with CCW's no less) and we sent it back to Beretta,they sent her a 'new one' but an upgrade INOX so we will see how this one fares...

 

[redraidermgr]

Well, The wife and I went to the range today and burned through quite a bit of ammo (almost 100 9mm, 75 .32 Auto, and 12 .357 mag). We put around 75 through the tomcat today and only had one FTE which is pretty good considering that we didnt lube the gun before we took it to the range.

The short sights take a little getting used to and we had to start at a closer range but by the end of the afternoon she was eating up the center of the target and doing pretty good with it. We were planning on putting close to a hundred or more rounds through it but the range was about to close so we called it a day. Next week we will get some more ammo and try it again.

So far so good, only one FTE/jam and no cracks or major problems with the gun yet. It seems pretty solid for its size and accuracy is pretty reasonable for a short barreled pistol. I will try to keep everyone updated whenever we make it to the range again.

Thanks

 

[Newton]

Wow, 75 rounds and only one issue, in my experience of the Tomcat you lucked out.

Hope it holds up for you.

 

[redraidermgr]

I hope that our luck holds out too. My wife really seams to be enjoying it tremendously so far. She was getting very good with it at about 3-5 yards. That isnt far but since neither of us has been shooting in a few years and that it was such a short barreled gun that we would start small on it and work farther out as she got more used to it.

 

[paradox998]

Second Tomcat failed

Bretta sent me new Tomcat to replace the one that cracked after 60 rounds. Took the new gun to the range. It cracked at 100 rounds. Sent it back today and am going to talk with them about a different gun. Also, I was careful to use only ammo within the spec set by Beretta. Can't believe they are still selling the blued version.

If you have a blued Tomcat take the slide off and, looking from above, examine the rail on the frame on the right side above the trigger. The metal is very thin there and that is where the cracking is found. Run your fingernail across the area as a good was to check for a crack.