Berettas...Tomcat & Jetfire

DaRoosta

A few weeks back I got a call from a small-time FFL buddy of mine who asked me to buy a few things from him. He wanted to raise some money to get a motorcycle and was liquidifying some of his inventory.

Anyway, I ended up with a Colt 1991A1 .45 w/ 2 extra sets of grips, an extra Les Baer mag, Bianchi holster, etc. All in about 95% condition. Oh, and he had it sent to Clark gunsmiths and had $650 of work done to it.

Also included in the deal (kind of as throw-ins since I only gave him 1K for the entire deal) was a Beretta Tomcat (.32 ACP) with a Kramer horsehide pocket holster and a Beretta Jetfire (.25 ACP). Both of these are ANIB and he threw in some ammo, too.

My question is what should I expect out of these Berettas? I've heard they aren't meant for plinking or firing numerous rounds in a sitting. Are they just for CC or can I have fun with them without worrying about them blowing up? Is the .25 really as poor of a round as I've heard? These two Berettas might just find another new home soon if all the rumors I'm hearing are true.

Thanks for the advice.

rmeyer

Bought a stainless jetfire 25 a couple years ago. Had good luck with my 92 and was looking for something real small. Got it mainly as an inexpensive yet reliable little car gun. Havent needed it in a pinch but like the fact that I can pack it in my pocket easily if I needed to. I do put a box of ammo through it every 3 or 4 months. Not a super accurate piece over a distance but I do pretty good with it. No regrets here.

punchie

I had a Tomcat one time and thought it would fill the bill as a pocket pistol. Then I found out that the web of my hand was not consistant with the two needles attached to a razor that they use for a slide. First two shot were fine with a two finger grip then OUCH (well actually OH SH** THAT HURT).

AN ARMED SOCIETY IS A POLITE SOCIETY

JudgeColt

I am a Beretta fan, but the JefFire is single action, and I prefer double action. The DA M21 is much larger. For some reason, the original double action version of the JetFire, the M20, was only made a couple of years before Beretta replaced the tiny M20 with the much larger M21. The biggest advantage to the JetFire is its small size and light weight. The flip up barrels on small Berettas are also nice.

As far as the Tomcat, I was very disappointed in it when it finally reached the market. The pistol is HUGE. It is almost as big and heavy as a J-frame Smith Airweight. Next to the smaller and ligher Kel-Tec P-32, the Tomcat seems ungainly to me. An added benefit is that the Kel-Tec has a locked breech, so recoil is much less.

idsman75

It has been my experience that the Tomcat is picky about the ammo that it will digest reliably. Take yours to the range with at least five different brands and shoot them all. The first Tomcat I fired preferred CCI Stingers. We'll see what the preference is for the new one I recently acquired.

SSG idsman75, U.S. ARMY

William81

A LEO buddy of mine purchased a Tomcat a few years ago. It was very picky about ammo. It would digest Silvertips without a hitch. After about 600 rounds, he ended up sending it back to the factory for some
repair. He traded it off shortly thereafter. It was interesting to shoot, but I have heard they are somewhat fragile.

grease_monkey

Had a Tomcat for a and must say I have not had any trouble with it. I shoot mainly Federal but have had no trouble with other brands. I got one very cheap, I was after a Kel-Tec but in California....

Anyway, it shoots well and is good for what it is a secondary gun IMHO.

Greasy

DaRoosta

Sounds like I'm going to have to try them out for myself with some different brands of ammo to tell me if I should keep them or not. The rumors I heard were that a .25 wouldn't even puncture a piece of leather at 10-yards. There are obviously much better results about the .32, but it is a much bigger piece, as JudgeColt suggested.

Much thanks to everyone who responded. I appreciate your efforts and consideration.

mballai

I'd feel safer with a 22 LR than I would with a 25. The performance of the 25 is dismal at best. I own a little Beretta 21 22LR and it shoots well.

I think the 32 Tomcat was made to compete w. the Seecamp. Good for a a backup. I heard that the Silvertip performs well in this caliber.

Three Precious Metals: Gold, silver and lead

JudgeColt

The story that the .22Lr is superior to the .25ACP is an old wives' tail. John Browning designed the .25ACP for tiny pistols. The .25 is far superior in ignition reliability and a significant amount better in feeding reliability. There is "High Performance" (a relative term!) ammunition available for the .25. While I like the .22 for cheap practice, the .25 is a more reliable defense round.

For the record, the Tomcat is the .32ACP Model 3032. The Bobcat is either the .25ACP or .22LR Model 21 (or 21A). The Tomcat cannot shoot Stingers as they are .22 rimfire rounds, not .32ACP rounds. Could it be that Idsman has been doing so much "catting around" that he confused one cat with another?

Again I say, I cannot believe how big and heavy the Tomcat is compared to other popular small .32 pistols. The Tomcat weighs 16.9 ounces empty! A J-frame Smith weighs from about 11 oucnes with a titanium cylinder to about 15 ounces with a steel cylinder. The size, except for thickness, is about the same too. I bought the first blue Tomcat I could get and was shocked at how big it is. A Kel-Tec P32 weighs 6.5 ounces empty, a Seecamp about 12 ounces. A Kel-Tec P11 9x19 weighs about 14 ounces empty.

I do not know what bad rumors are circulating about the small Berettas. They are well-made, quality guns. There is no need to worry about either Beretta blowing up. I suspect the bulk of the Tomcat was put there to ensure durability with the heavier .32 round. I doubt that you can afford to shoot it enough to wear it out. So what if you do? Think of the fun you had and get another.

idsman75

JudgeColt--Thank you for correcting me. I own one and I forgot it is the Bobcat that is chambered in .22LR. The Kel-Tec is an EXCELLENT choice and would take one if I was looking for something in .32 ACP. KEL TECs have been nothing but great shooters in my experience and they are very compact. My choice of the Bobcat stemmed from my desire for a gun made mostly of metal. I have too much plastic right now and I was trying to balance things out a bit. Plastic isn't necessarily bad but I like the feel of something metallic in my hand once in awhile. Personal preference.

SSG idsman75, U.S. ARMY