Beretta Mouse Gun - The Beretta 21A Bobcat and 3032 Tomcat are relics of a time when even pocket pistols had hammers and were made of steel and wood. But Beretta still makes them today, including the threaded barrel cover variety we're reviewing today. Are they only good for range games, or do they have something to offer as serious self-defense equipment compared to other modern options?
Hello everyone, I'm from Chris Baker. Today I want to talk about a pair of Beretta pocket pistols - the Model 21A Bobcat and the Model 3032 Tomcat. These aren't new designs, but in 2020, Beretta released threaded barrel variants that they call the Stealth model, and that's what we see today.
Beretta Mouse Gun
I will refer to this and similar sized guns as "pocket pistols". That doesn't mean they should be pocketed or that I even recommend a carry method. Pocket pistols are just an informal classification we use to refer to small concealed semi-autos.
Beretta M9 W/ Supressor
At first glance, these two Berettas look basically the same. The 21A Bobcat is chambered for .22 LR and until recently also came in .25 ACP. The 3032 Tomcat shoots .32 ACP, and is slightly heavier than the Bobcat. The grip and frame are the same size, but the Tomcat has a thicker slide and is four ounces heavier when fully loaded.
I review both of these guns, but most of the range footage you see is with the 21A Bobcat. And I'll admit it right now because I like bobcats a lot. Shooting the .22 is a lot of fun. A submerged .22 with a rimfire can is much quieter than a suppressed .32 with a 9mm can. If I had to choose between these two guns to carry, I would probably choose the Bobcat. The Tomcat is a bit heavier than my pocket-sized gun.
Otherwise, they are very similar. Both rifles are double action/single action with frame mounted manual safety and 7+1 ammunition capacity. There is also no slide lock on the last step. Both models feature Beretta's signature tip-up barrel. Instead of racking the slide to chamber your first round, you can depress the barrel release. The barrel then pops up so you can manually load your first round into the chamber. Then close it and it is ready to fire.
The tip-up barrel design goes back to 1952 with the Beretta 950. The Bobcat came in 1984 and the Tomcat was created in 1996. There have been some minor changes over the years. Tomcat's current slide is wider than the original to avoid some of their problems with frame cracking. The threaded barrel option is new. But for the most part, these guns aren't much different than they were in the 80s and 90s.
For Mouse Gun Monday: A New To Me Beretta 21a Bobcat
So why am I talking about these pockets that are decades old? More importantly, why does Beretta still bother making them? The Ruger LCP is the gold standard by which all other modern pocket pistols are measured. In comparison, these burritos are bulky and bulky. They are chambered for weaker cartridges when conventional wisdom dictates that .380 ACP is the minimum acceptable capacity for self-defense. A cynical person might even say that these new threaded barrel models are a desperate attempt to milk the last remaining dollars from some old guns that are otherwise completely irrelevant.
There may be some truth to these objections. But I think the appeal of these little Bretas is obvious if you go to the range and shoot one and then shoot a .380 LCP or some other small pocket 380. There is a very clear difference. Unlike the .380, Berettas are actually fun to shoot. They recoil less and have more grip surface for hanging. If you can get past the first double-action shot, the single-action trigger beats the pants off any other pocket pistol trigger.
Beretta is one of the very few companies that still makes pocket-sized pistols in any caliber other than .380 (unless you include anything smaller than 9mms). If you've followed our pocket pistol series over the years, you know that I think .22s and .32s are vastly underrated for this class of pistol.
We all experience some drop in shooting performance when we go from a full size or compact to a pocket pistol. If we insist on a 9mm or .380 for our pocket pistol, that doesn't negate the lack of efficiency. In fact, it usually makes it worse. Getting the holes where they need to go on the target is more important than the size of the holes, and that's why I prefer smaller calibers for smaller guns.
The Rimfire Report: Is The Jennings J 22 Really That Bad?the Firearm Blog
Tomcat and Bobcat also offer a possible solution to accessibility problems. This is actually one of the biggest drawbacks of pocket pistols. Due to the small grip and carry method we often use for these guns, the drawstroke can be very slow and awkward. Under stress, people have a strange grip that causes them to crash or drop their magazines.
Depending on your hand size, the Brittas wide grip can help alleviate these issues. In terms of length and height, they are almost identical to the Ruger LCP. With wooden grip panels that come standard on folding models, the Beretta Grip is about half an inch thicker than the LCP.
Personally, I prefer the plastic grip plate the Beretta ships with the standard version of this pistol. I have a set of them on the 21A and that's what I used for most of the range testing with this gun. They don't look as sharp as wood, but they make my hands feel a little better.
Even with the stiff grip panels, I had to change my grip technique quite a bit when shooting any of the Berettas. Instead of the typical "finger forward" grip I usually use on a semi-auto, I put my thumb in, similar to the grip I use with a revolver. This helps keep the slide from biting my right thumb and keeps my left thumb from contacting the slide and causing damage.
Beretta Covert Pocket Classics: The 21a Bobcat And 3032 Tomcat
The mag release is located in an unusual location, here placed in the middle of the left grip panel. It's not ideal for quick reloads, but for most people, it's probably safer than accidentally pressing it.
I love the tip-up barrel feature on these rifles. It's unique and fun to play. But I don't think it's as effective as it could be. The goal was to provide an alternative for people who have trouble creating a slide. The problem is, if you can't rack the slide, you may also have trouble pulling the double action trigger. It's not a bad trigger, but this first shot is on the heavy side at 12 pounds. Carrying in single action mode with the hammer cocked is not really a safe option with these pistols. The safety only locks the trigger itself, it does not lock the firing pin or hammer. It is not safe with nuclear weapons. It is much safer to hammer it fully cocked (not half-cocked) and turn the safety on or off.
There is no decker, so you have to do it manually. Fortunately, the trigger will release the hammer when the barrel is raised. So you never have to lower the hammer into the load chamber.
If you are already familiar with double action pistols, this is very easy. For the new shooter, all of this makes for a complicated firearms guide that is difficult to remember. So despite the smooth recoil and tip-up barrel, I think the Bobcat and Tomcat appeal more to enthusiasts than novice shooters.
Lr Vs 25 Acp
Reliability is always a big question with pocket pistols. I mentioned the slide cracking issue with the early Tomcats, but I think that's mostly taken care of. Once I figured out how to catch this tomcat, I had no problems. But I only got 250 rounds through it.
I put a lot of trigger time with the Bobcat. Historically, reliability has been pretty hit or miss with these, but I've heard a lot of good reports about the new model. My range time with this Stealth Bobcat confirmed this. It's picky about ammo, but it will let you know in a magazine or two if it likes a particular load. If it runs these first two mags, maybe it will last. It seems to be the best choice of jacketed round nose ammunition. It cycles very well with CCI Clean Subsonic and CCI Mini Mag. Between these two loads, I put about 600 rounds through the gun with only one failure. It seems so
Beretta gun safe, toy beretta gun, beretta gun sleeve, beretta gun pricing, beretta gun factory italy, a beretta gun, beretta gun cases, beretta vci gun sock, beretta gun cases shotgun, beretta gun holster, beretta waxwear gun case, beretta gun socks
0 Comments