$250-Beretta Tomcat or Kel-tec P32 ?

[sgt dwayne a smith]

I am looking at getting a new 32ACP handgun. I have found two that I like the Tomcat and the P32. I'm just not sure what to buy?

Tomcat
+ I have a Beretta 92FSC, and love it. It would be nice to get one more Beretta pistol.
+ The Tomcat has a safe lever on it. It's kind of small and hard to work, but no other new 32 has this feature.
+ The Tomcat has real sights on it.
+ The Tomcat has a big gun feel to it.

- The weight of the Tomcat.
- The weight.
- The (you get the picture).

P32
+ It is real light weight.
+ It is super thin.
+ The hard chrome slide upgrade for only $20.

- I don't like the feel of this pistol in my hand. It feels like a toy.
- The P32 has sights that suck.
- I am not crazy about the idea of a plastic pistol. The plastic frame of the P32 doesn't give me the feeling that it will last many years.

So guys, help me out with my choice. Tell me what you know about the two pistols in question.
Thanks

 

[alamo]

I have a P-32. Not much you can do about the first 2 negatives you listed on the P-32. You might feel differently about it after you shoot one. I assume this is for concealed carry. The P-32 is a much better choice for more people due to its size & weight. I used to have a Beretta 21 (.25) before .32s other than a Seecamp were available. I couldn't imagine carrying again now in a back pocket holster much less the even fatter and heavier Tomcat.
The P-32 is durable despite having a polymer & aluminum frame/grip, that's what makes it light. You can't have it both ways, you're just gonna have to decide which is more important too you.
Maybe you should consider the Guardian, it may have the feel that you want with less size & weight than the Tomcat.

 

[Cruzer]

Sarge, if you have big hands and the P32 feels too small, it will be uncomfortable and nearly impossible to shoot accurately...at least this was my friend's experience. It is really an excellent piece. I am sure it will last a very long time, and if anything goes wrong Kel-Tec is a company you can depend on.

I have medium hands and love the feel of my P32, and shoot it better than any other DA pistol in my collection. The "toy" feel goes away as you put more rounds downrange and gain confidence in the little sucker. Also, Agrips (wraparound grips) are a must and make the gun much easier to hold firmly. Finally, there is a Kel-Tec +1 extension and a NAA finger extension that give you a little bit more to hang on to. Agrip is about $20 and the extensions are about $10. Another alternative is to go with a P11 (with a pocket holster) if you have big pockets.

 

[Tamara]

As the happy owner of a Tomcat that has gone some 1k rounds since its last jam, I'll be the first to admit that the P-32 makes a better pocket gun. I just shoot the Tomcat a lot better, that's all; it's sort of the "full-size combat auto" of the mousegun world.

 

[pinetree]

I just don't like the way the Kel-Tec grip fits my hand. Here in Atlanta, they range from $189 to $239. I have always liked the Tomcat, but weight has been an issue.

I hear that there is a new Titanium Tomcat, this would solve your weight problem, but I'm afraid what it will do to the price.

In the end, I ended-up with a ultra-lite Taurus revolver. It is my go everywhere gun. Why? weight, reliabilty, power, simplicity, snakeshot

tjg

 

[RWK]

Comfort, ergonomics, etc.

Sarge,

One of the inherent risks with advice -- even from TFL's real experts who intend nothing but honest assistance -- is it tends to be generalized rather than individually-specific.

This new handgun must be good for you, not for anyone else. I suspect that if you are uncomfortable with the P-32's feel, sight picture, pointing, trigger pull, ergonomics, and so forth now, you will NEVER evolve to contentment with it over time. Further, that discomfort is very likely to equate to poor accuracy.

Therefore, I would never buy a handgun with which I am not fully comfortable. A brief experience illustrates this point. Some years ago, when I decided to re-introduce myself to handguns, my research suggested the Glock 23 was the ideal "package": (1) mid sized, (2) Glock quality, reliability and accuracy, (3) the .40 S&W round (which seemed to be an ideal compromise between the 9x19 and the 45 ACP), and (4) strong expert endorsements. The only problem was -- and is -- I hated the G23C's hand feel, trigger/striker pull, and sight picture. Well, I bought it anyway, since it fit all the "right" analytical metrics and -- guess what -- I have never become comfortable with it and I cannot shoot it with any real accuracy to this day. My mistake was to allow Glock's deserved excellent reputation plus the above analytical elements override my individual "feel" for the semiautomatic.

I urge you to let your personal "feel" for the alternatives play a major part in your final decision.

 

[Redlg155]

I think you are definitely leaning over the Tomcat.

You mention the weight, but even with the Tomcat weight isn't really an issue. They are both light weight pistols. My only complaint with the Tomcats are the location of the mag release. I keep wondering if I sit down just the right way- will the mag release activate? That is the only thing that has kept me from getting one.

Personally I want a KelTec as soon as I get some money scraped up. I used to hate polymer frame pistols and when the Glocks first came out I hated them with a passion. Since then I've come to trust the durability, light weight and corrosion resistance of polymer.

My idea of a good pocket pistol is one I will absolutely forget I am carrying. If I want the heft and assurance of a steel, I carry one of my larger weapons.

Good Shooting
RED

 

[7th Fleet]

My idea of a good pocket pistol is one I will absolutely forget I am carrying>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>....

And that my friends rules out everything except the P-32 which I carry both on and off duty as a backup gun. You can forget all about the P-32 it's that small, light and easily concealed. I love mine which has yet to fail in around 500 rounds. I looked at the Beretta but it was way to large compared to the P-32, look at them both side by side and you will see.

7th

 

[BayouBob]

Got my Tomcat several years before the P-32 came out and then bought the P-32 last year. Figured I only needed one small caliber .32 pistol and sold the Tomcat. Liked the tip up barrel but it was heavy and fat in your pocket. The P-32 disappears in your pocket and is so light even when carrying an extra mag in its Uncle Mike's holster.
BB

 

[Onslaught]

I started with the Beretta Tomcat... but one of the first ones... HATED IT!!!

You're right though, it does feel good in the hand, but the trigger was aweful, it beat the crap out of me, and it jammed a lot.

I now own a P32. It feels wierd in the hand... I'm thinking that maybe the +1 may help. But it has very little recoil, much better trigger than the Tomcat, and so far, NO malfunctions.

I guess it just depends on what exactly you want it for... If your PRIMARY reason for getting it is to carry it in your pocket as a backup pistol, I say KTP32. If you just want a .32 for plinking, carrying in something like the DeSantis pouch, then the extra weight of the Beretta probably won't be an issue.

FWIW, My father had the Beretta .22 version, and it was a MUCH better pistol to shoot than the .32 offering. I'm not suggesting you get that one instead, I'm just rambling.

I'd rather look at/show off/hold the beretta... I much prefer carrying/relying on the Kel Tec in my pocket.

 

[Richard]

Go Kel-Tec P32

sgt dwayne a smith, I have large hands and the P32 has something going for it that the TomCat doesn't. What is it? The P32 doesn't bite the hand that feeds it. The Kel-Tec is designed so the slide sits much higher in your hand. I had trouble with my P32 and sent it back to the factory. They fixed it promptly and sent me a spare magazine as a bonus. Regards, Richard

 

[Mikul]

I am always reading about problems with the Tomcats on the boards. A friend of mine bought the Alleycat, and I refrained from telling him the horror stories and hoped that all would be well with his.

Well, a month later he sent it in to Beretta for repairs.

 

[Russ]

If it doesn't feel good in your hand, you will be sorry if you buy it. I have the Beretta in Stainless and I like it. Many people on this board bad mouth it but in my experience, it works great. Mine is fairly new production. Alot of improvements over prior models. I like the tip up barrel. My wife likes this more than I as she has a real hard time cycling the slide. That's my 2 cents. The weight diff is probably only a few ounces so I don't see that as a big factor. I think the bottom line is, get what feels good in your hand and you can shoot. To each his own. The P-32 is a fine gun but I personally like the Beretta.

 

[Ragin Cajun]

I'll swap you a P-32 for my tom cat.

 

[Watch-Six]

I have a P32. I did not expect to like it, but I do. The thing works great and disappears in your pocket. After MANY pocket pistols this is the best one that I have found for real world carry.

 

[444]

SGT: It is obvious from your post that your mind is already made up. I agree with the other poster that you should buy what you like. You will never be happy with anything else. All that being said, I have a P32 and love it. I was amazed at the accurcy of it and the fact that the sights hit right on the money. Sure the sights are tiny, so is the gun, but if you have the chance to use the sights, they work well. If the situation dictates that you can't use the sights, then it doesn't matter what they look like. I have the belt clip on both my P32 and my P11. This makes them even easier to conceal since it eliminates the extra thickness of a holster. The P32 is so small that I can carry it IWB with the belt clip and still have my shirt tucked in; as long as I leave the shirt loose so it hangs down a couple inches. 99% of the gun is behind my waistband. I don't carry the gun. I live in one of these states where you are only allowed two specific guns for CCW, but if maximum concealability is a factor, this is the gun. Just for the heck of it, I carried both the P32 and the P11 at the same time on a date just to see if my girlfriend would notice. Other than her putting her arm around my waist, they were totally hidden. I had the P11 IWB and the P32 in my back pocket with the belt clip on the pocket.

 

[Doug S]

I just purchased a P-32. I liked both the NAA Guardian and the Beretta Tomcat but the deciding factor in my case was that I wanted a 32 for pocket carry. The NAA was nice, but I chose the P-32 over it because of the weight difference. The Beretta was also heavier and appeared to be much wider. My Beretta Jetfire is much wider in the grip than the P-32 and I believe the Tomcat is wider than the Jetfire. The P-32 fit my needs. If I were going to carry by some other method the Tomcat might have been a more viable option.

 

[Ledbetter]

welcome sgt dwayne a smith

I think you summarized the differences between the two guns in your first post. I have a .22 LR bobcat (another beretta feline) and a p32. The bobcat is easier to shoot, much better made.

The p32 shoots the same round in a much more compact, concealable package, but it's double action only and prone to defects. I read one guy's post who carried it in his back pocket and sat on it--it broke.

For a carry much, shoot little gun in .32 acp, I prefer the p32. If you want a beautiful little gun that feels good in the hand and shoots well, get the beretta and put the wood grips on.

Regards.

 

[Onslaught]

Russ, you've made some good points, and I think ultimately the good Sarge will probably settle on the Tomcat. I'm glad to hear that yours doesn't experience the same ills that mine did, and I hope his will be equally serviceable.

I only wish to address the comment that "The weight diff is probably only a few ounces so I don't see that as a big factor. " Mind you, this is NO FLAME or attack, I just hear this a lot about lighter guns compared to heavier ones and want to point this out.

The difference between a Beretta Tomcat and a Kel-Tec is only a few ounces. In fact, it's only 8oz diff. in the weight of the two pistols. But lets look at it ANOTHER way... The Kel-Tec weighs 6oz. The Tomcat weighs 14oz. Therefore, the Tomcat is 133% heavier than the Kel-Tec. The Kel-Tec weighs 2oz less than half a pound, the Tomcat weighs 2oz less than a full pound.

Also, the Kel-Tec is lighter than the difference between the weight of the two pistols. Therefore, if the weight difference between the two is so small as not to notice, that means, in effect, that the weight of the Kel-Tec is 2oz LESS than a weight considered so small as not to notice.

When you look at it any other weigh (pun) it's actually QUITE a bit of difference. And when you hold them, the tomcat feels TWICE as heavy.

Again Sir, not an attack, just another way of looking at it.

 

[Cruzer]

Very logical and well worded argument Onslaught.

I think you have made an argument for carrying a P32 in each pocket (one for each hand like Lara Croft in TombRaider).