Beretta .22LR Bobcat: Opinions?

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woad_yurt

New member
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Someone I know is getting a carry permit soon (I do spread the word!) and she won't carry if it's at all inconvenient. She's slide-racking challenged and wants small and light. The smallest S&W .38 snubbies are too fat so I'm left with ultra-tiny DA Iver Johnson/H&R 32s from 1910 or the Bobcat, which has the tip-up feature.

I'm very familiar with old 32s but completely ignorant regarding these little Berettas. How does the .22LR Bobcat work? Reliable? Can it handle hypervelocity stuff every now and then?

I know .32 S&W or .22LR are not powerful calibers but they're way better than nothing. She loves the Model 10 so there's a good chance that she'll upsize in the future but, right now, as a newbie, she doesn't want to compromise her wardrobe much. Thus, my search for something simple and pocketable.

Thanks for any info
 
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DasFriek

Moderator
Have you tried to have her rack the slide of the newer smaller .380's?
Keltec has the p32 wich should do what you ask.
If money isnt an option the new Kahr .380 is an amazingly small sexy gun.

You seem to know about these smaller calibers to know the effectiveness,but i cant suggest any .22 myself.Mainly due to i only shoot them at the range and cant comment on a reliable .22 for carry that isn't too big.
 
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woad_yurt

New member
She "can't" rack anything. I have a P3AT and it was pointless with her. Couldn't budge it. She also hates the P3AT's feel. She couldn't rack my Star, my Makarov, my Tokarev or PA-63, either, and the Star is a really easy one.
 
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Doc TH

New member
carry

Given all the limitations you pose, I suppose the Beretta 21A is OK. It is reliable, and can handle Stingers and other hypervelocity ammo. There aren't many choices given your criteria.
 
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woad_yurt

New member
I screwed this thread up. I meant to include the .32 Tomcat. All of the above questions apply.

DasFriek:
There's no need to rack these. The barrel tips up so you can put one in the chamber manually.
 
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raftman

New member
Given those limitations, the .32 Tomcat would probably be the best choice. 32 acp has really mild recoil, but is by far more potent than the .22. The Tomcat .32 weighs not even 3 ounces more than the Bobcat .22 and if I'm not mistaken they're the same size. Heck, I'd look at getting one for myself if my Kel-Tec P32 ever craps out.
 
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Bill DeShivs

New member
The new Tomcat is much thicker and clunkier than the model 21. Older ones were slimmer, but still thicker than the .22.
Model 21s can have a light-strike problem on the D/A first round. Make sure this is not the case before carrying one.
 
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Magyar

New member
How does the .22LR Bobcat work? Reliable? Can it handle hypervelocity stuff every now and then?
Click to expand...
Okay, I have a bias against this pistol from personal experience. I'll say just one thing and go away: "You are only certain of the 1st shot, after that: bets are off".....:eek:
 
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Dustin0

New member
I have carried a tomcat before there not bad guns. 32 ACP was just a little small for my taste. The gun always went bang when you pulled the trigger. I have been looking for another one for a BUG.
 
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Claddagh

New member
I owned a plain-vanilla M-21A for a few years. IME with it, getting it to run 100% reliably with any ammo never happened. New mags, hyper-carefull mag loading techniques, scrupulous cleaning and lubrication - didn't make much of a difference. 90 % was about the best I could get, and that just won't cut it IMO for PP, especially at 'conversational' distance.

If the 'tip-up' Beretta platform is the only option on the table here for all practical purposes, then IMO your friend would be much better served by a .32 ACP or even the lowly and much maligned .25. My only other personal experiences with 'vest pocket' Berettas were an old SA "Minx" .25 and a .22 S "Jetfire" many years ago. Feeble, to say say the least, but at least they ran 100% with about any ammo you put in them.

Also just MO, but it's the overall length-to-diameter ratio and rimmed configuration of the .22 LR cartridge that seem to make it such an extremely difficult round to get a semiauto platform this small to run well with under even the best of circumstances.
 
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SigP6Carry

New member
honestly, my advice would be to train her to rack slides. I recently taught my girl how to shoot and it was actually pretty funny when I taught her how to rack the slide on a 9mm before we left. It took her about 20 minutes before she successfully racked the slide. I then investigated how I do it and exactly what each of my hands do, where to hold it and how to hold it and then showed her EXACTLY how. Now she can do it, but occasionally when she racks it, the slide doesn't go back enough and she doesn't chamber a round. It takes practice, but if she's serious about getting something to protect herself, she just needs to practice.

Another option would be a .32H&R revolver from charter arms. A lot of people pass off the .32 rounds as underpowered, but the .32H&R Magnum actually has similar effects to a .38spl. The Charter arms revolvers are generally smaller, lighter and easier for a woman to hand, and the .32 won't have the kick of a snubbie .38 or .357 while still providing sufficient power.

Another issue that comes up with new shooters who have smaller/weak frames is the double action pull. Once again, from my experience, when I taught my girl to shoot, she had a very hard time pulling a double action, let alone place a round accurately using DA. You might run into that problem, as well.

It really depends on how she shoots, how often she shoots and what she's used to.
 
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a7mmnut

Moderator
I also found the tiny beretta I used to own a POS. I wished 10 times I had my old PT22 back. Even though it was DAO, it was twice the gun. I spent plenty of money getting the Inox finish in the Beretta .22, only to be highly disappointed. I sold it for a $25 loss and bought the Walther, which is also 2X the gun IMO.

I had the same thing in mind for my wife. The only gun she can rack is my old-ish Excam .25--again, a real POS. I bought the NAA Mini in .22 Mag. and both of us wind up carrying it all the time. If you doubt its lethality, put a CCI Maxi Mag through a milk jug full of red Koolaid and an 8" cinder block at 7 yards for her. Then make sure she can do it herself. My wife finds cocking a hammer to be far easier than racking a slide.

-7-
 
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Mikeyboy

New member
I think if your friend is going to carry this for self defense, she would be better off with a Tomcat .32acp or the Bobcat in 25acp.

I have a Bobcat in .22lr and it is ammo picky and once you shot over 50 rounds thru it even ammo it like will jam until you clean it.

I know she cannot rack a slide, but has she considered a revolver??? If I had to carry a rimfire handgun for self defense. I would feel more comfortable with a Taurus or S&W snubbie in .22lr or .22mag. The trigger pull would be a little more significant on a rimfire revolver though.
 
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Kreyzhorse

New member
Out of your options, the .32 Tomcat is your best choice. My buddy owns a Tomcat and it's been 100% reliable and a from a CCW stand point, its a small gun that is fairly easy to conceal. The .32, while not a power house, provides more energy than either a .22 or a .25 and is better suited as a SD round than the other choices.
 
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michael t

New member
22 is iffy But my 3 beretta 25 autos run perfect In these mouse gun the 25 is a better round its feeds and center fire It has more penteration in ball The 22 doesn't start working better than a 25 till your at 4" barrel
The poor old weak can hurt you 25 acp in Jell went over 13" with one brand and 16+" with other 22 won't make 10"
 
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woad_yurt

New member
New info: Today, she told me that she likes the Model 10's long, gradual trigger pull as opposed the the shorter, more sensitive ones on my semiautos. She did love the first, DA pull on the Makarov, though, but hated the following SA pulls. It sorta does feel revolver-like on the first one, I guess. I never thought of it that way until she mentioned it.

She's leaning towards a tiny revolver, it seems.
 
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tshadow6

New member
Beretta Bobcat

The Bobcat is fine. I carried one for a few years then in a fit of foolishness sold it. I am bound and determined to buy another one. Tell her to buy a few spare magazines and feed it some Stinger rounds.
 
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Snow Fox

New member
Guys, if you haven't noticed, women have a bigger problem with CC than you do. "Fashinoable" clothing draws your eye to us and busts do get in the way of shoulder rigs. I'm not saying CC is impossible, we just have problems to over come that you don't.

I have a .25 Bobcat for times when I really have no where to hide a gun. I like it. it is light and easy and, with practice, accurate but I'm still left with the question of the effecitiveness of a .25 round. "better than screaming for help" I guess. I usually have a .380 Berretta in a hip holster or a .38sp S&W airweight commonly in a coat pocket.
 
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