Beretta 3032 Tomcat
Encyclopedia
The Beretta 3032 Tomcat and Beretta 3032 Tomcat Inox are semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta
. They are chambered in .32 ACP
and are small pistols, designed for concealed-carry and use as backup weapons.
manufactured by Beretta.
pistol with a single and double action trigger mechanism. It is fitted with a frame
mounted thumb safety
. This safety acts as a slide stop when engaged. The frame is made out of aluminium
alloy
, the slide
and barrel are either carbon or stainless
steel
.
night sights.
.
Light weight when compared to a full sized service pistol.
Easy to perform a basic field strip and clean.
Inox (stainless steel) version is very resistant to corrosion and allows for low maintenance daily carry.
The barrel can be released to pivot on a pin under the muzzle ('tip-up' barrel). This feature allows a round to be inserted into the chamber directly, without manipulation of the slide. Likewise, the chamber can be easily inspected for its load status, or cleared with a fingernail.
Ammunition companies have also improved on the base .32 ACP
load, by producing loadings in 60 grain (3.9 gram) hollow-point, yielding higher muzzle velocity and energy.
cartridge is considered underpowered by American standards, but considered to be sufficient to carry for self defense in other nations. The safety system is basic. The accuracy of the pistol is best suited for short ranges. Many users of the .32 ACP believe that a full metal jacket
(FMJ) type of projectile is preferred over the expanding jacketed hollow point (JHP) type of projectile. This thought is based upon the premise that a FMJ is more likely to penetrate clothing and fatty tissue with enough energy remaining to also penetrate into vital organs. Proponents of the .32 ACP round suggest that with expanding projectiles such as the common self-defense JHP, much if not all of the projectiles energy will be absorbed during the travel through the clothing and fatty tissues, therefore being unreliable at making way to any vital organs.
The pistol lacks an extractor, relying upon the expanding gasses to force the spent casing rearward. This means that racking the slide will not remove either unspent or defective cartridges. This can lead to complications in a self defense situation, but is often balanced out by the tip-up barrel.
The document included with new Tomcat 3032 pistols warns that the owner should never use +P (high-pressure) ammunition that exceeds 130 ft·lbf (176 J) muzzle energy.
Some owners of the Tomcat have reported that the frame of the pistol will crack, even when the pistol is relatively new and has not fired a high number of rounds (see http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-441751.html). According to the discussion on this and other web boards, Beretta has redesigned the slide of the matte-finish Tomcat to have a greater mass, more comparable to the mass of the Inox version, in the belief that this will reduce recoil stress on the alloy frame and prevent cracking. However, there are reports (as noted in the discussion) of cracking with the Inox version as well.
Beretta
Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta is an Italian firearms manufacturer. Their firearms are used worldwide for a variety of civilian, law enforcement, and military purposes. It is also known for manufacturing shooting clothes and accessories. Beretta is the oldest active firearms manufacturer in the...
. They are chambered in .32 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 ACP , also known as the .32 Automatic is a pistol cartridge. It is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled cartridge developed by firearms designer John Browning, initially for use in the FN M1900 semi-automatic pistol...
and are small pistols, designed for concealed-carry and use as backup weapons.
History
The Beretta 3032 Tomcat builds on a long line of small and compact pocket pistols for self defenseSelf-defense
Self-defense, self-defence or private defense is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many...
manufactured by Beretta.
Specifications
The Beretta 3032 Tomcat is a simple blowbackBlowback (arms)
Blowback is a system of operation for self-loading firearms that obtains energy from the motion of the cartridge case as it is pushed to the rear by expanding gases created by the ignition of the propellant charge....
pistol with a single and double action trigger mechanism. It is fitted with a frame
Receiver (firearms)
In firearms terminology, the receiver is the part of a firearm that houses the operating parts. The receiver usually contains the bolt carrier group, trigger group, and magazine port. In most handguns, the receiver, or frame, holds the magazine well or rotary magazine as well as the trigger mechanism...
mounted thumb safety
Safety
Safety is the state of being "safe" , the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be...
. This safety acts as a slide stop when engaged. The frame is made out of aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
alloy
Alloy
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...
, the slide
Pistol slide
The slide is the part of the weapon on a majority of semi-automatic pistols that moves during the operating cycle and generally houses the firing pin or striker and the extractor, and serves as the bolt...
and barrel are either carbon or stainless
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
.
Variants
It is available in an "Inox" variant, with stainless steel barrel and slide and the frame anodized to look the same. For a short time a titanium model was also available. It's been reported that only 1,500 of the titanium models were made. There was also a Tomcat Tritium version with tritiumTritium
Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen. The nucleus of tritium contains one proton and two neutrons, whereas the nucleus of protium contains one proton and no neutrons...
night sights.
Intended market
The Beretta 3032 Tomcat is a self defense pistol, designed for concealed carry. This makes it a good gun for undercover agents, off-duty police officers (or on-duty as backup), and private person CCWCarrying concealed weapon
Concealed carry, or CCW , refers to the practice of carrying a handgun or other weapon in public in a concealed manner, either on one's person or in proximity....
.
Design advantages
The design is simple and small, and very easy to conceal.Light weight when compared to a full sized service pistol.
Easy to perform a basic field strip and clean.
Inox (stainless steel) version is very resistant to corrosion and allows for low maintenance daily carry.
The barrel can be released to pivot on a pin under the muzzle ('tip-up' barrel). This feature allows a round to be inserted into the chamber directly, without manipulation of the slide. Likewise, the chamber can be easily inspected for its load status, or cleared with a fingernail.
Ammunition companies have also improved on the base .32 ACP
.32 ACP
.32 ACP , also known as the .32 Automatic is a pistol cartridge. It is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled cartridge developed by firearms designer John Browning, initially for use in the FN M1900 semi-automatic pistol...
load, by producing loadings in 60 grain (3.9 gram) hollow-point, yielding higher muzzle velocity and energy.
Limitations
The .32 ACP.32 ACP
.32 ACP , also known as the .32 Automatic is a pistol cartridge. It is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled cartridge developed by firearms designer John Browning, initially for use in the FN M1900 semi-automatic pistol...
cartridge is considered underpowered by American standards, but considered to be sufficient to carry for self defense in other nations. The safety system is basic. The accuracy of the pistol is best suited for short ranges. Many users of the .32 ACP believe that a full metal jacket
Full metal jacket bullet
A full metal jacket is a bullet consisting of a soft core encased in a shell of harder metal, such as gilding metal, cupronickel or less commonly a steel alloy. This shell can extend around all of the bullet, or often just the front and sides with the rear left as exposed lead...
(FMJ) type of projectile is preferred over the expanding jacketed hollow point (JHP) type of projectile. This thought is based upon the premise that a FMJ is more likely to penetrate clothing and fatty tissue with enough energy remaining to also penetrate into vital organs. Proponents of the .32 ACP round suggest that with expanding projectiles such as the common self-defense JHP, much if not all of the projectiles energy will be absorbed during the travel through the clothing and fatty tissues, therefore being unreliable at making way to any vital organs.
The pistol lacks an extractor, relying upon the expanding gasses to force the spent casing rearward. This means that racking the slide will not remove either unspent or defective cartridges. This can lead to complications in a self defense situation, but is often balanced out by the tip-up barrel.
The document included with new Tomcat 3032 pistols warns that the owner should never use +P (high-pressure) ammunition that exceeds 130 ft·lbf (176 J) muzzle energy.
Some owners of the Tomcat have reported that the frame of the pistol will crack, even when the pistol is relatively new and has not fired a high number of rounds (see http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-441751.html). According to the discussion on this and other web boards, Beretta has redesigned the slide of the matte-finish Tomcat to have a greater mass, more comparable to the mass of the Inox version, in the belief that this will reduce recoil stress on the alloy frame and prevent cracking. However, there are reports (as noted in the discussion) of cracking with the Inox version as well.
Technical data
- Trigger system: Single-action or double-action
- Frame material: Aluminium light alloy
- Slide and barrel material: Carbon or stainless steel
- Grip material: Plastic
- Safeties: Frame mounted safety.
- Magazine release: Lower grip heel.