Beretta Bobcat vs Tomcat: Which You Should Choose?

Beretta Bobcat and Tomcat are the smallest handguns in the manufacturer's collection. They've been the favorite of people who wanted pocket-sized pistols for self-defense ever since the 80s and 90s. The pistols are alike in many ways, which makes it difficult to choose between them. Both are affordable, lightweight, and user-friendly. Yet, some subtle differences set them apart. In this Beretta Bobcat vs. Tomcat comparison, we'll explain them to you.

A Brief History of Beretta Bobcat and Tomcat

The Italian firearms manufacturing company Beretta designed Bobcat 21A in late 1984. This micro-sized pocket pistol has a simple blowback operation, an aluminum alloy frame, and a steel slide and barrel. The Bobcat surprised shooters with its small frame that housed the DA/SA trigger and the unique tip-up barrel.

The barrel design gave much convenience to average gun owners as they could drop a round into the chamber without raking the slide. It also made clearing the chamber without dropping the magazine and raking the slide possible. The pistol appealed to civilians worried about self-defense who wished for a low-recoil pocket pistol.

The Beretta 3032, or Tomcat, is a beefier cousin of Bobcat 21A. It was introduced in 1996 and, like the Bobcat, was a part of the tip-up gun series. With its .32 ACP chambering, the Tomcat was the largest caliber of the tip-up guns. Its design is inspired by the Beretta Model 950 Jetfire, but the difference lies in the size. The Tomcat became an ideal pocket pistol for shooters with larger hands who preferred good stopping power and the benefit of discreet carry.

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Beretta Bobcat Vs. Tomcat - Differences in Frame and Size

The Beretta Bobcat is more compact than the Tomcat. This gun, in 22 LR or .25 ACP, is perfect for concealed carry as it weighs only 11.5 oz compared to the 14.5 oz weight of the Tomcat. When loaded, the Tomcat becomes four ounces heavier than the Bobcat. 

Put simply, it is a heavier .32 ACP version of Bobcat. The slide has been made bulky with added weight and width, and the frame around the trigger guard area has been built up. This modification allows the gun to handle a cartridge with massive .32 ACP firepower. 

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Beretta Bobcat Vs. Tomcat - Grip and Ergonomics

Since both the guns are compact, the grip is short. However, Beretta Bobcat's grip is smaller than that of Tomcat. When comparing the two pistols, it becomes evident that the Tomcat's grip area is much bigger. Given the wide grip, it is surprising that the pistol is single-stack. This makes concealed carry more challenging for the Tomcat compared to the Bobcat.

Moreover, if you grab the gun high on the grip, you'll experience slide bite. In turn, it can cause failure to feed. A lower grip eliminates this issue. Both the guns have their magazine releases located at the lower rear of the pistol's grip, which is often awkward to reach but improves with practice.

The textured hammer in Beretta Bobcat and Tomcat move back smoothly into single-action mode. Its size is reduced, which makes it difficult to get your hand on it in Tomcat, but it leads to a snag-free drawing.

Differences in Trigger and Safety

The Tomcat and Bobcat use a hammer-fired DA/SA trigger design. It has a frame-mounted manual safety, which does not obstruct the trigger pin, so you can carry either the gun cocked or locked. The best way to carry these guns is with the hammer down on a loaded chamber, as they do not have a drop-safe setup.

The double and single-action trigger pulls in these guns are not light. The DA pull is long and heavier than many other guns. After a DA trigger has been pulled, every subsequent shot is fired with a cocked hammer, which leads to a lighter trigger pull. Still, it is not as light as Beretta's latest offerings. A single-action fire with both guns allows you to shoot consistently at 25 yards.

A great feature of these pistols is the tip-up barrel design. The barrel makes loading and chambering a round easy. You don't need to rack the slide for loading the gun. This feature also makes verifying an empty chamber effortless. The tip-up barrel helps people with reduced physical strength who find loading the gun and manipulating the stiff slides of the Bobcat and Tomcat difficult.

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Differences in Cartridge

Beretta Bobcat is a .22 LR handgun. It feels pleasant to shoot with the gun because the cartridge produces less recoil. The Tomcat uses .32 ACP ammunition or 7.65mm Browning. .32 ACP is a better caliber than .22LR due to the higher penetration. This is why it is the preferred choice for armed and police professionals.

Also, semi-automatic guns chambered for. 22 LR ammunition is more ammunition-sensitive than other firearms, and the same is the case with the Beretta Bobcat. You need to try out different types of ammo to find a suitable one.

Differences in Magazine Capacity

The Beretta Bobcat 21A comes with a standard 7-round magazine capacity. The .32 ACP variant of the Beretta Tomcat 3032 has a 7-round magazine capacity. In the 20X variant of Bobcat, the magazine capacity is increased to eight rounds. Since one round is in the chamber, the total capacity is 8+1 or nine rounds.

Differences in Sights

Since the pistols are classic, they have small but strong standard iron sights. The fixed sights in Bobcat are designed for close-range target acquisition. However, since they are incredibly small, it can hinder accuracy. This is true for Tomcat, too.

In recent years, many new variants of Bobcat and Tomcat have emerged with improved configurations for sights. The Beretta Bobcat 20X has standard height and suppressor height sights, while the "Do It Yourself" variant of the handgun has a threaded barrel and suppressor height sights. There are dovetail slide cuts that enable user-adjustable and changeable iron setups.

The upgraded versions in the Tomcat line are threaded and have adjustable night sights. In the 3032 Tomcat Inox, the rear sight is adjustable for windage so that the user can explore shooting varying loads while keeping their sights on target.

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Beretta Bobcat Vs. Tomcat - Recoil and Accuracy

The recoil is lower in Bobcat than in Tomcat. The .22 LR chambering reduces the impact of recoil and makes shooting with the Bobcat a pleasant experience. So, despite being a straight-up blowback gun, the Bobcat 21 A has virtually no recoil. The Tomcat is also a blowback gun, but since it has a .32 ACP cartridge, the recoil is more. The absence of a locked breech further increases the felt recoil.

The accuracy of both the classic Bobcat 21A and Tomcat 3032 is not as great as the newer versions. The two main reasons for average accuracy are heavy trigger pull and fixed sights. Their accuracy is consistent at 15 yards, but for targets beyond this point, you need to upgrade to the latest variants.

Beretta Bobcat Vs. Tomcat - Which is Better? 

No gun is inherently better than the other, and which is superior varies according to individual preferences. If you prefer a compact pistol with less or no recoil, the Beretta Bobcat will suit you more than the Tomcat. For those who wish for a concealable weapon with powerful stopping power, the Tomcat is preferable. Both models shoot accurately between 10 and 20 yards. The tip-up barrels in these guns are a great choice for people with reduced hand strength. Test both options or explore the latest versions of Bobcat and Tomcat. Once you decide, don't forget to get a custom holster to carry the gun safely.