Have you ever loved a gun but realized it’s really not for everyone? That’s the way I feel about the Beretta Tomcat (Model 3032) and Bobcat (Model 21A). I really enjoy both guns and they are some of my favorite guns in the pocket gun world. Yet, they aren’t guns I would ever suggest to others — especially concealed carriers. To appreciate these guns, you have to be a bit of a gun nerd and be willing to, for lack of a better term, baby them.
Why I love the Beretta Tomcat and Bobcat Mini Pistols
The reason I love these guns is their oddball features. We rarely see a DA/SA hammer-fired gun be so utterly small. It’s impressive that Beretta found a way to make it work and work well. I like DA/SA guns, and these guns look like mini Beretta 92s. Their defining feature is their tip-up barrel design. With the press of a lever, the barrel pops seemingly out of the gun, hinging forward.
The purpose is to allow you to load or unload directly from the chamber. There are a few reasons for this. First, the small slides are difficult to rack. You can pop the barrel up and +1 your gun. Second, these guns lack extractors; so if you rack the slide in an attempt to clear it, the round will remain chambered. The same goes for clearing a case that failed to eject.
These guns lack a decocker, but you can lower the hammer with the barrel tipped upwards. This ensures you never lower the hammer on a live round. This weird combination of a tip-up barrel, DA/SA action, and chambering in sub-calibers simply appeals to me.
The History of the Tip-up Series
The Tip-Up series dates back to the 1950s. Beretta produced a pistol known as the Model 418. This .25 ACP pocket pistol was most famously James Bond’s first gun. The gun was fine by all accounts, but in efforts to modernize it, they created the Beretta 950 Jetfire. This was also .25 ACP with a tip-up barrel.
The Jetfire was super small and one of the first guns to look like a modern Beretta with an exposed barrel. Beretta later produced the 950 Minx, a .22 Short version. The Minx was the first tip-up gun to get the feline moniker. Beretta did call the 418 the Panther when they imported it, but it was not a tip-up model.
Beretta later developed a more modern version of the 950 called the Model 20. The Model 20 came in .25 ACP and .22LR. It was also the first DA/SA of their tip-up guns. This is where the Bobcat moniker began. The Model 20 was produced until 1985 and later replaced by the American-designed Beretta 21A Bobcat.
Beretta also introduced a Beretta Model 86 with a tip-up barrel. This .380 ACP variant is the largest of the tip-up barrels and most powerful. It’s also another feline entry into the Beretta market.
In 1996, Beretta introduced the 3032 Tomcat, a beefier .32 ACP version of the gun. At this time, the Beretta Tomcat and Bobcat are the only ones still in production.
The Beretta Tip-ups Today
The current Beretta tip-ups are nearly identical in design. They vary between .25 ACP, .22 LR, and .32 ACP. However, they are very similar weapons. The tip-up guns are direct blowback firearms that lack extractors. They rely on gas blowback to eject the round, often causing the case to fly up and over the shooter’s head.
This blowback operation is quite simple and really the only way to make a gun this small and functional with a tip-up barrel. It’s impossible to make a short recoil design with a tilting barrel. This system is functional, but it’s not exactly the best system for a handgun.
The Beretta Tomcat and Bobcat use a hammer-fired DA/SA design with frame-mounted manual safety. The safety does not block the trigger pin. This point is important to know because the gun can be carried cocked and locked. However, it’s not drop-safe in this configuration. The safest way to carry the gun is with the hammer down on a loaded chamber.
The Beretta Tomcat and Bobcat use a rather oddly placed magazine release at the bottom rear of the grip. It’s fine and keeps the gun simple. However, I don’t think rapid reloads are on the menu for these backup pocket pistols. Both guns hold seven rounds of ammo and use a simple single-stack magazine. They feature simple iron sights that are super small and quite rugged.
The Beretta Tomcat and Bobcat also have a rather odd series of finicky behaviors unique to each gun. Let’s talk about the guns individually.
The Beretta 21A Bobcat
My experience with the Bobcat is the .22 LR version. The .22 is not only the most popular but most common variant of the Bobcat. Modern shooters may not know how finicky .22 LR semi-auto handguns used to be. Most are great these days, but the Bobcat is an old-school .22 LR pistol.
You have to use hot ammo with the gun, stuff like CCI Mini Mag, Federal Punch, and any other hot-loaded .22 LR. Standard loads are too light and cause cycling issues. Without an extractor, the gun relies on gas to blow out the casing. This becomes a problem when the barrel and chamber are dirty. The gunk keeps the casing from ejecting and causes feeding issues,; so keep it clean.
Next, as a micro blowback gun, it’s susceptible to limp-wristing. Get firm with your grip. However, don’t get too firm because, if you hold the gun too tight, it will also malfunction. It requires a just right grip on the gun. Also, don’t get too high because the slide will bite you and then malfunction.
Because the gun lacks an extractor, fixing malfunctions is not fun. It requires you to pop the barrel up and removing casings isn’t quick.
When the gun works, it’s loud and mean but has barely any recoil and is very easy to control. It’s fun to shoot and, when you find a reliable load, remember it.
The Beretta 3032 Tomcat
The more powerful Tomcat tends to work much better and be much less sensitive to limp-wristing or holding it too tight. It also works with every load of .32 ACP I’ve put through it. The gun tends to be sensitive when the ammunition is too powerful.
Ammunition that generates more than 129 foot-pounds of energy is normally considered too powerful. If you use ammunition that consistently exceeds 129 foot-pounds, you’ll crack the frame and Beretta won’t cover it. They include a giant warning with the gun, so be aware of that.
The Beretta Tomcat is a bit more beefy than the 21A and has a good bit more recoil. It does have some nasty slide bite and, if you hold it too high on the gun, it can also malfunction like the 21A.
The Feline Family Continued
Both the Beretta Tomcat and Bobcat are a ton of fun to shoot if you don’t mind dealing with the oddities of either gun. As of right now, they’re the only tip-up guns produced by Beretta. However, they aren’t the only tip-up guns on the market.
Girsan makes a clone of the Beretta 86 in .380 ACP and features a tip-up barrel. The gun is a direct clone of the 86 with the exception of an added rail. It’s called the MC 14T and comes in tons of colors.
Another interesting option comes from Taurus. The Taurus PT-22 is a tip-up barrel in .22 LR. It has a polymer frame and double-action-only trigger. It’s teeny tiny like the Bobcat, but a bit different.
I tend to stick to the Berettas, but I might grab both of these just to outfit my collection. I enjoy the tip-up guns, but what do you think? Are you willing to deal with the weirdness of the Berettas? Or do you prefer something more practical for your money?
