Hey guys,

I'm considering picking up a pocket pistol and was wondering if I could get some opinions on the .25 Vs the .32. Is there that much of an advantage of the .32 over the .25 to warrant the extra thickness and weight?

Also I've been considering the Beretta Tomcat(.32) and Bobcat(.25). Does anyone have any experience with either of these two?

Most of the local gun shops no longer carry the Kel-Tec's due to the high complaints and returns. So I'm going to stay away from the Kel-Tec's.

Any other guns I might want to consider? I'm looking for super compact.

Thanks

Tom

P.S.
For the record no I don't want to carry something bigger. I've already got bigger and it just sits and collects dust. This is the situation of better to have somthing than nothing.

Neither one.

Look at the Kahr PM9.

It's a 9mm pocket pistol that is only 3/16" longer than the tomkat and 1.5 ounces heavier. For the very slight increase in size it would be a much much better choice than either of the Berettas. This gun easily fits into any ones pockets.

http://www.kahr.com/pistols_9mm.html

I'd choose a .22 before either of those other cartridges .

The bigger, the better. I'd go with the .32 in your situation. Too bad you're not into Kel-Tec. My wife has a P-3AT that I end up carrying more than she does. Had a stovepipe while breaking it in, but I don't have a single complaint about it. I'd recommend the extended mag, though, since most men's hands are way too large for the grip.

BigBulls,

I like the beretta because it is single/double. Is the advantages of the Khar that much better than the Beretta? Do you happen to know the price range on the Khar? I've priced the Tomcat at $359.

Dogslayer,

Why .22?

My only gripe is that I wish I could test shoot these guns before making a decision. Sucks when you can't, you just have to pull the trigger.

Tom

Does anyone have access to the Chuck Hawks Khar PM9 Review page? I wouldn't mind reading that. PM me please.

Tom

It kind of depends on what you plan to use it for. Neither is very accurate past 7 yds. and they don't have a whole lot of 'stopping power'. They can keep a stuation from escalating though if presented at just the right time.

I have been carrying my Tomcat for 5 or 6 years now as a pocket pistol. It's mainly just for dispatching rattlers or very brave coyotes when we are walking our dog. I have dropped a javelina in its tracks with it too. I shoot it at the range every now and then to make sure everything is still working right. Probably close to 1K rounds through it without a hiccup and it still fits very tight. SA/DA with a stiff hammer and half-cock. Perfect for me.

The 32 will give you a wider wound channel and deeper penetration in soft tissue. I don't think either will deal well with bone in a larger target. Fun to shoot& handy though. I had an old Walthers 32 for awhile. Worked like a top. For a real short barrel, I would stay away from the 22 rimfire.

Stat,

My wife has the .32 Tomcat. She purchased it the first year it came out and it is absolute junk. That said, they have supposedly refined the Tomcat over the years, and it is supposed to function a lot better. I'll be specific since others have had good experience with theirs.

First off, they had to send her a new one because when she tried to pop up the barrel, the slide would pop off. The point of impact is about 5 inches left and 7 inches high on both the original and replacement. Both would jam constantly. The trigger was terrible. If you didn't square up your finger to the trigger, sometimes the trigger wouldn't move when you pulled it. Add top eject of spent cases into your face and a small grip where the slide bites you if you don't allign your hand perfect, and I found it to be a nightmare. I do like the .32 cartridge. I do like the compactness of the Beretta. I would never trust it to feed the second round reliably, so there is no way I personally would use it as a carry gun.

I read in Guns and Ammo that Berreta recognized a lot of the shortcomings in the early model and made improvements for the more recent Tomcat, so maybe it's improved. I doubt I would get another to find out though.

KEJ

Either gun is better than no gun and the 32 is not the worst thing you could carry but the 38 or 9MM are both small guns with superior stopping power. I have a pocket 25 but I don't rely on it for protection. I do carry it sometimes if I just can't carry anything bigger.