Beretta Covert Pocket Classics: The 21A Bobcat and 3032 Tomcat
Beretta Covert Pocket Classics: The 21A Bobcat and 3032 Tomcat
The Beretta 21A Bobcat and 3032 Tomcat are relics from a time when even pocket pistols had hammers and were made from steel and wood. But Beretta is still producing these models, including the threaded barrel Covert variants that we’re reviewing today. Are they only good for range toys, or do they have anything to offer as serious self-defense tools compared to more modern options?
Pocket Pistol Series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYqiOqBy2WM8xwHJt4tKJ4SJRinqP5S1B
Ruger LCP II .22LR Review: https://youtu.be/fn5vuF7CGH0
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Why have sights? These are up close and personal pistols…0-2 yards
How many people are wondering why Beretta hasn’t made these two pocket pistols in a polymer frame?
I would figure they would sell alot more units.
Heck I’d buy one.
Anybody else feel the same?
Just saw one of these for the first time in a duck blind. Super fun with a small silencer.
Good Video
Any gun is better than no gun. Given the choice between the two I’d go for the 32 ACP.
.22 is considered weak until you get shot by one
One notable benefit to a tip-up barrel that I don’t hear people mention often is the ability to press the barrel into an attacker without taking the gun out of battery. A big potential benefit if you’re down on the ground with someone on top of you.
If you are having a debate with yourself about whether or not .32 is enough, ask yourself if you would ever put yourself in a situation that requires you to shoot somone. If not then 32 is great for a pocket gun, if yes re-evaluate your life because self defense happens before you’re ever attacked.
I wish more companies released Da/Sa subcompact guns
I had the .22 model, found it woefully under powered
The tip-up barrel ist not designed as a help for shooters not being able to rack the slide. These guns have neither an ejector nor are they able to lock the slide back. So tipping up the barrel is basically the only way to clear a malfunction.
7:40 "Despite the softer recoil, and the fun tip-up barrel, I think the Tomcat and the Bobcat have a lot more going for the enthusiast than the novice shooter."
I would consider myself an enthusiast from the media I consume and attitude I have about guns, but can’t say I would be offended to also be included in the "novice" category based on the trigger time I’ve had or the skills I could improve.
They may not be the most practical defense weapons for most people, for reasons Chris outlined in the video, but I think for people like me, there’s an appeal to them as more interesting range toys.
I have several. I literally think they are about perfect for what their purpose is. They can absolutely change someone’s attitude if forced into that role. But more importantly to me, they are just one of the handiest, most utilitarian, pistols currently manufactured, whether for hiking, knocking around in the woods, working around the farm, handling pest, poisonous snakes, and predators attempting to break into my daughters chicken house at night, and does so without waking up the neighbors or scaring the horses. It would not be good at fighting off a band a heavily armed ninjas, or some of the other outliers, like grizzly bear attacks, that seem to dominate the web. Thanks for the video
I do not understand why people don’t think certain calibers are good enough for self defense. Any gun is better than no gun and I imagine that when someone carrying a gun needs to, they can just shoot in the air or something and the potential threat leaves. A 22 to the head can easily kill someone if shit gets outa hand. In my country no one even carries guns, so I cannot comprehend why Americans "need" to have above 380 to defend themselves.
I owned one. I couldn’t hit anything with it so I sold it for a .380 Bersa. The gun weighs a few ounces more than the Bobcat but I can get a full grip and can do much better at hitting a target. And, like the Beretta, the Bersa is still small enough to slip into my coat pocket when I go out.
I want the Bobcat. Preferably without the threaded barrel because it’s just ugly and I have no suppressor.
Hey I just bought one and they can happily milk me for the last few dollars
I carry a bobcat in a Sticky Holster in my pocket. Anything else is too heavy and a pain in the butt to carry or conceal
I have mid 1990 & 2015 versions of Bobcat 21A. I also have a newer version Tomcat 3032 Inox. All three are jamo-matics with a varity of ammo. The older Bobcat’s chamber has to be cleaned after shooting two mags or it will jam; the newer one is better, but the problem persists. The Tomcat, after a few hundred rounds break in, is reasonably reliable. But there is no way I would EVER carry it as a defensive weapon. I inherited the older one & I really regret buying the other two
Algorithm’s defeated.
WHY……..WHY……….do these manufacturers continue to SCREW THE LEFTIES by not allowing the mag release to be reversed ??
I picked up the 21A Covert recently and combined with a De Santis pocket holster, it has become my minimum daily carry. Shoots accurate and reliably with CCI ammo, looks cool and a great little suppressor host. I’ve shot the Bobcat at 50 yards on a DPS man silhouette, and surprisingly able to score center chest hit every time. If my attire allows, I also carry my G19. Either way, I’m 100% sure the little Bobcat can handle any typical situation I’m likely to ever encounter.
I love the Tip-Up barrel not just for loading without racking the slide.. but I like the way it can instantly make the gun safe! Hit the lever for the pop-up barrel and the gun won’t fire! You can easily check the chamber to make sure it’s empty!
I picked up a Taurus PT-25 after watching your series of pocket pistols. It’s a perfect goto for when I can’t or won’t carry a larger gun. Only downsides I’ve found so far are the sights and the ammo price. For reliability reasons, the only pocket 22lr I would carry is a revolver. I’ve had a couple malfunctions in a competition, and I can’t imagine dealing with that under the stress of whatever caused me to draw my gun.
I know the Beretta 25acp version was discontinued, but I’m wondering if the barrels would be compatible with the Taurus. I would love to get a threaded 25 acp barrel to shoot with my suppressor. Taurus is using the Beretta patent and they look very similar. I also like the ergos on the Taurus better than the Berettas. Anyway, another awesome video!
These are "get off me!" guns.
Even the idea of taking them to the range to improve your accuracy at 30 yds makes me spit my coffee out of my nose.
They are designed for very, very, very close range.
Am I the only person here that gets this?
Sights are not that important for a pocket gun. They are not intended for target shooting and defensive situations most of the time don’t require aiming.
I’ve had my 21A since 1983 n my 3032 since the 90’s both r fine pistols to ccw carry yes the 21A can be picky on ammo but like u said the cci brand works best especially the cci stinger rds… thanks for a great review 👍
The tip up barrel makes clearing malfunctions from old 22lr ammo much safer and easier
The whole purpose of the Half Cock position is to get the hammer away from the pin, while shielding the pin and prefacing hammer movement with another action.
Halfcock and Safety on is the way.
Great overview of these guns. I learned a lot. I just saw Beretta has a $75 rebate on these through Jan 31, 2023. The walnut grips look absolutely stunning! Beretta build quality is always fantastic. I own a lot of 30 cal rifles and was shooting with some other guys. One guy had a few 22 pistols and revolvers. I had no idea how bad I was at flinching and recoil management until I shot a 22. I’m looking at this as a training gun. I know there are other potentially better training guns, but as something that just looks nice too, the Bobcat is a tempting option. The comments are making a great argument for the Tomcat as a pocket carry when you really need something small. Sounds like I should just get both. LOL.
It would be nice if Beretta re-issued the 81bb. The best .32.
The 21a .22 is a nice little pistol, but unless you’re a really good kitchen table gunsmith, you’ll want to turn it over to a wizard pistolsmith to clean up the rough US manufacturing if you want it reliable. And imho, the standard for a pocket pistol is the Sig P365, not the LCP, though both are good firearms. Once your .22 Bobcat is vetted by a smith, this vid is right on re replacing the clunky wooden grips. Also mic the ‘ears’ on any Bobcat magazines. They need to be perfect, and as we all know, no semiautomatic is better than its magazines. Lastly, forget the sights on a Bobcat. They’re decorations. Learn to aim this tiny pistol with ‘point shooting’.
God I want one man the threaded barrel is just too cool!
People don’t respect the .22 but for a gun for the center console, a pistol to take the dog out in the middle of the night or something to stick in my pocket to run in the store it seems great. Lots of rounds on target, being able to shoot one handed easily and even for an apartment dweller who wants a home defense gun but doesn’t want to send rounds 3 doors down are pluses too.
The point of the tip up barrel is not to assist those with weak hands. The point is not having to lower the hammer on a loaded chamber in order to carry it safely in double action mode. Actually a pretty cool solution to that problem.
wtf is this qualifying at the start? "These do not have to be carried in a pocket." No shit
Planning on getting both of these as soon as I can find them. Before I get a bobcat though, would anyone argue for the taurus pt-22? I’ve heard they aren’t great, but for plinking and just saving money I’d go with it if it is just a "little" bit worse. Any thoughts? (I’ll use the tomcat .32 for concealed, along with my other pocket pistols like the lcp so these aren’t my first choice)
I used to have one of the Bobcat models with the stainless finish. Back then I worked in a job that required a uniform that made it effectively impossible to hip carry. For context, I’m 6’4 and pretty chubby; I have larger hands than basically everyone I know, to the point I couldn’t even get a solid 2-finger grip on an LCP. The Bobcat was a perfect size. It was thinner than anything else I had, though the grip was much larger than they actually needed to be. In my case it worked out because it was just chunky enough to feel like you have a good grip, just minus the pinky finger.
There is a reason I don’t have it anymore, though. Malfunctions started only after about 50 rounds because of how dirty the feed ramp got. It was wide enough that it widened the top of my pocket for people to see any time I was facing a different direction, and at one point my boss even saw it. For that reason alone I can’t call this a true pocket carry gun. And although it had a sizable grip in the hand, my hands were large enough that I encountered an accidental barrel unlocks while drawing, a potentially disastrous thing if I ever actually needed to use it. Turns out the latch would sometimes work loose from sitting while in my holster and would finally unlatch, or accidentally engage the barrel lock which was already in a weird half-lock position due to the small spacing of the controls. This would happen about once in a hundred draws, definitely worrying enough that I couldn’t trust it. Too bad though — these things scream class to me, almost like the Walther PPK
Interesting. When I was in US Army Special Forces in the 1980s we trained with suppressed 22 LR Ruger Mark series. I would enjoy having a small suppressed 22 or 32. I would think 32 would be better for all the reasons that Browning first designed the 25 ACP. Didn’t James Bond originally carry a 32 Baretta?
I think the berettas are cooler 😎
Don’t touch these they are not tough enough to handle back pressure. Beretta will not warranty them either. They will make you wait 6-8 months and then tell you the barrel and frame is not warrantied.
I had such a poor experience with beretta I will never touch a beretta product for as long as I live. I had a brand new 21a covert frame break and they ghosted me for 8 months then told me it wasn’t warrantied bc it was their shitty cast frame. These are not cheap and you can get a quality gun to suppress for less that has a warranty that will be honored.
Thank you!
My 21 bobcat in 22 long rifle. LOVES Remington yellow jackets and viper Conicle shaped bullets ! Not one jam or misfire.. with the Remington yellow jackets and vipers
My model 21A is not double action. Cannot fire by pulling the trigger on the get go. 1994
Dude said the tomcat is a little heavier what 4oz heavier it’s a pocket gun dude go hit the gym
Some of your takes are straight trash sir! You recommended the p32 over the tomcat….. gross
Where did you get those grips?
Saw on a post on another vid, someone had both & said the barrel and slide will interchange on either one.. lower frame & grip is identical on both. Check that, but sounds cool.
"Criminally underrated for pocket pistol"… except with little recoil, getting a few 22LR on a head size target at 10′-20’… I wouldn’t wanna be that person! Plus 90% of active protection video’s I’ve seen, once good guys start firing most bad guys can’t run out of the store fast enough. Personally I’ll take this in my pocket than just a knife.
I love mouse guns. Somethin’ neat about having pistol in your pocket.
Model 20 in 25 acp was the first firearm I ever bought and still find my self carrying it for short trips. Can wear in athletic shorts without even noticing. A few ammo companies don’t work to well and the sights suck. Sure, it doesn’t have the stopping power as a 9mm or even .380 but the size is so right, I actually carry it whereas it is more of a chore to carry my 9mm beretta or glock when I’m doing something simple like taking out the trash or going on a walk around the neighborhood. I’ve never had to use it thankfully but I can guarantee you would not want to be shot by a .20 caliber bullet. Also, most random robbers and criminals do not want to get in a gun fight. It’s loud and I’m confident a perp would not stick around to find out what caliber it is