Beretta Tomcat / Bobcat questions

[imashooter2]

My aged Father no longer has the grip strength to rack the slide on a crappy Davis .380 that he bought himself years ago. I'm looking for a CC solution that I can buy him since there's no way he'll spend the money on himself. The tip up barrel in the Tomcat / Bobcat seems like it might be the perfect solution. My questions:

1) Can the pistol be unloaded (the barrel tipped up) with the pistol cocked and the safety on?

2) What is the DA trigger pull weight if the hammer were to be left down?

All advice appreciated.

[Hawk]

My aged Father no longer has the grip strength to rack the slide on a crappy Davis .380 that he bought himself years ago. I'm looking for a CC solution that I can buy him since there's no way he'll spend the money on himself. The tip up barrel in the Tomcat / Bobcat seems like it might be the perfect solution. My questions:

1) Can the pistol be unloaded (the barrel tipped up) with the pistol cocked and the safety on?

2) What is the DA trigger pull weight if the hammer were to be left down?

All advice appreciated.

Racking the slide on those Berretta's will still be difficult (very firm). My wife can't rack the slide on many of those compact auto's. I did get her a Glock26, that she can rack! I wouldn't carry a handgun that you can't rack, tip-up barrels are no substitute for racking.

[PisnNapalm]

What about a revolver?

[imashooter2]

Racking the slide on those Berretta's will still be difficult (very firm). My wife can't rack the slide on many of those compact auto's. I did get her a Glock26, that she can rack! I wouldn't carry a handgun that you can't rack, tip-up barrels are no substitute for racking.

While I totally agree with the sentiment, Dad isn't going to carry a full size, or even a compact. The choices are pocket pistol or no pistol at all. I'm looking at the tip up barrel as a better than nothing solution...

Thanks for the reply!

[P-11 shooter]

Racking the slide on those Berretta's will still be difficult (very firm). My wife can't rack the slide on many of those compact auto's. I did get her a Glock26, that she can rack! I wouldn't carry a handgun that you can't rack, tip-up barrels are no substitute for racking.

I'd have to agree with this. We sold my mom's tomcat because she couldn't rack the slide. many people had trouble racking that tiny thing. You can load it by tipping it up so that's good, but th safety is hard to work at all.

I don't usually say this, but I think he'd be better off with some old vest pocket .25

You can find them around if you look. The ammo is expensive, but it's better than no gun at all.

[imashooter2]

What about a revolver?

I'm not sure about what trigger weight he can pull (my second question above). The slide rack issue is completely grip strength. He can't get a firm grasp of it. All of the factory DA revolver pulls I've felt lately are well over 10 pounds, and if he can't grasp the slide on the Davis...

Thanks for the reply!

[imashooter2]

I'd have to agree with this. We sold my mom's tomcat because she couldn't rack the slide. many people had trouble racking that tiny thing. You can load it by tipping it up so that's good, but th safety is hard to work at all.

I don't usually say this, but I think he'd be better off with some old vest pocket .25

You can find them around if you look. The ammo is expensive, but it's better than no gun at all.

This whole exercise is to be better than no gun at all. I thought that maybe slide springs in .25's and .22's might be lighter, but how light? I'd just hate to buy a .25 and then he can't rack that slide either. I'm going to have to surprise him with this, because there is no way he'll "let" me spend any money on him. He won't run around to gun shops with me.

I do appreciate the advice. Thanks!

[P-11 shooter]

This whole exercise is to be better than no gun at all. I thought that maybe slide springs in .25's and .22's might be lighter, but how light? I'd just hate to buy a .25 and then he can't rack that slide either. I'm going to have to surprise him with this, because there is no way he'll "let" me spend any money on him. He won't run around to gun shops with me.

I do appreciate the advice. Thanks!

The .22 was hard as a mo-fo to rack. But you can load it by tipping up the barell.

Yes, better than no gun at all. I know all the older .25s I've handled were much easier to rack and less bulky.

The bobcat .22 was well-made, malfunction free, easy to shoot, and way more accurate than you'd expect it to be.




The DA trigger pull is kind of heavy, but the single action trigger was light and crisp. Good gun.

P-11itiswhatitisSHOOTER

[tl_3237]

My friend recently bought a 21a Bobcat (22LR) and after about 100 rounds there is about a 80% (eighty) failure rate - mostly FTE and some FTF. We tried many types of ammo and haven't found any it likes yet.

We did find out that if we took a casing with REM OIL and lubed the chamber before each clip then it seemed to work fine for that clip. Soon after the same problem.

We suspect perhaps a too strong recoil spring but will await factory confirmation.

Also the tip up barrel, although a nice idea, allows for inadvertent uplifting of the slide which is only guided by two tangs at the rear and NOTHING at the front. Several times just handling the gun with the barrel up caused the slide to begin the disassembly process. Field strippng is a snap but maybe too easy.

There is NO EXTRACTOR so its cumbersome to say the least to clear a misfire, FTE etc.

check out this video http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0TWhULZ27Mk

From my research some people love the gun while others hate it. Its certainly compact and grips nice BUT its lack of reliability in some cases frustrates the purposes for which is was intended.

[gf45acp]

My Mother, whom is getting older (if I post her age she will KILL me!) also has problems with the slides on most autos.
When I bought a Taurus PT-22, and she saw the tip up loading (so no slide racking needed) she immediately stole it from me.
We have had no big issues with it, Quik Shoks reside in it for her. The trigger is manageable for her, and she has arthritis in her hands, trigger finger, as well as having had a bad puncture injury to to the second knuckle years ago.
She also has no trouble thumbing off the safety.
You can take two guns that are exactly the same, and the trigger pull may be different. You would have to have your Father try the trigger to be sure. I have never had a gun dealer say no to her trying the trigger at any shop or show. I like to be sure that she can use any of the guns I buy these days, should I be carrying one and something happens.
A trigger job can also be done to reduce the pull.
At a show a year and a half or so ago I was looking a a S&W .357 J snub, and she could not pull the trigger. When I was looking at my S&W 442 she had no problem with the trigger, and of course it's DAO.
Nine rounds of .22lr are better than nothing, but in my Mom's case she has access to my other guns, and has a few of her own.
After watching a show on History about the top 10 military rifles, and seeing the AK as #1, she says to me" you have one of those, right" to which I tell her yes, in semi auto. She then instructs me to go get it and go over how to use it with her.
God had better help anyone who breaks in while she is home, because their a** belongs to her.