As a cab driver working sketchy shifts I carried a S&W 65 and then a Kahr 9/PM9, but switched to the 21A in .25 and that became my vest pocket carry for decades. It is what it is, better than a .22 and for close range . . . and it won't blow your ears out if fired in the closed cockpit of a car!
@HillbillyMusings
6 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching!
@rangersmith4652
Жыл бұрын
For those new to this platform, beware if you change the grips. The safety and its spring and plunger are held in place by the grip (at least that's true of the 3032), so when you loosen the screws on the left side, be ready to capture those little buggers lest you'll be on the floor with a flashlight, magnifying glass, and magnet.
@HillbillyMusings
Жыл бұрын
good point!! Thanks for watching!!
@renhunt9492
9 ай бұрын
Got one for $50 20 years ago from the ‘sick and shut in’ rack at a gun shop. Took it home, cleaned it up and have had a quality pocket pistol ever since.
@HillbillyMusings
9 ай бұрын
Love it! Thanks for watching!!
@francisebbecke2727
8 ай бұрын
The .25 ACP has a lot of good features. A guy I go to church with was shot in the face with one of these by his ex wife. He lost a tooth, part of his cheek, and literally had to bit the bullet. He survived. His ex wife tried to claim self defense but she was overheard planning it all ahead on her phone. He didn't press charges because he didn't what his son to go to foster care. He had his own legal troubles. I guess we all have our troubles, but hopefully not like this.
@HillbillyMusings
8 ай бұрын
Reminds me of a story that a pawn shop owner posted years ago on the old newsnet groups or maybe it was a forum? Anyway, he had to refuse a gun sale to some guy and long story short the guy came back in with a freaking SWORD of some type and went after the pawn shop owner. Apparently had had a full size Glock or something close at hand but couldn't get ahold of it in time. After several minutes of fighting he remembered the .25 Beretta in his pocket and was able to dispatch the attacker. I'll try to find the old link and post it in reply below. But the morale is you never know.... Thanks for the comment!
@HillbillyMusings
8 ай бұрын
here is that link: thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39634
@glenmo1
10 ай бұрын
The Tip-Up barrel also works as a fantastic safety system.. you can make the gun completely safe by popping up the barrel... And you can easily check the chamber..
@HillbillyMusings
10 ай бұрын
Yep, always have loved the tip up barrels. thanks for watching!!
@gsb5w291
11 ай бұрын
When I purchased one nearly 30 years ago I paid 159.99 and it did come in a card board box with one magazine. I still got it. Cool that you picked one up. The sell closer to 500 now new and my understanding is only in .22LR.
@HillbillyMusings
11 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching!!
@JMR6813
8 ай бұрын
Buffalo Bore now has a 60 grain hard cast round that is moving at 850 fps. I watched a review on it and it penetrated 15-21 inches. That's what I carry when I carry 25 acp.
@HillbillyMusings
7 ай бұрын
Thats a hot little round at 850, Thanks for watching!!
@johnshea2395
Жыл бұрын
There is a lot to like about the Beretta tip barrels. However, dropping the magazine and racking the slide will not clear the chamber of a loaded round as the tip barrels have no extractors. Extraction during firing occurs solely through blow back pressure. No cartridge will be ejected when racking the slide, if one is present, and pulling the trigger will fire the live round remaining in the chamber. You must tip the barrel and use gravity, finger nail, or short rod to manually extract the round. Most of the time, the round will drop free by gravity when a clean chamber is inverted. This disadvantage is somewhat mitigated by being able to tip the barrel before lowering the hammer on a cocked loaded pistol. With a tipped barrel, there is no danger of firing should the hammer slip from under the thumb while being lowered. The barrel can then be closed to restore the pistol to a safe to carry loaded condition. The lack of an extractor can also complicate clearing a jam.
@HillbillyMusings
Жыл бұрын
Excellent points John!! I had it in my notes to discuss it not having an extractor but I guess I skipped that part. It definitely does take some training and no how to confirm the chamber is empty, not simply relying on racking the slide. Thanks for watching!!
@EIBBOR2654
11 ай бұрын
I have an older Beretta .25 Jetfire 950 and love it. I live in Southern AZ and in the summer it is hard to carry anything much bigger than that concealed without the bulge showing. I can put that little .25 in the watch pocket of my jeans and it is hard to notice. But I will make the argument for the .25 over the .22 LR in pistols like these. The main reason is the .22 LR showing a higher velocity over the .25 ACP, because it is deceiving. If you do a little research you will find that all .22 LR ammo is tested in a 14 inch long rifle barrel and all .25 ACP ammo is tested from a 2.5 inch pistol barrel. So the velocity numbers are always going to be higher for the .22 LR. If you have a chronograph and test the same Beretta Jetfires or Bobcats, one chambered in .25 ACP and the other in .22 LR you will see that there is little velocity difference between the two. But the .25 ACP has the edge on hitting power even with only two bullet weights of 35 gr HP and 50 gr Solid bullets. Most .22 LR are in 40 gr standard or high velocity. The hyper velocity .22's are usually around 32 gr but you are giving up energy or hitting power with the lighter bullets. I've hand loaded .25 ACP to a bit higher velocity with good results. Beretta still makes the Tomcat 3032 in .32 ACP and that is kind of in between the .25 Tomcat and the .32 Bobcat. As much as I like the .25 I would love to see Beretta make a 25/32 Tomcat. That is a 32 case necked down to .25 to give it a bit more velocity. One gun maker did make one about 10 years ago along with a 32/9mm. They really had a bad short 2 finger grip under the trigger. But they stopped making them and ammo is hard to come by. But all in all the little .25 Beretta is the best conceal or back up gun you can get in a small .25 caliber. It is hard to beat in summer when wearing shorts and a tee shirt. Remember, 95% of situations were you would need to pull a gun are at 3 feet or less, usually at arms length. That little .25 is perfect for that kind of close in fighting and will shoot fast with little recoil. But practice is the key along with taking practical training to cover a fight situation. The first practical shooting class I took my .25 too, several guys laughed when they saw it. The instructor there told them they wouldn't be laughing at the end of the course because I would probably have the highest score. But I tied with a young lady with a .32 Tomcat. The guys that showed up with 9mm, .45 1911's, .357 magnums all had the lowest scores and had a hell of a time getting on target quick. Only 3 of us had small caliber guns and the one other guy had a .22 semiauto almost as big as a 9mm that had ammo problems. I also highly suggest taking some self defense classes in martial arts. I took Krav Maga because it is quick to learn and good cardio exercise. You also learn how to defend yourself from a gun or knife and take that weapon away. There are many surprise situations where martial arts training will be needed even if you are carrying a gun. Besides it might save you from a bad legal battle from some left wing anti gun prosecutor.
@HillbillyMusings
11 ай бұрын
Great feedback! I'm thinking NAA made a 32 NAA caliber that was a necked down 32 to 25 at one time, I'd have to look into it. Thanks for watching!!
@EIBBOR2654
11 ай бұрын
@@HillbillyMusings Yes it was North American Arms (NAA) and they were the Guardian models. The .32 NAA is a .380 brass case (AKA 9mm short) necked down to .32. The .25 NAA uses a .32 ACP brass case necked down to .25 unfortunately both the Guardian .25 NAA and .32 NAA pistols have been discontinued. But you can still find them on the used gun market. Last I heard was the ammo, being a proprietary round is no longer being loaded either and is getting hard to find. But I'm sure there are reloading dies that are out there. I know it isn't hard to neck down a .32 to a .25 as I did it when reloading .25 ACP when a .32 ACP brass case got mixed in. I resized the .32 case right down to a .25 all the way down to the thick part at the head of the case. When I saw that I grabbed an other .32 case and just put a small neck on it to see if it would work. Looked like the .25 NAA and thought that would make a good 25/32 round way back in the 1980's. But being in the USAF at the time I couldn't do much with it to see if I could get a barrel and a set of reloading dies made. That would have been a bit expensive for me at that time. Probably still is out of my pay grade. You can find reviews of these NAA guns on KZitem and you can see that you can barely get 2 fingers under the trigger guard to hold the grip. That would be a problem with my big hands. But I was surprised that I get a better hold on the .25 Beretta Jet Fire I have. The only complaint I have with the little Beretta is the hammer or slide bite I get at times. I never fee it when shooting and I only notice the little cuts in the skin webbing between the thumb and forefinger or trigger finger after I shoot. The little beaver tail isn't much for my hands. But I still love that gun. Here are a couple of links to the NAA's .25 NAA www.northamericanarms.com/shop/naa-25naa/ .32 NAA www.americanrifleman.org/content/tested-north-american-arms-32-naa-guardian/ .22 LR, .22 WRM and .25 ACP shot into clay block. I linked this video because it shows how much unburnt powder hits the clay block from the .22 WMR. kzitem.info/news/bejne/r2ygx4JmcJWFo2k This is the best, most accurate and fairest comparison between the .22 LR & .25 ACP I've ever seen with great information kzitem.info/news/bejne/z6SksGSso4qCoKQ Hope you enjoy them and can use the information, especially if you are advising someone or someone tells you a .22 LR is better than a .25. Let me know what you think about the video too.
@HamiltonOutdoors
Жыл бұрын
I used to have one of those and sold it. I've always wanted to pick up another one. I really like those little guns. Nice video
@HillbillyMusings
Жыл бұрын
Thanks Rob!! Hope you are doing well sir.
@joemorganeatmyshortschannel
Жыл бұрын
Outstanding little gun I just got done swapping out parts after three years my bushmaster clone is done
@HillbillyMusings
Жыл бұрын
sounds awesome Joe!! Thanks for watching!!
@ronchappell216
Жыл бұрын
I enjoyed your video. I recently picked up the .32 Tomcat and liked it so much I also got the .22LR Bobcat in the Covert model. It is the blued version with walnut grips you mention. And not sure how to tell you where but I found Beretta’s place to check serial numbers on their website. I think it’s still there if you hunt long enough. Thanks again for the video.
@HillbillyMusings
Жыл бұрын
Nice! Thanks for watching!!
@hardlylivin6602
Жыл бұрын
I have an Inox bobcat in 22lr and my malfunction average is probably 1 in 200 rounds if I had to guess. The main issue I have is failures to eject. I so far have put 1000 rounds of nothing but cci mini mags through the gun. I’ve never had a failure to fire out of that ammo but I would on occasion get an underpowered round. At least that’s my guess based on the recoil impulse and the fact that the gun stovepiped or failed to extract. I think if I were to run nothing but premium ammo such as velocitors I’d increase the reliability by a substantial amount. My gun will not run anything lighter than a 40 grain bullet below a 1200fps rating. And it also won’t run stingers, or federal punch. I do carry the gun from time to time, but only with velocitors or Aguila interceptors. One more thing I’d like to add is that these guns a surprisingly accurate. I had no problems keeping on a pie plate at 55yards. And no apparent drop at that distance either.
@HillbillyMusings
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the feedback and Thanks for watching!!
@glenmo1
10 ай бұрын
Sadly Beretta has discontinued their 25 bobcat... 25 ACP ammo is expensive in getting hard to find unfortunately.. because I have a soft spot for 25 ACP pocket pistols... My Beretta .25 it's not a bobcat but a jet fire I bought in the mid 1990s.. it's a single action semi auto where you have to carry cocked and locked or thumb cock the first shot.. which I have practiced when I used to pocket carry it in a leather DeSantis trickster holster.. the jet fire is even smaller and lighter.. then the bobcat.. but that was discontinued in 1996
@HillbillyMusings
10 ай бұрын
I'd love to have add a Jetfire or a Minx to the collection. thanks for watching!!
@glenmo1
6 ай бұрын
A lady I know has trouble racking the slide on any pistol .. she wants something small and lightweight to carry or she won't carry at all.. I suggested the bobcat 25 over the bobcat 22.... I have a bobcat 22 and it is very ammo finiky... Seems to like yellow jacket and viper conical ammo.. for self-defense I would definitely go with the 25 ACP.. while it is not the ultimate stopping caliber with practice and headshots it could be a lifesaver and 25 hardball penetrates hard barriers like the skull much better than 22 long rifle out of a tiny barrel..
@HillbillyMusings
6 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching!
@nunyobuisniz713
Жыл бұрын
Great video. I love my Beretta Tomcat in .32 ACP, and have always been a bit curious about the 25acp. If you like pocket pistols you should take a look at the Phoenix Arms HP22a and HP25. I have the HP22a in .22LR and it is the most reliable .22lr semi auto I have ever seen.
@HillbillyMusings
Жыл бұрын
thanks for watching!!
@hardlylivin6602
Жыл бұрын
I was curious about adding one of those to my collection. I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to build quality, for both cosmetic and function. So I have to ask, are those guns made well or do they feel and look like cheap pot metal?
@boxerbatey9407
Жыл бұрын
@@hardlylivin6602Look and felt cheap when I saw one in the wild
@glenmo1
10 ай бұрын
Along with being more reliable the bobcat 25 ACP also penetrates hard barrier such as the skull and the sternum much better than a 22 long rifle bobcat.. the full metal jacket just penetrates better.. and all the tests that I've seen... Advantages to the 25 in a small lightweight pocket pistol over the 380 lightweight pocket pistols.. the 380s really do have some snappy recoil.. my Taurus TCP 380 you must have a death grip on that sucker or i the muzzle will jump up and the slide will bite you! .. so for someone who wants a small pocket pistol to carry for self-defense and cannot handle the recoil of the lightweight but snappy 380s... Also someone who might not be able to rack the slide.. least 25 ACP Beretta bobcat with tip up barrel really make a lot of sense
@HillbillyMusings
10 ай бұрын
Agreed! thanks for watching!!
@redacted2763
Жыл бұрын
The 21A is no longer being made in 25ACP. They make a 22lr and a 32ACP still.
@HillbillyMusings
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching!
@keithrandolph1805
Жыл бұрын
It lists the 25ACP still as available on the Beretta website.
@redacted2763
Жыл бұрын
@@keithrandolph1805 Got a link? I’m not seeing it. Current models only coming up as 32ACP and 22lr.
@heavilyarmedhippie75
Жыл бұрын
@@redacted2763 it's the base black model only
@kai64warden86
Жыл бұрын
@@redacted2763 I believe you're referring to the Beretta 3032 ''Tomcat'' instead of the Beretta 21A ''Bobcat''? The former comes in .32 ACP, where as the latter comes in .22 LR. I just wanted to clear that up.
@rocksteel44
3 ай бұрын
...SNAP CAPS PLEASE!!!!!!!!
@HillbillyMusings
3 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching!!
@glenmo1
10 ай бұрын
Check out .22 lr vs .25 acp .. out of a small pocket pistols they are EQUAL POWERWISE... From the test I've seen hardball 25 ACP penetrates hard barriers like the skull and sternum much better than 22 long rifle out of a tiny pocket pistol... When you considered a reliability 25 would be a better choice than 22.. advantage of 22 is the cheap practice.. but many rounds tend to jam in the 22 bobcat.. the best I found in mine is Remington yellow jacket in viper conical shaped bullets they never seem to jam in my bobcat 22...
@HillbillyMusings
10 ай бұрын
thanks for watching!!
@edj6369
3 ай бұрын
I agree. From the ballistics testing I have seen on these two cartridges in short barrel pocket pistols, they are pretty much equivalent. I prefer centerfire 25acp for reliability. Plus, the old Bobcat chambered in 25acp (8+1) has one more round capacity than the 22lr version (7+1).
@haroldkreye8770
Жыл бұрын
Might I say Buffalo Bore’s new 60 grain cartridge…14” of penetration in ballistic gel.
@HillbillyMusings
Жыл бұрын
I didn't know they made one, will have to check it out! Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching!!
@frankbrowning328
Жыл бұрын
Great little pistols. The 25's are more reliable than the 22's. It sure would be nice if beretta would put better sites like they put on the Tom Cat on these. I'd also like to see a return of the model 86 in 380 ACP. That gun was a perfect pistol for those with low hand strength as it also had the tip up barrel and was built on the Chetah fame size
@HillbillyMusings
Жыл бұрын
Yep from my experience the .25s run a LOT better, much less ammo picky. Thanks for watching!!
@williamforbes7217
Жыл бұрын
How do you fix feeding problems with the Beretta Jetfire that leaves the top round tilted down in the magazine??
@HillbillyMusings
Жыл бұрын
Never ran into that issue, but it sounds like the magazine lips may need adjusting. It only takes a tiny bit in most cases. Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching!!
@abee3515
11 ай бұрын
I have a jetfire but I really want the 21 in 25 but you can't find them.
@HillbillyMusings
11 ай бұрын
They are tough to find. Thanks for watching!!
@abee3515
11 ай бұрын
@@HillbillyMusings They're next state over I'm thinking about driving over there and drop some names see if I can't get me a brand new .25 Great video
@StanwoodSpartans
Жыл бұрын
The 25 acp version holds 8 rounds while the 22 lr version holds 7
@HillbillyMusings
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching!!
@kennethseibert5711
Жыл бұрын
Where did you find the 25 acp? I've been looking everywhere I know. .lol
@HillbillyMusings
Жыл бұрын
I guess I lucked into this one. I was at my LGS and just happened to spot it in the used guns section. I think it was $250? with three factory mags and original box, I jumped on it. Thanks for watching!!
@anthonyangeli256
10 ай бұрын
KZitem won't let you field strip your gun? Are you sure about that?
@HillbillyMusings
10 ай бұрын
Sadly, I've had some videos flagged for it :( thanks for watching!!
@moobutt
5 ай бұрын
Just watched an interview of Paul Harrell, and this is what he carries. He said his Beretta 21a in 25, or his S&W 638 in 38. Paul has been involved in two different firearm related incidents. He’s still here.
@HillbillyMusings
5 ай бұрын
I love Pauls videos! I've been a sub of his since around the 17,000 subscriber mark, he's come a LONG way. Hate what he's going through now. Glad to hear about his choice in carry though, I also carry a 638 when I need a bit heavier firepower than a .32 or .25. Thanks for watching!!
@grantmarshall2447
Жыл бұрын
Who is this John Moses Browning you speak of? Cool review. How much did you pay? And how long ago sir?
@HillbillyMusings
Жыл бұрын
I caught this one in a pretty good deal, $250 from a LGS (local gun store), used with 3 mags and the box. I jumped on it. Thanks for watching!!
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