Where the slide stop would reside on most semiautomatic handguns, we find the lever that actuates the tip-up barrel. Neither pistol incorporates a slide stop, and the slide does not lock back on an empty chamber. The slide moves rearward against two spring-loaded levers that protrude upward from the frame and return it to battery. There is also no recoil spring in the traditional sense. There is no extractor on either pistol, and they rely on the blowback pressure and a fixed ejector to clear spent brass. Both the 21A and the 3032 are simple blowback handguns. Though the open slide is distinctly Beretta and may appear similar to the Model 92, these subcompacts are a different animal. That was 1984, when concealed carry wasn’t as widely available to citizens as it would be a decade later, and in 1996, Beretta introduced the Model 3032 Tomcat, a slightly larger handgun chambered in the more potent. When nothing but the most compact handguns would do, the Model 21A was an easy answer. The tiny 21A became popular with those seeking ultimate concealment, whether as a primary or backup handgun. Like the Model 20, the blowback-operated 21A maintains the unique tip-up barrel arrangement. 25 Auto option, it’s also chambered in the more useful and available.
It’s a handgun similar in design to the Model 20, but in addition to the. In 1984, the company released the Model 21A. presence exempted the company from the “sporting purpose” importation requirements and once again allowed the company to sell its compact handguns stateside. military, Beretta built a manufacturing facility in Maryland, and Beretta USA was born. In order to better compete in the North American market and produce pistols for the U.S. Still, its fundamental design offered some real appeal.īoth the 21A Bobcat Covert (top) and 3032 Tomcat Covert are highly concealable and nearly identical in size. Thanks to the Gun Control Act of 1968 and the subsequent importation ban of numerous handgun designs, the Model 20 was never widely adopted by American shooters. In 1967, Beretta introduced the Model 20, an innovative and incredibly compact handgun chambered in. Suppressor owners and secret agents rejoice! These micro-compact handguns have been market staples for years, but last year they were introduced for the first time with factory-threaded barrels. Today, the smallest handguns in the company’s catalog are the 21A Bobcat and the 3032 Tomcat. Like many European pistols, most of Beretta’s creations over the years have been far more compact and concealable than the Model 92. The 92S, adopted as the M9, was far from the company’s first effort in the semiautomatic market, though, with designs going back to 1915. Although Beretta has existed as a company for nearly 500 years, many American handgunners were unfamiliar with the firm until the U.S.