... was what Mae West shudda said.
Down here my answer would quite often be "Both!" So I thought it might be fun to cover what I actually have carried in my pocket this summer and the pros and cons of each choice. First, all but one is 32acp and the outlier is a 380. All are Beretta all reliable and all adequately accurate (I have a very high degree of confidence of placing two or more rounds within a inch of each other when within 20 feet) and all have at least a 6 round magazine plus one in the chamber.
Going from smallest to largest...
My Beretta Tomcat:
The Tomcat is small but wide enough to fill my hand. It's surprisingly comfortable to shoot which adds to its accuracy. The magazine hold 7 rounds plus one in the chamber. The tip up barrel helps with loading and also offers a safe way to decock the gun even when there is a live round in the chamber. The Tomcat is a traditional DA/SA format with a frame mounted safety.
Next is the 380 of the group, my Beretta Pico:
The Pico is by far the slimmest of the group and has the best sights but honestly it is by far the least enjoyable to shoot. It is DAO with a magazine that hold 6 rounds plus one in the chamber. Like a revolver it has no safety other than the long trigger pull. The bore axis is the highest on any semi-automatic I own. It's a modern modular Fire Control system that makes working on the pieces parts easier than any other gun I own.
The Beretta 1935 may be my favorite of the bunch but it's also by far the heaviest. It has an 8 round magazine plus one in the chamber, is SA and the safety is located on the left side above the trigger. It is a toggle; forward to "Fire Mode", back to "Safe Mode". The magazine release is a typical early European Heel Release.
Beretta modernized the 1935 just lightly and it became the Model 70. Mine is a fairly early version that uses a cross bolt safety. Later versions used more conventional frame mounted safety. It does have a button magazine release but it's located at the bottom rear of the left grip panel. The 1935 had been called the Puma and so the model 70 became the "New Puma" Like the earlier Puma the New Puma has an 8 + 1 capability, is SA only and has no decocker.
Lastly, my Beretta Model 81 that is a recent purchase to replace the Model 81 I bought back in the late 1970s. It's a "HiCap" 12 + 1 semi-automatic (well I can only get 11 rounds in the new magazine but still kept one of my oldies) and was Beretta's first DA/SA semi-automatic. While it's certainly the biggest of the bunch it still fits easily in my shorts pocket. My holsters for the Sig P230 fit it well so that's what I use when the 81 goes Walkabout.
It has a more conventional lock and the magazine release is in the expected position. The safety is ambi and easily controlled with either hand.
As Mae West shudda said; "I'll try anything once, twice if I like it and five times to make sure."
Down here my answer would quite often be "Both!" So I thought it might be fun to cover what I actually have carried in my pocket this summer and the pros and cons of each choice. First, all but one is 32acp and the outlier is a 380. All are Beretta all reliable and all adequately accurate (I have a very high degree of confidence of placing two or more rounds within a inch of each other when within 20 feet) and all have at least a 6 round magazine plus one in the chamber.
Going from smallest to largest...
My Beretta Tomcat:
The Tomcat is small but wide enough to fill my hand. It's surprisingly comfortable to shoot which adds to its accuracy. The magazine hold 7 rounds plus one in the chamber. The tip up barrel helps with loading and also offers a safe way to decock the gun even when there is a live round in the chamber. The Tomcat is a traditional DA/SA format with a frame mounted safety.
Next is the 380 of the group, my Beretta Pico:
The Pico is by far the slimmest of the group and has the best sights but honestly it is by far the least enjoyable to shoot. It is DAO with a magazine that hold 6 rounds plus one in the chamber. Like a revolver it has no safety other than the long trigger pull. The bore axis is the highest on any semi-automatic I own. It's a modern modular Fire Control system that makes working on the pieces parts easier than any other gun I own.
The Beretta 1935 may be my favorite of the bunch but it's also by far the heaviest. It has an 8 round magazine plus one in the chamber, is SA and the safety is located on the left side above the trigger. It is a toggle; forward to "Fire Mode", back to "Safe Mode". The magazine release is a typical early European Heel Release.
Beretta modernized the 1935 just lightly and it became the Model 70. Mine is a fairly early version that uses a cross bolt safety. Later versions used more conventional frame mounted safety. It does have a button magazine release but it's located at the bottom rear of the left grip panel. The 1935 had been called the Puma and so the model 70 became the "New Puma" Like the earlier Puma the New Puma has an 8 + 1 capability, is SA only and has no decocker.
Lastly, my Beretta Model 81 that is a recent purchase to replace the Model 81 I bought back in the late 1970s. It's a "HiCap" 12 + 1 semi-automatic (well I can only get 11 rounds in the new magazine but still kept one of my oldies) and was Beretta's first DA/SA semi-automatic. While it's certainly the biggest of the bunch it still fits easily in my shorts pocket. My holsters for the Sig P230 fit it well so that's what I use when the 81 goes Walkabout.
It has a more conventional lock and the magazine release is in the expected position. The safety is ambi and easily controlled with either hand.
As Mae West shudda said; "I'll try anything once, twice if I like it and five times to make sure."