I’m a tip-up fan—a downright fanatic. I complained about the cost of classes while purchasing another Beretta 950 because it’s in .22 Short, and I don’t have that one. Beretta unleashed two tip-up pistols in as many years. The 20X and 30X make up the modern tip-up pistol genre. With that in mind, I didn’t fully agree with many of Beretta’s changes, but I understood them.
What I Like About The 20X and 30X
First, I just like tip-up guns. They have some serious charm, and I love the design. I also like .32 ACP and .22LR pocket pistols, so they scored high in my favorite niches. I like a lot of the changes Beretta made. Some are obvious, like the larger, easier-to-use sights that make these guns exceptionally accurate.
I like the new flat-faced trigger with its lighter overall pull and the relocated magazine release. Not to mention, Beretta released suppressor-ready variants with suppressor-height sights. The 30X Tomcat’s frame redesign was welcomed. The old 3032s had to use low-pressure ammo, and anything that exceeded 129-foot pounds could crack the frame.
That’s not a problem anymore. I appreciate that Beretta seems to know that the primary consumers of these guns buy them for their charm. Therefore, they make them look fantastic. While that might be the case, I’d love to pocket-carry my 20X or 30X pistols, but the current configurations are a bit tough.
Problems With the 20X and 30X
Beretta also made these guns bigger, more ergonomic, and easier to shoot. They are too big to be easily concealed in a pocket like the previous generations of these guns. They are shooters rather than deep-carry guns. With that said, Beretta has released several variants of the gun, and I think there is room for one more—one I’d call the Deep Cover.
How I’d Fix the 30X and 20X
All my fixes would be simple to implement and could reasonably be done with existing Beretta 20X and 30X pistols. I have a few ideas on how Beretta could make the Tomcat and Bobcat pocket rockets again.
Bob the Hammer
I love that these guns are micro-sized DA/SA pistols. I love DA/SA guns, but for pocket carry, I think Beretta should bob the hammer and convert the guns to DAO. The double-action trigger is enough for a pocket gun, with the lighter, smoother trigger.
Ditching the hammer would reduce a snag point and size just a bit. However, it would also likely help improve reliability with the 20X guns. I’m not the only person with a 20X who gets the occasional light strike when the gun fires in single action, only to have the round fire when you revert to the double action trigger pull.
Go back to Flush Fitting Magazines.
The extended magazine allows the guns to hold one extra round. More ammo is nice, and the longer, extended magazines act as a pinky rest, which is fine. However, it also adds almost an inch to the gun’s height. The swap would be as easy as changing baseplates. It would make the gun easier to conceal and less detectable in your pocket.
Much Thinner Grips
The G10 grips are quite nice. They feel great, look great, and provide that Beretta flair we know and love. However, they also make the gun excessively wide. We must accept the wider frame to prevent the 30X Frame from cracking, but it can be thinner. It also appears the 20X and the 30X frames are identical, or at least close. Producing one frame likely saves money, and I get it.
However, ditching the grip panels and replacing them with cheaper, thinner grip panels seems like a much better idea to me. Thinner, smoother grips make the gun more concealable and less sticky when drawn from a pocket holster.
The Undercover Models
These are my theoretical fixes to turn the 20X and 30X guns back into the pocket pistols we know and love. As the owner of the 20X and 30X, as well as the older 21A and 3032, I can say the size difference is massive. It makes a big difference when shoving the gun into your pocket.
I don’t think Beretta should abandon making these guns acceptable pocket pistols. With a few dedicated changes, we could have a fantastic and stylish pair of pocket rockets.
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