{
  "apiVersion": 1,
  "kind": "work-order",
  "purpose": "Taking the firearm apart for a job such as refinishing, and putting it back together to specification.",
  "firearm": {
    "slug": "beretta-21a-bobcat",
    "name": "Beretta 21A Bobcat",
    "manufacturer": {
      "id": "beretta",
      "name": "Beretta"
    },
    "category": "pistol",
    "action": "blowback",
    "calibers": [
      ".22 Long Rifle",
      ".25 ACP"
    ],
    "alsoKnownAs": [
      "Bobcat",
      "Beretta 3032 Tomcat (same system)"
    ],
    "coversAlso": [
      "Beretta 3032 Tomcat",
      "Beretta 950 Jetfire (similar tip-up system)"
    ],
    "page": "firearms/beretta-21a-bobcat.html",
    "bundle": "api/v1/firearms/beretta-21a-bobcat.json",
    "lastUpdated": "2026-10-29"
  },
  "notices": [
    "Beretta limits owner disassembly: Field strip only: magazine out, tip-up barrel released, slide removed forward off the frame; grip panels may be removed if the pistol is very dirty.",
    "This work order is written for the Beretta 21A Bobcat. It is reported to cover Beretta 3032 Tomcat; Beretta 950 Jetfire (similar tip-up system) — if the firearm on the bench is one of those, check the torque notes: values do not always carry over."
  ],
  "disclaimer": {
    "headline": "Read this before you use anything here.",
    "points": [
      "This is a guide, not an authority. Entries are compiled from manufacturer manuals, technical manuals, published references, and community knowledge. Some of it comes from sources that are not authoritative, and some of it may simply be wrong.",
      "Always consult the manufacturer's manual for your specific firearm and serial-number range. Manufacturers change designs mid-production without renaming the model. The manual that shipped with your firearm outranks anything on this site.",
      "Consult a licensed gunsmith for anything beyond routine field stripping and cleaning, for any firearm you are unsure about, and for any procedure marked as gunsmith-recommended here.",
      "Treat every firearm as loaded. Verify it is unloaded, with the magazine removed and the chamber physically and visually checked, before any procedure in this database. Point it in a safe direction the entire time.",
      "Disassembly can damage a firearm or injure you. Springs are under tension, parts can launch, and reassembling a firearm incorrectly can make it unsafe to fire in a way that is not obvious from the outside. If a reassembled firearm does not pass a function check, stop and see a gunsmith.",
      "Torque values are shown in two groups. Values from the manufacturer or the issuing military are shown as such, with the document they came from. Values reported by anyone else — parts makers, gunsmithing publishers, articles, forums — are shown separately with who said them, how reliable that source is, and their exact words. Those are not specifications. Confirm any torque value with the manufacturer or a licensed gunsmith before relying on it.",
      "Nothing here is legal advice. Firearms law varies by country, state, and city, and some modifications or configurations are regulated or prohibited. You are responsible for knowing and following the law where you are.",
      "No warranty of any kind. Contributors and maintainers accept no liability for damage, injury, or loss arising from use of this material."
    ],
    "page": "disclaimer.html",
    "legal": {
      "summary": "Legal notice: this material is third-party information compiled from sources of varying reliability and is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not gunsmithing, technical, safety or legal advice, it is not verified or endorsed by any manufacturer, and it must not be taken as fact. Any work on a firearm beyond the routine field stripping described in its own owner's manual should be performed only by a licensed and insured gunsmith. You use this material entirely at your own risk. Fundamental Build LLC and the project's contributors make no warranty of any kind and accept no liability for death, injury, damage or loss arising from its use. Full terms: LEGAL.md.",
      "page": "legal.html",
      "notice": "https://github.com/Fundamental-build-LLC/Pew-Takedown/blob/main/LEGAL.md"
    }
  },
  "sourcing": {
    "confidence": "medium",
    "verification": "community-reviewed"
  },
  "manufacturerDisassembly": {
    "status": "limited",
    "limit": "Field strip only: magazine out, tip-up barrel released, slide removed forward off the frame; grip panels may be removed if the pistol is very dirty.",
    "statement": "Beretta recommends any further disassembly be done by a qualified gunsmith, and says the pistol should not be disassembled for cleaning beyond what the manual describes.",
    "source": {
      "title": "Pistol User Manual, Tomcat & Bobcat (UQAN4110 rev 2)",
      "publisher": "Beretta USA",
      "reliability": "primary",
      "url": "https://dam.beretta.com/content/dam/beretta-usa/user-manuals/Beretta_USA_Tomcat_Bobcat_User_Manual_rev_2.pdf",
      "page": "20",
      "pdfPage": 23,
      "pageUrl": "https://dam.beretta.com/content/dam/beretta-usa/user-manuals/Beretta_USA_Tomcat_Bobcat_User_Manual_rev_2.pdf#page=23",
      "quote": "Beretta recommends any further disassembly be performed by a qualified gunsmith."
    }
  },
  "recalls": [],
  "shopTier": {
    "tier": 2,
    "group": "pistol",
    "rating": "Pew-Takedown editorial rating (1 easy – 3 hardest), not the manufacturer's",
    "reason": "62 line items (72 pieces, inflated by color/sight/grip variant rows) in Beretta's Bobcat list; small, spring-dense frame with a safety spring that flies, recoil springs under tight grip screws, and Beretta does not publish detail-strip instructions. More traps than a Glock, nothing that needs timing or a fixture.",
    "confidence": "medium",
    "partCount": {
      "value": 47,
      "kind": "line-items",
      "covers": "Complete pistol incl. magazine; our transcribed parts list = 'Bobcat Parts List' (exploded view p. 32, table pp. 33-34), 72 pieces; variant rows (colors, sights, barrels, grips) under one key are…",
      "basis": "manufacturer-parts-list",
      "source": {
        "title": "Pistol User Manual, Tomcat & Bobcat (UQAN4110 rev 2)",
        "publisher": "Beretta USA",
        "reliability": "primary",
        "url": "https://dam.beretta.com/content/dam/beretta-usa/user-manuals/Beretta_USA_Tomcat_Bobcat_User_Manual_rev_2.pdf",
        "page": "32–34",
        "pdfPage": 36,
        "pageUrl": "https://dam.beretta.com/content/dam/beretta-usa/user-manuals/Beretta_USA_Tomcat_Bobcat_User_Manual_rev_2.pdf#page=36",
        "quote": "48 Magazine assembly"
      }
    },
    "painPoints": [
      {
        "issue": "The manual safety contains a spring that flies when it comes out, and Beretta keeps its detail-strip procedure to its own gunsmiths.",
        "during": "both",
        "source": {
          "title": "beretta 21a bobcat",
          "publisher": "Northeastshooters.com Forums",
          "reliability": "anecdotal",
          "url": "https://www.northeastshooters.com/xen/threads/beretta-21a-bobcat.198558/",
          "page": null,
          "pdfPage": null,
          "pageUrl": null,
          "quote": "be careful of the safety as it contains a spring that can fly away, and (ii) proper disassembly was a subject covered by Beretta with their gunsmiths but instructions were not made available by them to the public."
        }
      },
      {
        "issue": "The twin recoil springs sit under the grip panels, whose small slotted screws are tight and strip easily without a precisely fitted screwdriver.",
        "during": "disassembly",
        "source": {
          "title": "Beretta 21a Bobcat question",
          "publisher": "SIGforum",
          "reliability": "anecdotal",
          "url": "https://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/430601935/m/8660047044/p/1",
          "page": null,
          "pdfPage": null,
          "pageUrl": null,
          "quote": "I finally had to dremel a screwdriver down to fit the screws precisely enough that I didn't jack up the slothead."
        }
      },
      {
        "issue": "On the same-system Tomcat, levers and springs pop out when the slide/frame is put back together.",
        "during": "reassembly",
        "source": {
          "title": "Beretta Tomcat 3032 question.",
          "publisher": "SIGforum",
          "reliability": "anecdotal",
          "url": "https://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/430601935/m/5900021894",
          "page": null,
          "pdfPage": null,
          "pageUrl": null,
          "quote": "When I went to \"reinstall\" it, some of the levers and springs popped out."
        }
      },
      {
        "issue": "Beretta itself recommends anything past the field strip go to a qualified gunsmith.",
        "during": "both",
        "source": {
          "title": "Pistol User Manual, Tomcat & Bobcat (UQAN4110 rev 2)",
          "publisher": "Beretta USA",
          "reliability": "primary",
          "url": "https://dam.beretta.com/content/dam/beretta-usa/user-manuals/Beretta_USA_Tomcat_Bobcat_User_Manual_rev_2.pdf",
          "page": null,
          "pdfPage": null,
          "pageUrl": null,
          "quote": "Beretta recommends any further disassembly be performed by a qualified gunsmith."
        }
      },
      {
        "issue": "The firing pin is retained by a roll pin and needs a roll-pin punch to remove properly.",
        "during": "disassembly",
        "source": {
          "title": "beretta 21a bobcat",
          "publisher": "Northeastshooters.com Forums",
          "reliability": "anecdotal",
          "url": "https://www.northeastshooters.com/xen/threads/beretta-21a-bobcat.198558/",
          "page": null,
          "pdfPage": null,
          "pageUrl": null,
          "quote": "To remove the firing pin properly involves a roll punch."
        }
      }
    ],
    "minutes": {
      "strip": 30,
      "rebuild": 45,
      "basis": "estimated",
      "note": "Estimate for an experienced tech with the right tools, detail strip to coatable parts (slide internals, frame pins, trigger group, sights) and rebuild to a function-checked gun; scale used across pistols: Glock-pattern 15/20 min, other strikers 20-30/25-40, DA/SA hammer guns 30-35/45-50, Hi-Power, Colt 1903 and Mark 23 40-45/60-75.",
      "source": null
    },
    "stripScope": [
      {
        "assembly": "Slide",
        "removes": [
          "firing pin, spring and retaining pin",
          "rear sight"
        ],
        "tools": [
          "roll-pin punch"
        ]
      },
      {
        "assembly": "Barrel",
        "removes": [
          "tip-up barrel and barrel pins (male/female)",
          "barrel spring",
          "barrel latch and spring"
        ]
      },
      {
        "assembly": "Frame",
        "removes": [
          "grip panels and screws",
          "recoil springs, plungers and covers",
          "safety, plunger and detent spring",
          "trigger bar and spring",
          "hammer, spring, cap and pins",
          "sear, spring and pin",
          "trigger, pin and spring",
          "ejector/feed ramp pin",
          "magazine release and spring"
        ],
        "tools": [
          "fitted screwdriver",
          "punch set"
        ]
      }
    ],
    "hardware": {
      "pins": 12,
      "springs": 12,
      "detents": 4,
      "basis": "counted from the manufacturer's parts list (one per key number unless a quantity is given)"
    },
    "specialTools": [
      {
        "tool": "Hollow-ground screwdriver fitted to the grip screws",
        "usedFor": "Tight slotted grip screws over the recoil springs"
      },
      {
        "tool": "Small roll-pin punch",
        "usedFor": "Firing pin retaining pin"
      }
    ],
    "fitOnRebuild": [
      {
        "check": "Grips installed before any double-action test",
        "why": "The grips keep the external trigger bar in place; without them the trigger bar can pull away",
        "source": null
      },
      {
        "check": "Full function check (trigger reset, safeties, slide lock-back, drop of striker/hammer only on trigger)",
        "why": "Standard after any fire-control strip; confirms springs and sears went back correctly",
        "source": null
      }
    ],
    "assessed": "2026-10-29"
  },
  "videos": [],
  "configurations": [],
  "tools": [],
  "phases": [
    {
      "id": "clear",
      "title": "Clear and make safe",
      "steps": [
        {
          "n": 1,
          "instruction": "Point the muzzle in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger."
        },
        {
          "n": 2,
          "instruction": "Press the magazine release and remove the magazine.",
          "partsFreed": [
            "Magazine"
          ]
        },
        {
          "n": 3,
          "instruction": "Press the barrel release lever. The barrel will spring upward and pivot open, lifting any chambered round with it.",
          "warning": "The barrel is spring-loaded and opens briskly. Keep fingers clear."
        },
        {
          "n": 4,
          "instruction": "Remove any cartridge from the exposed chamber and inspect the chamber with a light.",
          "partsFreed": [
            "Chambered round, if present"
          ]
        },
        {
          "n": 5,
          "instruction": "Physically confirm the chamber is empty."
        },
        {
          "n": 6,
          "instruction": "Remove all live ammunition from the work area."
        }
      ],
      "videos": []
    },
    {
      "id": "disassemble",
      "title": "Disassemble",
      "videos": [],
      "procedures": [
        {
          "procedure": "field-strip",
          "title": "Field Strip",
          "level": "field-strip",
          "configuration": false,
          "steps": [
            {
              "n": 1,
              "instruction": "Complete the Clear and Make Safe procedure, leaving the barrel tipped up."
            },
            {
              "n": 2,
              "instruction": "With the barrel open, pull the slide rearward and lift it up and off the frame rails.",
              "warning": "The recoil spring is under compression.",
              "partsFreed": [
                "Slide"
              ]
            },
            {
              "n": 3,
              "instruction": "Remove the recoil spring from around the barrel or its guide, noting its orientation.",
              "partsFreed": [
                "Recoil spring"
              ]
            },
            {
              "n": 4,
              "instruction": "Stop here for routine cleaning. The barrel does not need to come off the frame."
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "refinish",
      "title": "Refinish",
      "components": [
        {
          "name": "Slide",
          "procedure": "field-strip",
          "level": "field-strip",
          "step": 2
        },
        {
          "name": "Recoil spring",
          "procedure": "field-strip",
          "level": "field-strip",
          "step": 3
        }
      ],
      "manufacturerPartsList": {
        "parts": 62,
        "scope": "'Bobcat Parts List' (exploded view p.32, table pp.33-34). The Tomcat Parts List (pp.29-31) in the same manual was left out. Variant rows (colors, sights, barrels, grips) printed under one item number are kept, keyless after the first."
      },
      "partsDiagrams": [],
      "materials": [
        {
          "component": "Frame",
          "material": "high strength aluminum alloy",
          "finish": "anodize",
          "appliesTo": "20X Bobcat (.22 LR) / 30X Tomcat (.32 Auto), US-made",
          "note": null,
          "source": {
            "title": "Pistol User Manual, Tomcat & Bobcat (UQAN4110 rev 2)",
            "publisher": "Beretta USA",
            "reliability": "primary",
            "url": "https://dam.beretta.com/content/dam/beretta-usa/user-manuals/Beretta_USA_Tomcat_Bobcat_User_Manual_rev_2.pdf",
            "page": null,
            "pdfPage": null,
            "pageUrl": null,
            "quote": "The frame is machined from a high strength aluminum alloy forging, and its surface is anodize finished."
          }
        },
        {
          "component": "Slide",
          "material": "high strength steel",
          "finish": "blued",
          "appliesTo": null,
          "note": null,
          "source": {
            "title": "Pistol User Manual, Tomcat & Bobcat (UQAN4110 rev 2)",
            "publisher": "Beretta USA",
            "reliability": "primary",
            "url": "https://dam.beretta.com/content/dam/beretta-usa/user-manuals/Beretta_USA_Tomcat_Bobcat_User_Manual_rev_2.pdf",
            "page": null,
            "pdfPage": null,
            "pageUrl": null,
            "quote": "The slide is machined from a cold drawn shape of high strength steel and blued by the same process as the barrel."
          }
        },
        {
          "component": "Barrel",
          "material": "high strength steel alloy",
          "finish": "hot blueing",
          "appliesTo": null,
          "note": null,
          "source": {
            "title": "Pistol User Manual, Tomcat & Bobcat (UQAN4110 rev 2)",
            "publisher": "Beretta USA",
            "reliability": "primary",
            "url": "https://dam.beretta.com/content/dam/beretta-usa/user-manuals/Beretta_USA_Tomcat_Bobcat_User_Manual_rev_2.pdf",
            "page": null,
            "pdfPage": null,
            "pageUrl": null,
            "quote": "The barrel is made from a high strength steel alloy, and its surface is protected by a deep, durable hot blueing."
          }
        },
        {
          "component": "Grips",
          "material": "Black polymer, walnut or G10",
          "finish": null,
          "appliesTo": null,
          "note": null,
          "source": {
            "title": "Pistol User Manual, Tomcat & Bobcat (UQAN4110 rev 2)",
            "publisher": "Beretta USA",
            "reliability": "primary",
            "url": "https://dam.beretta.com/content/dam/beretta-usa/user-manuals/Beretta_USA_Tomcat_Bobcat_User_Manual_rev_2.pdf",
            "page": null,
            "pdfPage": null,
            "pageUrl": null,
            "quote": "Grips … Black polymer, walnut or G10 grip panels"
          }
        }
      ],
      "note": "The components the procedures above separate. Coating, masking and cure are outside this database; follow your coating system's instructions. A part the manufacturer marks \"factory fit\" should not be swapped or reworked."
    },
    {
      "id": "reassemble",
      "title": "Reassemble",
      "videos": [],
      "procedures": [
        {
          "procedure": "reassembly",
          "title": "Reassembly",
          "configuration": false,
          "steps": [
            {
              "n": 1,
              "instruction": "Fit the recoil spring in its correct orientation."
            },
            {
              "n": 2,
              "instruction": "With the barrel tipped up, set the slide onto the frame rails and push it rearward and down until it seats."
            },
            {
              "n": 3,
              "instruction": "Press the barrel down until it latches fully closed.",
              "warning": "Confirm the barrel is locked down. A barrel that is not latched must not be fired."
            },
            {
              "n": 4,
              "instruction": "Rack the slide several times and perform the function check."
            }
          ],
          "instruction": null
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "torque",
      "title": "Torque",
      "coverage": "sourced",
      "manufacturer": [
        {
          "fastener": "Grip panel screws (flat-head)",
          "appliesTo": "Beretta Tomcat (3032) and Bobcat (21A) - the manual covers both models",
          "qualifier": "exact",
          "value": 10,
          "valueMax": null,
          "unit": "in-lb",
          "converted": {
            "value": {
              "N-m": 1.1,
              "in-lb": 10,
              "ft-lb": 0.83
            },
            "valueMax": null
          },
          "sequence": null,
          "threadlocker": null,
          "source": {
            "title": "Pistol User Manual, Tomcat & Bobcat (UQAN4110 rev 2)",
            "publisher": "Beretta USA",
            "reliability": "primary",
            "url": "https://dam.beretta.com/content/dam/beretta-usa/user-manuals/Beretta_USA_Tomcat_Bobcat_User_Manual_rev_2.pdf",
            "page": "PDF p. 24 (\"Grip Panels Remove and Insta",
            "pdfPage": 24,
            "pageUrl": "https://dam.beretta.com/content/dam/beretta-usa/user-manuals/Beretta_USA_Tomcat_Bobcat_User_Manual_rev_2.pdf#page=24",
            "quote": "Install the grip screws with a flathead screwdriver by turning them clockwise. Tighten the grip screws to a torque of 10 lb·in."
          }
        }
      ],
      "reported": [],
      "notes": null
    },
    {
      "id": "function-check",
      "title": "Function check",
      "checks": [
        "Verify the pistol is unloaded with no magazine inserted before each check.",
        "Confirm the barrel latches down positively and does not move when pressed upward.",
        "Press the barrel release and confirm the barrel tips up freely.",
        "With the barrel closed, rack the slide and press the trigger for a single-action break.",
        "With the hammer down, press the trigger for a double-action hammer fall.",
        "Engage the manual safety and confirm the trigger is blocked.",
        "Confirm the magazine seats and releases cleanly."
      ],
      "videos": []
    }
  ],
  "troubleshooting": [],
  "sources": [
    {
      "n": 1,
      "id": null,
      "title": "Beretta Model 21A Bobcat Owner’s Manual",
      "publisher": "Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta",
      "reliability": "primary",
      "url": null,
      "accessed": null
    },
    {
      "n": 2,
      "id": "beretta-usa-0ba297",
      "title": "Pistol User Manual, Tomcat & Bobcat (UQAN4110 rev 2)",
      "publisher": "Beretta USA",
      "reliability": "primary",
      "url": "https://dam.beretta.com/content/dam/beretta-usa/user-manuals/Beretta_USA_Tomcat_Bobcat_User_Manual_rev_2.pdf",
      "accessed": "2026-09-27"
    },
    {
      "n": 3,
      "id": "tier-ee0abf08",
      "title": "beretta 21a bobcat",
      "publisher": "Northeastshooters.com Forums",
      "reliability": "anecdotal",
      "url": "https://www.northeastshooters.com/xen/threads/beretta-21a-bobcat.198558/",
      "accessed": "2026-10-29"
    },
    {
      "n": 4,
      "id": "tier-41f0f2b6",
      "title": "Beretta 21a Bobcat question",
      "publisher": "SIGforum",
      "reliability": "anecdotal",
      "url": "https://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/430601935/m/8660047044/p/1",
      "accessed": "2026-10-29"
    },
    {
      "n": 5,
      "id": "tier-274b9ad6",
      "title": "Beretta Tomcat 3032 question.",
      "publisher": "SIGforum",
      "reliability": "anecdotal",
      "url": "https://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/430601935/m/5900021894",
      "accessed": "2026-10-29"
    }
  ]
}