Beretta 21A - 22 LR

[flenna]

As much as I like and carry Federal SD centerfire ammo their .22lr plinking ammo stinks- last time I used it I had FTF and squibs. To Federal’s credit I emailed them about the problem and they sent me a shipping label, scheduled UPS to pick it up and refunded my money.

Back to the 21A- the diminutive sights do take a little getting used to and you really have to concentrate on steadying the pistol while squeezing the trigger but consistent hits at 10 yards is very doable.

ETA- not sure if you noticed but there is a 1/2 or more like a 1/4 cock position for the hammer. This is so the hammer is not resting on the firing pin while carrying.

[Ron3]

As much as I like and carry Federal SD centerfire ammo their .22lr plinking ammo stinks- last time I used it I had FTF and squibs. To Federal’s credit I emailed them about the problem and they sent me a shipping label, scheduled UPS to pick it up and refunded my money.

Back to the 21A- the diminutive sights do take a little getting used to and you really have to concentrate on steadying the pistol while squeezing the trigger but consistent hits at 10 yards is very doable.

ETA- not sure if you noticed but there is a 1/2 or more like a 1/4 cock position for the hammer. This is so the hammer is not resting on the firing pin while carrying.

My Beretta .25 m950's and M21A's are accurate.

You're wrong about the hammer. It never rests on the firing pin. It rests on the slide. The firing pin is kept rearward by a spring.

Thus, when the hammer is fully down & gun dropped on muzzle, the firing pin spring will prevent the firing pin from flying forward and striking the primer.

If the gun is dropped on the hammer, the hammer will transfer that force to the back of the slide, not the firing pin.

The gun is safest to carry hammer down.

The half-cock position exists in case one decided to cock the hammer manually and their thumb slips off. Also in case the gun is dropped while cocked and the sear slips, hopefully the h half-cock notch will catch it.

The manual safety is only a trigger block. They do not have a passive firing pin disconnector like most pistols do. Even so, they are pretty darn safe.

[flenna]

My Beretta .25 m950's and M21A's are accurate.

You're wrong about the hammer. It never rests on the firing pin. It rests on the slide. The firing pin is kept rearward by a spring.

Thus, when the hammer is fully down & gun dropped on muzzle, the firing pin spring will prevent the firing pin from flying forward and striking the primer.

If the gun is dropped on the hammer, the hammer will transfer that force to the back of the slide, not the firing pin.

The gun is safest to carry hammer down.

The half-cock position exists in case one decided to cock the hammer manually and their thumb slips off. Also in case the gun is dropped while cocked and the sear slips, hopefully the h half-cock notch will catch it.

The manual safety is only a trigger block. They do not have a passive firing pin disconnector like most pistols do. Even so, they are pretty darn safe.

I stand corrected. I still have the 30 year old box and manual so I looked it up and yes, the half-notch is not for carrying so not sure what made me think that.

[RugerMKII]

My pistol's finish is pretty well worn and "beat up" (it was cheap for a reason). It honestly looks like someone carried it in pockets with keys, etc daily, as well as shooting it quite a bit and dropping it more than once (hence the grips).
Andy

You probably have already checked this, but take a good magnifying glass and check the muzzle. Based on your description it might need a little touch up on the crown??

[Ron3]

You probably have already checked this, but take a good magnifying glass and check the muzzle. Based on your description it might need a little touch up on the crown??

That's a good idea.

[AndyLate]

You probably have already checked this, but take a good magnifying glass and check the muzzle. Based on your description it might need a little touch up on the crown??

I will look at it under magnification today.

Andy

[AndyLate]

The crown looked fine to me, but not terribly smooth from the factory. I polished it up with a brass screw and abrasive. Took it to the range today, but the shorter range positions were full up, so no real group shooting. I can scare a 6" plate at 50 yards with it, even hit it a couple of times every 2 magazines. No malfunctions out of 100 or so rounds, and it is a lot of fun to shoot.

Andy

[Ron3]

The crown looked fine to me, but not terribly smooth from the factory. I polished it up with a brass screw and abrasive. Took it to the range today, but the shorter range positions were full up, so no real group shooting. I can scare a 6" plate at 50 yards with it, even hit it a couple of times every 2 magazines. No malfunctions out of 100 or so rounds, and it is a lot of fun to shoot.

Andy

Cool.

I fired an M21a .25 from clean until I got a malfunction. It was at about round 275. I got another shortly afterwards. The next trip, after cleaning, it ran fine.

Gotta keep the mags clean & dry, too.

Maglula .22 loader works great. So does having lots of mags.

[AndyLate]

Cool.

I fired an M21a .25 from clean until I got a malfunction. It was at about round 275. I got another shortly afterwards. The next trip, after cleaning, it ran fine.

Gotta keep the mags clean & dry, too.

Maglula .22 loader works great. So does having lots of mags.

I bought 3 more mags from Beretta, definitely make range time more enjoyable. I would guess 150-200 rounds is where my 21a needs a quick clean to prevent issues.

I installed Beretta walnut Tomcat grips on my pistol and just finished shaping and gluing in a spacer on the right grip. The trigger bar slot was twice as deep as needed, at least on a 21a, and causes multiple problems. Its not the most elegant repair job, but not too Bubba.

Groups were in the EDIT 6-8" range at 10 yards, probably more indicative of my abilities than the pistols.

Andy

[mpom]

Did you notice any oval holes in paper targets? I think slow twist and low velocity explain why mine does this frequently w standard velocity ammo. Carry stingers in it, as pocket gun.