Beretta 21a Detail Disassembly / Bad SA Pull

I've had several of these over the years, I always wind up giving them to whichever member of the family sees them. They've proven for me exceedingly reliable and accurate for what they are, and I like them very much.

Just got the current one, and it has an even worse than normal SA pull, which is to say awful. It needs work bad.

I'm a fairly advanced amateur at such work but I've not worked on one of these. Has anyone detail stripped one of these guns? Any reason not to?

Please, I'm not interested in unsolicited advice, e.g. 'live with it', 'return it', 'shoulda checked it first', etc. But if you've specific information on improving the SA pull or on detailed disassembly, pro or con, I'd very much like to hear it.

There may be some roughness in the sear, a little "quick fix" that MAY work, cock the hammer, Put forward pressure on the hammer spur, really push on it hard, and pull the trigger, do that a couple times and see if it doesn't slick up a bit.

I don't think they get any stoning at the factory and some times there are some rough edges left over from the milling or some scale from the heat treating. That extra hard pressure on the hammer will some times help the feel.

I had a new Ruger Blackhawk that was gritty and very creepy out of the box so I detail stripped and cleaned it , and found the "Trick" on a website, tried it and it was a whole bunch smoother but the creep is still there, just not the grittyness.

I have a 21A and find like you that they are reliable and very handy little pistols.
I have never had the need or want to detail strip mine. But I give it a little Lubriplate on the sear and keep the rest lubricated.

May be it will work for you.

I have owned one of these little guys for many years. Likely the most fun little gun I own.Now that my dad has borrowed my Ruger MKII, it is my warm up / cool down range pistol, the first & last I shoot at the range.

The thought of a detail stripping it fills me with dread, "Remington Nylon 66 Dread."

For some reason, .22LR firearms seem the most complex & idiosyncratic critters in all firearm-dom.

FTR, I am not intimidated by the dreaded Ruger MKI/II/III disassembly. BTDT. When I field strip the Beretta 21A, however, those dual recoil springs mock me. Well, let them mock, they are not getting out to SPROING! across the room, never to be found.

Hi Dagger: I thought of boosting the hammer, it often helps a bit on 1911s for example. But I'm hesitant if/until I can see the hammer / sear geometry to be sure I won't be inadvertantly breaking off a hammer or sear engagement notch/nose of some sort.

Mostly I'm only interested in stripping the rear end - not for now the trigger or barrel lock lever parts. That looks fairly straight forward although looks have fooled me before which is why I try to find out first.

As for the trigger etc. I'm with Roo ster for now and will probably leave it alone, unlikely it's a main part of the SA problem.

I got a Model 21A when they were first introduced. I loved that gun and losing it in a divorce really sucked. Anyway, I detail stripped it once. Once. I'd strongly advise against you doing it unless you have a fetish for working with little, tiny, fiddly pieces under spring pressure. The kind that launch into hyperspace and you never see again. I'd try boosting the hammer first. I'd try some high tech lubricants on the trigger group first. Heck, I might even try squirting the guts full of toothpaste and dry firing the crap out of it (with a snap cap) first.
Now that I've responded to this thread I'm really starting to hate you because I feel this uncontrollable urge to run to a gun store and buy a Model 21A tomorrow.

Do it. They're still among the best deals going, and one of the most useful and fun guns to own. This last one was $280 OTD. Used to be able to get them for $175 or so.

I have some 5 micron AlO powder, mixed in heavy oil its a superfine lap. I'll have to think about it, not a bad idea. Thanks!

I have the information you need. Send me a PM.

Well I got it apart (and back together).

Actually it's not bad EXCEPT for the hammer pin. Beretta did not mean for the hammer to be removed. The pin is installed so tight I can only guess how they did it. Special locktite or press fitted or frozen (shrunk) in liquid Nitrogen? Anyhow it was in so tight I was lucky to get it out without damaging the frame - I used a heavy hammer and steel punch. I did destroy the pin, which is quite soft steel.

I made another pin ~.001 undersized from drill rod which if a tight slip fit - this took about an hour as it has 3 dimensions - smallest on the left end where it serves as a safety detent stud, then the center main shaft, and on the right a larger stop stud which also seems to limit the trigger bar vertical movement.

I don't know the right way to remove this pin if there is one - perhaps with an arbor press and special punch tip to fit over the small end of the pin?

Anyhow the gun is back working. Assembly is not hard except for the hammer/mainspring which takes strenth and a little finesse. A MUCH improved trigger - still a long and heavy SA pull which is ok in this sort of pistol, but now it's a smooth long heavy SA pull.

I think I was lucky and I wouldn't recommend this task unless you really have the proper tools.