Didn't check out my "new" Jetfire .25 very well..

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MedWheeler

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I've had kind of a thing for the .25ACP round, and the guns chambered for it, for about four years now, and have a few of them. One I had been looking for (to compliment my 21A Beretta Bobcat in .22LR) is the Beretta Jetfire, but I never seem to come across them priced under $300, and I know I should be able to.

Yesterday, I walked into the LGS I frequent, and there's one in the case marked $149. Clean and slick, in better-than-good condition, clean bore, and bluing intact. A few minuscule flecks of paint missing from the aluminum frame around the edges of the plastic grip panels. Hammer felt a bit gritty on manual draw-back, but even that seemed to loosen up after only a couple of tries. I did not dry-fire the gun.

Within the hour, I was back home and reading up on this little pocket-peashooter as it sat next to me. I came across some information advising that the early, Italian-made (pre-'68-ban) ones were made without a manual safety lever. I was looking at the right side of the slide and read "Made in Italy." My heart skipped a beat as I flipped the gun over and, lo and behold, there is no safety lever! That makes the gun even more desirable to me as a collector item. I can't believe I missed that completely during my inspection, especially since I repeatedly test the safety levers on my other Beretta, and on the three Taurus versions I have (two in .25, one in .22LR.) The double-XX (Roman numerals) stamp on the frame indicates the gun was made in 1964.

For that price (I didn't bother to dicker, as I don't on guns priced below $200 unless I know the pricing is out of line), I think I did pretty good. I'm not planning on using this as a defensive gun, even though it is even a bit more easy to conceal than my P32. But I'm glad to have it.
 
I bought one for 125 last year. Made in italy. Black plastic grips. It's not Da sa like my other ones in 22 nor does it have a safety. I didn't know that made any difference in value. Nice guns though.
 
tercel89 said:
please post some pictures ! I love those Beretta .25's .
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Maybe the op will post up. My dad took mine to carry two days after I bought it.....(definately not my choice for it and he had far better options.) But I'll see him monday and take a picture maybe. To be perfectly honest I had to text my mom (she got her first cell to text from this year. Lol. Still seems wierd) and have her ask him if mine had a safety or not.

Also, to the op, where is the date stamp on these
 
for collection value that's a good little gun. for self defense, as in you are under physical attack, I'd prefer the safety so I could carry it cocked and pocked.
 
Nice find.

The tip up barrel micro Berettas are interesting guns. It is grand you found one that has some interesting "lack of" features.

I have a long barrel 22 Short model and a 25 ACP model.
 
Apart from the Phoenix Arms HP-25, the 950 Jetfire is probably the best .25 ACP ever made.
 
If my memory serves me well, the JetFire magazine holds eight. With a ninth round in the tip up barrel/chamber, that is a decent amount of fire power from a mighty 25 acp. I really enjoy shooting 32 and 25 acp handguns.
 
I had one in 22 Short I bought NIB in Atlanta 30+ years ago at a LGS for $105.00 out the door. That little pistol never skipped a beat. I foolishly traded it away...one of a few transactions I’ve regretted. Sounds like you got a good one. Congratulations.
 
Just got one from a friend and its a hoot to shoot.

NEVER would I consider it as a primary,or even a true BUG [ possibly a 3rd ].

But as stated above 9 rounds well placed are a true consideration.

Its VERY accurate and the penetration is a true eye opener.

I can see it for a FAST pocket carry and a very painful [ lethal ] surprise to a attacker.
 
I'm a huge and unrepentant fan of the little bangers.

Mine is from back in the day when it was fairly common - at least in 10th Group - for SF guys to have a *survival gun* in his kit. We used to use regular kitchen food shrink wrappers to seal these and ammunition for years at a time.

Some fellas preferred the .22 but as a short, it never made sense to me. Some fellas like things like Beretta 70's (most likely because of the Mossad preference) but I found them to large and heavy. The very best were PPKs in .22 so you could shoot shot-shells.

Fortunately for me, while wandering around Piza, It. one day, I found a shop with some weird Italian or Spanish .25 shotshells that worked beautifully in my Beretta. It was a very effective little game-getter if you were very careful.

Todd.
IMG_0335.JPG
Where it resided for years.
IMG_0333.JPG
 
MedWheeler

A most excellent find! Nifty little pocket autos! I probably had three or four of the Jetfires at one time or another, along with a Model 20 and a couple of Model 21s.
 
I've never messed with the browning 25 but if the sights are worse than all my little berettas then they should have just left them off. Lol

And I'd have bet money mine only hold 7 rounds in both 25 and 22. Could be wrong though. I bought them for collecting and fun. Definitely not protection. Although I did carry a 21A in my pocket when staying down on the coast where no one wears a shirt
 
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JERRY said:
I'd prefer the safety so I could carry it cocked and pocked.
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Maybe I got two flukes but watch carrying them that way. Both of mine with a safety will go off in DA or SA with the safety on. It adds a bit of weight to the trigger but both will go off 100 percent of the time. I thought my older one was just worn but sure enough I drug out my newer 21A and it does the same thing albeit slightly harder. They are surprisingly accurate and ammo tolerant IME
 
TTv2 said:
Those Baby Brownings are the most overrated .25's ever. Awful sights, heel mag release, terrible safety.
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At fifty ft I was more often than not able to hit the 3" bull of ft NRA pistol target with mine when my eyes were younger. I prefer a heel release on that type of gun.
I agree on the safety, its sucks. Many use to carry such guns on an empty chamber.
The business of rapid reloads: These guns are face guns. About the only way to stop someone is to shoot them in the head and at times that may not work. You empty the gun, muzzle flash and all into the face and if your threat(s) is still standing you go to knife/fists.
 
barnetmill said:
About the only way to stop someone is to shoot them in the head and at times that may not work.
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Very true. And I've told the story on here before, but an acquaintance of mine heard a bump and went out to investigate thinking it a critter. The door happened to hide the intruder when it opened and he was shot at point blank with a 22 in the back of the head and left for dead. He was pissed when he woke up with a bad headache. Drs say the bullet tunneled around the brain fluid and never pierced the brain. They told him he was lucky it was a .22. Other than headaches he said he was fine.
 
barnetmill said:
At fifty ft I was more often than not able to hit the 3" bull of ft NRA pistol target with mine when my eyes were younger. I prefer a heel release on that type of gun.
I agree on the safety, its sucks. Many use to carry such guns on an empty chamber.
The business of rapid reloads: These guns are face guns. About the only way to stop someone is to shoot them in the head and at times that may not work. You empty the gun, muzzle flash and all into the face and if your threat(s) is still standing you go to knife/fists.
Click to expand...
I agree with you about head shots only and knife/fists/run if the gun doesn't stop the threat. I'll also agree that if you're not carrying a spare mag, the heel mag release is more reliable because it's a better way to secure a magazine, BUT if given the option I'm taking the Beretta because if there's a need or an opportunity to reload in the event there are multiple attackers (can't predict how certain people on certain "substances" will react) the Beretta is going to be faster under stress to reload.

Not too mention, the Beretta holds 2 more rounds.
 
More times than I can count have I heard how underpowered the 25 acp is. I can certainly agree with that with one caveat. None of the stories ever tell us what the brand of ammo or how old it was that bounced off the guy’s head.

I only use European ammo in my 25acp’s and most of my 32’s.
 
In the NRA magazine years ago there was an account of a reveler at a San Francisco Hotel convention who felt sick and went out through the kitchen to the alley to vomit and get some fresh air. A waiting mugger tried to hold him up with a .25 acp handgun. The drunk convention-goer resisted and was shot in the head. That made him mad and he chased down the mugger and beat him and held him down until the police arrived.

At the hospital thy removed the slug from under his scalp. It had not penetrated the skull.
 
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