Mousegun Choices

Comparision photos of Ruger lcr .22lr and Beretta 21a Bobcat

PT-22 you say. Got two.

Anything I was going to say is in the links already.
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/p...-do-they-really-jam-can-use-cci-stinger..html

http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/pt92-other-taurus-pistols/11-pt22-corner.html

The Beretta 21A is a fine gun.It is traditional double action for the first shot and single action for every shot after that.

If you want something a bit more potent then there are the NAA Guardian, Beretta Tomcat, and the Taurus 732 in .32ACP. I own one of each. All are in the backup gun or are the primary gun in this summer's extremely hot weather. I find the 732 and the Tomcat to be user friendly a bit more so than the NAA Guardian. All of these are in stainless steel.

The Tomcat has the better sights. FMJ ammo for practice and JHPs for defensive carry.

I have trouble using the .380ACP mini-pistols as recoil is more sharp and hard on the hands,wrist and arm.

Try as many of these models out as possible and go with the gun/s that best meet your needs.

In a way the 22 is unreliable. If you let the bullet seat get real nasty you will have light strikes I don't care who's gun you shoot. I have a P-3AT that is rock solid after 4 months of going back and forth to Fl for warranty service. The .380 is a hard little gun to shoot. It's not very accurate either. 10 yards is max range for the P-3AT. But most self defense situations happen much closer than 10 yards.

I looked long and hard at the bereta and taurus 22.

Ended up with the Bersa Thunder 22,

Built on thier 380 frame, which I also have =, Both are great fit and finish, flawless performance, no fte,ftf, a good reliable pair of mouseguns.

I've had 2 Bobcats, one would shoot anything with no problem and the other only liked only Velocitors or stingers. A revolver will shoot anything, shorts, longs, shotshells whatever.
I would go for the Ruger LCR22 or S&W 43c (no lock) or a 317 and you still have 8 shots.

The .380 is a hard little gun to shoot. It's not very accurate either. 10 yards is max range for the P-3AT. But most self defense situations happen much closer than 10 yards.

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A good compromise between the 22/25 category and the potentially-snappy pocket-380s is the P32. That's the route I went in my carry-mousegun selection, when I was shopping for something to back up my PF9 (or replace it when the PF9 could not be easily carried, which is rare.) The P32 has much-lighter recoil, holds one more round, and locks open when the last round is fired. The P3-AT (and its clones) fires a more potent round.

I have the LCR-22 and it is a fine choice. Very well made, reliable and accurate. Eats any kind of LR ammo. Just a great all around revolver and the price is reasonable.

I also have the NAA Black Widow in .22 LR and .22 Magnum. It's also very well made and accurate.

Funny that I wanted a good SA/DA .22 revolver but ended up with a DAO and a SAO. I really like them both.

The Kel-Tec P-32. It weighs only 6.6oz empty and a .32 mouse has a bigger bite than a .22 mouse.

I'll second the P-32. Mine has been flawless and really easy to shoot and it does fit in your pocket. Of course some people pocket their G-26.

I have the 21A in .22 and a 21A in .25ACP and they are both very nice. But, they're also the same size as my LCP! Guess which gets carried?

stanmo said:

I'll second the P-32. Mine has been flawless and really easy to shoot and it does fit in your pocket. Of course some people pocket their G-26.

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I have a lot of respect for kel tec and have no doubt the P32 is a great gun, but the OP said a couple of times he was not looking for a carry gun just another 22. I have a fondness for small 22lrs myself. I have a lot of guns that were bought for just enjoyment and no though to self defense given

Just picked up a 21a bobcat, neat little gun cant wait to shoot it.

i got two 21a and the only problem i have had is if i load the mag full it was jam. load one less in the mag they will shoot any thing that i feed them. they will shoot as fast as i can pull the trigger.

I've had a Beretta 21 (although in .25) for maybe 18-19 years and it's always been a fine little mouse gun. I have actually shot a mouse with it by the way, actually a rat but whatever, and it put him down with authority. I haven't had any recent experience with the Taurus but back in the day they had a not so reliable reputation in the mouse guns. They look decent these days though.

keltec-p32 I love that thing and it is so comfortable to carry.

mjkten, a LCP in .22LR would be a must-have gun for me also! I have 3 plinking 22s; beside my Buckmark. A LCR, a Bobcat, and a Bersa T22. The Bersa is also a very fun plinker that won't break the bank. I hope to see pics and a range report when you make your decision!

Have you looked at the Beretta 3032 "Tomcat" .32 ACP? It is the same size, and just slightly heavier than the Bobcat.

With the Speer Gold Dot, the .32acp has almost twice the weight [ 60gr versus 32 ] as well as faster muzzle velocity [ 960 vs 900 ].

Another advantage of the Beretta's are you can use it in single-action mode 'cocked and locked' or in Dual-Action mode. With a small pistol, I find single action really helps with accuracy.

Toss-Up

Have them both (big-time mouse-gun aficionado) and I can honestly say they are two peas in a pod so to speak. The 21A is a tad smaller but they both are extremely reliable with the proper ammo for BUG use (bulk stuff at the range is fine). If costs is a factor go the Taurus route IMO.
By the way, I also have the PT in .25acp but don't shoot it much for obvious reasons .

PT22 & Beretta 21A


PT22B


-Cheers

My favorite.
Bersa Thunder 22

I'm still back with the mouse who prefers a .357 snubbie?

Beretta's are nice little guns. Buy one. They are cheap, but last a long time.

I found out one thing about my Ruger SR22 I didn't like this weekend. I was carrying it in my pocket for plinking when the doves weren't flying, which fortunately wasn't that much. I had it depress the mag release once in my pocket while seated. That's not good and its something my Kel Tec P11 doesn't do. Hmmm... I still prefer heal magazine clips on pocket guns. As the little Ruger isn't carried for self defense, I guess it doesn't really matter. Just something you might wanna know. It's the only thing I can find to fault the gun with. It shoots wonderfully, very accurate and very reliable.

SR22

As you mentioned, the SR22 is not your 'conventional' size "mousegun" and I never even thought one could fit it in a pant pocket. Maybe I should look for a different tailor .

what did you have in your pocket that made it release the mag., mine you have to apply pressure to releash it.

I really like my NAA .22lr/.22mag with holstergrip. I mostly carry it for fun plinking. It will disappear in the front pocket of my jeans. Drop in the mag cylinder stoked with Hornady Critical Defense (or any magnum) and the little pocketplinker gets real nasty.

I shoot bricks of .22s for fun. I cant remember the last misfire I had.