.22 LR "Pocket Pistol" -- Beretta 21A Bobcat vs. Ruger LCR II?

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Solomonson

Solomonson

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I think I've pretty much narrowed my choice down to these two. Since I won't have the opportunity to fondle or shoot either model before purchase, I would really love to hear from those who have?

Which did you choose, and why?
 
I have a 21a and bought it well before Ruger came out with the LCPII in 22. When the Ruger first came came out with the LCPIi I was very tempted to trafe off my 21a, I'm a big Ruger fan, ultimately I decided to go with the known quantity as my 21a shoots exactly to POA and is 100% reliable and it's my only Beretta.
If I were choosing between the two now I'd probably get the Ruger.
 
I've had both. The trigger on the LCR was so bad I couldn't control the gun anywhere near enough to hit the broad side of a barn from the inside. Buy the Bobcat.
 
I've had the lcp in 380 and the bobcat. the lcp is noticeably thinner. or course the bobcat has the S/A trigger for good accuracy. the bobcat has an exposed hammer and thumb safety if that matters to you, however it does not have an extractor.
 
I have a Bobcat I bought back in the day. The Ruger didn't exist, so it wasn't an option.

Now? I'd buy the thinner gun that has the extractor and larger sights. Which means I'd buy the LCP. Unless, I really just wanted the classic design of the all metal Beretta (which is a valid reason, IMO).

Both of these .22LR pistols have a manual safety, if that matters.

(We are talking about the LCP, not the LCR, since this is the Autoloaders forum?)
 
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I've had both. The Bobcat was a wee bit too wide in the grip. Loaned it to a fellow officer and he's still happy with it. Got a nice TPH and it was just about my all time favorite. New LCP II came out . Bought one got two extra mags and shot it same day just before COVID 19 shut us all down. Shot well to POA all the way out to 15/20 yards (no typo) and loved just about all the ammo bulk and CCI that I put thru it. So much so that I ran out of shells. It's a single action with a safety so perhaps not as safe as the beretta 21 for pocket carry, but I for one can live with it. Picture is a 60 - 90 round composite all the way out
 

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I sold my pretty 21A as it was not 100% reliable with most ammo, no matter what I did . My older Beretta 20 model .25acp is 100% reliable and notably smaller so I kept it . The Ruger LCP .380 I have is a great pocket gun and is reliable with what I shoot in it. I suspect so are the .22 versions and have no doubt Ruger will make sure they work for as long as you own it. Beretta customer support is not so great and expensive for shipping ! Ruger is- FREE and real good.Aloso you might consider the Glock 44 .22LR , reports are they are very reliable, but a little bigger.
 
My 21 A was recently sold through my LGS. It did a good job with most better ammo like CCI, but not as good with the cheap stuff from Rem, Win and Fed; I'm talking about Thunderbolts, Wildcats, etc....It is heavy and for a pocket pistol of that weight you have more powerful options like the LCP variants, even some nice 32s from Seecamp and Keltec.
 
I have a Beretta 950 in 22short and one in 25acp both are very reliable and a Tomcat in 32acp that is reliable. My 21 is very picky on 22lr's it will shoot so it never gets shot, I do not fully trust it. I would go for the Ruger if it was me.
 
berettaprofessor said:
I've had both. The trigger on the LCR was so bad I couldn't control the gun anywhere near enough to hit the broad side of a barn from the inside. Buy the Bobcat.
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I have posted many times on the fact that my LCR22 cal is my favorite plinker/trainer. Just love the gun and have been shooting it for years. Recently bought the LCPll 22.cal and find it no where the quality of the LCR. And the LCR trigger is one of the best. Personally think the trigger on the LCPll sucks.The LCP ll trigger is insane. A ridiculous amount of free play that feels like the trigger spring is broken and then a wall and boom.
The LCR has a smooth, controlled, deliberate trigger.
The LCR as a revolver eats any ammo. Very seldom has a failure unless you just get a dude round.
I train with the LCR because of the trigger. All my carry guns are DAO and this little gun has proven to be a great aid for small barrel and point and shoot skills. The DAO is great for fast shooting. The LCPll would IMO be for someone that prefers target gun shooting.
The DAO is better suited for my Training with the Beretta Pico, and the Kahr and even my LCP Gen2 (not LCPll) both of which have nice DAO.

I have not shot the Bobcat, but would choose it over the LCP. However, there are a lot of owners that complain about cracks in the frame with the Bobcat. I have heard the recoil spring might be a challenge to replace.

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View attachment 937326
 
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Ernie Bass said:
I have not shot the Bobcat, but would choose it over the LCP. However, there are a lot of owners that complain about cracks in the frame with the Bobcat. I have heard the recoil spring might be a challenge to replace.
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The pre-heavy slide .32 ACP Tomcat is the known frame cracker, not the smaller Bobcat. But the Bobcat gets all finicky with extraction/ejection after the chamber gets dirty. Having no extractor can do that to a gun.
 
I have a couple of each.

I like the 21A. The Beretta sights are unusable, accuracy is fair at best, the gun is too wide. The tip up feature and DA availability is nice. Good not great reliability.

The LCP I I is by far the best small .22 I’ve owned and I’ve had just about everything including Walther PPK .22 and TPH .22. Outstanding reliability, best of any small .22 I’ve had including Smith 317. Easy slide operation. Very accurate. Very good sights, average trigger, very very thin and light, with a better trigger it would be near perfect. (I have not tried the LCR).

No contest, Ruger.
 
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Have had the .32 version for long time. Had almost bought the .22 a few times so Wife would have a cheaper way to practice. When the LCPII hit in .22 bought that instead. FAR better for what she wants, which is to carry. While the round is not ideal the pistol is so damn light and thin you can forget it's there. I have the LCPII in .380 also. I love it but Wife can not shoot it. She is very recoil sensitive and it's way too much for her. The .22 version of it she loves. The Trigger on the II is a lot like the early Glocks, very easy to use.
We have so far run multiple hundreds of rounds through the .22 version with no feed problems at all.
One warning on the LCPII in .22. The damn mags are VERY hard to load without the tool they send. The .380 version is a snap but the .22's are damn hard. I wanted to buy a couple more of the tools to make sure we did not get to the range without one. Of course Ruger had none. They may by now have caught up. I ended up buying a couple made for the 380 and altering them to work with the .22 mags.
 
I own all three guns being discussed: the Beretta, the LCP 22, and the LCR 22.

The Beretta is a well-made gun and a classic, but the sights are virtually useless and the lack of an extractor is a serious deficiency in my mind.

Both the LCP and the LCR are superb, accurate, and reliable firearms. The choice here, in my mind, is whether you prefer a semiautomatic or a revolver.

BOARHUNTER
 
I have the Beretta Bobcat and the LCP 2 in .22. They are different guns with pros and cons. The LCP has a better trigger, higher capacity, better sights, and lighter weight. The 21 has the pop up barrel, better grip, more conventional safety, and longer track record. I like both, but the LCP finds its way into my pocket more than the Beretta.
 
Very interesting conversation. Thank you! I shoot rimfire revolvers in action rimfire competition. Mostly a 10 shot S&W 617, a 12 shot Uberti .22LR Colt Peacemaker clone and a Ruger LCRx with a 3" barrel. The Ruger is OK, but I would never have paid what they charge for them. Anyway, with the fiber optic sights I have on it, it's really not something I would want to carry during long fitness walks/hikes, hence my interest in a very small semi-auto .22.
 
Ernie Bass said:
I have posted many times on the fact that my LCR22 cal is my favorite plinker/trainer. Just love the gun and have been shooting it for years. Recently bought the LCPll 22.cal and find it no where the quality of the LCR. And the LCR trigger is one of the best. Personally think the trigger on the LCPll sucks.The LCP ll trigger is insane. A ridiculous amount of free play that feels like the trigger spring is broken and then a wall and boom...
View attachment 937325

What do you mean exactly when you say the LCPII is no where the "quality" of the LCR? Thanks.
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Solomonson said:
Very interesting conversation. Thank you! I shoot rimfire revolvers in action rimfire competition. Mostly a 10 shot S&W 617, a 12 shot Uberti .22LR Colt Peacemaker clone and a Ruger LCRx with a 3" barrel. The Ruger is OK, but I would never have paid what they charge for them. Anyway, with the fiber optic sights I have on it, it's really not something I would want to carry during long fitness walks/hikes, hence my interest in a very small semi-auto .22.
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The LCPII in .22 does that for you better than anything I have seen yet in my life. They are so small and thin that you can literally forget it's there. Not bad for a pistol holding 11 rounds. Of course it's never going to be a "target" or fun plinker but, for something as a "just in case" that is super easy to carry they win hands down. Mine has been amazingly reliable too. After it started to get real dirty I would have a few rounds not want to fire, normal for .22's but when the rounds went off the pistol did not stop. Being a locked breech (another rare thing for .22's) there is very little recoil even in a very small light pistol.
 
Alex Clayton said:
The LCPII in .22 does that for you better than anything I have seen yet in my life. They are so small and thin that you can literally forget it's there. Not bad for a pistol holding 11 rounds. Of course it's never going to be a "target" or fun plinker but, for something as a "just in case" that is super easy to carry they win hands down. Mine has been amazingly reliable too. After it started to get real dirty I would have a few rounds not want to fire, normal for .22's but when the rounds went off the pistol did not stop. Being a locked breech (another rare thing for .22's) there is very little recoil even in a very small light pistol.
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Which should also help feeding proportionally long .22LRs since the breach should tip down towards the magazine just a bit.
 
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chicharrones said:
Which should also help feeding proportional long .22LRs since the breach should tip down towards the magazine just a bit.
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You know I never even thought of that but it does make sense. When I was looking for a Pocket carry gun decades back I tried a few very small .22's. Reliability was often something that they needed work to achieve. Something about the round did not lend itself well to the mouse guns. It was why I was so impressed with this one as from day one it ate everything. Until you said that I had not even thought of how the chamber tipping down would have to help with this.
 
As I got older I avoided conundrums in having to decide on which handguns to get by doing one of the two. Buy they one that feels best, or buy both! I sleep like a baby now.
 
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