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

[Mark 40]

The LCP II definitely seems like a good old man gun for the future.

Agreed....have been previewing potential old man guns of-late and the LCPII likely will get a try out. Great thread.

BTW: I'd love to love the Bobcat but I had a couple over the years and while fun, they were not reliable enough to carry. Beretta has some new models out and it has been tempting but three might not be the charm.

While a .22LR revolver would likely be a more reliable old man gun, there are times when that little bugger LCPII would provide better concealment.

 

[Gordon]

Ruger wearranty is excellent and basically free of charge. So is S&W . Then there are all other companies from good to non existent.

 

[Alex Clayton]

An LCP II 22 lr, is on my want list. Had a Beretta 21a that I replaced by a LCP 380 more than a decade ago. The LCP II definitely seems like a good old man gun for the future.

If you are content with a .22 for a "just in case" pistol you should be quite happy with one. Super easy to shoot since being locked breech, which is rare on a .22, the slide is super easy to work, recoil is almost none existent. The thin and light make carry something you can actually forget it's there. They really outdid themselves on this one. Oddly it only has safety on one side which is not great for lefties sadly. Also mags are a PITA to load without the tool they send. Of course when we got ours they had none of the tools for sale. Wanted to get a couple extras to make sure would not get to the range without one. Was able to convert ones made for the .380 version to work though with a Dremel. Since the family was bought out the Co. has come up with some really nice stuff, this is certainly one great one.

 

[Great Scot]

I’ve got a thing for .22 pebble pushers. I like all 3, but the LCP is probably the most practical in terms of capacity, weight and trigger pull.

 

[defjon]

Lcp 22 looks a bit thick there.

If this small 22 is for ccw (belly gun as you say) I would look hard at the lcr 22.

You get the excellent Ruger warranty, with the "just pull the trigger " dud round advantage that only a revolver provides.

I've owned the bobcat and the Taurus ply 22. I ran tons of mini mags through them and they ran well.

I would carry one or the other for low risk environments or when nothing else would work.

I had occasions where, perhaps it was oil straying or simply Murphy's law, where I would take my 22 to the range and have the round in the chamber not fire.

Flip up barrel, flip round around, try other side of the rim.

No dice. Rack new round in and good to go.

In life or death situations, you might only get one round. You almost certainly couldn't do what I did at the range, which required high dexterity and focus.

If my butt is on the line and I have to choose a 22lr to conceal give me an 8 shot lightweight revolver.

Ymmv... But I'm done ever carrying a 22 auto again.

If not lcr, I'd even vote for an naa mini over either auto choice. It's the round.

No matter what anyone says it's a rimfire and introduces all sorts of possible gremlins into the mix.

A light 22 from Smith or Ruger man.

 

[bannockburn]

defjon

It's always been my belief that the smaller they design .22 auto pistols both externally and internally, the more problems you're going to have getting the thing to run right. There's also a need for really tight tolerances in dealing with something that small that it makes it more difficult to get it up and running and keeping it working properly, especially with rimfire ammunition.

I tend to think a .22 auto on a medium size frame, like the Beretta Model 70S or the Walther PP, is going to give you the kind of internal space that would allow the gun to be reliable and functional over a long period of time.

 

[Solomonson]

Lcp 22 looks a bit thick there.

If this small 22 is for ccw (belly gun as you say) I would look hard at the lcr 22.

You get the excellent Ruger warranty, with the "just pull the trigger " dud round advantage that only a revolver provides.

I've owned the bobcat and the Taurus ply 22. I ran tons of mini mags through them and they ran well.

I would carry one or the other for low risk environments or when nothing else would work.

I had occasions where, perhaps it was oil straying or simply Murphy's law, where I would take my 22 to the range and have the round in the chamber not fire.

Flip up barrel, flip round around, try other side of the rim.

No dice. Rack new round in and good to go.

In life or death situations, you might only get one round. You almost certainly couldn't do what I did at the range, which required high dexterity and focus.

If my butt is on the line and I have to choose a 22lr to conceal give me an 8 shot lightweight revolver.

Ymmv... But I'm done ever carrying a 22 auto again.

If not lcr, I'd even vote for an naa mini over either auto choice. It's the round.

No matter what anyone says it's a rimfire and introduces all sorts of possible gremlins into the mix.

A light 22 from Smith or Ruger man.

A noted I already own a Ruger LCRx with a 3" barrel. Not what I'm looking for in a very active carry gun.

 

[Solomonson]

defjon

It's always been my belief that the smaller they design .22 auto pistols both externally and internally, the more problems you're going to have getting the thing to run right. There's also a need for really tight tolerances in dealing with something that small that it makes it more difficult to get it up and running and keeping it working properly, especially with rimfire ammunition.

I tend to think a .22 auto on a medium size frame, like the Beretta Model 70S or the Walther PP, is going to give you the kind of internal space that would allow the gun to be reliable and functional over a long period of time.
View attachment 941146

The PCP II weighs a bit over 12 ounces. A PPK 22 weighs double that. That's a big deal for my application.

 

[bannockburn]

Solomonson

The PCP II weighs a bit over 12 ounces. A PPK 22 weighs double that. That's a big deal for my application

Sorry for the thread drift as I was simply expounding to member defjon on my beliefs regarding miniature sized .22s. From my own experience with smaller size .22s (Sterling Model 302, FTL Auto-Nine, and a couple of Beretta Model 21As), I think sometimes something bigger is better in terms of reliability and functionality. I wasn't suggesting that a medium frame .22 was suitable for your application.

Between your two choices, and already having experience with the Beretta offering, I would probably go with the Ruger LCP II.

 

[defjon]

Wow, gorgeous Beretta 70s there!

Op, must've missed you own the lcrx!

I don't suppose the snub nosed version would be small enough for your applications.

I don't have experience with the lcp 22, but given a great deal of trigger time and carry with the bobcats, ply22 etc... Stand by my recommendation for a naa mini for deep concealment concerns.

 

[Great Scot]

I took all 3 pocket .22s to the range today. The Beretta and the Walther were both 100% reliable with both high velocity and standard velocity loads. For some reason I started to get light strikes with the LCP. Gotta figure that out.

Picture of TPH is from 15 yards out. It shot a little high, but grouped pretty well.