.22 Mouse gun battle

[The Rabbi]

I am considering getting a small .22LR semi auto, partly for the kids to shoot and partly jus'cuz'.

I am considering a Smith Escort, a Beretta or the Taurus clone. Anyone have an opinion which one out of these or any of them would be the best. I am looking at spending minimal amounts of money.

 

[Preacherman]

Rabbi, check your PM's.

 

[Calhoun]

I got one of the Taurus PT22s for my wife. It's the clone of the Beretta. We just shot it for the first time last Friday. Seems to be pretty good. Did have trouble with the last round in the magazine feeding. It only came with 1 mag, so I wasn't able to try it with another. For what I bought it for, it's a good choice. If you just want something to plink around with it's got a good price. About $190 I think. I could be wrong, maybe it was less.

I had a buddy that had one of the Berettas and liked it. Don't think he ever had any problems. No experience with the Smith.

Calhoun

*edited to add: I was wrong. It was alot less. About $130, out the door, with a holster.

 

[Onmilo]

Forget the Escort but if you can find a 2214 or stainless 2216 these are pretty decent and look pretty similar to the Escort.
I have a model 2214 now and it is more accurate than I expected it to be and has been totally reliable.
I had a Beretta model 21 in .22lr and a Minx in .22 short.
Keep them clean they are reliable and reasonably accurate for the size.
No personal experience with the PT-22 but I think they are trigger cocking only and in a pistol this small that will make accurate shooting difficult without lots and lots of practice.

 

[AZ Heat]

I love my little Beretta 21 in 22LR. I had a couple problems with a particular type of ammo, switched, and has been flawless ever since. It is a great snake gun. I would love to pick up a couple more (for fishing tackle box, etc).

 

[The Rabbi]

I believe the Beretta 21 is the standard weapon of the Mossad. Who says small guns arent lethal?

 

[NMshooter]

The Beretta 21A with an easily removed fixed barrel is rather useful for some tasks, just remember it has no extractor if you have to clear a FTE.

 

[acpoulos]

I bought my 11-yr old a PT-22 for his birthday. After some break-in, it became very reliable and a fun little plinker. Seems the mags need to be loaded carefully - a slight out of position may produce a jam.

You don't have to cock it - just tip up the bbl and insert the first cartridge. Trigger pull is decent, the grips are real nice for such an inexpensive pistol, and it's very easy to take apart and maintain.

Mine came in nickel finish with Rosewood grips for $155.

Tony

 

[Drjones]

I'm looking for a .22 also, mostly to teach newbies, but I guess I'd use it to plink with too.


Preach on!

 

[sm]

Beretta 21 A

Winchester X22LR ammo

To impress the kiddies, I prefer the Win or Fed Shotshells , yeah the ones with crimped brass on the end. One shot - 4 balloons.

"Gee Mister...we didn't even hear you shoot but one time...wow...you are really fast".

Some stuff Adults don't tell kids.

I will never tell the kid[ or his mom] that at the time they were 3 yrs old and hit that balloon what the loading was. Seeing that grin, and that kid drive his mom crazy...the same mom that missed the same balloon a few seconds before....Priceless.

 

[NMshooter]

<chuckle>

 

[Kamicosmos]

Another happy owner of a Beretta Mod 21A. Excellent and reliable with Winchester SuperX. The CCI Shotshells perform well against snakes too.

 

[Drakejake]

I don't think that there are many reasons for buying a small .22 pistol or revolver (although I own one, a nine shot Taurus revolver). There is no point in carrying a .22 when you can get a Kel Tec .32 or .380. For target practice, get a bigger, heavier .22 such as one of the Rugers. I have a Smith and Wesson stainless 2206 with a six-inch barrel. It has a great trigger, is very accurate, and has practically no recoil. This pistol or something like like it would make a good addition to a firearms collection.


Drakejake

 

[Lone Star]

I think the Mossad .22 Beretta was the .22 version of the M71, a larger gun than the M21A.

Keep in mind that these were largely used for assassinations, not for agent self defense. Get in a gunfight, and you'll probably wish for a heavier caliber.

Lone Star

 

[albanian]

I too have a Beretta 21A that I have been very pleased with. It is not a target gun but at close ranges, it can be used as a plinker. It takes a lot more skill to hit with one of these so if you are planning on teaching new shooters, you may wnat a larger gun.

I also have a Bersa 23 in .22lr that is outstanding. It is very accuract and reliable, it is so good that I don't take my Ruger MKII out very often because the Bersa is accurate enough to do be a real plinker.

I had a Taurus PT-22 and it was a POS! I sent it back to the factory twice (at my cost) to make it reliable and they never fixed it. It is only a few bucks cheaper than the Beretta but it is not nearly as good of a gun. False economy to buy this one.

If you can find a Bersa in .22lr, they will surprise you. They will be around $200 so they are not any cheaper than a Ruger 22/45 or Browning Buckmark but they are fun.

 

[Onmilo]

Reason for carrying .22 caliber mouse gun.
Rural setting, Raccoons, skunks and water moccasins.
It is a lot easier to slip a mini .22 into my back pocket while doing chores than to carry a rifle around.
I admit I could carry my Kel-Tec or Walther PP .32 but most of these critters get shot right in or very near the outbuildings and I don't like putting bigger than neccessary extra holes in the side boards.