Beretta 950 drop safe?

[Dan Forrester]

A few months back I traded my S&W 642 to a friend for a model 640. Very happy with my trade. Both guns were shot very little and the 640 is marked “tested for +p+” so I don’t feel bad about shooting the gun. However, living in South Florida I typically wear gym shorts year around and the 640 is just too heavy.

This makes my new around the house EDC my Beretta 950. This is an older model with no manual safety and chambered in .25 acp.

Is this thing safe to cary in gym shorts with a round in the chamber? There is a half cock position for the hammer. Should I use it? Is the gun drop safe?

Anyone have a pocket holster recommendation? Preferably something with a thumb push.

Thanks,

Dan

 

[Monac]

I had forgotten there was ever a version of the Beretta 950 that did not have a manual safety. That makes yours a pre-1968 gun, or more than 50 years old. That's not bad in itself, nor is it a problem if you are planning to carry it uncocked.

It used to be that any automatic pistol with an inertia firing pin (non-full reach) was considered drop-safe. That is no longer the case now, because in some pistols the firing pin weighs enough that if the gun is dropped or thrown with enough force in the right direction, the firing pin can overcome the force of the firing pin return spring and hit the primer with enough energy to fire the primer. Therefore, it could be said that any pistol in which the firing pin is NOT mechanically locked at all time except when the trigger is pulled is not drop safe.

This concept does not seem to apply to revolvers with frame-mounted firing pins. Those pins seem to be considered too light to ignite a primer no matter how the gun is dropped or thrown. I would wonder if the same thing was true of the small firing pins in vest-pocket size automatic pistols like yours?

What this means is technically, your gun is not drop safe because it lacks an automatic firing pin lock. (I am not an expert on Beretta 950's, but I doubt Beretta was putting firing pin safeties in them if they weren't putting manual safeties on them.) However, it may be that it would only fire if it reaches a highly unlikely velocity, and so is drop safe as a practical matter.

I apologize for giving such an unhelpful answer, but that's the limit of my knowledge. I hope someone who knows more will speak up.

 

[tommy.duncan]

I had forgotten there was ever a version of the Beretta 950 that did not have a manual safety.

I don't have a lot of answers, but my specimen has no safety.

 

[Dan Forrester]

Thanks Monac!

I just double checked and this does have an inertia firing pin. I actually just replaced the firing pin a few months back. Here’s a link to that thread.
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...5-acp-broken-firing-pin.918395/#post-12629017

It looks like the new aftermarket firing pin has been lightened compared to the original. Based on your explanation of how this works it should give this gun an extra margin of safety.

The gun is super accurate and has never jammed except the broken firing pin. I also have a .22 short version of the gun with the manual safety and threaded barrel. I’m a big fan of these little guns! I wish the .22 short was more reliable though.

One last question. Should I use the half cock position when I carry the gun? I could see arguments both for and against this.

I appreciate you sharing your knowledge with me!

Dan

 

[Monac]

Thanks Monac!

I just double checked and this does have an inertia firing pin. I actually just replaced the firing pin a few months back. Here’s a link to that thread.
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...5-acp-broken-firing-pin.918395/#post-12629017

It looks like the new aftermarket firing pin has been lightened compared to the original. Based on your explanation of how this works it should give this gun an extra margin of safety.

The gun is super accurate and has never jammed except the broken firing pin. I also have a .22 short version of the gun with the manual safety and threaded barrel. I’m a big fan of these little guns! I wish the .22 short was more reliable though.

One last question. Should I use the half cock position when I carry the gun? I could see arguments both for and against this.

I appreciate you sharing your knowledge with me!

Dan
View attachment 1179422View attachment 1179421

Oh, I would certainly use the half-cock position on the hammer for carry. It gives some additional protection from a blow on the hammer being transferred to the firing pin. It is not a "safety notch", I guess (see many, many discussion of the Colt SAA for that topic) and on this hammer, it would be very small, but it's better than nothing. I would also think it made the hammer a little easier to thumb cock, but once again, I have never had one of these.

Thanks to you and Tommy Duncan for the photos. It's a pleasure to see these fine little guns.

 

[tangara]

I have a 950 in .22 short with no safety that while talking out of my pocket it some how flung out of the pocket holster hit the workbench then proceeded to hit the cement floor. It was loaded with the hammer down. It did not discharge, thank goodness. Not saying it could not, but this is my real life experience.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Oh, I would certainly use the half-cock position on the hammer for carry.

Due respect, but I would not, and did not when carrying one.
With the hammer all the way down, there is no way for it to impart motion to the inertial firing pin.
Left on the 'safety notch', a drop on the hammer, hard enough to shear the 'safety notch', could give a smack to the now-protruding firing pin.
Remember, without the pressure of the hammer to hold it flush, the spring will make the pin protrude.
BTW, my drill was to drop a round in the chamber, but not to push the barrel down to lock until I had already lowered the hammer.
Mine was always remarkably reliable and accurate; headshot a copperhead with it FMJs only.
Moon

 

[Tallball]

If the odds of having a negligent discharge seem greater than or similar to the odds of needing to use that pistol, the math doesn't really work. Carry something else or don't carry.

The original LCP's are drop safe and dirt cheap. Beretta Pico's are practically being given away. There are plenty of cheap modern pistols that are safe to carry.

 

[Nasty Canasta]

I got this pocket holster for my 950B Jetfire. It works well in pocket & the little beretta’s so light it can also be worn like a necklace.

 

[wnycollector]

@Nasty Canasta my son pocket carries my old 950BS in a generic Uncle Mikes holster. Can you send a link to where you got that holster? It looks to be an upgrade for him.

 

[Nasty Canasta]

Can’t recall where I got the holster & it‘s unmarked. I see similar ones on eBay, that must be where I got it. I had to heat the edge & put the bend in it for the thumb push.

Kydex Pocket and Necklace Holster | eBay

Designed to use in right front pocket or hanging from the neck for right hand grip and release with muzzle facing left side of body, horizontal position. Right hand draw would be placed in right front pocket with sweat shield for right thumb to release firearm from holster.

www.ebay.com

 

[Monac]

Due respect, but I would not, and did not when carrying one.
With the hammer all the way down, there is no way for it to impart motion to the inertial firing pin.
Left on the 'safety notch', a drop on the hammer, hard enough to shear the 'safety notch', could give a smack to the now-protruding firing pin.
Remember, without the pressure of the hammer to hold it flush, the spring will make the pin protrude.
BTW, my drill was to drop a round in the chamber, but not to push the barrel down to lock until I had already lowered the hammer.
Mine was always remarkably reliable and accurate; headshot a copperhead with it FMJs only.
Moon

Well, I can't argue with you, because I don't understand either the physics or the engineering involved. Just to see if I understand what you are saying, in your opinion, if the hammer is fully down, and you hit it with enough force to shear the half-cock notch if it had been at cock, that won't transmit any force to the inertial firing pin, or at least will transmit less force than if the hammer had been at half cock and had hit the firing fin after the notch sheared?

Like I said, if I understand you correctly, I don't know enough to disagree or to agree with you in any meaningful way. I have no idea what force is transmitted to an inertial pin by a blow to a hammer that is fully down.

It's good you raised the point, because you very well be right. I was making an assumption I could not back up.

 

[halfmoonclip]

The best ana

Well, I can't argue with you, because I don't understand either the physics or the engineering involved. Just to see if I understand what you are saying, in your opinion, if the hammer is fully down, and you hit it with enough force to shear the half-cock notch if it had been at cock, that won't transmit any force to the inertial firing pin, or at least will transmit less force than if the hammer had been at half cock and had hit the firing fin after the notch sheared?

Like I said, if I understand you correctly, I don't know enough to disagree or to agree with you in any meaningful way. I have no idea what force is transmitted to an inertial pin by a blow to a hammer that is fully down.

It's good you raised the point, because you very well be right. I was making an assumption I could not back up.

The best analogy is a 1911 in Condition 2; chamber loaded, hammer all the way down.
BTW, this is a very safe way to carry a 1911, except for the part of lowering the hammer on a loaded gun.
With the hammer flat down on the frame, and the inertial firing pin at rest, well short of touching the primer.
There's no way for the firing pin to be pushed by the hammer.
Moon
Moon

 

[cfullgraf]

I have both a long barrel 950 BS Minx in 22 Short and a short barrel 25 Jetfire.

I’d carry both but they are “last resort” handguns. The long barrel 22 Short is a bit in convenient to carry though.

I like the tip up barrel feature where you can loadvthe gun and not have to drop the hammer.

 

[halfmoonclip]

I have both a long barrel 950 BS Minx in 22 Short and a short barrel 25 Jetfire.

I’d carry both but they are “last resort” handguns. The long barrel 22 Short is a bit in convenient to carry though.

I like the tip up barrel feature where you can loadvthe gun and not have to drop the hammer.

Before there were much better choices, a .25 950 was my carry. It's easy to forget the progress in small carry guns the last 20 years.
The tip barrel is a unique approach; it gives away an extractor for easy loading/easy clearing/easy decocking.
Had one of the long barrel .22 Shorts, and really wish I'd kept it, though it was always a mystery exactly what purpose they really were to serve...but the short barrel begs the same question.
Moon

 

[cfullgraf]

Had one of the long barrel .22 Shorts, and really wish I'd kept it, though it was always a mystery exactly what purpose they really were to serve...but the short barrel begs the same question.
Moon

The long barrel 22 Short Minx is a bit more accurate than the short barrel version due to the longer sight radius.

Back when I bought the pistol, circa 1980, there was a reason for the long barrel but I forget what it was,

It is a good pistol for small kids to learn to learn to shoot. Both my daughters started out shooting the Minx, for a while until they could handle a larger gun. It is a good starter gun.

 

[Shivahasagun]

I had forgotten there was ever a version of the Beretta 950 that did not have a manual safety. That makes yours a pre-1968 gun, or more than 50 years old. That's not bad in itself, nor is it a problem if you are planning to carry it uncocked.

It used to be that any automatic pistol with an inertia firing pin (non-full reach) was considered drop-safe. That is no longer the case now, because in some pistols the firing pin weighs enough that if the gun is dropped or thrown with enough force in the right direction, the firing pin can overcome the force of the firing pin return spring and hit the primer with enough energy to fire the primer. Therefore, it could be said that any pistol in which the firing pin is NOT mechanically locked at all time except when the trigger is pulled is not drop safe.

This concept does not seem to apply to revolvers with frame-mounted firing pins. Those pins seem to be considered too light to ignite a primer no matter how the gun is dropped or thrown. I would wonder if the same thing was true of the small firing pins in vest-pocket size automatic pistols like yours?

What this means is technically, your gun is not drop safe because it lacks an automatic firing pin lock. (I am not an expert on Beretta 950's, but I doubt Beretta was putting firing pin safeties in them if they weren't putting manual safeties on them.) However, it may be that it would only fire if it reaches a highly unlikely velocity, and so is drop safe as a practical matter.

I apologize for giving such an unhelpful answer, but that's the limit of my knowledge. I hope someone who knows more will speak up.

Great answer. I own and am familiar with these models, too.

The super-short version is yes, unless you dropped it on the muzzle from very high, then there is a chance.

Carry it hammer all the way down, loaded chamber, a non-federal primer for a little extra safety, don't drop it from great heights.

 

[halfmoonclip]

The 'drop it on the muzzle' issue is a puzzlement. How high is high enough? How hard a surface is necessary? I'm not sure Beretta put firing pin safeties on any of its small autos; cannot recall one on a Tomcat or a Bobcat.
It's not clear to me how heavy the firing pin/strong the firing pin spring might be.
The same question existed about 1911s, which were, admittedly, at a greater hazard of being dropped, by the number issued.
For simple carry, I never worried about my 950, and the ease of lowering the hammer (pop the barrel) is a real safety feature.
Moon