Tallball
Member
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2014
- Messages
- 7,814
I bought this pistol a couple of weeks ago and finally got to shoot it yesterday.
It is a Beretta Model 100. I think they only made them in 1969, 1970, and 1971. It seems to be a Model 70 with adjustable sights and a 6" barrel.
They are rare, so I paid $500 OTD for it, which is about twice as much as I like to pay for a handgun.
I am 6'6" and have large hands even for my size. The grip is almost big enough for my hands. I wish it was a big thicker (it is a single-stack magazine). It feels light, like the frame is aluminum, I wish it was steel and heavier. The sights are very nice. The trigger is okay, but not as good as I hoped for from a target-type pistol.
I shot 50 rounds through it yesterday. My general impression was that it is not quite as accurate as my Browning Buck Mark, but more accurate than most service pistols. I think it is about as accurate as my CZ75 (Tanfoglio) clone and 40 caliber 1911, and more accurate than the rest of my service pistols (at least a dozen).
It is somewhat difficult to field strip and reassemble. It doesn't show a lot of wear, but I suspect it was shot quite a bit. Somewhere in the frame or rails there is something that is not quite 100%. It is a little harder to pull apart and push back together than I would prefer.
I have four or five other 32acp pistols. They are all service pistols, other than perhaps my Colt 1903. I believe it was used as a service pistol, but not very often. It was more of a civilian pistol pressed into service for medical personnel and officers. The 1903 feels better in my hand than the Beretta, probably because of its weight, but I shoot the Beretta better due to its better sights and sight radius.
It fills a niche for me. It is center-fire and has more of a bang than a 22, enough to be mildly interesting, but the recoil is still quite light. It is a good choice for a new shooter who might be shooting with me and is ready for something more that a 22 semiautomatic. They will be able to shoot it well. I have a 32 H&R magnum Single Six with a 6.5" barrel to fill the same niche for revolvers. Since my FiL reloads 32acp for us, ammo will not be a problem. If 22lr ever becomes impossible to buy again, I will be shooting it a lot. Here is a poor-quality cell phone picture:
It is a Beretta Model 100. I think they only made them in 1969, 1970, and 1971. It seems to be a Model 70 with adjustable sights and a 6" barrel.
They are rare, so I paid $500 OTD for it, which is about twice as much as I like to pay for a handgun.
I am 6'6" and have large hands even for my size. The grip is almost big enough for my hands. I wish it was a big thicker (it is a single-stack magazine). It feels light, like the frame is aluminum, I wish it was steel and heavier. The sights are very nice. The trigger is okay, but not as good as I hoped for from a target-type pistol.
I shot 50 rounds through it yesterday. My general impression was that it is not quite as accurate as my Browning Buck Mark, but more accurate than most service pistols. I think it is about as accurate as my CZ75 (Tanfoglio) clone and 40 caliber 1911, and more accurate than the rest of my service pistols (at least a dozen).
It is somewhat difficult to field strip and reassemble. It doesn't show a lot of wear, but I suspect it was shot quite a bit. Somewhere in the frame or rails there is something that is not quite 100%. It is a little harder to pull apart and push back together than I would prefer.
I have four or five other 32acp pistols. They are all service pistols, other than perhaps my Colt 1903. I believe it was used as a service pistol, but not very often. It was more of a civilian pistol pressed into service for medical personnel and officers. The 1903 feels better in my hand than the Beretta, probably because of its weight, but I shoot the Beretta better due to its better sights and sight radius.
It fills a niche for me. It is center-fire and has more of a bang than a 22, enough to be mildly interesting, but the recoil is still quite light. It is a good choice for a new shooter who might be shooting with me and is ready for something more that a 22 semiautomatic. They will be able to shoot it well. I have a 32 H&R magnum Single Six with a 6.5" barrel to fill the same niche for revolvers. Since my FiL reloads 32acp for us, ammo will not be a problem. If 22lr ever becomes impossible to buy again, I will be shooting it a lot. Here is a poor-quality cell phone picture:
Last edited:
