Torn between two Minxes (Minxii?)

[MacTech]

My local toy store has two Beretta 950's in .22 Short that have caught my eye....

Minx 1 is an older Italian manufactured model, bluing is about 90%, no safety, no box, one magazine, and the asking price is $150

Minx 2 is a newer USA made (Maryland?) model, bluing is about 99%, and it comes with a spare mag, and the original box, asking price is $215

Are the Italian made models better? my general opinion is that older guns are usually built better, the tip up spring is strong in both, there are no signs either has been dry fired, rifling is strong on both models, and the grip panels are in good shape on both

this would be a "fun gun" only, something to drop in my pocket when walking around on my farm, or to plink cans with using CCI CB Shorts (yes, i know i'll have to cycle the slide manually to eject empties)) or just for fun at my local target range, it's not a defensive gun, it's a range toy only, and for those purposes, .22 Short is more than adequate , I have my Sig 1911 as my defensive gun anyway

Which gun would be the better choice, assuming all other variabales are the same?

 

[CmdrSlander]

I would get the USA made one, it seems to be in better condition from your description. I'm not a Berretta expert so I don't know if place of manufacture really matters with them but if their QC is good then it should be consistent throughout the company (and I believe it is) both should be fine guns.

 

[MikeJackmin]

If it's to be a shooter and a fun gun, the less expensive one sounds perfect. You don't really need a box or a spare mag, and there's nothing wrong with some honest wear on a gun that gets frequently carried and used.

You can buy an awful lot of .22 short ammo for the difference in price.

 

[rcmodel]

The $150 one maybe.
If you are gonna subject it to summer pocket carry, the nice one will soon like like the less expenive one anyway.

On the other hand, a pistol with only one magazine is just a lost or broken magazine away from being a single-shot.
And Murphys Law says 1 magazine = 0 magazines.
So yu need at least two magazines.

950A .22 magazines are getting hard to find and about $45 bucks ea.

I'd try to get the second one for $200 and call it good.

rc

 

[MacTech]

I went with the Italian model, when I inspected the US model, there was evidence that it had been dropped on the muzzle, the crown was a tad scuffed, the Italian one had a flawless crown, and the barrel tipped up more aggressively, I also liked the low-profile mag release as more pocket friendly

I'll keep an eye out for used mags at the gun store, turns out that the box the US model came in was just a plain old cardboard box anyway, not a nice plastic case like i was expecting, so I'd basically be paying an extra $65 for just the magazine

I put a couple fired Short shells in it, the hammer strike is good and solid, and I love how the tip up barrel *flings* the empties from the chamber

One interesting bit of trivia, I found out that Augila Super Colibri cartridges fit in the barrel when tipped up, and the barrel can be closed as well...

Let me make this clear though… I HAVE NO INTENTION OF FIRING A SUPER COLIBRI IN THIS GUN, EVEN THOUGH IT FITS IN THE CHAMBER

The Minx is designed to work ONLY with .22 Shorts, and even though the SC cartridge does fit, and is probably too anemic to damage the gun, the fact remains that the brass of the case would be pressed against the rifling, and that could cause any number of problems

Don't worry, I'm only shooting shorts in this one

 

[MICHAEL T]

you made a good choice. In these little pistols the 22 short is about as good as the 22 LR .
I shot different things and found the 22 short to be right with the 22 LR in penteration out of these short barrel pistols .

I have a Astra in 22 short and 2 950 in 25 auto . The Italian made 950 is one of my favorite pocket pistols.