Beretta 21 A in .22 LR (POS)
I made an impulse buy yesterday of a used Beretta model 21A IN 22LR. Took it to the range and tried three different kinds of ammo with no luck. Tried 3 different mags also. It has feeding problems, jamming problems, misfiring problems and was just generally being a pain in the butt. It was really frustrating when the hammer would fall and the round would not fire. With no extractor, there was no way to remove the cartridge without shoving a cleaning rod down the barrel. I was going to send it back to Beretta, but the dealer I bought it from allowed me to exchange it for credit towards something more reliable. My question is, is this a common problem with the Beretta pocket pistol line? Is the 950BS more reliable than the 21A. They used to make the 950BS in 22 caliber, but now I see it is available in 25acp only.
Chris8161
Admit nothing, deny everything, demand proof!
Chris8161
Admit nothing, deny everything, demand proof!
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Beretta makes them that way so that if some "idiot crook" buys one, it won't work right.
Those of us who are intelligent and understand the mechanics of firearms, spend a little time "tuning" them and they work just fine.
(No insult intended against you Chris.) It probably could have been fixed (assuming nobody had actually "broken" anything on it) with a little file work.
You also usually need hypervelocity ammo with them--I would have suggested CCI Stingers.
I do dislike the lack of an extractor, but the "tip-up" barrel feature won't work with one.0 -
Chris.... I have 2 model 21A's that I bought together because they have consecutive ser numbers. They both work fine, but I do have trouble with one of the mags. They are both .22lr.
Your gun may have problems brought on by the previous owner(s). I would take it to a gunsmith and have it checked out and repaired if necessary.
Good Luck, Laredo0 -
Chris,you asked about a 950BS. This gun fired .22 shorts only.The one I had was very reliable & don't ever remember a problem with it.Sold it to an elderly lady customer whose hands were too week to work a slide.You should be able to locate one of these for around $100.00 to $125.00.
ATF0 -
The 21A needs the right type of ammo--it won't do target loads and Stingers are really too hot for it.
Little guns need to be kept clean and properly oiled. Their magazine springs are small and might weaken sooner. Unfortunately the average small gun owner isn't likely to do the maintenance necessary to make the most of their equipment.
A recent magazine article suggests the 21 for economical practice shooting for 32 Tomcat owners. Sounds like a good idea.
Three Precious Metals: Gold, silver and lead0 -
Ihave 2 of them right now and have had several others over the years, the biggest thing I have found like every ones has said is keep them clean very clean and use good ammo , i also use stingers or yellow jackets in them, if they're to hot I have not heard that before 0 -
I have had a Model 21A .22LR in nickel for more than ten years. It has been totally reliable with several different kinds of ammunition. Misfires could be the result of a weak main spring or a damaged firing pin. Some ammunition has harder ignition that other ammunition.
I would be curious as to what kinds of misfeads were occurring. Polishing the feed ramp could help if there is some roughness causing hangups on the ramp. I have seen burrs on magazine feed lips cause failures to feed.
The pistol design is not fatally flawed, so there is a reason why this particular pistol was unreliable, and, like competentone, I believe it can be easily corrected.0 -
With both mags, the slide would not always pick up a round from the mag and chamber it. It was also not firing with weak firing pin hits on the rims. I tried a few types of ammo and it didn't work with any. Someone told me that these pistols are only reliable with Stingers but a call to Beretta told me that the pistol should function with any high velocity loading.
The dealer was kind enough to allow me to trade it back in towards other stuff I needed like a Ultra Dot sight and base for my S&W revolver.
Chris8161
Admit nothing, deny everything, demand proof!0 -
I have a Beretta 950 in a 22short that was a handmedown from my father who bought it for my mother way back when and she didn't want it. I've been shooting it since I was about 12, and take it out every once in a while. I can honestly say, though almost useless as a defence gun, its a pretty fun and reliable little gun. I only have one magazine for it and have shot countless thousands of rounds of ammunition thru it. Though I get an occasional dud, and sometime an unexplained jam (guessing it was ammo) I don't think of it as a "saturday night special." It a whole lot better quality piece than a common jennings, davis, or lorcin. A great pocket pistol.
It sounds to me like there is obviously something wrong with your gun. If anything I'd start by taking it back where you purchased if from and telling them about your problem, see where that leads you. If it don't work then just send it back to beretta for repairs, package it up with a little note about whats wrong with it.
If I'm wrong please correct me, I won't be offended.
The sound of a 12 gauge pump clears a house fatser than Rosie O eats a Big Mac !0 -
I think it just needed a tune up also. Most of the ones I came across worked fine. It was probably dirty and dry. They must be kept clean and should be fed HV ammo. GD 0
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