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One of my handguns was stolen recently, out of my vehicle. The replacement
dollars burned an immediate hole in my pocket. My choice for the 'new one'
fell on Beretta's pocket pistol, a Model 21A in .22LR caliber.
Looks are a subjective matter, and to me that little thing radiates a mix
between cute and homely. Either way, it clearly shows that its roots grew
under the Beretta tree. Yes, I'm partial to Beretta's, since I am nuts over
outside hammers. Gotta have one of those. It all began with the Model 76,
my bread & butter .22. With its 6" barrel, it has endured almost 20 years
of my ownership, during which it ate some 5 digit number of rounds, and still
keeps munching quite nicely. That drove me to the Model 92, now with more
than a thousand rounds also with absolutely no complaints. Now, the two are
joined by the smallest in the family.
I had been eyeing the Beretta pocket version for some time, but years ago
decided against it because its sights are wimpy. They are. However, as it
turns out, they do well enough for aimed shooting. Just don't call them
quickly and easily acquirable. The small gun's main feature has to be that
tilt barrel. Push the lever, and the barrel flips up at the breach; with
enough force, by the way, that a loaded round is smartly ejected from the
chamber. Clever is the arrangement of the trigger guard, which functions
also as the leaf spring that acts on the 2.4 inch long tilt barrel, forcing
it upward. Also interesting is the arrangement of the slide and springs.
Yup, there are two of them, not parallel to the barrel, instead angled
downward along the grip. As the slide travels backwards, these springs are
compressed by levers that engage narrow grooves in the sides of the slide.
Consequently, disassembly is simple: tilt up the barrel, pull the slide
about a quarter inch back and lift it off the gun. Done.
The gun is small, 5 inches long, 3.7 inches tall, and 1.12" wide. It holds
7 rounds in the clip. It actually holds eight, but then it will not fit
into the gun. If you had about 2 1/2 hands, you could fill the clip with
eight rounds, then pull the slide back and hold it there with your hand,
insert the clip, and let the slide go. Believe me, its easier to simply
put the eighth round into the barrel. The gun does not have an extractor,
and the slide does not stay back after the last shot is fired. It features
a double action mechanism, with outside hammer! There is a safety, blocking
both the slide and hammer, in either cocked or rest position.
Again, this Beretta showed its bloodlines when in action. Unlike the Model
76 this one is definitely ammo sensitive. Forget anything with a PMC label
on it. Their brass must be quite soft, turning the 21A into a repeater
rather then an autoloader, because ejection is just not happening. See the
table below for comparison of several types of fodder:
* Worst of two 5-shot groups at 20 steps, with shooting hands and arms
supported on the tailgate.
** This recent ammo from Winchester is interesting, for two reasons. It is
hollow point, weighs 40 grains, whereas all others are either 38 (Win; Fed
Eagle), or even 36 grains (CCI, and the new Federal stuff in the 550 count
boxes). The power point ammo deserves its name, threatening with a large
hollow cavity, about 40% more in diameter (app. 0.1") than the others,
clearly noticeable. I'll keep this number in mind for small game chasing.
Also noteworthy is the 21A's pointability. Without looking at the sights
or gun, instead focusing on the target (a beer can) at about 15 steps, and
then "pointing" at it, hits are often possible, and all shots land
comfortably close.
Practical experiences went like this: on our second .22 silhouette event I
tried the baby on the line-up of pigs. Aiming just slightly high, the CCI
HP's took down the first three pigs! Then did in two more before the clip
ran out. Not too shabby for a pocket gun! On a desert outing I got it
bloody. I detected a jackrabbit hiding in the shade of a mesquite tree,
resting during its morning patrol. My first shot must have been close, the
jack moved, but not far enough before it stopped again, on its haunches.
The second CCI hollow point echoed back with the familiar 'thud', anchoring
the critter. While approaching the kill, I counted 72 steps!
A couple of weeks ago, someone here got free tickets for Caswell's indoor
range. We cashed them in, and I took the little Beretta with me. A friend
tried it, fell instantly in love, and actually bought a used one in the store
that same night before going home. Since it is small, but still provides
quite a bite, we now affectionately call it "piss ant". Anybody interested
in a PAL (piss ant league)?
© Honeywell Sportsman Club. All rights reserved.
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