I once owned a Beretta M21 and it was okay to shoot at tin cans but there's no way I would carry one for self defense. They don't have an extractor and if the cartridge doesn't fire the barrel has to be tipped up and something stuck down the barrel too eject the cartridge. Then put another cartridge in the barrel and close it or close the barrel and rack the slide. I don't want too be doing all that if somebody is beating on my head. Larry