It looks like I may buy a 950 in .25. Are 21a and 950 magazines the same?

No, the mags don't interchange. You can till find 950 mags in .25 ACP w/o too much trouble though. It's finding the ones in .22 short that is a problem.

Thanks for info. I actually had a 950 in .22 short with a spare magazine. I'm still pondering the purchase of this .25. I'ts ANIB but they want $260 for it. I think it's too high considering it will probably be $25 for another mag..

Thanks again, Jim

They are great guns. I had one years ago that was 100% reliable.

I'll try to get a 950 this year. I'd pay $25 for a spare mag, if it was from Beretta or Mec-Gar. And I'm on a tight budget!

$260 sounds okay if the gun is in nice condition. But I buy guns to keep, not to turn a profit on. That might affect some buyers' perspective. But I don't think they'll get cheaper!

I've got a 21A and a Mod. 20. The 21A is 22lr, the 20 is a 25.
Both are fun to shoot, and go Bang every time. I picked up a
spare mag for the M20 on G-B. They're a little bigger than a Vest Pocket,
but simple to use. Nice firearms. Not a bad price on yours, if the
G-B prices are a good indicator. Pics when you get it? TACC1

I paid 300 two or three years ago for a long bbl variant 950 in .22 short with three mags and 1000rds of ammo. I think I got a deal. I'd like one of the 25 variants.

The 950 BS in .25 is my favorite .25. Fun, accurate and reliable. I used to carry one constantly, but that was many years ago before I started working on .25 shootings.

I went to the GS yesterday. If I get the idea in my head to buy a specific gun I call the local stores and see what they have. I called this shop Weds. and they had a 950 .25. I had them put it aside for me. Went in yesterday to look at the gun. They also had a 21a .22. I bought the 21a because I've had good luck with them in the past. I could have got the 950 for $240 inc. tax. The 21a was $219 inc tax.

I used to see these little guns for $125-$175 max used. But the demand for the things has screwed prices.

Erich-

Few here would argue for the .25 as a main gun, but just how bad were those .25 shootings? Any joy there at all?

I know the .25 will kill if all goes well. What placement seemed to offer the best results? Do you favor FMJ bullets for penetration?

We used to practice "stitching up". That would be a shot to the sternum followed by progressively higher points (about 2" increments) up to the head. But eventually I settled on stitching up to the neck and continuing to fire at the neck. The tissue is very soft there and you can interrup the central nervous system (if you are lucky) and the the ability to breath. The sternum itself is bone, and the face it filled with bullet-stopping bone. The neck is very vulnerable. Also it is a larger target than the eye, and is not usually protected by heavy garments.

I had a 950 that I carried in my back pocket for 20+ years. When I sold it all the bluing and much of the annodizing had completely worn off. The only malfunction was with ammo that had been sitting in the gun for many months and the primers had gotten corroded. Shoot the gun once in a while. It is easy to place accurate shots up to about 15 feet.

The rounds will not expand, so stick with heavy FMJ rounds. The feed best and I think they do the most damage.

Good luck.

Note: It was the best option back in the late 1970s; I would not buy one now. There are better options. The Kel-Tec .32 is cheap, very small and light and fires a more potent cartridge. The S & W 351C fires 8 rounds of 22 magnum from a 10 ounce revolver. I would pick either one of those before the Beretta. But if I used a time machine and went back to 1978 I would buy another Beretta.

I'd agree. I've seen some killings with .25s, but some failures, too. I'd go with the fastest ball I could find for penetration, and I'd study Gray's Anatomy with an eye toward hitting the heart/aorta or brain.

One thing putting the .25 above the .22 LR in some ways is the reliable centerfire ignition.

Thanks to simple demand, the .25 caliber 950s now command prices in line with, sometimes higher than, used J frames. Going rate in many places for a .25 950 is right around 300 to 350 dollars. I'd take one over a 21A, even though they are single action rather than double. The 950s are much smaller and easier to carry than a 21A. For their size, they carry a fair number of rounds.

They're also smaller and handier than a KelTec .32, arguably more reliable too.

The long bbl'd .22 short version - I don't think a long tube .25 was ever made, or at least is even less common - is deadly accurate.

Original magazines are a bit harder to find, but I paid less than $100 for this Beretta 418 in .25ACP. Functions perfectly and very accurate (minute of eye socket at 7 yards ).

http://smith-wessonforum.com/attachm...1&d=1326485241

Buck

Attached Images

Beretta 418.jpg (78.5 KB, 60 views)

JcMack, I was shopping at Midway and saw that they have the Beretta factory mags for the 950 on sale right now. $21.

Erich: Thanks for your info/lead. I bought the .22 21a. I still need a second mag for it. CDNN lists the .22 21a mag. CDNN Is "supposed" to release their latest catalog at 6pm cst on the 13th.

Hey, neat - use it in good health. If you search on my name and Beretta here you should find a good deal of chrono data from my 21a.

I will do that. Thanks