The Beretta 21A (Bobcat) Inox — my new BUG.

[Echo40]

After years of carrying a Ruger LCP as a BUG and dragging my feet about buying defensive ammo for it due to the relatively high cost and poor performance of the average .380 JHP, I got to thinking that it was time to switch to something else.

Unexpectedly, I found a Beretta 21A Inox at my LGS for $275 LNIB and promptly decided to buy it. Since then I've been carrying it around and I've got to say that I like it. It actually carries a bit lighter than the LCP when fully loaded, namely because the ammo weighs less than half as much.

As you can see, they're roughly the same size, although the 21A is a bit thicker in the grip, yet not so much thicker that it makes it more difficult to concealed carry. In fact, the thicker grip is actually a bonus because it fits my hand better. The 21A also has a DA/SA Trigger, providing second strike capability and the tilting barrel will actually eject an unfired round too, so if I get a dud then I can easily eject it.
Obviously, the ammunition is substantially cheaper, and surprisingly requires less careful ammo selection because even a High Velocity Copper-Plated Round Nose will achieve FBI Specifications in Ballistics Gel Tests. Furthermore, it has substantially less recoil, is faster to fire, and easier to keep on-target.

So yeah, as strange as it might seem, I've already decided to replace the LCP with the 21A, at least as far as a Backup Gun is concerned. If I ever needed to exclusively carry a pocket pistol, then the LCP would still fill that role, but as a BUG, I honestly have no reservations about carrying .22LR.

Currently, I have it loaded with CCI Mini Mag, which I see no reason to replace because based on what I've seen, seem to be perfectly viable.

 

[Shibadog]

I had a 21. Nice little pistol, mine was very reliable and pretty accurate, esp considering the lousy sights and short sight radius. Remember though that .22 LR is pretty weak power wise. They are lethal, however they do not quickly incapacitate/stop unless very precise shot is delivered. Also, rimfire ammo is not the most reliable ignition wise. If you are carrying this for SD, suggest you use one of the higher quality rounds specifically designed for that purpose (Federal Punch/similar)

 

[jframesj]

Congratulations on the Beretta. I'm a fan of Berettas, and have a 21A also. I also love the DA/SA trigger mechanism. It's a fun gun to shoot.

I will caution you about your comment "...the tilting barrel will actually eject an unfired round too, so if I get a dud then I can easily eject it."
Unfortunately, since this is a rimfire, when the firing pin hits the rim, it will deform the case. If you have a dud, releasing the barrel will not fling the round out of the chamber due to the deformed rim binding against the edge of the chamber. Most of the time when I have a dud in my 21A, it remains firmly stuck in the chamber despite releasing the barrel. Unless I can stick my fingernail under the feed ramp, I have to eject the round by pushing a cleaning rod, zip tie, q-tip, or something else down the front of the barrel.

Also, keep an eye on the mag release button. The button is threaded onto a shaft. Over time, the vibrations from shooting can cause the button to unscrew, which results in the button sticking out more. I discovered this when the magazine ejected while I was carrying the 21A in my pocket. If you unscrew the button far enough, it will come off of the threaded shaft.

The mag release is powered by a coil spring. It was too easy to press, so i replaced the spring with a stronger spring of the same diameter that I got from McMaster-Carr. I also put a tiny dot of paint at the top corner of the mag release button as a witness mark. I have had to tighten the button after several range sessions. You can tighten the button by removing the left grip. There is a hole on the side of the button. You can insert a punch in the hole to help you turn the button.

If you remove the grips for cleaning, be aware that if you tighten the right grip screw too tightly, it can cause the grip to interfere with the trigger bar. Some users have reported that other styles of grips sometimes interfere with the trigger bar.

My 21A is mostly (but not 100%) reliable for the first 35 rounds or so. After that, if I want to keep shooting it, I have to brush out the bore and the breechface. I also have to pull the magazine follower down and use a bore brush down the inside front surface of the magazine. This is because lead bullets will deposit lead or wax on the inside front surface of the magazine, which builds up and can cause failures to feed. The gun seems to be more reliable when carried 6+1 instead of 7+1. If I have a long range session and don't feel like brushing the inside front surface of the magazine, it will start to experience failures to feed. When that happens, I find that the 21A continues to function if I load the magazines with no more than 5 rounds.

I highly recommend a magazine loading tool made by Hilljak. I bought it on Amazon. It's very useful and makes loading the mags so much easier.

 

[Phenix]

After years of carrying a Ruger LCP as a BUG and dragging my feet about buying defensive ammo for it due to the relatively high cost and poor performance of the average .380 JHP, I got to thinking that it was time to switch to something else.

Unexpectedly, I found a Beretta 21A Inox at my LGS for $275 LNIB and promptly decided to buy it. Since then I've been carrying it around and I've got to say that I like it. It actually carries a bit lighter than the LCP when fully loaded, namely because the ammo weighs less than half as much.

As you can see, they're roughly the same size, although the 21A is a bit thicker in the grip, yet not so much thicker that it makes it more difficult to concealed carry. In fact, the thicker grip is actually a bonus because it fits my hand better. The 21A also has a DA/SA Trigger, providing second strike capability and the tilting barrel will actually eject an unfired round too, so if I get a dud then I can easily eject it.
Obviously, the ammunition is substantially cheaper, and surprisingly requires less careful ammo selection because even a High Velocity Copper-Plated Round Nose will achieve FBI Specifications in Ballistics Gel Tests. Furthermore, it has substantially less recoil, is faster to fire, and easier to keep on-target.

So yeah, as strange as it might seem, I've already decided to replace the LCP with the 21A, at least as far as a Backup Gun is concerned. If I ever needed to exclusively carry a pocket pistol, then the LCP would still fill that role, but as a BUG, I honestly have no reservations about carrying .22LR.

Currently, I have it loaded with CCI Mini Mag, which I see no reason to replace because based on what I've seen, seem to be perfectly viable.

I prefer the Taurus PT-22, which is basically the same design except it is double-action only. I have had 2 of them for years, and have carried one of them often. Both are EXTREMELY ACCURATE. I mean like "Rabbit-hunting" accurate.
The only drawback to those designs I'd that if you shoot the gun dry, it is extremely hard to rack the slide to load the chamber after loading another full magazine because the recoil spring is so stiff. It is much easier to pop the barrel open and load the empty chamber with a single round then snap it back shut. Not something to be done quickly and easily in a very stressful situation. So if someone needs to shoot one of these guns in a self-defense situation, better resolve the situation before the magazine runs dry. Which should not be a problem, I suppose, because most shooting self-defense situations are resolved in 4 rounds or less.

 

[Echo40]

Congratulations on the Beretta. I'm a fan of Berettas, and have a 21A also. I also love the DA/SA trigger mechanism. It's a fun gun to shoot.

I will caution you about your comment "...the tilting barrel will actually eject an unfired round too, so if I get a dud then I can easily eject it."
Unfortunately, since this is a rimfire, when the firing pin hits the rim, it will deform the case. If you have a dud, releasing the barrel will not fling the round out of the chamber due to the deformed rim binding against the edge of the chamber. Most of the time when I have a dud in my 21A, it remains firmly stuck in the chamber despite releasing the barrel. Unless I can stick my fingernail under the feed ramp, I have to eject the round by pushing a cleaning rod, zip tie, q-tip, or something else down the front of the barrel.

Also, keep an eye on the mag release button. The button is threaded onto a shaft. Over time, the vibrations from shooting can cause the button to unscrew, which results in the button sticking out more. I discovered this when the magazine ejected while I was carrying the 21A in my pocket. If you unscrew the button far enough, it will come off of the threaded shaft.

The mag release is powered by a coil spring. It was too easy to press, so i replaced the spring with a stronger spring of the same diameter that I got from McMaster-Carr. I also put a tiny dot of paint at the top corner of the mag release button as a witness mark. I have had to tighten the button after several range sessions. You can tighten the button by removing the left grip. There is a hole on the side of the button. You can insert a punch in the hole to help you turn the button.

If you remove the grips for cleaning, be aware that if you tighten the right grip screw too tightly, it can cause the grip to interfere with the trigger bar. Some users have reported that other styles of grips sometimes interfere with the trigger bar.

My 21A is mostly (but not 100%) reliable for the first 35 rounds or so. After that, if I want to keep shooting it, I have to brush out the bore and the breechface. I also have to pull the magazine follower down and use a bore brush down the inside front surface of the magazine. This is because lead bullets will deposit lead or wax on the inside front surface of the magazine, which builds up and can cause failures to feed. The gun seems to be more reliable when carried 6+1 instead of 7+1. If I have a long range session and don't feel like brushing the inside front surface of the magazine, it will start to experience failures to feed. When that happens, I find that the 21A continues to function if I load the magazines with no more than 5 rounds.

I highly recommend a magazine loading tool made by Hilljak. I bought it on Amazon. It's very useful and makes loading the mags so much easier.

Thanks for the information, I'll keep that in mind.

I prefer the Taurus PT-22, which is basically the same design except it is double-action only. I have had 2 of them for years, and have carried one of them often. Both are EXTREMELY ACCURATE. I mean like "Rabbit-hunting" accurate.
The only drawback to those designs I'd that if you shoot the gun dry, it is extremely hard to rack the slide to load the chamber after loading another full magazine because the recoil spring is so stiff. It is much easier to pop the barrel open and load the empty chamber with a single round then snap it back shut. Not something to be done quickly and easily in a very stressful situation. So if someone needs to shoot one of these guns in a self-defense situation, better resolve the situation before the magazine runs dry. Which should not be a problem, I suppose, because most shooting self-defense situations are resolved in 4 rounds or less.

I tend to prefer Taurus as well, hence why I chose a PT92 over a 92FS.

However, in this case, I prefer the Beretta 21A to the Taurus PT22 with its larger frame.

 

[chief38]

I do not have any issue with the Beretta pistol itself, I just would not carry a 22 rimfire for SD. Even though rimfire ammo has been improved over the last century, FTF with rimfire ammo is still common. Even if the RF cartridges all work, 22 RF is not a great stopper. At least a .380 acp is a viable SD round and the LCP is reliable.

 

[681ismyfavorite]

I had a 21a in .22lr. It was a good gun but it would occasionally jam no matter what brand of ammo I tried. Ironically it jammed, as in failure to feed far more often than getting a dud round. You can see it here compared to my LWS32. I ended up using it as trade fodder.

However, being enamored with the little Beretta guns, I ended up getting a 950bs in .25acp. While it is still ever so slightly larger than my LWS32, it has been 100% reliable. It's loaded with Buffalo Bore which gives me the same muzzle energy as the .32.

 

[Lt.Donn]

After years of carrying a Ruger LCP as a BUG and dragging my feet about buying defensive ammo for it due to the relatively high cost and poor performance of the average .380 JHP, I got to thinking that it was time to switch to something else.

Unexpectedly, I found a Beretta 21A Inox at my LGS for $275 LNIB and promptly decided to buy it. Since then I've been carrying it around and I've got to say that I like it. It actually carries a bit lighter than the LCP when fully loaded, namely because the ammo weighs less than half as much.

As you can see, they're roughly the same size, although the 21A is a bit thicker in the grip, yet not so much thicker that it makes it more difficult to concealed carry. In fact, the thicker grip is actually a bonus because it fits my hand better. The 21A also has a DA/SA Trigger, providing second strike capability and the tilting barrel will actually eject an unfired round too, so if I get a dud then I can easily eject it.
Obviously, the ammunition is substantially cheaper, and surprisingly requires less careful ammo selection because even a High Velocity Copper-Plated Round Nose will achieve FBI Specifications in Ballistics Gel Tests. Furthermore, it has substantially less recoil, is faster to fire, and easier to keep on-target.

So yeah, as strange as it might seem, I've already decided to replace the LCP with the 21A, at least as far as a Backup Gun is concerned. If I ever needed to exclusively carry a pocket pistol, then the LCP would still fill that role, but as a BUG, I honestly have no reservations about carrying .22LR.

Currently, I have it loaded with CCI Mini Mag, which I see no reason to replace because based on what I've seen, seem to be perfectly viable.

I owned several in the late 80's( blue only) ...they were a ton of fun, reliable and very accurate

 

[Echo40]

I do not have any issue with the Beretta pistol itself, I just would not carry a 22 rimfire for SD. Even though rimfire ammo has been improved over the last century, FTF with rimfire ammo is still common. Even if the RF cartridges all work, 22 RF is not a great stopper. At least a .380 acp is a viable SD round and the LCP is reliable.

It is important to not that my intended use for this is as a backup.to my M&P40 Shield (Spring/Summer) and M&P40 Compact (Autumn/Winter) ergo it would most likely only be deployed under dire circumstances in which I had already expended all the ammo loaded in my primary + spare magazines, and frankly under such circumstances I'm in deep trouble regardless of what my BUG is.
Besides, I'm fed up with the cost of .380 ACP defensive ammo which frankly feels like a scam seeing as the vast majority of the ammo only expands 40% of the time out of a Pocket Pistol like the LCP, and even when it does it only penetrates between 8 to 11" in Ballistics Gel, otherwise it will just function as an FMJ, likely resulting in collateral damage due to overpenetration.

Furthermore, I've yet to experience a FTF using CCI Mini Mag, and I can shot the Beretta 21A faster, more accurately, and with greater confidence than I can with the LCP, so to me it's a worthy replacement.

That being said, under circumstances in which I could only carry one pocket pistol, I would choose the LCP.

 

[Smith391]

Currently, I have it loaded with CCI Mini Mag, which I see no reason to replace because based on what I've seen, seem to be perfectly viable.

Do yourself a favor, & try this...

Get yourself a box of Aguila Supermaximum 22 LRs (solids or hollowpoints, it doesn't matter) & run 'em through your Beretta 21A.
Shoot a cardboard target backer from about 7-10 yards away, & then go check the holes you just made in your target (let me know what you think).




FYI: You'll only get these results with the Supermaximum load through a .22 LR caliber Bobcat ... Different ammo throught the Beretta, or running the Aguila through another pistol won't cut it.

 

[681ismyfavorite]

It is important to not that my intended use for this is as a backup.to my M&P40 Shield (Spring/Summer) and M&P40 Compact (Autumn/Winter) ergo it would most likely only be deployed under dire circumstances in which I had already expended all the ammo loaded in my primary + spare magazines, and frankly under such circumstances I'm in deep trouble regardless of what my BUG is.
Besides, I'm fed up with the cost of .380 ACP defensive ammo which frankly feels like a scam seeing as the vast majority of the ammo only expands 40% of the time out of a Pocket Pistol like the LCP, and even when it does it only penetrates between 8 to 11" in Ballistics Gel, otherwise it will just function as an FMJ, likely resulting in collateral damage due to overpenetration.

Furthermore, I've yet to experience a FTF using CCI Mini Mag, and I can shot the Beretta 21A faster, more accurately, and with greater confidence than I can with the LCP, so to me it's a worthy replacement.

That being said, under circumstances in which I could only carry one pocket pistol, I would choose the LCP.

First I would recommend fmj in 380 or below caliber. Penetration penetration penetration.
Second, your backup gun, as you say, might only be used after your primary has run dry or is disabled. However, it may be the one that you have accessible Quicker at that time. For instance, if your hands are in the pocket and you can grasp that gun without alerting anyone prior to a potential problem; rather than a drawing motion from the waist etc.
Regarding the .22lr, while modern ammunition has proven to be more reliable than previous, it is still a rim fire and less reliable for ignition than a center fire. For this purpose, if I were to carry a .22 for self defense, it would have to be a revolver; because the instinctive action of pulling the trigger again, gives you a fresh round without having to do any tap, rack, bang or any other manipulation.

Think of it this way; if you have to use your backup gun, you may only get one shot, and that's the bullet that's already under the hammer. Do you want a rim fire or a center fire to be that round?

 

[chief38]

It is important to not that my intended use for this is as a backup.to my M&P40 Shield (Spring/Summer) and M&P40 Compact (Autumn/Winter) ergo it would most likely only be deployed under dire circumstances in which I had already expended all the ammo loaded in my primary + spare magazines, and frankly under such circumstances I'm in deep trouble regardless of what my BUG is.
Besides, I'm fed up with the cost of .380 ACP defensive ammo which frankly feels like a scam seeing as the vast majority of the ammo only expands 40% of the time out of a Pocket Pistol like the LCP, and even when it does it only penetrates between 8 to 11" in Ballistics Gel, otherwise it will just function as an FMJ, likely resulting in collateral damage due to overpenetration.

Furthermore, I've yet to experience a FTF using CCI Mini Mag, and I can shot the Beretta 21A faster, more accurately, and with greater confidence than I can with the LCP, so to me it's a worthy replacement.

That being said, under circumstances in which I could only carry one pocket pistol, I would choose the LCP.

No doubt that 22 RF has improved. I also have use CCI ammo exclusively for 20+ years now as I agree it is the most reliable and most accurate I've ever used, (CCI standard velocity & Mini-Mag's included). That said, I have had and still have a few FTF along the way. Not every time I shoot a RF, and no RF pistol, revolver or rifle in particular, but it does occur enough to deter SD EDC - at least IMHO. Even if I have one FTF in 300 -500 rounds, (0.3 to 0.2 percent) to me that is too much for reliable SD purposes. On the range I don't get bothered much as it is part and parcel of the 22RF's characteristics. I have not had a center fire round (including my own reloads) not go bang in 2 decades and I shoot way more CF than I do RF.

Hopefully you will never be involved in a gun fight and if you are, hopefully you will never need a back up gun. But if you are carrying a BUG for a reason, I'd think reliability is at the very top of the list. Just my opinion of course........

 

[Echo40]

Yeah, as someone who has yet to have ever had to so much as draw a pistol, I feel I'm already adequately prepared as is, and therefore between all the variables, statistics, and probabilities involved, am not concerned over the possibility that I will find myself in a situation in which:

a.) I need to defend myself with a firearm
b.) Am faced with a relentless adversary who requires everything I have on me to overcome
c.) The chambered round in my BUG is the 1 in 300-500 rounds which will fail to fire at that critical moment

Honestly, if all of the above happens at once, then I'd be more apt to believe it was my time to go because merciful heavens did everything take a turn for the worst all at once. Even if I was carrying a LCP it probably wouldn't matter. Heck, even if I could defeat my attacker, I'd probably have a stroke or heart attack later that day because Death has come for me.

Besides, the Beretta 21A has been around since 1985 and supposedly was designed as a backup gun for the Italian Police, yet in all my reading about the pistol, I've yet to read any cautionary tales of it getting a police officer killed in the line of duty due to its many theoretical deficiencies.

 

[jframesj]

I had a 21a in .22lr. It was a good gun but it would occasionally jam no matter what brand of ammo I tried. Ironically it jammed, as in failure to feed far more often than getting a dud round. You can see it here compared to my LWS32. I ended up using it as trade fodder.

However, being enamored with the little Beretta guns, I ended up getting a 950bs in .25acp. While it is still ever so slightly larger than my LWS32, it has been 100% reliable. It's loaded with Buffalo Bore which gives me the same muzzle energy as the .32.

That's how my 21A in .22LR behaves. It randomly has failures to feed regardless of how clean it is, what ammo I use, and what magazines I use. I number each magazine, but the malfunctions occur randomly. I regret not buying a 21A or 950 in .25 back when they were readily available.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

If I'm pocket carrying a 22, it'll probably be the one on the Right.

 

[Imissedagain]

When your Bobcat 21a, fails to feed, please describe, exactly what happens?
There is a cure.

If you put a round in the barrel, and it won't fall out, if you turn the gun, with the muzzle pointing up, clean the bore, as it's nearing the no eject stage, when fired.
I swab the chamber/barrel, after four mags.
My boy had a bad jam, after 108 rounds. He was learning to be dumb.

 

[681ismyfavorite]

When your Bobcat 21a, fails to feed, please describe, exactly what happens?
There is a cure.

If you put a round in the barrel, and it won't fall out, if you turn the gun, with the muzzle pointing up, clean the bore, as it's nearing the no eject stage, when fired.
I swab the chamber/barrel, after four mags.
My boy had a bad jam, after 108 rounds. He was learning to be dumb.

The round doesn't fully chamber. Sometimes required a simple tap on the back of the slide other times required removing the magazine and fiddling with the slide.

 

[jframesj]

When your Bobcat 21a, fails to feed, please describe, exactly what happens?
There is a cure.

If you put a round in the barrel, and it won't fall out, if you turn the gun, with the muzzle pointing up, clean the bore, as it's nearing the no eject stage, when fired.
I swab the chamber/barrel, after four mags.
My boy had a bad jam, after 108 rounds. He was learning to be dumb.

Sometimes the round ends up with the bullet pressing against the top of the chamber. When that happens, I just have to pull the slide back slightly while tilting the round down. Then I release the slide and the round chambers all the way.

Sometimes the slide cycles, ejecting the empty case, but the next round remains in the magazine and doesn't get fed into the chamber. So the slide closes on an empty chamber. I've tried replacing the OEM magazine springs with extra power magazine springs from Taylor Tactical. But it didn't make a difference.

I usually use high velocity ammo like CCI Mini Mags and Remington Golden Bullet. Next I go to the range, I'll try some standard pressure ammo. I think that's what the manual recommends. Maybe the slide is cycling faster than the mag can feed rounds.

The failures to feed can randomly occur on the first magazine even if the gun is spotlessy clean and lubed.

>"If you put a round in the barrel, and it won't fall out, if you turn the gun, with the muzzle pointing up, clean the bore, as it's nearing the no eject stage, when fired."

That's the plunk test. I've tried plunk testing every round that I take out of the box before loading the magazines for CCW. I've noticed that there is some variation from one round to another. Within one box of CCI Mini Mags, there are always a handful of rounds that fail the plunk test with a clean chamber.
Sometimes after only loading rounds that pass the plunk test into the magazines, I will later unload the magazines several weeks later. After sitting in a loaded magazine for a while, sometimes those rounds will later fail the plunk test. I assume that pressure from the magazine spring may be slightly tilting the rounds in the case.

The malfunctions occur so randomly that I've stopped carrying the 21A and only use it for target practice.

Thanks.

 

[Echo40]

If I'm pocket carrying a 22, it'll probably be the one on the Right.View attachment 786748

Amusingly enough, the one on the Left was my first carry gun and the one on the right would be my present carry gun if I hadn't found the one in the center so cheap.

 

[AJ]

I knew a fair amount of police in Ca. that carried Beretta 21's as BUG, years ago.