Beretta 21a Bobcat RANGE REPORT

[American1776]

Last week I got a NIB Beretta Bobcat 21a. This is a tiny 22lr pocket pistol.

I first tried CCI copper only lightweight hp. Every round a fte. I thought I bought a jam o matic.

Then I tried CCI mini mags and stingers.

The stingers were perfect. All 50 fed and ejected without a single problem.

The mini mags caused two failures out of 100. One round was a dud, so it was ammo caused. One shell toward the end of the session failed to extract. The gun was getting dirty, so I figured the chamber was getting a little mucky.

So, I fired 150 rounds total. 2 failures, 1 of them ammo related, the other failed to eject. I don’t think one can ask for much more in a 22lr pocket automatic.

I will carry this as a BUG in the pocket with the CCI stingers.

[Krichardson]

I know a guy who shot someone with one of those.

[mark40]

When I owned one, the FTE rate would increase as it got dirtier, noticeable after 50 rounds. I had good luck with mini-mags. Standard velocity anything was not good. Enjoy your new Beretta, its a fun little bugger.

[RockIsland]

Most .22 autos do require a break in period. (Ruger MKII's notwithstanding)

Minimags and Stingers are usually recommended for this.

Although the barely fired Bersa 223 I picked up a few years ago, only liked Remington golden boolets at first, and wouldn't feed anything else.

Now it eats anything.

[MARINE DIVISION TWO]

Watch you do not get dust bunnys in the barrel or moving parts without a protective holster for the pocket,It can only add to the FTFs ! Nice looking piece,but wouldnt you rather have a buick ?

[RLS]

Nice looking piece,but wouldnt you rather have a buick ?

Nope, a .38.


Rick

[Zeke2A]

I had a Bobcat ...traded it in on the Tomcat .32acp . Much more reliable just as easy to shoot.

[WVBob]

They make nice Church guns when loaded with Stingers. Small and hide nice. You do need a break in and they need to be kept clean. But they hide in a vest pocket.

[solrac7]

I have the Bobcat and the Tomcat (.32) - the little Bobcat is one of my favorite guns to plink with ! On a good day, I can cover the holes in the target (at 12 paces) with the gun - and considering the size of the gun, that makes me damn happy ! Mine likes the high-powered stuff - stingers, mini-mags, but will usually shoot the cheap stuff ok too. It's an older blued, used piece, so maybe a break in period with yours... Enjoy it, and DON'T trade it - you'll never get what its worth in smiles alone, let alone deep backup.

Cb

[Bang]

The 21A has no extractor. It depends on the timing of the fired case exerting a blow-back on the slide, the slide driven backwards, and the following shell striking the ejector. Various loads will create various timings. That, coupled with residues deposited by the internal ballistic processes, can make the Bobcat sensitive and require certain ammo. I know people who passed on the Bobcat because it has no extractor. My wife has both the Tomcat and the Bobcat. The little we fired the Bobcat when we acquired it, it didn't fail. Too long ago to recall what was fed it.