.22 pocket pistol suggestions?

[bouncey]

Lately I've been looking into getting another pocket pistol.  I'm thinking .22 LR (or maybe 9mm) due to ammo cost.  I went into a few stores to look at Walther P22, Ruger SR22, and S&W M&P.  All of them are nice but a bit too large for "pocket" status.

Got to play with a Beretta .32 w/ tip up barrel.  Chunky and heavy but it made me smile.  I'd like to look at Taurus PT22 (esp PLY) and Bersa Thunder 22 but haven't found any in stores.  Not very many for sale online either.  Might have to wait for the next gun show.

I used to own a Phoenix HP22 but hated the funky manual safety secret handshake.  Also it jammed a lot and the metal was so soft I could dent the ribbing with a fingernail.  Sold it.

Curious about Jimenez, but not being drop safe is kinda scary.

So... Other than NAA minis, got any favorites to recommend?  What models am I missing out on?  I'd like to keep it under $300 if possible.  Preferably drop safe too.

[pietro]

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The Walther TPH (.22LR) is the best built, the Seecamp .32ACP or.380ACP are the smallest, & the Kel-Tec P-32 (ACP) is very easy/smooth to shoot.

The P-32 & a Beretta 21a would fit your under-$300  budget

I've had a new Taurus PT-22 & a Ruger LCP (.380), and got rid of both - the PT-22 because it took only 2 mags of shooting to turn into a jam-o-matic, and the LCP because IMO it's was too "barky"/hard-to-control in an emergency.(YMMV)

FWIW, I would strongly suggest actually handling your prospects, as they are all slightly different from each other, and one (or more) may not be a good fit ergonomically, for YOU. (BT, DT)


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[MR_22]

One of my favorite small pocket guns is my Beretta 71 in .22LR. A recent batch of them got imported and they can be had for less than $300. I got one as a candidate for a suppressor, since they have threaded barrels. In fact, to comply with federal import laws, they added a heavy, clunky fake suppressor as a "permanent" addition so they could be imported. But with a dremel, you can remove the "permanent" weld that covers the lock screw and then remove the fake suppressor.

I now love my 40-something-year-old Beretta .22 and I'm giving it new life (and it's WAY quiet with my AAC suppressor).

See reply #117 on this thread for pictures of mine. Keep in mind that the extended magazine from my Beretta 102 fit and locked, but wouldn't feed.

http://naaminis.com/smf/index.php?topic=6399.msg105564#msg105564

[bill_deshivs]

The Beretta model 21 is probably the only decent pocket .22 made in the US today.
It's pretty small- much smaller than most suggestions here.

[zburkett]

If you are looking for a small semi auto to carry you may want to look at a .25.  The only advantage is they are very reliable in very small pistols.  Unfortunately, if you intend to shoot them much you will need a very large check book.  The price of ammo is ridiculous.

[E-Stop]

I agree with the comments about the Beretta 21a (Bobcat) being a great pocket 22LR.  I own one and love it.  Love the DA/SA trigger.  The key to reliable cycling is to load it 6+1 instead of 7+1.  It just works better.  The tip-up barrel is GREAT for shooting Aguila Colibris' (rounds that are too weak to cycle the slide - great fun in my garage at 7 yards).   

Don't buy a Taurus PT-22 (the knock-off of the Beretta 21a).  It has a horrible DAO trigger.  I own one, but I use it ONLY for the tip-up barrel to load nail gun powder loads to shoot Black Widow & Fiddleback spiders and Scorpions in the shop and around the house.  Not worth anything more than that.

I am one of the few fans of the Jennings J-22 and Jeminez JA-22.  I own both.  Load one less round in the magazine (5 instead of 6) and it will cycle just fine.  Make sure the top of the magazine measures between .195" and .200" and it will cycle well.  Never load it +1.  In fact, never carry it.  It is not a good option for carry.  Horrible slide safety.  But it is fun to shoot at the range.

The best pocket 22LR of all time - the NAA.  More than just a homer opinion.



   

[bouncey]

Beretta 71 looks sweet!  I think I saw them for sale once before but passed due to the fake suppressor.  Had I known it was removable...  Don't see many of those listed for sale either.  Are they readily available in person?  What's the overall height like?  (Or to put it another way, how's the size compared to Walther P22 or Ruger SR22, both of which are about half an inch too tall?)  Also curious if it's drop safe and if it has a decocker.  I'm sure Google will tell me that.

I already own a 1st gen Kel-Tec P-32 with blue grip and matte chrome top.  Bought it back when the millennium was still shiny and new.  Love my peashooter!  But it's expensive to feed.  Also I have an all-black 1st gen KT P3AT, which is what Ruger (more or less) copied for their LCP.  It barks like a dog and kicks like a mule, and certain high impact components wear out too quickly.  But it packs a lot of firepower in a tiny space.  Both of them are too narrow for my hand so it's hard to position my finger perfectly over the trigger under stressful conditions.  But good enough for concealed carry.  They share holsters, being almost the same dimensions, and I have a nifty instant-on armalaser that fits either one.

Of course I also have .22 LR NAA mini with floppy wobbler...  See earlier threads for pics of my duct tape holsters.

The main reason I'm looking at .22 instead of .25 is because I already have enough .22 ammo set aside for many years of happy plinking.  I've never had reliability problems with recently bought stuff.  I finally got the little brass padlock off my Ruger mk2 50th anniversary edition, so I'll hit the range sometime soon and test ignition quality of the older ammo.

(I lost the keys to the Ruger padlock while moving house.  Yesterday I got out my lock picks and had it open in 2 seconds with almost no effort.  Twice.  Beautiful lock but I wouldn't trust it to secure a candy bar, let alone a handgun.)

Thanks for the suggestions!  I intend to look at them in person before committing to buy.  Concealed carry suitability is desirable but not absolutely mandatory.

(Edited to correct spelling.)

[naabug]

Another vote for the Beretta 21-A 22LR.

[seaotter]

The Beretta 21 is a great handgun, but it is a bit heavy, awfully expensive, and very hard to find. The Taurus pt22 poly is lighter, cheaper, and just as hard to find. I prefer the double action trigger on the Taurus, but that's a matter of personal taste. The Beretta is definitely a better firearm, but the Taurus is less ammo picky, in my experience.
I think that NAA's success with their mini-revolvers, along with the appearance of the tiny 380's, has pretty much done in the market for small 25 and 22 automatics. The mini revolvers almost never jam, and the 380s are far more effective firearms. I like my PT22, but I carry my Black Widow a lot more often. It's more reliable, and far easier to shoot. The Baretta costs more than I want to pay for a pocket 22. Even if I could find one!

[boone123]

One of my  Beretta's is a Mod.20, in 25 cal. Looks new.  Also have two 21 A's in 22lr and two 950 BS in 22 short, and one in 25 CAL.
I really like the little 950 BS models.

[boone123]

Here you go!

[boone123]

The  Ruger SR 22, bad the Browning 1911-22 are not what you would call pocket pistols, but they fit nicely in a coat pocket. Both fun guns. I run about 300 rounds through the SR22 today. Easy to shoot accurately. That was in about 3 miles of of country road , from one target to the next. Some close, some far. Sort of like hunting.  All good fun.

[cfsharry]

Thought you are a wheelgun guy. Nice pic of some nice guns. Mostly anyway. Top piece?

[boone123]

Thanks.  Top gun is a Ruger SR22.
I spread myself out a bit.  In semi autos its mostly 22s, center fires, a few smaller ones.  Revolvers mostly 22s. Center fires, shoot them some, but not like in the past.
Might have something to do with casting bullets, and reloading. I think the word is,lazy.

[cfsharry]

Thanks. Can't wrap this feeble brain around Ruger's plastic guns. Have had three of their centerfire revolver; .357mag, .41mag and .44mag. Great guns, super triggers.
Alas, like most of my guns, were sold over the last two years.
Got rid of the toys and have kept the tools.

[Uncle_Lee]

I have added a few since these pictures.
Some are 25's.

[OV-1D]

  Looks as though you guys are trying to corner the market and doing a good job of it . Pictures perfect .

[zburkett]

Uncle, what is the small pistol dead center top, just under the two facing pistols that form the top row?

[To Old To Run]

Got to agree....That is some nice eye candy this morning...thanks guys.

[Uncle_Lee]

Uncle, what is the small pistol dead center top, just under the two facing pistols that form the top row?

It is a:

Bernadelli VP .25 ACP Pocket Pistol   (copy & paste  )

It came with 2 magazines. a 6 round and I think an 8 round.

[boone123]

Now, for more pockets..

[zburkett]

Thanks Unc, Have you shot it?  I'm normally prefer wheel guns but that looks like a great vest pocket pistol.

[blue_heron]

I have the Kahr PM9 9mm and the Berretta Model 21. The Model 21 is being made again and offered in stainless only.

[boone123]

I could use a 950 BS in stainless...

[bouncey]

Those are some neat little pistols.  Some of them I'd never seen before.

I'm also interested in very small 9mm, simply due to cost of practice ammo vs .380 or .32 acp.  Ruger LC9s, Taurus 709, KT PF9, etc.  With those it's even more important to check ergonomics before flashing the Visa card.  As I learned the hard way with my P3AT.  Stouter recoil always magnifies any little problems with grip comfort.

[bouncey]

Another wrinkle in the question: how hard is it to adapt these to gun mufflers?  At the present I have no desire to throw extra Benjamins at Uncle Sam so he can play power games for months and then put me on yet another darn watch list.  But if a certain bill passes congress and silencer regs get loosened up...

[RogueTS1]

Someone has asked that magic question. How hard is it to suppress these little beauties? Answer.......................; extremely easy with a little know how and effort. Here is a small example in regards to the above discussion:

[RogueTS1]

Someone did mention the Beretta 70:

[seaotter]

I have never been able to find a really small 9mm that I liked. Every small 9 that I have ever tried was seriously compromised, for me. Everyone else seems to love them. In my area, 380 is only a buck more a box than 9, so it's not that big a deal.
I have been giving serious consideration to buying a co2 powered air pistol for quiet, inexpensive plinking. Even 22lr's are getting expensive for shooting tin cans!

[Ruger]

If you like a 1911 platform, a Sig P238 is a soft shooter and great for pocket carry.

[Uncle_Lee]

Thanks Unc, Have you shot it?  I'm normally prefer wheel guns but that looks like a great vest pocket pistol.

I haven't shot it or it's brother.
I just collect them..

I have enough handguns that I shoot.
There will be some that will say "I won't have a gun that I won't shoot."
Well, I do have some that I don't shoot.
Probably 50 or more.....

[zburkett]

I agree Uncle, I have a howdah that I shot once (and will never shoot again unless my elephant is being attacked by a tiger) but have no intension of parting with and just bought an 1816 musket that I do not intend to find out how strong the 200 year old steel is.  There are others.

[bill_deshivs]

Another wrinkle in the question: how hard is it to adapt these to gun mufflers?  At the present I have no desire to throw extra Benjamins at Uncle Sam so he can play power games for months and then put me on yet another darn watch list.  But if a certain bill passes congress and silencer regs get loosened up...

There are no NFA "watch lists."

[PaducahMichael]

If you like a 1911 platform, a Sig P238 is a soft shooter and great for pocket carry.

That's my EDC. Love this little pistol!

[cfsharry]

Both the Sig 238 and the Kimber Micro are copies of the Colt Mustang Pocket Carry. All three are great, small .380s with the distinct advantage of being single action. I have all three but carry mostly the Colt despite it having the worst sights of the three.
A wee bit larger but a big step up in power is Kimber's new Micro 9. Just bought one but have only fired five magazines through it so too soon to tell if it will be my primary. Again a single action. Seven rounds of 9mm in a package this small is hard to beat. If it proves reliable it will be my EDC.