Baby Beretta 25 Auto Model 950 Bs Parts for Sale

They've been around at present for most 70 years—those fiddling Beretta pocket pistols with the tip up barrels. But what is the deal with those things and why would you desire one? Keep reading.

Why a tip up barrel

Breech open 1908 Steyr chambered in 7.65mm

These modest framed, Beretta pistols use a super simple blowback action. This also means the gun has a pretty stout recoil leap to keep the activeness pushed forward and a short slide—and this makes it hard for some to grip. To get around this, Beretta used a barrel with a pivot pin that pops upwardly and out of battery when a latch is depressed. With the butt tipped up, y'all can load, unload, reload, and cheque to meet if y'all take a loaded chamber with the flick of the lever. The concept has long been used with one of the earliest examples seen on the 1908 Steyr 7.65mm pistol.

Of Jetfires and Minx

Introduced in 1950, Beretta came out with the Model 950B pistol. A single-activity semi-auto with a

Beretta Minx 950 B, long butt and curt barrel models.

2.38-inch tip-up butt, it had an overall length of iv.5-inches. Since the gun fired from a cocked hammer, the tip-up barrel made accented sense from a safety perspective. Rather than utilise an extractor, the gun could pop spent casings strait upward with the barrel tip lever, giving the gun the sometimes annoying addiction of smacking the user with brass right in the brow. The gun tipped the scales at a handy 9.5-ounces empty. Compare this today to the revolutionar-i-ly minor Ruger LCP of 5.16-inches overall and 9.5- ounces, and you lot see why the 950 was a hit about immediately.

In a .22 Curt version with a seven shot unmarried stack magazine, the Model 950 was chosen the Jetfire. This was by far the best received of the model and, at the time, boasted the all-time sales in the company's history. Over the years, it became available in heavy blued or brilliant nickel finishes and with either plastic or wooden grips. Produced as well in a 25 ACP version with a seven shot magazine, the .22 Brusque models were discontinued after 1992.

In 1968, when the Gun Control Human activity cut off imports of small framed pistols with 'no sporting purpose', the Jetfire was domestically made in the U.s. from 1969-2002.

Beretta Minx advertizement.

A 6-shot magazine Model 950 was dubbed the Minx. It was never equally popular as its half-brother and when information technology was banned from import in the 60s, Beretta dropped information technology. Any Minx y'all find will therefore be marked made in Italy.

In 1956 Beretta began marketing a long-butt version of the Minx, designated the M4.  It was the same gun with the exception of having an extended 3.75-inch barrel (that still tipped upwards). It was discontinued in 1968 merely revived in 1982 past Beretta The states with a 4-inch barrel every bit the unsuccessful Model 950BS.  For the record, don't ask united states of america what the BS designation stands for, we don't know. Nonetheless, Pinocchio looking pistols were put to rest with the death of the entire 950 line in 2002.

Cheap Italian Knock offs

FIE Titan.

As well the Berettas, there were a number of similar Italian pistols that the 950 inspired. From the 60s to the 80s the Italian firm of Tanfoglio made a crude imitation of the Beretta pocket pistols. Sold nether various names including the E27, GT25, and FIE Titan, they were .25ACP pot metal frame guns that sold for almost $50 on the high end. Reasonably reliable, they were often sold side by side as a cheaper alternative to the Minx. These guns have neither the quality, nor the tip-up barrels of the Beretta.

Double Action Bobcats

The 950 models were a solid seller for Beretta for more than 30 years. That being said, by 1985 the

Beretta M21A

single-activeness blueprint was dated and the company began to phase in a replacement. The double-action Model 21A, made in the Usa to avoid the GCA requirements for imported pistols, was slightly heavier at 11.5-ounces than the 950 but otherwise looks nearly identical. Marketed equally the Bobcat in gun catalogs throughout the Usa, it is nonetheless available in either a vii-shot 22LR, or an viii-shot 25 ACP. A slightly longer 2.5-inch barrel gives it an overall length of simply a hair under v-inches while a half cock and a thumb safety combo can bring the pocket true cat to a improve level of comport.

The Bobcat eventually killed off the archetype 950 line and there appears to exist plans to halt production anytime shortly.

Brazilian Tip Ups

Taurus of Brazil has always had some sort of off and on habit of producing near-copies of Beretta

Taurus PT-22

handguns. Many point to Taurus PT92/99 versions of the Beretta 92 as a witness to this. In 1992, this South American pistol maker couldn't help themselves and introduced the PT22 and PT25 pistols.

Although these guns have a tip-up butt, similar size, and styling to the Bobcat, they are completely different with no parts interchangeable. When compared in size, the Taurus guns are a bit bigger (five.five-inches overall, 12.v-ounces) only also cram two extra rounds in their .22LR gun, giving it a 9+ane capability. Made in the US to become around (stop me if you heard this before) the GCA of 1968, these are in current product.

Collectability

Thousands of both Italian-made and U.s. produced Beretta 950s are out there on the surplus marketplace.

Virtually books of modern gun values listing them all, no thing of vintage, for less than $200. In my listen,

Beretta Minx, long and short barrels

that's a mistake and these guns volition command higher prices in the years to come up (if non already). While the design is dated, it is yet relevant and both the magazines and parts are readily available. Additionally, the Italian guns accept a piddling nicer bluing and if y'all tin can find i still in the snazzy white craft paper box information technology came in then yous may have a future collectors' piece.

Used Bobcats equally well as Taurus PTs can be had for closer to $250 on the used marketplace. You have to

remember that these guns are still very much in production and a quick expect effectually gun shows volition tell you the M21 Neb can be had for around $350 and the larger and unrelated Brazilians for slightly less.

Yet, if a tip-up barrel appeals to y'all, and a pocket-sized pocket pistol is on your listing, any ane of these should fit the bill.

And y'all can have that as a tip.

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Source: https://www.guns.com/news/2013/03/14/baby-berettas-a-tale-of-tip-up-barrels

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