The ’s sister is a real Minx. While the Jefire is chambered for the.25 ACP, the Minx is chambered for the. The photos above show a 1960 Italian made 4’’ 950 B Minx (aka M4); notice there is no thumb safety on the left side. Also shown is a post-1968 American made 2’’ 950 BS Minx with the thumb safety. Both hold six rounds of.22 short in the magazine and one in the chamber; the Minx holds two rounds less than the Jetfire. The.25 ACP is a centerfire cartridge and I have found it to have more reliable ignition than the rimfire.22 short. Back in the 1960s, there were arguments over which load had more “stopping power.” While both loads can be lethal, both are woefully underpowered.
Since the rimfire is more prone to misfires than the centerfire, and considering that the 950 has no extractor to clear the chamber of a misfired cartridge, the Jefire would appear to me to be the better of two poor choices for self-defense. Why would anyone prefer the Minx to the Jetfire? One reason I can think of is the cost of ammo;.22 short is far cheaper than.25 ACP. Another reason is that a standard velocity.22 short has a comparatively quiet report when fired, which is something of value if one is trying not to attract attention.
NOTE: The standard velocity.22 short may not cycle the action of the Minx properly, you may be better off loading one cartridge at a time via the tip-up barrel. Even with high velocity loads, my 4’’ Minx seems to cycle better than the 2’’ Minx, probably because of the added blowback pressure from the longer barrel. The slide on the 2’’ American made Minx may have more mass than the slide on the earlier Italian gun. The shorter barreled pistol seems to cycle okay after firing a few rounds, maybe due to the added blowback pressure from having a dirty barrel. In brief, I find my older Italian Minx to be more reliable than the one made in America. The Italian guns show some quality hand fitting, including fitting the mag to the pistol. The American made Minx makes good use of “allowable production tolerances.” The slide on the Italian made Minx is marked “Tipo Flobert”; years ago, I assumed that was the name of some gun-designer working at Beretta.
Now I believe it simply means 'Type Flobert', “Flobert' being an Italian or European designation for the.22 short, maybe for rimfires in general ( after the Frenchman who invented the metallic cartridge by shoving a lead-ball into a percussion cap. Pronounce it FLOWBARE).
The Minx can be a fun, affordable gun to shoot. I have a bit of sentiment for them; back in the days before guns were evil, my first pistol was a 4’’ Minx.
While larger than your pocket mouseguns, the Mod. 70 'Puma'.32 ACP and Md.
71 'Jaguar' in.22 LR are worth seeking. Mine are equipped with both 3-1/2' and 6' barrels.
They have aluminum alloy frames and weigh about a pound with the 3-1/2 inch pocket barrels. When substituing the longer ones they make great small game guns for the rucksack. The.32 ACP gets impressive velocities from a 6 inch barrel, almost 1200 f.p.s. With RWS hardball and over 1300 f.p.s. With the 60-gr.
It shoots 2-inch five-shot groups at 25 yards. I also have a tiny 4 pound rook rifle with 18 inch barrel chambered in.32 ACP which is very quiet, great fun to shoot and more effective than a.22 LR.
Anonymous said. The Beretta Minx is a fun gun to own and shoot, I have two, one made in the 1950's in Italy and another one made here in America in the 1980's, believe me there is considerable penetration when that little.22 short bullet leaves the barrel of the Minx. I have heard stories that the Beretta Minx was a popular gun used by Mafia hit men back in the 1950's and 60's when a small silencer was screwed on to the barrel, a really most interesting little weapon,great for shooting rats and other small vermin and much cheaper to shoot than the Beretta Jetfire which is the same weapon but in.25 ACP.
Here is a link to one that was recently listed for $325; I dunno if he got his asking price or not. Too bad your mag is missing. Back in the old days, the mags were factory fitted to the pistols. If you can find a newer mag (they are no longer made as far as I know), it may take a bit of honing to get it to fit right. With the hammer at half cock, the mag was supposed to fit so tight that it would not drop if the mag-release button were pushed. With the hammer all the way forward, (as it would be after the last shot; the slide does not hold open after the last shot), the mag drops freely. With the newer generation mags, it is hard to get them honed exactly right; some may even fit too loose.
You do have an interesting gun since it may be unfired and has all of the packaging. The highest asking that I remember seeing was around $425 (with mag) but I honestly do not know if the seller ever got an offer. I’m not an expert on anything, so I am just guessing on values. Anonymous said. Interesting comments about the Beretta Minx, I picked up a used Minx last month at one of our gun shows here in Arizona, I paid $220 for mine which was in brand new condition with box and extra magazine!
Prices on guns can vary from different parts of the country! The best place to buy a magazine for the Minx as well as the gun itself is a gun show preferably a larger show like Cross roads here in Phoenix Arizona, also check the internet, I have seen a number of magazines for the Minx and Jetfire for sale from various companies. Anonymous said. Tonelarataoldotcom my minx seems to like these old CCI minimag.22 shorts- i still get an occasional failure to go fully into battery (if I loosen up my grip slightly) I bought it in As New condition for $200 (plus $40 to my ffl), so maybe it'll improve after a few hundred rounds. Trouble is, I think these 4 boxes of minimags are the last ones on earth. Is there a jacketed.22 short that you'd recommend?
-tonelar +1 on the Flobert link, super interesting with the pin fire and volcanic diagrams. Found a 950-B in a 2 drawer file cabinet in the garage that belonged to my mother. It was in the original box with $34.50 written on the inside of the box. Checking the markings it turns out to be a 1960 model and made in Italy stamped with the 'Tipo Flobert'. I recall her shooting out the back door at squirrels in her pecan tree. Thought it would be in terrible shape after being forgotten.
Took it to one of the local shops and they lubed it, ran a snake thru it and fired 5 rounds without a miss. I've been shooting it for about 2 months now. Pretty sweet little shorty! Anonymous said.
Strange that today December 2010 except for North American Arms that sells their.22 short mini-revolver there are no companies offering a revolver or an automatic pistol in the.22 rimfire short only! Sometimes it is nice to have a small weapon like the little Minx to stop a criminal rather than shoot an indiviual with a larger caliber and kill them! I own the little Minx and believe me there is far more bullet penetration with the high speed hollow point.22 shorts than the average person realizes!
Penetration is much better shot out of the Minx than the same bullet shot out of the North American mini-revolver! The little Minx is fun to shoot and is nowhere as expensive to shoot as the pocket.25 autos! Wish that Beretta would bring back an updated Minx, they are still very popular little guns especially with the older ladies!
Anonymous said. Until recently I had a like new US made 950B that I had bought new on a whim several years ago for $175. It was not very reliable for the first 3 or 4 boxes of.22 short ammo except with Remington brand.
But after it was broken in it became 100% reliable with all brands of ammo I tried except CCI, which I think must have a harder brass case, and being rimfire it requires a harder strike by the firing pin. I carried it often as a BUG to a 2' Taurus.357 mag, but after buying a Keltec.380 for that role I used it to settle a small debt I owed my brother in law. Now I wish I had it back, it was fun and cheap to shoot and the Keltec is neither of those. Hey there Chris, thanks for stopping. The pistol was imported legally. The source for the information below is at the following url During its period of manufacture, the Model 950 B was also produced in a Beretta facility in Brazil, and some of these pistols were imported into the United States. The Brazilian-made Model 950B was produced with Beretta tooling and under Beretta supervision.
These guns were identical in every way to those made in Italy, including the markings on the left slide flat. On the right side of the slide, they were marked 'MADE IN BRAZIL'. Rob Mitch said. Thanks Zack, I have wondered about it's history also. I do know it was sold in a lot of about 30 or 40 pistols and revolvers by a police department here in Texas in the mid or late 80s.
They were disposing of these after a cleanout of an evidence room of stuff left over after old cases had been cleared. Some of them probably just confiscated from people that shouldn't have them. The majority were lower quality such as RG10, Clerk, Raven and such with a few better like this Beretta and a couple of Colts and a Ruger mixed in. This Beretta is marked 'Made in Italy'. Anonymous said.
The little Minx is a nice little gun, sad that it is no longer made nor are there anymore.22 short rimfire only handguns offered to the public (with the exception of the North American mini-revolver), these little pistols are fun to shoot, produce less noise and recoil than the larger center-fire handguns, are good for pest control, and stopping a criminal attack without killing the attacker, yes sometimes you may want to stop an attack without killing someone, a.22 short to the criminal's leg! Rob's 950B has an aftermarket barrel made by SWD in Atlanta GA back in the 80's, threaded 7/16-14, to fit their silencer kits.
I had one of those with a silencer on it, worked well, the extra back pressure made the pistol cycle much better. The other item was a 1/8' thick piece of steel, 1/2' wide by about 3/4' long, when you tip up the barrel to load the pistol, you would insert this UNDER the barrel, locking the slide closed. That, used with the silencer, made for a VERY quiet pistol, worked well for dispatching vicious animals. Anonymous said. I was out shooting my Beretta Minx the other day and it really is a fun gun to shoot and if carried it is far superior to the North American Arms mini-revolver of the same caliber, there is more penetration with the Minx as it is an automatic, plus faster firing and eloading! I shot at a hard back book about 6 feet away using CCI high speed.22 short, and had a pentration of over 300 pages, it definately would cause a criminal pain if he were shot in the chest wth this little weapon! Strange why.22 short rimfire ammo is more expensive than.22 LR?
When the long rifle ammo is more powerful? The Minx is a great little gun for dispatching rats or other pests or a gun to give to grandma who wants a gun for self-defence but is recoil shy! Anonymous said. I know of a Baretta 950 B.22 cal Minx dated XXII (1966). It has a plated frame and stainless barrel & slide. It still has the original magazine and a low serial number 0012 on the frame and flip-up barrel. The owner bought it new but does not have the original box.
The Minx is in excellent condition except the sub-standard Italian plating that is flaking off the frame. The owner says the plated/stainless finish and low serial number make it more valuable than other Beretta Minx 950 B's. He is asking $400.00 and I want the gun. Is he about right on the value of this Minx.22? Anonymous said. Last week was the first time that I ever seen an individual carry a Minx as his carry weapon! I guess that isn't too bad as long as a person knows of the limitations of a weapon that shoots.22 short rimfire, penetration is far superior with the Minx over the North American Mini revolver in the.22 short, needless to say I think I would rather carry the Minx for protection over any of the two shot derringers, the range with the derringers especially the.410's are unbelievably bad,unless buckshot is used, my airgun has better penetration and is far more accurate!
Getting back to the Minx a great little weapon, why was it discontinued? It is still a popular used weapon at the gun shows especially with the older women!
I just inherited a 'Tipo Flobert' 950B.22 short (I guess it's made in Italy?) from my grandpa and it's quite nice. My Aunt says Grandma used to carry it all the time in her purse and used to shoot it and was good with it, but it barely looks used, to me, except for some wear on the bluing of the magazine. I'm also interested in learning which types of ammo work best in these. I suppose since it's a semiauto it's better with hotter loads, as the action would need some extra oomph to cycle properly.
I'm also gonna look for a spare mag to fit but I'll probably end up stoning it a little so it will fit, as this one appears to be a genuine Italian made, older one. Another question for you: Is this gun a single action only, a double, or a single/double? And is it safe for dryfiring? I can't imagine it would be good for it, since it's a rimfire, but I'd like to check around first before squeezing the trigger. Thanks for the uber-informative post!
Hey there Paul, thanks for stopping in. I know of no company currently making replacement magazines for the Beretta Minx (caliber.22 short). There are pleny of factory new magazines for the Beretta Jetfire (caliber.25ACP), but none for the Minx that I am aware of. As far as I know, the long barreled Minx pistols marked 'Tipo Flobert' were all made in Italy and the one mag that came with each pistol was actually FITTED to that particular pistol (that may have been true for the Italian made short barreled Minx pistols as well). In any case, you may run across some OLD STOCK, UNUSED magazines for the Minx, but they likely will be an ill fit into your father's pistol; they may function well OR they may jam every other round; there is no way to know in advance. To my knowledge, six-rounds was the max capacity for all mags that were available for the Minx.
My best to you and your Dad. I'm not sure if my prior attempt to pose 'took' or not, but apologies if this is a duplicate. Could you tell me, please, if a 950 B and a 950 BS.22 shorts use the same mag? Also, I read earlier about cycle problems. I too had great difficulty regardless of load getting my short barrel to fire more than 3 rds.
I turned it over to my gunslith who did a rather quick cleanup of all friction points, and now it fires like a dream! 7 rounds consecutively without a problem consistently! Hey there Lou!
The answer is both YES and NO. The (usually Italian made) 950 B.22 short pistols had the mag fitted to a particular pistol. Very close tolerances. Those 950 B pistols can use the 950 BS.22 short magazines but those mags may fit a 950 B bit too loose or a bit too tight. They may feed and function ok or they may be unreliable. It's kinda hit or miss.
The older 950 B pistols worked best with the mag it came with; if you had a half-dozen original 950 B pistols and scrambled the mags on a table, finding which pistol fit best with which mag would be entertaining. The 950 B original magazine would drop free and easy out of the pistol only when the hammer was all the way forwards (like after firing the last round in the mag) OR when it was fully cocked. If it was at 'half cock' the mag was very tight. On the 950 BS pistols the mags all fit pretty much the same no matter what position the hammer was in. Hey Guys, I am quite impressed with the detail that I have found in this remarkable thread. Now to the point. I picked up a Beretta 950BS in.25.
It is US made by F.I. Industries (so made after manufacturing started in the US but before Beretta USA took over the Jetfire). Based on the Warranty card it was made after December 31, 1976 but before 1988 when Beretta USA record keeping started. Beretta USA Customer (Lack Of) Service was not able to help me place a manufacture date on the gun. I own many (many) Berettas and I am quite familiar with proof markings and date codes, but this little gun has none, other than the F.I.I.
Proof on the barrel lug which I have come to learn probably means an Italian proofed barrel assembled in the US. The serial number is BER01620V. Does anyone have a reference for the 'lost' Beretta serial numbers between Italian made and Beretta USA made guns? So I seem to have an enigma wrapped in a mystery! While often frustrating, it is also what makes collecting firearms fun; especially the older ones. After further research and help from Zack (thanks for the assist on GunValuesBoard.com) I have determined the following: Mr.
Wood in his book “Beretta Automatic Pistols – The Collector’s and Shooter’s Comprehensive Guide” states “along with several other fine European pistols, the Model 95OB was caught in 1968 by the new U.S. Importation restrictions, and was banned because of its small size. For about 10 years, none of these excellent little guns came to America. Then, in 1978, the J.
Galef company and Beretta arranged for production of the small Beretta at the Firearms International factory in Accokeek, Maryland, a facility that later became Beretta U.S.A., Incorporated. By the time this occurred, two important changes had been added to the pistols. The firing pin was now an inertia type, allowing safe hammer-down carrying with the chamber loaded, and there was now a manual sear-block safety, located at the top rear corner of the left grip panel. The new American-made pistols were designated Model 950BS, the added 'S' obviously a reference to the manual safety. On the left slide flat, the marking on the.22 version was 'BERETTA-Mod. 950BS —.22 Short'.
The.25 marking was the same, except for the cartridge designation, which was.25 Cal. On the right slide flat, early pistols were marked 'MADE IN USA BY F.
This latter marking was soon changed to 'MADE BERETTA USA CORP., ACKK, MD.” Unfortunately Mr. Wood does not specify how soon the markings went from F.I.
Industries to Beretta USA. User “ECS III” on the GunValuesBoard.com website states that “the BER serial number was initially used by F. Industries from 1977 - 1978 when they manufactured the 950BS.22 Short Minx and 25 ACP Jetfire under license from Beretta.
When Beretta took over the operation they continued use of the BER serial number for a few years afterwards. The Beretta USA website states that it was founded in MD in 1977. Now to compile the facts. My warranty card in the serial number matching box references guns manufactured after December 31, 1976 which means this gun was manufactured after that date. Wood references the deal between Beretta and F.I. Industries as being founded in 1978, however other detail points to that actually occurring in 1977.
If it is true that F.I.I. Only manufactured Jetfires between 1977 and 1978 with BER serial numbers, and if Mr. Wood is correct that Beretta USA “soon” changed the right side marking to 'MADE BERETTA USA CORP., ACKK, MD.” Then it likely narrows down the manufacture date on my little Jetfire from late 1977 to early 1978 due to my low serial number (BER01620V). To strike a corporate agreement, tool up, test and then bring to production in one year is a tall order so I am going with 1978.
The single action semi-automatic, once commonly called the Jetfire, was made between 1952 and 2003; it has been replaced by On an there is no safety like on the 950 BS (I believe this was a 1968 improvement). Some folks think that the 950 BS is okay to carry cocked-and-locked, something I do not feel comfortable doing with this gun. No, I am not an expert and I cannot cite any specific cases of negligent discharge; I humbly just don’t feel it is a very hygienic practice with this firearm. A pin through the alloy frame keeps the safety intact; I have found that this pin can “drift” on some guns, making the safety overly loose or even non-functional. That aside, I have never been crazy about cocked-and-locked on any pistol other than quality 1911 models. Although not a firearms instructor, on occasion I do make my guns, my ammo, and myself available to new shooters once they convince me they can understand the safety rules. Usually I will bring five or six handguns to the range, a mix of revolvers and semi-autos in calibers from.22 through.45.
At first look and feel, some newbies think the cute Beretta 950 is what they want as an “only gun,” but after firing all of the offerings, most new shooters rank the Jetfire as their least favorite. As an aside, I find most new shooters also don’t like the.45 ACP government model but, strangely, most are usually more accurate with it than with the other centerfire handguns in the mix.
Never one to advocate a particular handgun, I do suggest that people are best served by shooting a wide selection of handguns over time so they can make their own decisions; one range session where a half-dozen handguns are sampled is probably not enough. Another humble suggestion is, whenever possible, people should seek training from a professional.
Caveat emptor, your local gun store clerk is usually no more of a pro than I am; ask to see credentials. Risking the wrath of some folks, I will offer that the 950 is not as easy to shoot as it looks to be. Its unconventional design takes a bit of study before it becomes familiar. My guess is that many professional firearm instructors cringe when a student shows up for class carrying a Jetfire.
If a round in the chamber misfires, a maneuver will only result in a double-feed jam because there is no claw extractor to yank an unfired case from the chamber when racking the slide. To remove an unfired round from the chamber, slide the barrel release lever forward and the barrel will flip up. You can pick the cartridge out with your fingernails if it does not fall free by inverting the gun.
Having relatively low recoil and a low level of noise, the 950 usually is not intimidating to most new shooters; they are more likely to develop a flinch from anticipating hammer-bite or the slide-cuts caused from having too high a grip (or from having meaty hands). The sights on the Jetfire are not very good so the instructor may have a challenge getting the student to shoot a qualifying score.
These pistols are available used, in good condition, often for less than $200. The shelves at your local gun store usually will have at least a couple lying around. My guess is that many people bought them new and found that they did not fit the niche they believed they would so they traded them in on something else. Mine has less than 300 rounds put through it over the many years I have owned it. It only comes out of the safe for light range time (empty the two mags, clean and lube the gun, reload), for use as an alternate kit gun, or for self-defense carry around the house when the arthritic pain in my hands has me doubting that I could handle the recoil of anything more substantial. While searching the different blogs I found nobody spoke in favor of the.25 ACP as a defense load. Of all commercially available centerfire cartridges, the.25 ACP scores the lowest in stopping power.
Nothing has yet convinced me that hollowpoints or the hot frangible loads offer much improvement over ball ammo; IMHO, the.25 ACP is just rock bottom no matter how much it is tweaked. I will speculate than many knowledgeable people will concede that, with eight rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber, having a Jetfire.25 is better than having nothing at all. Anonymous said. I own the Beretta.25 ACP Jetfire and in my opinon I feel it is the best.25 automatic that a person can buy! A great little gun for senior citizens especially elderly women who would have a difficult time pulling back the slide of an automatic pistol! And a great little gun to carry in one's pocket behind a wallet when a person takes a walk in the evening especially in one of our large cities!
The.25 ACP many not be a magnum powerhouse but they do kill, and a criminal just seeing a gun will scare most of them away, who in their right mind would want to get shot with even a.25 ACP? Anonymous said.
Today I went out and tryed out a magazine for my Beretta Jetfire this was a newly made magazine not made by Beretta, well the magazine worked perfectly, I fired 6 rounds at a card board target measured one foot by one foot which was 30 paces away, all 6 rounds ended up within the target! As a pocket defence weapon that an individual would carry on the street this in my opinon is more that adequate!Remember the little Beretta is not a target pistol nor a weapon for hunting! It's purpose is a close range self-defence weapon a weapon you carry behind your wallet or in your back pocket! I know that my Beretta Mod 20 (yes, Mod 20).25ACP is not the most lethal gun in the world. But it's incredibly light in a good Galco pocket holster, hides well in Florida heat, and dammit, it just LOOKS good.
Rather than swapping guns all the time, and possibly hesitating in a crisis, I'd rather have a reliable gun, in the same location, all the time. My Mod 20 is that kind of gun.
With my back problem I usually can't wear a belt so that complicates things also. Given the alternatives, like ANYTHING Kel-Tec makes, the Ruger LCP which has too much Kel-Tec DNA in it for me, or the large and heavy Tomcat, I'm more comfortable with the portability and reliability of the Mod. (Can't argue with 9 rounds on tap, either.). I've had a Jetfire (950 BS) for almost 30 years now. The only problem I ever had was once when I tried to disassemble it more than the manufacturer recommends, and while cleaning I bent an interior part necessitating a visit to the gunsmith. Overall it's been a fun little gun, and it turned into my main pocket rocket after getting my CCW a few years back. The only thing I'd change is to get the.22 version that was available back then, as I'd be willing to trade the slightly lower power for cheaper ammo to practice with.
The safety does work in both half-cocked and fully cocked positions, but to be truthful having a chambered round while it's in my pocket does not give me a worry free self defense option. Given it's unique design that rotates the barrel and chamber out of line with the firing pin with the flick of a switch, I've often wondered why no manufacturer has come up with a pocket holster similar to the Uncle Mike's Sidekick that is designed so that you could carry it with the barrel flipped open but with a round in the chamber. When it became necessary to use it, you could grab the pistol and snap the chamber/barrel shut, withdraw it, then cock it all in one fluid motion. Such a holster would definitely make me feel better when carrying. I own 2 Beretta 950s. One in 22 sshort one in 25.They are both made in USA. They have manual saftys.
I have had them for about 35 years. The 25 is ingraved with some gold plating. Both have what seams to be Rosewood grips with Beretta emblems inlaid.The 22 short has had 1000s of rounds put through it with no malfunctions.The 25 has not been shot much.Just too pretty.The 22 short has a little holster wear on the sharp endges of the frame.Because of alloy frame i have not been able to hide the wear until lately.A black sharpy.Both guns will shot 4 inches at 20 feet with pratice.My wife carried the 22 shot for 30 years.I lost here about 6 months ago so neather gun is for sale at any price. I carry the 22 short daily but someday will find a plain 950 in very good condition when i have the money.SS doesnt pay so well. Thank you for reading my rambling Don B Las Vgas NV.
Anonymous said. As a 32 year police officer, I have carried the jetfire more times than I can remember when the only other option is no gun at all. Yes the ruger lcp.380 (refined Kel-tec) is now an option, but never forget the name of this little gem,JETFIRE. The ability to fire 9 rounds in a couple of seconds with a short trigger pull makes this litle gun alot better than nothing and far more reliable than the Kel-Tec. In plain language, IT WORKS all the time! Carry full roundnose for perfect reliability and practice for FACE SHOTS at close range. I have never seen/heard any low-life having the ability to continue their evil ways with a shot or two in their face.
Think about the consequences of being shot in the face.totally disorienting to say the least. The gun you have is better than the one you don't have.
In small pocket pistols, RELIABILITY takes precedent over calibre and some of the pistols out there are not real pocket pistols(gaurdian,bobcat). Arno sorel patchouli perfume. Anonymous said. I am with you!!! Small guns to be used for face shots very effective.Body shots for larger calibers-Head shots for.22.25.32.The key to the Keltec is to go to the range & if you have problems after a couple hundred rounds.ship it back to Keltec & they will fix the problem 4-free.even with shipping cost the gun is very inexpensive to buy.my.32 now runs like a clock.no malfuntions I use glazers for defence. & a pocket holster I can have my hand on the gun in my pocket,ready to go with no one the wiser Quicker than drawing from the hip!!!.GLEN. Anonymous said. Neat little article!
I've had a 950 for asbout 20 years now; have only put 300-400 rounds through it but it's nice to carry around in a pocket whan I need it. With not much to grab on to it's a little tricky for my wife to rack the slide, but whe's proficient with it as well. We both tend to carry it with 1 in the chamber/hammer down, it's not a problem to bring the hammer back while drawing. It's fallen by the wayside and we both favor either a compact 9mm or a.40, but I enjoy my guns and don't imagine myself selling or trading it. Very neat article to see; thanks!
Anonymous said. The little Beretta 950 is probably the best little.25 a person can buy for the money, but don't laugh one of the best and least expensive.25's I have owned is the Raven! People have called them 'Saturday night specials' or pimp guns, but every Raven I have owned has worked and worked reliably, and I have owned atleast 10 Ravens over the years, I have traded them off for other more expensive weapons and not because there was anything wrong with them! I only owned one Raven that did not work right after I shot it and the reason was the previous owner took the weapon apart and put the firing pin in backwards which I corrected and the gun worked perfectly! The Raven serves it's purpose in providing personal protection to individuals with limited income!
Anonymous said. No matter what people say the Beretta 950 is a great weapon especially for women! Yesterday I had a rather unfortunately event occur to me, thank God it happened to me and not to my 87 year old mother, I am a male. I was driving down to Phoenix when my car broke down in a rather dangerous mountainess area of Arizona, my transmission gave out and my cell phone did not work and I had to wave down passerbys to call 911! 'If' I had been a woman I could have been at the mercy of any thug, rapist or robber passing! Thank God after an hour an a half a passing by trucker let me use his cell phone to call for help!
The trucker was a very good person and not only let me call 911 but gave be water, the temperture was over 90 degrees and I had little water in my car! Unfortunately there are some very bad people who drive the Arizona I-17 down to Phoenix and some stranded drivers have been robbed even killed! All older women driving alone always remember what I learned in the boy scouts! BE PREPARED!Have a working cell phone, water! And a pocket pistol 'if' it should be needed!
I carried a Beretta 950B.25cal Jetfire from Nov 1967 until it was stolen in Nov 1982. Shot it a lot. Carried it in pocket everywhere. Never had a single problem. Never missed a gun like I miss that little fella. Recently bought a Keltec.32. Very difficult to rack the slide.
First shot a stovepipe. Next ten perfect and FMJ rounds penetrated two-inch phone book fully. Next round would not fire.
I had pushed the magazine eject button with my thumb. Changed grip. Next two rounds good. Decided to rack the slide and eject the rest of the rounds and clean it. Bullet would not eject.
Hung up at an odd angle. Would not come out. Finally pushed it back in.
Beretta Model 950 Bs 25 Cal Owners Manual
Tried same thing twice more. Took it to gun store and they had same problem with three different kinds of ammo and had to shoot it to get all the bullets out. Sent it back to Keltec. My general assessment-low quality. How I miss my 950B! Gun store people said the newer Beretta.32 was not reliable like the old 950 series and they did not recommend them. Pleased to have you stop by, Tommy.
I appreciate your insightful comments; I too still have a fondness for the old Jetfire. Keep checking around the gun shops in your area, an old one will show up for sale sooner or later. With the price and scarcity of.32 ACP ammo, the old.25 ball if much better than nothing. One could argue that a 100% reliable.25 is better than an iffy.32. My current choice for my pocket gun is a Seecamp.380. However they are hard to find and expensive.380 ammo is very scarce. Again, thanks for your input.
Best wishes, Zack. Anonymous said. I purchased my Beretta 950BS.25 cal in '82, immediately sent it to a Texas company for a new finish thru a friend w/FFL and a weapons nut. It looks like low luster SS but is some type of super hard non-rust finish.
Farmers were using this finish on their plow blades for added life. As a PO I've carried this next to skin at times and even had it slide across concrete in a fight once.
Not a scratch from the 'crete. I just discovered a faulty safety 2 weeks ago-rusted a little bearing in the safety(apparently the bearing was over looked in the new finish application).
Beretta 950 22 Short Price
It has been a great firearm, never has jammed and I only put a clip thru it every 6 months to make sure it works. My lovely bride is kinda of tired of the holes in my back pocket- hence my reason to get on here today looking for a good holster. Now since I've read the above postings, I find maybe I should not be carrying my 950BS in the half cocked position w/safety on-like I was advised many years ago. I'm not a gunsmith or gun nut so his advise 20 yrs ago seemed right. Anonymous said.
The manual does not state to carry this with hammer down on live round this is bad information. The manual states the gun should be unloaded with magazine removed then the hammer can be placed all the way down. You should never carry a single action gun with the hammer on a live round! You should also not carry this fully cocked and locked,not recommend.The only other reasonable way to carry this weapon is half - cock position and safety on. This has been the standard method for carrying this gun for years. Anonymous said. I've had a 950 BS since the early 80's, carried it off and on, and have put a few thousand rounds through it.
Never had ANY problem with it, and for such a tiny piece the pistol (mine at least) is amazingly accurate. Maybe it's the practice time on it, but the lousy sights have never been a problem as it shoots exactly where I point it, and it points pretty darn intuitively for me without using the sights. Just because of the caliber it's not the gun I'd prefer to have in a gunfight, but it's immensely easy to conceal, which makes up for a lot. Anonymous said. Zack, thanks for the cool posting on the Jetfire. I had one for years, but 'got stupid' and sold it.
It is one of the few guns I ever regretted selling, so when I found another used one (sitting in a gun shop, like you said, and getting little interest from anyone) I shapped it up for $150 about ten years ago. Mine is identical to the one you have pictured, except for filing down the front sight and opening the rear notch on one side to get the gun to shoot 'poiont of aim' at 20 feet. When I showed the guy at the gun store my 1' grouping (at 20 feet, using a two-hand hold) he couldn't believe it; I don't know why; they are accurate little guns, although, as you already pointed out, not the easiest things to shoot. I have to grip it just so in order to keep the slike from biting my hand; still, the effort is worth it. I did finish off a 160 lb hog (already wounded by my.308 and crawling for the woods) wiht my Jetifre.
I reached for my.22 mag, and realized I left it in the truck; I didn't want to destroy any more meat with my.308, so I pulled out the Beretta from my pocket and shot the hog in the head (twice, because I had read how underpowered.25 autos are). When we dressed it out, my friend was amazed at the damage from the.25, both shots from it had penetrated both sides of the skull (bullets were Fiocchi 50 gr FMJ).
After I saw what it did to that hog, I carried that gun many times when anything bigger would have been too detectable. They are cool little guns, very reliable, and of excellent quality. Thanks for your write up and commentary; very much enjoyed reading it. Take care & God bless, dave. Anonymous said. How about 'cocked and UNLOCKED'?
I used to own a Jetfire and carried it tucked in the top of my Vietnam boots, just behind the ankle (very comfy there, like it was made for carrying it). One evening when I got home I pulled out the little pistol and saw it was cocked (safety not on). It cocked no doubt when I shoved it there, hours before. I probably would have jumped straight up 5 feet if that thing had gone off. Sort of like when Elmer Keith stepped on the rattlesnake. 'Jet' propelled. That was a wonderful pistol, I'd like to buy another.
I found your article a very interesting read. I owned a Minx for many years, more as a curiousity rather than a serious self-defense weapon. My only objection was this pistol fell into what I call the 'too cute' category.you know, the kind of weapon that the untrained handler might think it is so cute, it is not a deadly weapon, which is not true for any firearm.they all have the potential to be deadly and should always be treated with respect and handled carefully. That said, the Beretta is of better than average quality in both function and appearance. And though some 'experts' disagree, I am with you.in a pinch, it is better than nothing. Keep up the good work.I will check back and read your comments in the future.
I have two of these. The first I bought in 1992. It had repeated FTF's as the top rounds in a full magazine would nosedive into the barrel just a fraction too low to get guided up the feed ramp.
This was a consistent problem. The second came from my mother-in-law who had the gun but no magazine. This little pistol was made in 1964-1965 and is the non-safety version. She even had the box with the price in it - about 45.00 back then. This 950-B (no 'S' because no safety) ALSO failed to feed just like mine.
Consistently, just like mine. A friend of mine had one too. FTF's all the time. Finally, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I polished the feed ramps and very slightly made a smoother transition around the bottom edge of the ramp. I sort of rounded that sharp angle a bit, slightly lowering the area in which rounds were getting stuck and not going up the ramp. Both guns now fire flawlessly.
It may not be the prettiest thing to look at, but it worked. I am looking to sell one. I've got a 950 BS.25 as well. What's interesting is that I bought one new in 1983, but traded it in 2003 for a.410 shotgun for my 14 year old son so we could go bird hunting for the first time. I didn't want to trade it, but money was tight and I really wanted him to have that single-shot 410. In 2008, my mother passed away and in going through her things, what did I find?
A 950 BS in.25 cal in perfect shape, still in the Beretta blue box with the manual, cleaning brush, and a tiny box of ammo that had about 10 rounds missing. It's basically new! Two questions - 1) where can I find the two-letter code that tells what year it was made?
2) what is the best defense ammo for this? It's such a lightly powered caliber I would think penetration of a FMJ is important, but then again a JHP may do more internal damage.
Can the 950 fire +P ammo? Anonymous said. To anonymous of December 3, 2012, very sad that your friend lost his life trying to defend himself with the Beretta.25ACP, with these small weapons shot placement is most important, the mini-revolvers are the worst, an attacker high on dope would be difficult to stop even with a.38 or even a 9MM, that is why so many of the GI's dislike the 9MM as it does not have the stopping power of the.45 ACP, all I can say if you are armed with.25 ACP use the best ammo for sef-defence you can buy, and make all your shots aimed at the head! Remember humans are NOT supermen, people have been killed even with high powered airguns and many criminals have been shot dead with cheap little.22 short rimfire revolvers made by RG!Always remember to try and talk your way out of a violent incident before you use that gun! I am very fortunate to have bought a little Beretta 950 BS in the very early nineties. I have traded-in, and sold several guns over the years, but for some reason I have never considered selling my little.25 Beretta.
I have a good friend who is also a police officer and one day while at the range I brought the little.25 out of my range bag and he laughed and wanted to shoot it. He was amazed at what a nice single-action trigger it had. My ex-wife wanted to keep my 950 during the divorce, but I kept it. I have always been able to draw and cock the hammer on the Beretta very easily. I don't think it slows anything down at all.
Anonymous said. I also have a 950 and love it's small size and good looks. I actually find it a bit hard to shoot because it is so small. I'm afraid I'll shoot the end of my fingers! (This gives you some idea how bad my shooting style must be, I tend to use my middle finger because of an injury to my index finger which just sticks out there.) Mine also wouldn't cycle properly sometimes, but I was able to fix it just with Gun Scrubber solvent and careful oiling. You might try this first if you haven't already.
My first gun purchase was a Jetfire 950B (no safety) model. Overall, I found it to be a frustrating pistol. While it was beautifully made, I did occasionally come across reliability issues, and it's a godawful pain in the ass to clear one of these pistols. There's no extractor to remove the spent round, no slide-stop to keep the slide back, and the slide is extremely hard to grasp with VERY heavy springs. Trying to clear a double feed usually took 5-10 minutes and two people. Beyond that, I never felt that there was any practical way to carry this weapon for CCW. I usually carried it hammer down on a live round, but I always felt that the hammer was too small and too difficult to cock under stress, and it also eats up valuable time in a gunfight, when your opponent already has his weapon ready to go.
I tried carrying chamber empty with a loaded magazine, but again, trying to rack the slide is very difficult on this little pistol. The springs are heavy, and the slide is small and quite slick. I wouldn't want to have to do this in a dark alley when my life was on the line. I was also underwhelmed with the.25 acp round, and it's feeble track record in real world gunfights. I ended up selling the Jetfire and using the money to purchase a Kel-Tec P32. The P32 is lighter, more reliable, much more user-friendly, and has better sights. Recoil is much more pleasant in the P-32 despite the fact that it's a more powerful pistol.
It's safe to carry with a round in the chamber, but can also be carried chamber empty and racked easily on the draw. And the.32 acp has a much better track record than the.25 acp does (though neither is a death ray, LOL).
Anonymous said. I am a retired Chicago Police Officer, and own a 950 Jetfire. I have fired many rounds through it,and have never had a malfunction.
When I do carry it, it is with a round in the chamber, and the hammer all the way down. There is a small space between the firing pin and the head of the.25 caliber bullet. I believe this is the only safe way to carry it. I would never purchase a Keltec auto. I had 3 of their guns, and all 3 would jam all the time.
All 3 were new and replaced by Keltec, but even after replacing one after the other, they still would jam. Anonymous said.
Contents. Specifications The Beretta 950 is a simple pistol with a mechanism and.
The is made out of, the and are. Early models (.950. and.950B. Pre-1968) do not have a safety lever, employing a notch on the hammer instead. Later models (.950BS. Post-1968) are provided with an external safety lever. Intended market The Beretta 950 Jetfire chambered in.25 ACP is a backup, self-defense pistol that is intended for undercover agents, police officers or individuals licensed to carry a concealed firearm for self-defense.
The Minx version in.22 Short is not advised for such a role due to the caliber. Advantages Being light weight, low profile and easily concealable makes it ideal for concealed carry. Additionally, the tip-up barrel makes it easy to make safe and at the same time, easy to make ready to fire. Also being chambered in.25 acp means it is more reliable than similar pocket pistols chambered in.22LR. Limitations Being chambered in.25 ACP allows for a very compact lightweight gun, but the cartridge is relatively short ranged and low powered, putting it in the same class as the.22 LR rimfire cartridge. The accuracy of the pistol is adequate although the small grip and short sight radius may limit some shooters to be effective only at short ranges.
Users being timid about recoil can make it prone to bite (the slide can cut the top of the shooter's hand when fired) due to them holding the firearm too tightly. As the pistol lacks a shell extractor, relying instead on blowback pressure to clear the shells, misfires are removed manually by tipping up the barrel and pulling the shell out. Although that can also be seen as an advantage rather than a limitation. Technical data.
Beretta Jetfire with the tip-up barrel open. Type: Beretta 950 Jetfire. Trigger system: Single-action only.
Caliber:. Capacity: 8 rounds magazine. Frame material: Aluminium light alloy.
Beretta 950 Bs Jetfire
Slide and barrel material: Carbon steel. Grip material: Plastic.
Barrel length: 60 mm. Length: 120 mm. Height: 87 mm. Width: 23 mm.
Mass: 280 g. Safeties: none (950B) or left-side thumb switch (950BS). Magazine release: Lower left grip heel pushbutton. Production years: 1952–2003. Production locations: Beretta Italy (pre 1968), Beretta do Brasil (late 1960s - early 1970s), Beretta USA (1970s to 2003) See also. References.