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Old November 20, 2012, 11:00 PM   #1
weblance
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Join Date: October 3, 2012
Posts: 1,229
Beretta Bobcat Compared to Taurus POLY PT-22

I decided I wanted a Tip-Up Barrel pistol, so recently I got a Taurus POLY PT-22 and have really been enjoying it. I have over 1,300 rounds thru the POLY PT-22 and its been very reliable. I had some misfire problems and realized that it was because I was staging the trigger, trying to get the most accuracy from it. The POLY PT-22 is Double Action Only(as is the original PT-22)and thats why I was staging the trigger. If I pull the trigger briskly, I dont have any misfires.

Since I like to try and get the best accuracy with anything I am shooting, I decided maybe a Single Action/Double Action pistol might be better, so thats when I decided I would pick up a Beretta Bobcat. The Bobcat is also a Tip-Up Barrel Pistol, very similar to the POLY PT-22, but SA/DA. It came today, and I got the chance to put 500 rounds thru it.

There are many similarities, and a few differences. The most obvious is the trigger action. It works as SA/DA with the ability to "Cock and Lock" like a Colt 1911 style. I like the SA/DA better for accuracy, than the DAO style of the POLY PT-22. However, when shooting the first shot Double Action, the Beretta trigger is really stiff, and gritty. The Taurus has a smooth, and much lighter trigger in DA.

The pistols are very close in size, with the Beretta having a slightly longer barrel. The Taurus is slightly taller, with a pinky extension on the magazine being the difference. You can get a full grip on the Taurus because of this, the Beretta is only a two finger grip, with your pinky hanging under the magazine. The Beretta has a 7 shot magazine, the Taurus is an 8 shot, but the actual magazine size is the same. The Taurus has a magazine disconnect safety, the Beretta does not. Because of the magazine safety, the magazine does not drop free from the Taurus when the release is pushed. The Beretta magazine DOES fall free when ejected.

The sights on the Beretta are very small, on the Taurus, they are larger, and actually decent. Both pistols have been very reliable, feeding and ejecting well. The Beretta had a few, last round jams, with the nose of the bullet jamming into the top of the chamber. I traced this to one of the two magazines I have. Using the magazine that was not showing any issues, the Beretta shot perfectly with CCI Mini Mags, Stingers, Blazer Bulk and(gulp) Remington Golden.

Both pistols are very accurate, but with such small sights, I would think that 15-20 yards would be the longest a shooter could hope to connect with a small target. I only compared these pistols at 7 yards, and both shoot to point of aim without much effort.

The Beretta is $100 more than the Taurus. The Taurus holds one more round, and has better sights. The Beretta has a Crimson Trace LaserGrip available, so the issue with the smaller sights could be a non issue, if the Crimson Trace was used instead of the sights.

The Beretta has an advantage with the Single Action/Double Action trigger. These pistols are nothing but a plaything for me, but for a BUG either would be fine. For a plinker, either is a fun choice, but for the money, I like the Taurus. For reputation, the Beretta has the edge. I am happy I have both, and they will see many hours of use. It would be a hard choice if I could only have one.

Here is a link to the thread about the POLY PT-22, and a couple pics of the Beretta...

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=506085




Last edited by weblance; November 21, 2012 at 03:01 AM.
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