Hi... My Name is Weblance, and I have .22 Pistol Disease

[weblance]

Well... it has happened again. The internet is a bad place. It costs me lots of money. Its simply too easy to sit in the comfort of your home, and decide that you just dont have all the pistols you need. You can reach out anonymously, and peak into others peoples lives, and hear them talk about how great this pistol is, or how cool that pistol looks. So, with that being said... this followed me home last night. Its a 6" Beretta Neos Inox. I already have a 4" stainless barrel ordered from MWG. I cant believe how smoothly the magazines work. My newest Ruger 22/45 magazines feel like they have sandpaper in them. Ruger needs to buy a few Beretta Neos magazines and run them up and down a few times. I will say that they work fine, but there sure is something to be said for a stainless magazine that is silky smooth. I haven't shot my Neos yet, but it sure is a neat looking, comfortable feeling pistol. I might get a chance to get to the range tomorrow, I will let everyone know what I think.



Added pictures with 4" barrel...

[Zhillsauditor]

I used to have the same problem you do, but then I started buying 22 revolvers, and now I hardly ever buy 22 pistols.

[weblance]

I have more .22 revolvers than .22 pistols. LOL

[steveNChunter]

Im sure thats a good little pistol, at an attractive price too. I kinda want to try one but I cant get over the space age looks. Why cant they just try to make it look like a wanna-be ruger MK III? I might want it more then. Do an apples to apples comparison between this gun and your ruger 22/45 if you dont mind. Im in the market for a .22 pistol and Id like to see how they stack up.

[Tom Servo]

You don't really have the disease until you handle your first K-22. Then it gets bad...

[weblance]

Originally Posted by steveNChunter

Im sure thats a good little pistol, at an attractive price too. I kinda want to try one but I cant get over the space age looks. Why cant they just try to make it look like a wanna-be ruger MK III? I might want it more then. Do an apples to apples comparison between this gun and your ruger 22/45 if you dont mind. Im in the market for a .22 pistol and Id like to see how they stack up.

You either love the look, or hate it. I have always liked the Whitney Wolverine pistol from the 1950s. They are difficult to find, and I wanted something different, so I was attracted initially by the looks of the Neos. After I read comments from owners, I decided to give one a try. I will post a range report, and a comparison of the Neos to a 22/45 as soon as I can get to the range.

[SDF880]

I have a Whitney and it is such a sweet shooting .22! Problem I have is the darn thing jams on any .22 ammo I have tried. I have managed to get a full mag or 2 through it without a jam and it is so sweet to shoot!

SDF880

[+1k ammo]

Very nice looking gun. let us know how it is on the range.
I like the looks and considering adding next to my Mk I I.
I like how the top has a rail in it already.

[TennJed]

What is the dial / wheel looking thing on it? Is that to set your drag? If you can fish with it also, I am getting one tomorrow

[steveNChunter]

What do you think of the factory sights on the Neos? That is usually the biggest complaint I hear from owners of the gun.

[Pilot]

See my response on THR.

[mxsailor803]

I got addicted to colts woodsmen a couple years ago. (thanks grandpa lol)

[aarondhgraham]

What is the dial/wheel looking thing on it?

That is the knob to release the barrel,,,
A couple of turns of that wheel and the barrel slides right off.

I own three of the NEOS pistols:
One with the 6" barrel,,,
Another with the 4.5" barrel,,,
And a third I use with the NEOS Carbine Kit.

I put an inexpensive reflex optic on the two pistols,,,
And an inexpensive red dot on the carbine,,,
They are very easy to hit with now.

Weblance is correct about the magazines,,,
I own several different .22 semi-auto pistols,,,
The magazines for the NEOS are the nicest by far.

I don't know if this is true or not,,,
But I was told that a Colt semi-auto pistol (Cadet?) uses the same magazines.

Nice purchase Weblance,,,
The NEOS is a truly fun plinker/target pistol.

Aarond

.

[Winchester_73]

You don't really have the disease until you handle your first K-22. Then it gets bad...

There is some truth to that...although it gets even worse when you get into Colt 22s and High Standards, all at once, like I have.

I got addicted to colts woodsmen a couple years ago. (thanks grandpa lol)

What a fine gun to be addicted to. Some people are addicted to Glock, so feel lucky!

1920 pre Woodsman



The other 5 in the collection

[BoogieMan]

I had a NEOS and it is a great little shooter. I just couldnt get used to such a deep grip angle. Great single handed shooter. Grip is to small to get both hands around it. Rem ammo didnt cycle very well. I ended up with a 22/45 in its place and love it.

[weblance]

Range report added...

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=512760

[steveNChunter]

Weblance,

Nice range report. Sounds like you got your moneys worth. So help me out since you have both. Ive got $300 dollars to spend and I want the most accurate, durable, and best overall functioning .22 pistol. Ruger or Beretta?

[22longrifleguy]

Walther seems to be re-releasing the german PP .22 series. The magazines currently retail for over $100 used. Hopefully the quality will be on par.

www.22longrifle.com

[weblance]

Originally Posted by steveNChutter

Nice range report. Sounds like you got your moneys worth. So help me out since you have both. Ive got $300 dollars to spend and I want the most accurate, durable, and best overall functioning .22 pistol. Ruger or Beretta?

You just had to ask me that... again. I was hoping to avoid that. I think in all honesty, they are equals. The newest Rugers have heavy triggers, a magazine disconnect, and a loaded chamber indicator. The Ruger magazines are blued steel, gritty and rough. The Ruger comes drilled and tapped for an included optic rail. The bull barrel Rugers are extremely accurate. There is a huge aftermarket for the Ruger. The triggers can be fixed with drop in parts, good for someone who isnt comfortable with filing, stoning and polishing internal parts. The factory sights are very good.

The Beretta is built to the same quality level as the Ruger. No magazine disconnect, no loaded chamber indicator. Magazines are stainless, and silky smooth. Takedown, and cleaning is a breeze. Barrels interchange with different lengths. The Beretta has a built in optic rail. The open sights are a little crude, the front sight is chunky, thinner would help accuracy a little. The trigger is light, but gritty. No aftermarket trigger parts, so if you want improvement, its you, or a Smith. The Beretta has an ambidextrous safety lever. The magazine release on the Beretta is on the right side above the trigger. a little odd, but works, and feels fine. There is a carbine kit available to turn the Neos into a .22 rifle.($250)

They both have a 10 shot capacity, and lock open on an empty magazine. Both come standard with 2 magazines. The grip angle on the Beretta is steep, similar to the Mark series. The grip angle on the Ruger 22/45 is straighter, all feel fine to me. The 22/45 doesnt have a spring loaded bolt release. You have to push down the bolt release button with one hand, while pulling back the bolt with the other to close the bolt, or chamber a round. This is annoying to me. The Mark series steel frame gun, and the Beretta have spring loaded bolt releases, all you do is pull back the bolt, and the release lever drops automatically. Its a well known fact with the Ruger, not to simply close the bolt by pushing down the lever. Slingshotting the bolt is the correct, and damage free way to close the bolt. I dont know about the Beretta, but slingshotting the bolt is again the correct, and damage free way. Thats why I bring up the fact that the 22/45 isnt spring loaded. The safety on the Beretta can be engaged with the pistol uncocked. The Ruger cannot. The Beretta also has a cocked indicator. The Ruger does not.

I think either pistol is a great choice, and there is no clear winner IMHO. The Beretta is easier to break down, clean, and reassemble. The Ruger has over 60 years of field use, without many problems or breakages. I think they are equals as far as accuracy. The Ruger looks like a clunky pistol. The Beretta looks like Italian art. Buy them both...

[weblance]

Originally Posted by 22longrifleguy

Walther seems to be re-releasing the german PP .22 series. The magazines currently retail for over $100 used. Hopefully the quality will be on par

I dont think I want a 22 pistol named PP

[steveNChunter]

Do you plan on getting some aftermarket sights for your Neos? If so, what kind?

[weblance]

No...Since its so easy to mount an optic, Im going to use some type of optic sight. I haven't made up my mind yet just on what model though. I will install the optic on my 6" barrel, and keep the factory sights on my 4 " barrel. Beretta makes a set of 5 different colored front sights, and I may get those. Im also seriously considering sending my 4" barrel out to be threaded.

[steveNChunter]

At one point I was absolutely sold on getting a ruger. But Im seriously considering the Neos now. I like the ease of disassembly and the availability of different factory barrels and sights. The carbine kit looks pretty cool too. Im one of those people who likes to have something different. And it seems like EVERBODY has a ruger MK. One more question, is the Inox finish just a dull stainless and do you think its worth the extra money?

[weblance]

Yes... the Inox is dull, or matte. Every firearm I buy, if its available stainless or blue, I buy stainless. I like the idea that fingerprints dont show,I dont have to keep it covered in oil, I dont have to worry about corrosion in the tiny, hard to reach nooks and crannies, and if I ever have to sell it, its worth more money.

If you buy the Neos, and are considering barrel swapping, buy the 6". The pistol is the same price as the 4", but when you buy your barrel, the longer ones are more expensive. I got my extra barrel at Midwest Gun Works. They have the 4" Inox barrel for $105, currently in stock.

[weblance]

Originally Posted by weblance

The safety on the Beretta can be engaged with the pistol uncocked. The Ruger cannot.

Actually... the comment on the Ruger safety isnt true. I was looking over my 22/45 LITE today and checked. The safety CAN be engaged with the pistol uncocked, but then with the safety engaged, the bolt cant be opened. My 22/45 Target is also this way. I didnt check my 22/45 Threaded barrel, but I bet its the same. I didnt check my Mark II Target either, so I dont know about the Mark II. The interesting thing is... the Beretta is exactly the same. Uncocked, the safety can be engaged, but then the bolt cant be opened.