The Beretta Model 21A Inox in 22 LR is a great pocket pistol and has been wildly popular since the model was introduced in 1984.
Beretta’s tip-up barrel series has been very popular for several years. The original blued model came out in 1984 and they’ve been produced in the USA ever since then. They introduced the Inox in 2000 and this is definitely one of those pistols that’s really small. It has an unusual niche, but it’s a favorite among those who own them. With .22 and .25 ACP, it’s one of those calibers, that’s not really a primary concealed carry. But if you really need something small and you want something as a backup, this is a great little pistol and I was very excited to get a hold of an Inox model!
I appreciate Nate over at Gun Zone Deals for sending the Beretta Model 21A Inox for this review, if I ever need anything, those guys are great to help out.
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This is the Inox version of the Beretta Model 21A, which means that it is stainless steel firearm with a stainless steel barrel and slide, an aluminum alloy frame, and steel parts that are all the way through which are carbon steel.
This gun has been a very popular firearm for Beretta. Back in 1984, up until the present, they’re still making these pistols. Now the Inox version started in the year 2000 and then we have here the standard blue Beretta Model 21A. This is one of the originals that still has the wood grips, which later on, they did change to these kinds of plastic grips. This was actually my brother’s pistol. He bought this about 30 years ago. We shot this thing all the time, and they’re just a lot of fun, they’re very small and compact, but when he wanted to sell it, I definitely wanted to buy it. This is one of my favorite mouse guns. With the Inox model, they only make it in .22 ACP, they no longer make the 25. But they still make it in .25 ACP for the blued model.
Now the Model 950 actually preceded the Model 21A and was produced from 1952 to 2003. It also came in an Inox version as well, but those are pretty rare. But Beretta has had a long history of these small pistols. In fact, James Bond’s first pistol that he carried was a Beretta Model 418, and these were actually used during World War II. And so they’ve been around for a long time, Beretta has had a long history of these small little mouse guns.
After taking the Model 21A out to the range, I have to say, it’s a real pleasure to shoot! They’re just low recoil, there’s no muzzle flip, it’s just easy, very little muzzle blast, and the ammo is typically very inexpensive—which really makes a big difference. They shoot very flat, they’re a lot of fun to shoot, and they are very reliable if you use high-velocity ammunition. A lot of guys will just throw in whatever and you know you can have issues with it. It’s a small tiny gun with a really small slide, you need something with a little power, not only to function the slide but also to eject that round. It is a blowback design and without an extractor, you need to be able to push that brass out. Originally when my brother got his first Model 21, he had to find the right ammunition because he was shooting all kinds of stuff. Honestly, later on, I shot a lot of different rounds once it was broken in and it seemed to be less finicky.
With the 21A Inox, this is a brand-new pistol we shot the Fiocchi 40-grain copper-washed bullets and they were fantastic. I mean we had no malfunctions at all. Now the sights are tiny and they’re not made for extreme accuracy. This is really made for an up-close in person. But one thing about it is because of that fixed barrel design just hooks in, you can still get pretty good accuracy out of this.
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