We check out the Beretta Jetfire, a.25ACP 'Mousegun' that is perfect for deep concealment. Lightweight, reliable, and easy to carry, the Jetfire's Tip-Up B. For the American market, the.22 was called the 'Minx' and the.25 the 'Jetfire.' In that time (around 1954) the retail price of the 950 B in.25 Auto was $40.-, in.22 a little bit higher $42.95. Along with several other fine European pistols, the Model 950 B was caught in 1968 by the new U.S. Importation restrictions, and was banned because. 'According to Charles Gage: Your Beretta Model 950BS in.25 caliber auto. Was manufactured from 1955 onward. The serial number is not the way you date these firearms.
Beretta 950 | |
---|---|
Type | Pistol |
Place of origin | Italy Brazil United States |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | Beretta |
Produced | 1952-2003 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 280g/9.9oz |
Length | 120 mm (4.7 in) |
Width | 23 mm (0.9 in) |
Height | 87 mm (3.4 in) |
Cartridge | .25 ACP, .22 Short |
Caliber | 6.35mm, 5.6mm/ .25, .22 |
Action | Single |
Feed system | Single Stack Magazine 8 (.25ACP) 6 (.22 Short) |
The Beretta 950 is a semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured by Beretta since 1952. It builds on a long line of small and compact pocket pistols manufactured by Beretta for self-defense. It was intended to be a very simple and reliable pocket pistol.[1]
The Beretta 950 is a simple blowback pistol with a single actiontrigger mechanism and tip-up barrel. The frame is made out of aluminumalloy, the slide and barrel are carbonsteel.[2]
Early models (*950* and *950B* Pre-1968) do not have a safety lever, employing an inertial firing pin for safe hammer-down carry instead (the half cock notch is not for carry and could cause the gun to fire if dropped on the hammer). Later models (*950BS* Post-1968) are provided with an external safety lever.[2][3]
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.[2]
Being light weight, low profile and easily concealable makes it ideal for concealed carry. The tip-up barrel makes it easy to make safe and at the same time, easy to make ready to fire, and being chambered in .25 ACP means it is more reliable than similar pocket pistols chambered in .22 LR.
The .25 ACP round allows it to be 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, but the small grip and short sight radius may limit some shooters to being effective only at short ranges.[2]
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. This is usually viewed as a limitation but can also be seen as an advantage.[2]