The Beretta 950 Minx and Jetfire

The Beretta 950 is a blowback, single action pistol that was produced between 1952 and 2003. In .22 Short, it is known as the Minx and in .25 ACP it is known as the Jetfire. Originally produced without a mechanical safety, one was added to facilitate importation following the Gun Control Act of 1968 and models including the safety are known as the 950 BS. These little pistols are still widely available used at bargain prices and they are often carried for defense.

The Beretta Minx and Jetfire are of good quality, surprisingly accurate for their diminutive size, fun to shoot, and they are easy to carry in a trouser pocket or tucked over a sun visor. These qualities and the modest cost of .22 Short ammunition makes the Minx one of my favorite mouse guns. Over the years, I have often carried a Minx which not only accounted for itself during impromptu plinking sessions but proved useful for dispatching snakes and other vermin.

Although I am a fan of the Minx, it is less reliable than the Jetfire because of the rimfire ignition of the .22 Short cartridge. Rimfire cartridges are more prone to misfiring than are centerfire cartridges and this is fact, not theory. If you shoot enough rimfire ammunition, you will encounter misfires which may or may not ignite following a double strike. With most semi-automatic pistols, a simple jam clearing drill will remedy a misfire and keep the pistol in operation. This is not the case with the Minx or the Jetfire because their design does not include an extractor.

To clear a misfire from a Beretta 950, it is necessary to tip the barrel. Usually, a loaded cartridge will fall free of the chamber due to the weight of the bullet, but if it does not, it must be either plucked or poked out. Thereafter, a fresh cartridge can be loaded into the chamber or the action can be closed to allow the slide to be racked in order to chamber a fresh round from the magazine. This is a minor inconvenience on the range and even when shooting at a snake some distance away; however, in a defensive situation, this awkward clearing regimen can prove fatal.

The Beretta Jetfire is a better choice for defense than the Minx because misfires are less likely to occur with the centerfire .25 ACP cartridge. However, they are still a possibility and a stoppage caused by a misfire should be carefully reflected upon before either are employed for defense. Likewise, it should be noted that neither the .22 Short nor the .25 ACP offer much in the way of stopping power and any ballistic differences between the two cartridges are more academic than practical. In other words, both are weak cartridges, good shot placement is essential, and the significant possibility of either failing to stop an assailant should not be discounted.

Another point that should be considered before selecting either the Minx or the Jetfire as a defensive pistol is the single action design. Single actions must be cocked before the first round is fired. The design of the Beretta 950 did not originally include a safety; rather a half cock notch on the hammer was provided instead. The safety on the 950 BS is somewhat of an afterthought that I do not particularly trust and I find it small and awkward to use. Thus, for me, the Minx and Jetfire are not suitable for "cocked and locked" carry as is standard for single actions like the Colt 1911 A1 and Browning Hi-Power.

The Beretta 950 Minx and Jetfire are good quality pistols that are still available at bargain prices even though they have been out of production for nearly a decade. They are fun to shoot and the Minx makes a better shooter due to the affordability of .22 Short ammunition while the Jetfire is a better choice for defense due to the more reliable, centerfire ignition of the .25 ACP cartridge. Before selecting either for a defensive application, the limitations of both their designs and the cartridges for which they are chambered should be carefully considered.

The .22 for Defense

In Defensive Firearms for Tight Budgets, I mentioned that handguns and rifles chambered for the .22 Long Rifle cartridge were not ideal for defense but could be pressed into service in an emergency. Since the suitability of a .22 as a primary weapon for defense is hotly debated with strong opinions on both sides of the aisle, I wanted to address this subject more fully.

On one hand, the modest little .22 has killed its fair share of people and game over the years and it has been used successfully by assassins, poachers, and citizens of every station for purposes that far exceed its limitations. On the other hand, its rimfire primer is more subject to failure than centerfire primers and its humble ballistics cannot be depended upon to produce a one shot stop on either a human assailant or a large, aggressive animal. Yet, ever since Smith and Wesson introduced the Model 1 in 1857, small .22 caliber handguns have been rather popular, despite their limitations, for those desiring a light and unobtrusive repeating firearm for defense.

Many of these handguns have been (and still are) quite inexpensive in comparison to larger, more powerful firearms, which makes them easier to acquire and their modest recoil makes them rather easy to control. One of my favorites, the Beretta 950 BS, in .22 Short, is no longer in production but they are often found used for around $150. I have found them to be quite satisfactory for carrying in a trouser pocket. The accompanying photograph shows eight shots fired from a Beretta 950 BS at seven yards (twenty-one feet), offhand.

If a .22 Long Rifle (or the less powerful .22 Short) is used for defense, its limitations must be understood. While accuracy is important in any defensive situation, it is critical when relying upon small, relatively slow .22 caliber bullets. A single, well placed shot may not immediately stop a determined attacker and a round carelessly lobbed towards center mass will be even less likely to end a confrontation; thus, multiple well placed shots in rapid succession may be necessary. Personally, if possible, I would eschew center mass with a .22 and deliver my rounds to the assailant's face, particularly the area between the eyebrows and the cheeks. Penetration to the brain would be an added bonus but at the very least, a blinded attacker will be less effective in carrying out his assault.

While it is prudent to be able to quickly clear the action and chamber another round with any semi-automatic that is used for defensive purposes, it is especially critical with a .22 because rimfire primers are more prone to misfires than are centerfire primers. Some semi-automatic pistols in .22 caliber, like the Beretta 950 BS and the Beretta Bobcat do not have extractors. Though they are well made pistols and I am quite fond of both, a misfire with either at an inopportune time could prove fatal since clearing the action requires tipping the barrel to eject the bad cartridge before another cartridge can be chambered; this is a more time consuming process than simply racking the slide. Perhaps a double strike will detonate the offensive cartridge in such an instance but I have never trusted a cartridge after it has failed once.

Having a firearm readily available and being able to consistently hit the target with it are two absolute necessities if one intends to successfully use a gun for self defense. While .22s are not ideal defensive weapons, they are affordable, available in easily carried configurations, and their ammo is cheap enough to allow regular practice. By understanding their limitations and applying good marksmanship skills, the .22 rimfire can prove useful for defense. Though I have heard many state that they would not stake their life on a .22, I have seen many owners of $1,000 plus Government Models in .45 ACP demonstrate that they would be far better served by carrying a club for defense due to poor marksmanship skills, little commitment to practice, and sensitivity to recoil.