Only it cost me a hell of a lot more than $75 but it was worth every penny !!!!!!!!!! Grumpy
For that special time when you REALLY want the party to either start or end RIGHT NOW!!!
The Greatest Living Englishman has an opinion on big-game trophy hunting:
People who hunt big game are evil…
That’s why Boris Johnson (remember him) received universal support in 2019 for pledging to end the practice of big-game hunters bringing back the severed heads of animals they’d shot in Africa.
I was so supportive, in fact, that I went outside and banged my frying pans together, like we used to do for the nurses.
Because I just cannot understand why anyone could go to Botswana to shoot a lion or a giraffe.
It simply doesn’t compute in my head.
Fear not, however, because:
…but here’s why they are necessary
Because as the House of Lords debated the ban on severed heads this week, six African governments wrote to The Times newspaper begging them to let the hunting continue.
And they have a point.
They argue the big, wild animals in Africa often attack villagers and trample crops.
They are seen as a nuisance and are often shot by farmers.
But if a rich white hunter arrives on the scene and is prepared to pay upwards of £20,000 to shoot an animal, it’s suddenly worth the farmer’s while to make sure he has something to shoot at.
So instead of killing the wildlife, he starts to protect it.
Because he’s going to get a LOT more money from Hank the Texan dentist than he is from half an acre of maize.
The fact is that the rich white hunters who do this kind of thing are actually paying for the animals to be protected and looked after beforehand by the locals.
They’re even reintroducing rhinos to areas they haven’t been seen in for decades. I know this. I’ve been to a park and witnessed it happening. And I’ve met the locals who patrol the area at night, hunting the poachers.
If hunting was banned, all that would stop.
So it’s a weird conclusion but if a halfwit with way more money than sense and no moral fibre at all wants to fly to Africa to shoot an elephant, the kindest thing we can do as a nation of animal lovers is . . . let him.
Categories
The Mauser M98 Current Production
Introduction Back in 2009, when Mauser announced that they were going to put the classic Model of 1898 back into production, you could hear sporting rifle aficionados all over the globe singing “Halleluyah”. Not the miserable version from the Shrek movie: but the Halleluyah chorus from Georg Friedrich Händel’s
Cardi B targeted Brian Szasz, the stepson of the British billionaire who went to a Blink-182 concert in San Diego while his father was onboard the missing Titanic submersible.
Taking to social media, the WAP rapper slammed the uber-rich son, saying, “People is like, ‘Well, what is he supposed to do? Be sad at the house? Is he supposed to go look for himself?’ Yes.”
Adding, “You supposed to be at the house sad. You supposed to be crying for me. You supposed to be right next to the phone waiting to hear any updates about me. You’re supposed to be consoling your mom and **.”
She continued, “Isn’t it sad that you a whole ******* billionaire and nobody gives a ** about you? […] That’s crazy. I’d rather be broke. I’d rather be broke and poor, but knowing that I’m loved.”
It is pertinent to mention here Titanic submersible was boarded by five crew including, British businessman Hamish Harding; Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman; French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and the CEO of OceanGate, Stockton Rush, went to witness the wreckage of the Titanic.
However, the ship lost contact with the life above the surface after its descent.
Frantic searches were ongoing since the 96-hour window, referring to the timespan of oxygen availability on the ship, was running out fast.
I was looking in particular for .22LR pistols and revolvers for use in training disabled shooters. I try to keep at least half a dozen on hand at any one time. That’s sometimes difficult, because I’m always coming across people who (on a disability income) simply can’t afford to buy their own guns. I must have given away somewhere between two and three dozen firearms over the past decade or so. I’m glad to be able to help – it’s one way I can ‘give back’ to my community – but it means I have to replenish my training battery every so often.
I got lucky. An older gentleman was wandering around with a blue Beretta gun box containing a U22 Neos identical to this one:
It looks like something out of a science fiction movie, doesn’t it? I’d heard good reports about the Neos from reviewers and other shooters, so I was interested. The slide felt gritty when operated, and the gun clearly hadn’t been properly cleaned for a long time; but the seller was asking a reasonable price (about 70% of retail). I walked away with it. After a thorough cleaning last night, with the help of our housemate (who enjoys cleaning guns much more than I do!), it’s now very slick and smooth in operation, and I’m looking forward to trying it out at the range this week.
I noticed a few things at once.
- The sights are adequate, but clearly meant for slow fire – the fat front sight almost completely fills the gap in the rear sight, making ‘snap’ or fast sight alignment very difficult. That’s fine for target practice, but not so good for practical pistol training. I think I’ll either have to file away some material from the sides of the front sight, or widen the rear sight aperture slightly, to allow faster acquisition of a sight picture.
- The scope rail running along the top of the gun is an excellent feature. I’ll try installing a red dot sight to see how it performs.
- The trigger is on the heavy side (I’d estimate 10-12 pounds), but crisp. I think it’ll be a good ‘training trigger’, requiring one to keep one’s aim very steady while one takes up the pressure. For that reason I won’t attempt to adjust it, but I might detail-strip it and apply a little Slipstream oil or grease (my favorite lubricant for most firearms – that stuff is magic!) to its operating surfaces. That should lighten the weight of pull somewhat.
- The grip at first feels a bit small for large hands like mine, but after a few minutes spent snapping the gun up and into position it begins to feel as natural as breathing. Allied with its loaded weight of just over 36 ounces and its slightly nose-heavy 6″ barrel, I think this is going to be a very controllable and easy-to-shoot pistol, with negligible recoil. I daresay it’ll do very well for novice shooters. On the other hand, it is a little heavy compared to some of its competitors. Shooters with limited arm and/or upper body strength and/or mobility may find it difficult to use for extended periods.
- It’s clearly too large and heavy for easy concealed carry – it’s more for range use and in circumstances where concealment is not necessary.
- Disassembly and reassembly is very different from any other pistol I’ve encountered, with a ratchet screw holding the barrel and sight rail to the frame. However, once one reads the manual it’s a very simple procedure to follow, and certainly much easier than some of its competitors. I’m intrigued by the details of the design.
The Beretta U22 Neos is a .22 Long Rifle semi-automatic, single-action pistol using a slide blow-back system, that has been manufactured in the United States since 2002 by Beretta USA.[2] The pistol will accept interchangeable 4.5, 6 or 7.5 in (110, 150 or 190 mm) barrels in blued or stainless steel finishes. Each barrel incorporates a built-in Weaver-style rail to accommodate optics or accessories.[1] Beretta markets the Neos as a modern, reasonably priced pistol suitable for a beginner, yet is customizable to suit the experienced marksman.[6]
In addition to the United States and Canada,[7] the U22 Neos is listed for sale by Beretta distributors in Australia,[8] France[9][10] and some other European countries.[11][12][13][14]
History[edit]
The U22 Neos was launched in 2002 with a cover story in American Rifleman magazine.[15] A deluxe model, the U22 Neos DLX with both cosmetic and performance improvements was added in 2003. Beretta released the U22 Neos Carbine Kit (to convert the pistol into a long gun) in 2004.[16] The last year of production for the DLX model was 2007.[5]
In September 2010 Beretta instituted a recall of some U22 Neos models because of the remote possibility that the pistol could fire with the safety on. California certification for sale for all Neos models expired in March, 2011, therefore gun dealers may no longer sell them in California.[17] Beretta USA announced in July, 2014 that firearms production in Accokeek, Maryland (where the Neos is manufactured) would be moved to Gallatin, Tennessee.[18]
Design[edit]
The U22 Neos is a semi-automatic firearm using simple blowback operation. The pistol does not have a full-length slide (i.e., the barrel is uncovered) and it functions by cycling the rear portion of the action. The breech does not lock upon closing, but is held closed by a recoil spring. When the last cartridge case is ejected the slide is held open by a slide stop.[1] This configuration is similar to the Colt Woodsman and its successors.[19]
The U22 Neos is designed for field stripping without tools into basic modules (barrel with sight rail, receiver, slide and firing pin) for cleaning. The Weaver-style rail incorporates a fully adjustable rear sight and a removable front sight. The grip and trigger guard assembly, made from fiberglass-reinforced “technopolymer”, is attached to the receiver with a single bolt and can easily be removed and replaced with an accessory grip.[1] Unusual for a pistol (but unremarkable in a rifle) the magazine release is above the trigger guard and is operated by a right-handed shooter’s trigger finger.[19] The magazine holds ten rounds, giving the Neos a total 10+1 capacity.[6]
The origin of the pistol’s sleek shape and ergonomics was a collaboration between Beretta engineers and Giugiaro Design stylists.[20] Anticipated buyers for the U22 pistol were a new generation of Beretta enthusiasts, hence the moniker Neos (Greek for new).[6] Blued steel models are sold with a barrel either 4.5 or 6 inches long; the Inox models differ only in that the barrel and slide are made from stainless steel.[21]
Safety features[edit]
The U22 Neos has an ambidextrous manual safety lever mounted on the frame. There is no discrete loaded chamber indicator, but the slide can be opened slightly to check if there is a round in the chamber. The end of the firing pin is clearly visible at the rear of the receiver when cocked, indicating that the pistol is ready to fire (if the manual safety is off).[22] There is no magazine disconnect to prevent the pistol from firing if there is a round in the chamber when the magazine is removed, and for that reason the Neos accommodates single-shot operation with direct chamber loading.
Deluxe model[edit]
In 2003 new features were added to the U22 Neos product line, in the form of DLX models which can be identified by a special U22 NEOS logo is engraved on the slide. As with the standard models, the U22 Neos DLX was made with blue or stainless steel finish. DLX barrel length was 6 inches (150 mm) or 7.5 inches (190 mm) (no 4.5 in (110 mm) DLX model). DLX triggers are adjustable for pre- and overtravel. Front and rear sights have user-replaceable blades in different colors. DLX models have rubber inlays in the pistol grip; these inlays are textured to improve the shooter’s grip and are colored for a distinctive appearance.[1]
Following the discontinuation of DLX models in 2007, Beretta has occasionally produced standard Neos pistols with colored grip inlays as dealer exclusive models.[22][23][24]
Carbine conversion kit[edit]
Expanding on the modularity of the U22 Neos pistol, in 2004 Beretta introduced a U22 Neos Carbine Kit that transforms the pistol into a light rifle. The kit includes a skeletonized butt stock that takes the place of the grip on the pistol and a separate fore-end assembly that replaces the pistol barrel. A fiber-optic front sight is mounted on the barrel and the integral Weaver-style rail includes an aperture rear sight.[25] This Neos carbine configuration appears quite similar to the Buck Mark Sporter Rifle, but Browning Buck Mark pistols and rifles are purpose-built and major components cannot be interchanged.[16]
Recall[edit]
On 15 September 2010, Beretta announced a recall of the U22 Neos because some pistols may fire even if the safety is on, or when the safety is moved to the on position.[26] This recall only applies to some earlier Neos models, and Beretta has posted instructions on determining if a pistol needs service on their Neos support page.[27] Beretta’s Accokeek factory performs this service at no cost to the customer. The firing pin and other components are replaced and tested.[28]