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]
Leonard Nimoy (left) and William Shatner made for some nice ying
and yang onboard the ship. Nimoy’s character Spock was cold and
devoid of emotion. Shatner’s Kirk, by contrast, was ever the hothead.
I grew up watching syndicated reruns of the original “Star Trek.” Through 13 feature movies, eight live-action television series, sundry computer games and a theme park attraction, “Star Trek” has raked in roughly $10.6 billion — making it one of the most successful and profitable media franchises ever contrived.
No offense to our younger readers, but the Captain of the Enterprise was never meant to be a balding Frenchman. “The Next Generation” just never did much for me. However, I will forever be smitten with the original characters. The relatively recent reboots did a fabulous job of capturing that early Kirk/Spock magic.
The original series ran for three years, from 1966 through 1969. The state of the art as regards special effects was fairly primitive back then compared to today’s amazing digital capabilities. Regardless, across 79 episodes, Kirk and his valiant crew explored deep space in search of adventure. Their extraordinary chemistry even spawned the spoof “Galaxy Quest,” which was, in my opinion at least, one of the best movies ever made.
Trek’s original players hailed from a wide variety of backgrounds. Grace Lee Whitney played Yeoman Rand through the first eight episodes. She was also the very first Chicken of the Sea mermaid in their earliest ad campaigns. Leonard Nimoy, who played Spock, spent three years in the U.S. Army, separating as a Staff Sergeant. He was also briefly a professional singer (check this out if you need a giggle). William Shatner played Captain Kirk. He was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. He also had a successful career as a novelist. Both Nimoy and Shatner hailed from Jewish Ukrainian roots.
DeForest Kelley wanted to attend med school in the real world.
Playing ship’s surgeon Bones McCoy was the next best thing.
DeForest Kelley, who played the Southern country doctor-turned-ship’s surgeon, Dr. Bones McCoy, actually aspired to medical school in his youth. However, his family could not afford it. According to his character’s backstory, he is a graduate of the University Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi – my alma mater. Were it up to me, I would have put his portrait in the lobby of the hospital, but it actually wasn’t up to me.
James Doohan lost a finger to a Bren machinegun during
the D-Day invasion. Watch the old episodes closely and you can see it.
James Doohan played Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott. He also served with the Canadian Army and landed on Juno Beach on D-Day. While leading his men through a minefield, Lt. Doohan took six bullets from a Bren gun fired by a nervous Canadian sentry.
The one that should have killed him was deflected by a silver cigarette case given to him by his brother. One round blew the middle finger of his right hand off. Sharp-eyed Trek nerds can spot the missing finger on the screen if they look closely enough. After his recovery, Doohan eventually trained as a Canadian military pilot flying Auster Mk V observation planes.
One trope that seemed to run through the entire series was the sordid lot of the poor unfortunate disposable red-shirted security guy. You’d start with the regular cast with whom we were all familiar. However, when it was time to go down to the dangerous alien planet, there was always this nameless red-shirted loser who showed up at the transporter at the last minute, phaser on his hip and ready to rock. That dude was just doomed.
The phenomenon was so pervasive that it became a central theme in “Galaxy Quest.” A security officer named Guy Fleegman freaks out when the crew is thrown into some real peril because nobody knows his name. This is sufficient to assure him that he will never survive the pending alien encounter.
There was a reason for Fleegman’s anxiety. These poor nameless red-shirted crewmen always seemed to get whacked. However, in episode 10 of the first season, “The Corbomite Maneuver,” one of these guys actually survived to go on to even bigger and better things.
Jonathan Goldsmith starred in a series of wildly popular TV commercials
for Dos Equis beer. He got his start as a disposable red-shirted security
guy on “Star Trek.” Source: Wikimedia/Glenn Francis.
The weird little alien child at the end of that particular episode was played by 7-year-old Clint Howard, younger brother to the famed actor and director Ron Howard. However, in one brief scene, we get a glimpse of an anonymous red-shirted security crewman working diligently on some fake something in a corridor as a shirtless and sweaty Captain Kirk exits McCoy’s sickbay following some physical test or other. The red-shirted guy is only on screen for a few seconds.
You could be forgiven for not recognizing this nameless character. He didn’t make the credits. The actor who played him used the stage name Jonathan Lippe at the time. However, we all know him as Jonathan Goldsmith. As of this writing, Jonathan is still alive at age 84. His film credits include nine movies and 46 guest roles on various TV series. However, we all know him as a beer salesman for Dos Equis. Jonathan Goldsmith is, after all, the most interesting man in the world …
These RIA .22s are built for heavy outdoor use.
Most shooters, especially if they began at a young age, started by shooting .22s. This was certainly my experience, and I also carried it over when teaching my kids and grandkids to shoot, and if I live long enough, I’ll do the same thing with my great grandkids. I find myself at this age shooting more and more .22s and enjoying them almost as much as I did when I started shooting more than 70 years ago.
Consider all that’s happened with the introduction of new .22 pistols in the past few years. Ruger modernized their series of Mark .22 pistol to the easy takedown Mark IV, brought out the economy priced single action .22 Wrangler, a semi-automatic Model 57 chambered for the 5.7 x 28mm, and for concealed carry the easy-to-operate .22 LCP II.
From S&W we have two new .22s, the Victory semi-automatic pistol and a new heavy duty .22 Magnum sixgun, the Model 648. KelTec recently introduced semi-automatic pistols in both .22 Long Rifle and .22 Magnum. Both GLOCK and Taurus are now offering excellent semi-automatic .22 Pistols. Heritage continues to produce their line of very reasonably priced SA .22s including the new Rough Rider Rancher, featuring a 16″ barrel and rifle butt stock.
And this brings us to the .22 test guns at hand from Armscor Precision International/Rock Island Armory.
New from Rock Island Armory, and made in Turkey, a pair of rimfire DA revolvers.
John tested both revolvers with a wide variety of rimfire ammo.
LR and Magnum Twins
New for 2020, Rock Island Armory is importing a new line of revolvers. Available in stainless steel and blue finishes, RIA is offering .22 LR and .22 Magnum versions available in barrel lengths of 3″, 4″ and 6″ with adjustable sights.
These .22 revolvers are marked with three company names: RIA for Rock Island Armory, APINTL For Armscor Precision International, and a third marking indicating manufacture in the Czech Republic. The model numbers are AL22.1 for the .22 LR and AL22M.1 for the .22 WMR.
At first glance these two revolvers are identical. Except for the chambering and caliber markings, “22 l.r.” and “22 WMR” found on the left side of the barrel below the front sight they indeed could be identical twins. The only other difference is the cylinder capacity — nine rounds for the .22 LR and eight for the .22 WMR. These are definitely not lightweight sixguns as the use of all stainless steel results in a weight of just under 39 oz. for these K-Frame-sized sixguns. The stainless steel matched with rubber grips equals a .22 suited for heavy outdoor use with no worry about weather — neither rain, snow, sleet or dark of night will hamper their use.
When I first examined these revolvers, it appeared to me they had a heavy underlug barrel. I soon found the barrel is actually a two-piece affair consisting of a barrel proper and a shroud, with the heavy underlug design enclosing and protecting the ejector rod. This is a well thought out design and I had to look carefully (actually read the manual) to discover this fact.
John found even the .22 WMR revolver to shoot gently, thanks to its weight.
Read the Manual
I should have also read the manual before trying to adjust the rear sight as it would have saved a few minutes of chasing my tail. Like other European revolvers I’ve encountered, the adjustment of elevation is just the opposite of American handguns. To raise the elevation, turn the adjustment screw clockwise.
This is a very good-looking revolver. Finish of the stainless steel is nicely polished, and it is just as it should be. I should note the sights, consisting of a fully adjustable rear sight and a front sight with a red insert, are not bright stainless but rather are black and easy to see.
The RIA .22 Magnum revolver holds eight while the .22 LR carries nine.
Handling
The grips are well designed and will fit most hands quite well. Consistent with the weather beating revolver finish, the grips are black pebble grained rubber with finger grooves and provide a secure and comfortable feeling. I found it interesting the grip screw is not one long screw going all the way through, but rather each grip panel has its own screw and is completely supported by the abbreviated grip frame. This is also an excellent idea. If you install custom wooden stocks, there’s no danger of tightening a grip screw to the point of cracking the grip panel.
These sixguns are traditional DA, meaning you can fire them simply pulling the trigger or, if for a more precise shot, by cocking the hammer first. The trigger can be advertised as “smooth” in two ways. First, the face of the trigger is smooth with no irritating grooves or checkering, and this is matched up with a smooth SA pull, measuring 4 lbs. on my Brownells Trigger Gauge. The DA pull for each measured 12.5 lbs.
Since these revolvers are K-Frame size, I went into my accumulation of leather coming up with a home crafted thumb break design I made years ago for my Combat Magnum and a Safariland basket weave finished holster with a traditional safety strap. Both provide comfortable carry and security.
While one might consider these sixguns quite heavy, even with self-defense .22 Magnum ammunition, they are easy-to-use revolvers with virtually no recoil. Hollowpoint .22 Long Rifle ammunition should not be overlooked, especially for those who are recoil sensitive. When the .22 Long Rifle version is loaded with such cartridges as the CCI Mini-Mag +V hollow points it’s also a possibility for defensive use with no concern for recoil.
Once the gun settled in, John was able to get solid groups with the .22 Magnum sixgun.”
John had no trouble exceeding the manufacturer’s test target claims at 15 meters with the .22 LR revolver.
Range Performance
I always like to have at least a dozen different .22 LR ammunition choices when testing any .22 as they can be extremely picky. The test targets that came with each of these .22 revolvers showed 1.5″ groups at 15 meters, so I used the same distance to find ammunition that shot as well or better than exhibited by the test groups.
I put 18 different factory rounds to the test and the following, with their muzzle velocities, all grouped just right over 1″ at 15 meters. CCI Mini-Mag HP, 1,157 fps; CCI Standard Velocity, 904 fps; American Eagle HP, 1,082 fps; Remington Thunderbolt, 1,022 fps; Remington Sub-Sonic, 856 fps; and the two most accurate loads (both shooting under 1″), the CCI Green Tag at 943 fps and Winchester’s 525-round bulk pack HP at 1,083 fps.
Switching to the .22 WMR sixgun, I fired eight factory loads. The first results were very disappointing, however the more I shot the tighter the groups became. I was never able to get good results with Remington 33 AccuTips or CCI Maxi-Mag standard or hollowpoint versions. However, the CCI Speer GDHP self-defense ammunition grouped into just over 1″ with a muzzle velocity of 1,270 fps. Armscor 40-grain JHP clocks out just under 1,300 fps with a group of 11/2″ for seven shots.
With their sturdy construction there does not seem to be anything about these revolvers that would prevent them from being able to provide long-lasting service for several family generations of shooters. I doubt very much they could ever actually be worn out.