I have 2 Beretta 21a pistols. One has textured black grips and shoots straight. The other has smooth wood grips and shoots way right (6" at 7 yards). I am trying to figure out if somehow the gun is just horribly sighted (fixed sights), or if the smooth grips are somehow affecting how I shoot. Like I said, the other 21a shoots straight. I could swear that I am holding the sights dead-on, and there's practically no recoil so I don't think I'm flinching. What do you think? Can a gun with a good barrel shoot 6" off at 7 yards?
6 inches off at 7 yards!?
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Bill DeShivs
New member
Swap the grips.
g.willikers
New member
If the problem persists after changing the grips and checking the other things already mentioned, you might want to slug the barrel and check the chamber dimensions.
You didn't mention what caliber.
Maybe it's possible it has the wrong barrel rifling dimensions, like for .25 instead of a .22??
Also, with an empty gun in full battery position, wiggle the barrel in all directions to see if there's something amiss.
Compare it to the one that shoots straight.
You didn't mention what caliber.
Maybe it's possible it has the wrong barrel rifling dimensions, like for .25 instead of a .22??
Also, with an empty gun in full battery position, wiggle the barrel in all directions to see if there's something amiss.
Compare it to the one that shoots straight.
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Aguila Blanca
Staff
Have someone else shoot both pistols. See what happens.
Even though it shoots way right does it shoot a tight group?
You might try getting out the sandbag (or rice bag or whatever) and shoot a slow, totally supported group. Maybe have someone else (maybe right handed) try shooting it too but tell them NOT to try and adjust, that is use Kentucky windage to hit the black, tell them just to shoot it directly at the target and let the rounds hit where they may.
You might try getting out the sandbag (or rice bag or whatever) and shoot a slow, totally supported group. Maybe have someone else (maybe right handed) try shooting it too but tell them NOT to try and adjust, that is use Kentucky windage to hit the black, tell them just to shoot it directly at the target and let the rounds hit where they may.
ammo.crafter
New member
poor shooter
Are the shots in a group?
Are you using the same ammo?
Are the shots in a group?
Are you using the same ammo?
Another consideration might be the finish on the gun.
I have a 21A with the polished blue finish. With the very narrow sight blade in the tiny rear notch, it is difficult to get a good sight picture. If I stand in bright sunlight, it is worse if the bright glare is on one side of the shiny front blade, making it more difficult to center it in the notch properly.
I have a 21A with the polished blue finish. With the very narrow sight blade in the tiny rear notch, it is difficult to get a good sight picture. If I stand in bright sunlight, it is worse if the bright glare is on one side of the shiny front blade, making it more difficult to center it in the notch properly.
I cleaned both guns very well yesterday and hit the range again today. The straight-firing one continued shooting straight and the "off" one continues to shoot right. I swapped the grips and got the same result. I'll try to answer some of your questions:
I tried both PMC bronze and Blaser ammo today. Same result.
I had one of the range employees shoot them... same result.
I am right handed.
The groups are fairly tight (for a small gun with narrow sight radius).
The sight picture can be tricky with this little 21a. But I am really taking my time and being careful to get it lined up. Even if I'm not using the optimal sight picture, the windage should be correct when the front sight is right between the rear posts...
The gun is in good condition. The barrel lines up nicely and is not loose.
It's a 25 acp.
I'm at a loss. I know it's only a little mouse gun, but I like to be able to take out cans at distance with the little guns for fun, and I can't do that with this one.
The store I got it at warranties for 30 days. Does anyone think "not shooting straight" is grounds for a warranty return/repair?
I tried both PMC bronze and Blaser ammo today. Same result.
I had one of the range employees shoot them... same result.
I am right handed.
The groups are fairly tight (for a small gun with narrow sight radius).
The sight picture can be tricky with this little 21a. But I am really taking my time and being careful to get it lined up. Even if I'm not using the optimal sight picture, the windage should be correct when the front sight is right between the rear posts...
The gun is in good condition. The barrel lines up nicely and is not loose.
It's a 25 acp.
I'm at a loss. I know it's only a little mouse gun, but I like to be able to take out cans at distance with the little guns for fun, and I can't do that with this one.
The store I got it at warranties for 30 days. Does anyone think "not shooting straight" is grounds for a warranty return/repair?
0.5'/21' times 61 mm (the barrel length) equals 1.5 mm, so something must be off a lot if it's just the barrel pointing somewhere other than where the sights point. On the other hand, my 340PD with a 47 mm barrel is consistently off a few inches at that distance, so 6" is surprising but maybe not wildly unexpected for a random tolerance stackup on a little gun.
Had a Glock 17, owned by an old guy, a reloader, shoot 6" off at 7 yards!
His robust reloading practices, had cracked the slide, at the narrowest area, the ejection space. Apparently the flexing of the slide, at the crack, caused this.
I contacted Glock in Smyrna GA. They replaced it. Fixed. (he also cut back on powder!)
His robust reloading practices, had cracked the slide, at the narrowest area, the ejection space. Apparently the flexing of the slide, at the crack, caused this.
I contacted Glock in Smyrna GA. They replaced it. Fixed. (he also cut back on powder!)
Absolutely. Fixed sight guns have their limitations, but 6" to either side at 7 yards is unaccceptable. We expect variations in height based on the load, but side to side should be pretty well on, at 3 times that distance. My old Raven P25 is about 6" to the left at 25 yards. I'd expect better from a Baretta. Something is wrong.