Beretta M21A jamming problems....Help!

H

Hawgleg44

New member
I picked up a used Beretta M21A today but I'm having some problems finding something that it feeds reliably. I was happy to finally find one that was MA compliant for a reasonable price, but now I might understand why it was traded in. I did find out immediately that one mag is bad, but the other works well sometimes, but as soon as it gets dirty at all (2 or 3 mag full) it starts to jam up. The slide will cycle enough to cock the hammer, but it puts the empty shell back into the chamber. I've tried Federal, Winchester and CCI Stingers and Velicoters. Nothing is 100% reliable yet.

Another problem with it, when it doesn't leave the empty round in the chamber is that the chamber is empty after a shot. It's almost like the recoil spring is too strong and not allowing the slide to go far enough back to either eject the spent shell or to pick up the new one from the mag.

Before this comes up, yes, it was cleaned and lubed before shooting, but not lubed excessively.

I don't want to have to shoot premium ammo in it. If I just want to go out plinking, I don't want it to cost me as much as shooting my 9's or .40's.
 
My experience

I once had the M950 single action, and the 21 double action Berettas. Both of mine were in .25acp. Never had a lick of trouble with the M950. Would feed any style bullet. Then I got the other one. FMJ rounds would usually feed but the little JHP rounds would pretty much jam up badly. I noticed the gap from the mag to the throat was much larger on the 21. I guess they used the same frame for 22lr. as the 25, and that was why there was extra space in front of the mag. I got rid of the DA 21 for reliability problems. But wish I kept the little M950 as it was a better reliable gun. If you could stand to carry cocked and locked! But I still have a hard time swallowing the fact that they need no extractor!
 
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I took half a coil off each of the recoil springs and test fired it last night. No problems at all after that. One mag is definately bad, but the other fed 100 rounds with no jams or FTE's at all. I'll put a few hundred more through it today, but I think the problem is solved.
 
The only ammo that works with mine is CCI Mini Mags. I can go throught a hole box of 100 with out problems. With other brands if I load 4 rounds in the mag and one in the chamber it workes.
 
A friend of mine who also has one has similar problems with his. The only ammo that his will fire reliably is CCI Stingers. I didn't have any Minimags to try out. I just wanted to make it so it would shoot cheap ammo reliably, too. I didn't want to go shooting a .22 and have it cost me as much as my reloaded 9mm ammo having to use "premium" .22LR.
 
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