S&W 22a vs. Beretta U22 Neos

[ExMP]

Good Evening All,

I'm considering one of these pistols, but, looking for comparison opinions.

I've heard that the recoil buffers on the 22a need replacing on a regular basis. Does the NEOS use the same design? How is the NEOS breakdown compare to the 22a one button barrel removal?

I know that some folks think the NEOS is ugly, but, I'm looking for functionality and accuracy information, not aesthetic choices.

Thanks in advance!

 

[aarondhgraham]

The biggest difference is,,,

The size (fatness) of the grips.

The S&W has a very fat grip,,,
The NEOS has a very slender grip.

They are such extremes in grip thickness,,,
I would strongly recommend handling both before buying,,,
Grip size might be the determining factor for which pistol you will choose.

I've never broken a 22A down,,,
The barrel of the NEOS comes off with one knob/screw.

It takes me about 1.5 minutes to change out the barrels on my NEOS.

Aarond

 

[rrockefe]

My NEOS has a terrible trigger. OK other than that.

 

[Misssissippi Dave]

There is a button forward of the trigger guard you must press to remove the barrel. Mine was rather hard to press the first time. I lubricated it well and haven't had any more problems there. As mentioned the grip differences are great. I shoot the 22A-1 better then the Neos because of the larger grip. My wife shoots the Neos better also because of the grip size. Both become quite accurate with CCI SV ammo. They both will eat other ammo too. Magazines are cheaper for the Neos.

Under the foam in the 22A case I found several buffers that came with the pistol. When shooting CCI SV I find the buffer lasts a pretty long time. Shooting hot load will eat the buffer pads up pretty fast.

 

[plateshooter]

I run the firing line at a NRA qualification shoot. We average 40 plus shooters per night. All stages are shot with a 22 semi auto. We have plenty of equipment failures. Most failures are with the S&W 22a, and second is the Ruger MKIII. I have seen very few failures with the Beretta pistols, the Ruger MKII, and the Browning Buckmarks, assuming that the pistols and magazines are cleaned once in a while. (dry lube can be your friend) This is what I have seen over that last 2 years. Personally, I would run from the 22a and the MKIII pistols.

As always, your experiences may/will be different than mine.

 

[COSteve]

I have had a Buckmark since 1999 with well over 11K rds through it and a S&W 22A since 2004 with well over 6K rds through it and the Buckmark is hands down the better pistol. That said, after a 550rd Federal value pack, the Buckmark will start to have feeding issues and misfires while the 22A will still be running strong. However, I do clean both after every session and keep up with their maintenance so unless I'm really blasting away, its a non issue.

The Buckmark is still solid as its made of steel and its running strong while the aluminum 22A shows quite a bit of wear and candidly is starting to wear out. I've replaced the following parts on it: Extractor, Extractor Plunger, & Extractor Spring, Recoil Spacer and Spring, Slide Insert, and am currently waiting for a firing pin and spring which broke last weekend. (Note: all the parts except the firing pin were replaced due only to rd count, not a result of the pistol failing.)

I should note that the folks at S&W have been really nice and sent all the parts for free. I spoke with them shortly after I hit 6K rounds about the 22A's durability and they confirmed that it, like all the current guns made from aluminum instead of steel, have a more limited life span. They mentioned to replace the items I listed above to ensure it kept running well and in fact it did until last weekend when I had the first ever breakdown with it. Seems the firing pin broke right in front of the oval cutout for the Firing Pin Stop.

 

[Squibb]

I do not mind the trigger on my Neos. I kept it and sold the S&W because I think the ergos are so comfortable. And I've never had an easier breakdown than the Neos. My only regret is I did not get a 9" barrel before they discontinued them.

 

[Get R Done Guns]

Tough call between the two. We sell more Smith 22A's if that's worth anything. Really comes down to what gun fits best. Either will be reliable.

 

[SW40F]

My wife has a Neos and LOVES it. She also has a Ruger Mark II Target, and loves it too. I have only handled the S&W but liked the feel of the grip.

Someday I will buy a 22a also.

 

[mes228]

.22

I've owned both and prefer the Neos in every respect. The trigger comment is correct though. Mine had a very bad trigger, I sent it back to Beretta on their dime. Took about 3 weeks and is much better now.