My first gun purchase

[1970 silver art]

I have been thinking about this for a while and I finally did it. Today I bought my first gun from a gun shop in town. It is a Beretta U22 NEOS 22LR. It is a new gun and I paid $249 + sales tax for it. Here is what it looks like:


http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/Firstgunpurchase.jpg


For me the gun purchasing process was not bad at all since I knew what caliber pistol I was going to buy. The employees at the shop were very friendly and they were patient with me since I am a gun newbie and they had different .22 pistols for me to look at. The purchasing process did not take that long and the background check took only about 5 minutes. I felt good about buying it and after I purchased it they let me break it in at the indoor range that they have. I only fired it 20 times but so far, I had no issues with firing it. I plan to go out again to continue to break it in.

I also plan to take a couple of gun safety courses later on and I think that will help me as well. I bought this as my first gun because of a couple of reasons. One reason is that it was under my price limit of $300. A second reason for buying this gun is for practicing shooting and I think that a .22 pistol is a good starting gun for me since I am a gun newbie. I have shot one of my dad's guns before when I went with him to the range so I did fire a gun before but my experience is limited and I need to improve my accuracy. I am getting more comfortable and I am still learning. I am happy with my purchase. I do not regret it at all.

[osprey]

Looks great, congrats! Looking forward to your range report.

[zap]

Good for you Art ! ;)

[SLV^GLD]

Awesome!!!
Now you can be an Outlaw with a gun!
I'd like to think I contributed to your decision to make this purchase.

I think you made a wise purchase as well. Beretta tends to make good guns. I don't personally know anything about this particular one.

I can see that they put the safety on frame which will train you to use practically every other safety on the market EXCEPT for other Berettas.
Also, I see you got the version with the rail across the entire top. This means you can mount glass on there if you choose too. It's better than paying up $50 or so to add that rail later.
Choosing .22 caliber means lots of cheap shooting with low recoil meaning you can focus on shot placement and good form and grip.
Finally, your choice to get what appears to be a 5"+ length barrel means you will be able to hit what your aiming at much easier which means less frustration getting started.

You did very good. Also, I hope you got all black grips because I've seen those things with gaudy colors in the grips and I happen to think it is tacky and unbecoming of a target pistol.

Take that thing apart and clean it up before taking it back to the range. Learn how it works and maintain it well. It will treat you just as good as you treat it.

Welcome to the world of firearms, prepare to make a small budget for accessories (carry case) and cleaning supplies (.22lr is notoriously dirty ammo).

I'm proud of ya!

[SLV^GLD]

Did a bit of research and it seems the NEOS only comes in a 6" barrel version and that it is configured very similarly to a Browning Buckmark which is my choice for a .22 target pistol.

[RJB]

Welcome to the club my friend.

[cpy911]

Nice. However that pistol looks a little too funky looking for my taste.

I am planning on getting a Ruger MKIII
Nothing wrong with the Beretta though, I have heard good things about it.

[ximmy]

Sweet!!!... I'm hoping to pull the trigger in the coming weeks...

regarding background check, I went in and they gave me two pages of application for review, and said it would take a week... It seemed strange to me so I left...

has anyone else experienced this

1970 silver art, it took five minutes for you on the spot... I wonder if that is normal.

[1970 silver art]

Did a bit of research and it seems the NEOS only comes in a 6" barrel version and that it is configured very similarly to a Browning Buckmark which is my choice for a .22 target pistol.


You are correct. I have the 6" barrel version.

[madfranks]

Way to go silver art! Don't forget, with great power comes great responsibility. I remember when I got my first handgun I was struck by the magnitude of the power I held in my hand. Start your responsible gun habits now (always check the weapon when you pick it up) and you'll never forget.

[sunnyandseventy]

Outstanding. I've got a lot of Beretta 92's and I love them. No problems.

Bought a S&W 21A, .22LR caliber, a couple years ago due to ammunition costs, ease wear and tear on my shoulder (shooting in pain is bad thing), and just because I've only owned self defense type firearms.

I love that .22! It's a pleasure to shoot. Accurate, digests bulk pack ammos.
Nothing special about it; paid my dealer friend approx $300 for it.

Enjoy!

You may want to get a .22 cal Bore-Snake for it to keep it clean and simple.

[1970 silver art]

Way to go silver art! Don't forget, with great power comes great responsibility. I remember when I got my first handgun I was struck by the magnitude of the power I held in my hand. Start your responsible gun habits now (always check the weapon when you pick it up) and you'll never forget.


Thank you for mentioning that. I plan to take a couple of gun courses because I will feel even better when I do that. I want to be extra careful when I handle a gun. This gun shop that I bought my gun from does offer gun courses for beginners and I plan to take those courses.

[1970 silver art]

Sweet!!!... I'm hoping to pull the trigger in the coming weeks...

regarding background check, I went in and they gave me two pages of application for review, and said it would take a week... It seemed strange to me so I left...

has anyone else experienced this

1970 silver art, it took five minutes for you on the spot... I wonder if that is normal.


I guess it depends on the state that you get the gun from. It was me and another customer in the shop and I guess since that it was not busy, it did not take as long for the background check. They asked for me my driver's license and I filed out a some paperwork. Overall, the gun buying process went very smoothly for me and I am happy about that.

[BrewTech]

Sweet!!!... I'm hoping to pull the trigger in the coming weeks...

regarding background check, I went in and they gave me two pages of application for review, and said it would take a week... It seemed strange to me so I left...

has anyone else experienced this

1970 silver art, it took five minutes for you on the spot... I wonder if that is normal.


I guess it depends on the state that you get the gun from. It was me and another customer in the shop and I guess since that it was not busy, it did not take as long for the background check. They asked for me my driver's license and I filed out a some paperwork. Overall, the gun buying process went very smoothly for me and I am happy about that.



CA is a ten day wait. Consider yourself fortunate!

Looks like a good choice you made on the pistol there, Art. I think you will enjoy it. The courses are a good idea, because learning bad habits would not be a good thing. Take care of that Beretta, and it will treat you right, I'm sure.

[ximmy]

Sweet!!!... I'm hoping to pull the trigger in the coming weeks...

regarding background check, I went in and they gave me two pages of application for review, and said it would take a week... It seemed strange to me so I left...

has anyone else experienced this

1970 silver art, it took five minutes for you on the spot... I wonder if that is normal.


I guess it depends on the state that you get the gun from. It was me and another customer in the shop and I guess since that it was not busy, it did not take as long for the background check. They asked for me my driver's license and I filed out a some paperwork. Overall, the gun buying process went very smoothly for me and I am happy about that.



CA is a ten day wait. Consider yourself fortunate!

Looks like a good choice you made on the pistol there, Art. I think you will enjoy it. The courses are a good idea, because learning bad habits would not be a good thing. Take care of that Beretta, and it will treat you right, I'm sure.


They might have said two weeks now that you mention 10 days... shucks... been looking at that air gun thread.. Jeebus... 22-25 caliber air rifles @1000 FPS... EEk!!!

[AndreaGail]

congrats on the purchase outlaw :)

good call on the class as well. I was a novice when I first purchased mine and the class made me so much more confident handling and firing the gun

[osoab]

Awesome Art. Congratulations.

I would suggest getting one of these as a companion.

Marlin Model 39A (http://www.marlinfirearms.com/firearms/22rifle/golden39a.asp)
http://www.cowanauctions.com/itemImages/tee4207.jpg

[SLV^GLD]

1970 silver art, it took five minutes for you on the spot... I wonder if that is normal.
Totally depends on your state. In TN (where Outlaw and I are domiciled) you only have to wait as long as it takes for the NICS check to come back which is generally 5 minutes. There is no registration although I choose to believe the NICS folks don't destroy anything on their end. The shop owner is required to keep the form but that means it is literally thrown in a pile the size of a school bus in a dusty, musty basement. If you want on a big bad list in TN you get yourself a CCW.

[solid]

Thank you for mentioning that. I plan to take a couple of gun courses because I will feel even better when I do that. I want to be extra careful when I handle a gun. This gun shop that I bought my gun from does offer gun courses for beginners and I plan to take those courses.




I think that's a great idea, Art. The more knowledge you have will increase your comfort level, and your confidence.

I'm proud of you Art. I'm glad you shared this exciting news. BTW, my next gun purchase will be a 22 cal, or an air rifle. I still want to get a lever 30-30 and Kimber 45 as well. Damn, welcome to your next addiction Art! ;D Just don't start selling art bars to feed the gun addiction. :)

[1970 silver art]

Thank you for mentioning that. I plan to take a couple of gun courses because I will feel even better when I do that. I want to be extra careful when I handle a gun. This gun shop that I bought my gun from does offer gun courses for beginners and I plan to take those courses.




I think that's a great idea, Art. The more knowledge you have will increase your comfort level, and your confidence.

I'm proud of you Art. I'm glad you shared this exciting news. BTW, my next gun purchase will be a 22 cal, or an air rifle. I still want to get a lever 30-30 and Kimber 45 as well. Damn, welcome to your next addiction Art! ;D Just don't start selling art bars to feed the gun addiction. :)


It looks like I will need a post-it note to write down all of the "addictions" that I have. :D

Actually, I did sell some silver art bars on several occasions this year but I did not do it to buy this gun. I was in the process of upgrading my silver art bar collection and as a result, I sold a lot of common minted silver art bars (ex: Holiday theme, Madison Mint, Hamilton Mint, etc.) for a profit but I was putting that paper profit back into rare silver art bars that are on my silver art bar wish list. I have plans to buy more rare silver art bars (if I can find them) that are on my wish list. My paycheck will take care of my gun "addiction". ;D

There is a coin show that I am going to tomorrow but I plan to go back to the gun shop sometime after leave the coin show to see if I can sign up for a couple of gun classes that I am interested in taking. Each of those classes are 3 hours long and the first class is this Saturday (March 5) and the second class is next Saturday (March 12). I hope that I still have time to sign up for those classes tomorrow. If not, then I have to wait until next month. I also plan to go back to the range tomorrow to continue to break in my gun. I only fired 20 rounds the first time around just to get a feel for how it fires. Since I am not a member yet, it will cost me $20 for 30 minutes of range time. I have not decided on how often I will shoot my gun. I am still in the process of doing that. I also need to buy some more ammo. I plan to buy the Federal brand ammo (box of 525) once I use up the ammo that I have.

[mick silver]

nice looking gun .... glad to see you getting your self a gun .. be safe an have fun . do you know anyone with some land were you can go an shoot . that wouls save some money for more ammo

[1970 silver art]

nice looking gun .... glad to see you getting your self a gun .. be safe an have fun . do you know anyone with some land were you can go an shoot . that wouls save some money for more ammo


Nope. I do not know of anyone with some land where I can shoot. Actually, this indoor shooting range is a good place and I feel comfortable shooting there. If I find myself going there a lot, then I will just get an annual range membership and that will save me a lot of money there. I am not sure how often I will get a chance to shoot it since I have to schedule everything around my job. More than likely I will be shooting it on weekends since that is convenient for me.

[Half Sense]

Nice gun. You can try different kinds of ammo in it until you find one it likes best. CCI makes good quality ammo. There is a Baretta forum at Rimfire Central that has lots of info on your Neos:

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=54

[SLV^GLD]

Bring your own ammo, targets, ear and eye protection and you can just pay for the range time. Most ranges will nickel and dime you to death if you keep renting their protection and buying their targets and ammo. Some ranges require that you buy their ammo and use their stuff. I suggest finding another range that is more accommodating if that is the case.

[NOOB]

A friend of mine has the beretta neos. A good shooting accurate pistol. Great "first" gun. Now go buy 5000 rounds and try to shoot them up this month. You will be ahead of 99% of americans in pistol skills after that and a couple of classes and videos.

[osoab]

You should get 10 magazines for it Art. I hate reloading 2 magazines at the range over and over.

[sirgonzo420]

Congratulations, josey!

[1970 silver art]

Bring your own ammo, targets, ear and eye protection and you can just pay for the range time. Most ranges will nickel and dime you to death if you keep renting their protection and buying their targets and ammo. Some ranges require that you buy their ammo and use their stuff. I suggest finding another range that is more accommodating if that is the case.


There is another gun shop in town that has an indoor shooting range and I think that it is cheaper but it is not friendly to gun newbies such as myself. The people there are too condescending and rude for my taste. I was not comfortable there and I did not come back.

The place that I bought my gun from is a much friendlier atmosphere and I felt better being there and it was closer to where I live. If I do not want to pay $30/hr, I can get an annual standard membership for $165. I will probably go with the annual membership but I have decided how often I am going to shoot there. I will give myself about 2 weeks and make a final decision from there on whether or not to get the annual membership.

I think that there is an outdoor shooting range but I will need to find where that is and how busy it is and how far away it is from me.

[1970 silver art]

Nice gun. You can try different kinds of ammo in it until you find one it likes best. CCI makes good quality ammo. There is a Baretta forum at Rimfire Central that has lots of info on your Neos:

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=54


I am currently using CCI ammo and it seems to work well with my gun. I plan to go out to the shooting range in a few minutes and continue to break in my gun. I only fired 20 rounds with it yesterday. I plan to spend about 30 minutes firing more rounds with it. I plan to get some Federal ammo to try that out.

[1970 silver art]

You should get 10 magazines for it Art. I hate reloading 2 magazines at the range over and over.


I do not mind reloading the 2 magazines at the range but at some point, I will probably get another magazine or two for it. I do not plan to get 10 magazines for it. I do see your point in terms of continuously reloading magazines especially since that will eat away at the range time that I have there on a per hour basis. This is somewhat of a trial and error period for me. I might just go the annual membership route but I have not made a final decision yet. Thanks for the suggestion. :)

[osoab]

You should get 10 magazines for it Art. I hate reloading 2 magazines at the range over and over.


I do not mind reloading the 2 magazines at the range but at some point, I will probably get another magazine or two for it. I do not plan to get 10 magazines for it. I do see your point in terms of continuously reloading magazines especially since that will eat away at the range time that I have there on a per hour basis. This is somewhat of a trial and error period for me. I might just go the annual membership route but I have not made a final decision yet. Thanks for the suggestion. :)



10 might be overboard, but I would pick up at least two more. Have fun at the range today.

[chad]

josey, i have that same handgun, you will love it. you can never wrong with a beretta. :D

[k-os]

Outlaw, I am so happy for you!

My advice (and someone already said it) is to make sure you learn how to take it apart and clean it.

I can't wait to hear about your classes, too.

Excellent news!

[1970 silver art]

Today I went back to the indoor shooting range to continue to break in my new .22 pistol. I spent 30 minutes at the range and I will admit that I like doing this. The ammo that I used for my pistol was CCI. I fired 100 rounds in it today and I had no trouble with it. I am comfortable with the trigger pull and it felt good holding this gun in my hands. I had no trouble reloading the magazine. This is my first real day on the shooting range.

The trouble that I had was my accuracy with the gun. I hit the target but I hit the outer edges. I was trying to hit the bullseye on the paper target. Based on the shots on the paper target, I was aiming too high (from the bullseye) and I was too far to the right. I will have to work on that with practice and working on my sight picture. I think that taking the gun courses and spending more time at the range practice will eventually improve that.

As I also found out, it would also be in my best interest to become a member of this shooting range because it will be cheaper for me in the long run since I might be going out there every 2 weeks or so. It cost $165 for a year-long membership.

I was planning to take some beginners gun courses this month but unfortunately, all of their beginner classes were booked for the whole month of March. I plan to sign up for 2 beginner's gun courses that will be available in April. The 2 courses will take up two Saturdays in April and they will cost me a total of $100 but it will be worth it IMO because I am a gun newbie and I need to gain more knowledge about guns and gun safety. I just to figure out which Saturdays in April will work best for me.

Overall, I feel very good about buying the gun and I feel good about firing it at the shooting range. The .22 ammo is not expensive and that is a good thing. As I mentioned, this gun is for target practice only.

[1970 silver art]

Outlaw, I am so happy for you!

My advice (and someone already said it) is to make sure you learn how to take it apart and clean it.

I can't wait to hear about your classes, too.

Excellent news!


I have not took it apart yet. I am not comfortable with that part yet but the gun came with an instruction manual and I plan to read that manual to learn how to take it apart. Hopefully, it will not be too difficult to take apart and clean it.

EDIT: I will need to buy some sort of proper cleaning equipment for my particular gun.

[k-os]

Outlaw, I am so happy for you!

My advice (and someone already said it) is to make sure you learn how to take it apart and clean it.

I can't wait to hear about your classes, too.

Excellent news!


I have not took it apart yet. I am not comfortable with that part yet but the gun came with an instruction manual and I plan to read that manual to learn how to take it apart. Hopefully, it will not be too difficult to take apart and clean it.

EDIT: I will need to buy some sort of proper cleaning equipment for my particular gun.



Also, you might be able to find youtube videos about disassembling and cleaning your gun.

[1970 silver art]

Outlaw, I am so happy for you!

My advice (and someone already said it) is to make sure you learn how to take it apart and clean it.

I can't wait to hear about your classes, too.

Excellent news!


I have not took it apart yet. I am not comfortable with that part yet but the gun came with an instruction manual and I plan to read that manual to learn how to take it apart. Hopefully, it will not be too difficult to take apart and clean it.

EDIT: I will need to buy some sort of proper cleaning equipment for my particular gun.



Also, you might be able to find youtube videos about disassembling and cleaning your gun.


Thanks for that suggestion K-os. :) I found several Youtube videos on disassembling and cleaning my gun. I found some gun cleaning videos that match the Beretta gun that I have. I will save a few of those Youtube videos in My favorites and watch those several times to get a visual idea of what the manual is talking about before I attempt to take it apart and clean it. I also need to go back to the gun shop to get a cleaning kit. Thanks again for this suggestion.

EDIT: I was able to find 3 Youtube videos pertaining to disassembling and cleaning my gun. There was also another video about putting the gun back together.

[Road Runner]

Congradulations!! It is exciting, isn't it.. You will probably start a collection of guns also!!
We are fortunate to have a lot of acreage so we can practice here. It was so awesome last summer to see some of our grandkids shooting. Most of them own guns, and some aren't even old enough to shoot them yet!! Good luck to you.

[muffin]

Today I went back to the indoor shooting range to continue to break in my new .22 pistol. I spent 30 minutes at the range and I will admit that I like doing this. The ammo that I used for my pistol was CCI. I fired 100 rounds in it today and I had no trouble with it. I am comfortable with the trigger pull and it felt good holding this gun in my hands. I had no trouble reloading the magazine. This is my first real day on the shooting range.

The trouble that I had was my accuracy with the gun. I hit the target but I hit the outer edges. I was trying to hit the bullseye on the paper target. Based on the shots on the paper target, I was aiming too high (from the bullseye) and I was too far to the right. I will have to work on that with practice and working on my sight picture. I think that taking the gun courses and spending more time at the range practice will eventually improve that.


I have the same gun and it has adjustable sights. I had to adjust mine to get it accurate - after you have more time with it if it is still consistently off, you might adjust or have a more experienced shooter see if the sights are lined up right and adjust them for you.

[StackerKen]

Way to go Artbar!

Have fun with it! :)

[sirgonzo420]

Today I went back to the indoor shooting range to continue to break in my new .22 pistol. I spent 30 minutes at the range and I will admit that I like doing this. The ammo that I used for my pistol was CCI. I fired 100 rounds in it today and I had no trouble with it. I am comfortable with the trigger pull and it felt good holding this gun in my hands. I had no trouble reloading the magazine. This is my first real day on the shooting range.

The trouble that I had was my accuracy with the gun. I hit the target but I hit the outer edges. I was trying to hit the bullseye on the paper target. Based on the shots on the paper target, I was aiming too high (from the bullseye) and I was too far to the right. I will have to work on that with practice and working on my sight picture. I think that taking the gun courses and spending more time at the range practice will eventually improve that.

As I also found out, it would also be in my best interest to become a member of this shooting range because it will be cheaper for me in the long run since I might be going out there every 2 weeks or so. It cost $165 for a year-long membership.

I was planning to take some beginners gun courses this month but unfortunately, all of their beginner classes were booked for the whole month of March. I plan to sign up for 2 beginner's gun courses that will be available in April. The 2 courses will take up two Saturdays in April and they will cost me a total of $100 but it will be worth it IMO because I am a gun newbie and I need to gain more knowledge about guns and gun safety. I just to figure out which Saturdays in April will work best for me.

Overall, I feel very good about buying the gun and I feel good about firing it at the shooting range. The .22 ammo is not expensive and that is a good thing. As I mentioned, this gun is for target practice only.




This might help:




http://www.hsoi.com/resources/correction_chart.gif

[1970 silver art]

Got my first bad news since I bought my gun. The bad news is that I am not able to clean it because I am not able to take it apart. Specifically it is the barrel nut. On this gun I have to press the barrel nut lock button (see my picture in the op) to get the barrel nut to unscrew. The problem for me is that I pressed the barrel nut lock button but I was not able to turn barrel nut and therefore I was not able to take the barrel off. It seems that the barrel nut is stuck for some reason. For anyone who has this particular model, Has this been a problem to unscrew the barrel nut? If so, how do you get it to unscrew? So far, I was not able to screw it and I looked at the Youtube videos to see how they did it but so far no success. :(

[sunnyandseventy]

I haven't been to Beretta Forums much in the last couple years but they have been helpful with questions.

Here's a link to a page I "searched" there with Neos questions.
http://berettaforum.net/vb/search.php?searchid=1072590

[1970 silver art]

I haven't been to Beretta Forums much in the last couple years but they have been helpful with questions.

Here's a link to a page I "searched" there with Neos questions.
http://berettaforum.net/vb/search.php?searchid=1072590


Excellent! Thanks for this link. I did not know that there was a Beretta forum. I did not think to do a search on that. I will browse this forum to see what I can find.

[SLV^GLD]

Got my first bad news since I bought my gun. The bad news is that I am not able to clean it because I am not able to take it apart. Specifically it is the barrel nut. On this gun I have to press the barrel nut lock button (see my picture in the op) to get the barrel nut to unscrew. The problem for me is that I pressed the barrel nut lock button but I was not able to turn barrel nut and therefore I was not able to take the barrel off. It seems that the barrel nut is stuck for some reason. For anyone who has this particular model, Has this been a problem to unscrew the barrel nut? If so, how do you get it to unscrew? So far, I was not able to screw it and I looked at the Youtube videos to see how they did it but so far no success. :(

As I stated before it appears the NEOS is designed very similarly to a Browning Buckmark. The Buckmark barrel is held on by a barrel nut as well. The manufacturer apples loc-tite to the threads to prevent shock from dislodging the nut. This means that it will also be near impossible to remove the 1st time and that you should loc-tite it again if you do get it off.

However, leaving the barrel on does not impair the disassembly of the rest of the gun. Also, removal of the barrel is unnecessary to cleaning the gun or the barrel. As such, I have elected to leave my barrel on.

I use a bore snake to clean my barrel although from time to time I use a push rod with a metal bristle attachment to really scrub it. The problem with using a rod to clean the barrel while attached is that it cannot be inserted from the breach end and must be inserted from the muzzle end. Always exercise EXTREME care when inserting rods from the muzzle end. Any damage to the crown (the actual muzzle opening) will negatively impact accuracy no matter how minute. Buckmark target barrels have a recessed crown for this very reason. For this reason I strongly suggest using a bore snake inserted from the breach end. You may be able to purchase a crown guard for your gun which fits over the muzzle and provides a buffer between the rod and the crown.

Hopefully some NEOS owners will chime in and fill in the blanks since I do not have the actual gun and my remarks may not be 100% applicable.

[1970 silver art]

Good news!!!!

I was finally able to turn of the barrel nut. According to the Beretta forum that I just finished lurking on, I found a solution to the problem that I was experiencing. A poster on the Beretta forum mentioned using a flathead screwdriver to get the barrel nut to turn when taking the gun apart the first time.

I decided to try this method and it worked for me. While pressing and holding the barrel nut lock button, I used a small flathead screwdriver get it to turn just enough to loosen it. Once I did that, then I was able to use my fingers to turn the barrel nut clockwise to loosen it. I am happy that I was able to get past that. Thanks Sunnyandseventy for pointing me towards that forum. :)

I will continue to watch the Youtube video and look at the manual to continue to take it apart. It should not be too hard from this point on.

[1970 silver art]

I was finally able to take the gun apart but I did not clean it because I do not have a cleaning kit yet. The reason that I wanted to take it apart because I wanted to get an idea of how difficult it was to take it apart and to put back together. Once I got past the unscrewing of the barrel nut, then I was able to finish taking the gun apart. After I took it apart, I was able (with the help of the YouTube video), to put it back together. I did not have any issues putting the gun back together and it seemed easier to put back together once I understood how to take it apart. After putting the gun back together (and double checking the chamber), I checked to see that the slide worked and it did work fine and everything else on the gun worked fine as well after re-assembly.

I would like to thank SLV^GLD for suggesting to take it apart. I will clean it but I was planning to shoot more rounds through it before I cleaned it. I shot 120 rounds with it so far. I would like to thank K-os for suggesting to look at the YouTube videos to get a visual on how to take it apart (and to put back together). The instructions that came with the gun explained how you take it apart but seeing it on the YouTube video helped much more. I would also like to thank Sunnyandseventy for giving me the link to the Beretta forum to find a solution to loosen the gun barrel nut.

Overall, I feel better that I was able to take it apart and to put it back together. It should be easier the next time when I need to take it apart to clean it. Once I was able to unscrew the gun barrel nut, the rest of it seemed easier.

[sunnyandseventy]

Don't go nuts buying cleaning kits, supplies, and solutions.

You'd be surprised how much .22lr gunk you can wipe off with WD-40, some of those blue paper shop towels and an old toothbrush.

I usually do the above route so I don't waste cleaning supplies and patches. Once I get enough black crud and grime off then I use gun specific cleaner and lube.

[1970 silver art]

I went to the range today to shoot some more rounds. I was able to get a lane at the indoor shooting range that I go to and I stayed there for 30 minutes. In that time, I shot 130 rounds. I used CCI Mini Mags 22LR ammo. I did finish breaking the gun in. From the time that I bought the gun, I fired a total of 250 rounds and so far, it performed very well with no problems. I am very satisfied with how it shot and I feel more comfortable shooting it. I still need to work on my sight picture and hopefully, the more that I shoot, the better I will get.

Here is the first target that I practiced shooting on:

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/FirstTarget.jpg

This is from 3 yards. I shot only 10 rounds through this one.


Here is the second target that I practiced shooting on:


http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/SecondTarget.jpg


I shot most of my rounds through this target. This is from 7 yards out. Not good IMO but with more practice, then maybe I will get better.


Here is the third target that I practiced shooting on. This is also from 7 yards out:

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/ThirdTarget.jpg


Overall, I did have fun shooting my gun today and I am happy about that. I definitely plan to go back to this indoor range. I plan to buy a year-long membership (Cost = $165) and I also plan to sign up for two beginner gun training classes (Total = $100). The year-long membership will save me a lot of money and the 2 gun classes will help me gain more knowledge about guns and gun safety and hopefully will help with my sight picture and my stance. I also went to Walmart to buy a box of Federal 22LR ammo (550 rounds for $20). I plan to shoot up the remaining CCI ammo that I have and once I use that up, then I will start to shoot with the Federal ammo.

[Awoke]

Outlaw Josey Wales, I'm glad to see you finally decided to take my advice (http://gold-silver.us/forum/general-discussion/omg-i-was-almost-involved-in-a-midnight-altercation-yeesh!/msg132440/#msg132440).


(Posts 40, 43 and 46)

You have made a smart move. Get comfortable shooting that .22 and then move on up!

[SLV^GLD]

Outlaw,
The consistency with which you are placing the shots right of center indicates you may need to adjust your gun sights for windage.
The consistency with which you are placing shots both above and below center indicates you probably just need more practice and do not need to adjust for elevation.

This saves me some typing:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5904421_adjust-gun-sights.html

[osoab]

Outlaw,
The consistency with which you are placing the shots right of center indicates you may need to adjust your gun sights for windage.
The consistency with which you are placing shots both above and below center indicates you probably just need more practice and do not need to adjust for elevation.

This saves me some typing:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5904421_adjust-gun-sights.html


Art is in an indoor range. So I don't think widage is his problem.

I would guess trigger grip.

Art, when you place your finger on the trigger. Just use the pad of the finger do not put the finger all the way to the underside of the first knuckle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9IO3FbycYw

[SLV^GLD]

Art is in an indoor range. So I don't think widage is his problem.

I would guess trigger grip.

Art, when you place your finger on the trigger. Just use the pad of the finger do not put the finger all the way to the underside of the first knuckle.

A) Windage is a reference to the direction of adjustment that is not elevation. Granted the term is loosely based on the root word "wind" is is a nod to the idea that wind will push a bullet out of a path that is directly in line with the muzzle. My use of the word however was a suggestion to set the sights correctly and that the direction of needed adjustment was not one of elevation.

B) Your comments about grip adjustment are astute and should be observed by Mr. Outlaw. However, given correct grip and trigger pull then the only adjustment left to make on consistently left or right of center shots is one of windage regardless if the shooter is inside or outside. Employing the help of an experienced shooter can narrow down whether the sights are out of alignment or the grip is.

[Awoke]

Art, when you place your finger on the trigger. Just use the pad of the finger do not put the finger all the way to the underside of the first knuckle.


Magpul agrees with this statement. Massad Ayoob does not.
They are all qualified shooters. They have all trained federal professionals in firearms combat.

Who is a person to listen to? It's a tough call.

Experiment, Josey. 22 cal is so cheap it's almost free to shoot.

[big country]

Art, when you place your finger on the trigger. Just use the pad of the finger do not put the finger all the way to the underside of the first knuckle.


Magpul agrees with this statement. Massad Ayoob does not.
They are all qualified shooters. They have all trained federal professionals in firearms combat.

Who is a person to listen to? It's a tough call.

Experiment, Josey. 22 cal is so cheap it's almost free to shoot.


Hold your hang just like you were holding the gun & trigger, but empty. Now simulate a trigger pull with your finger. Which part of your finger goes STAIGHT back with the least side to side movement? Wherever that is for your finger, that is where you want the CENTER of the trigger to be.

[1970 silver art]

Art is in an indoor range. So I don't think widage is his problem.

I would guess trigger grip.

Art, when you place your finger on the trigger. Just use the pad of the finger do not put the finger all the way to the underside of the first knuckle.

A) Windage is a reference to the direction of adjustment that is not elevation. Granted the term is loosely based on the root word "wind" is is a nod to the idea that wind will push a bullet out of a path that is directly in line with the muzzle. My use of the word however was a suggestion to set the sights correctly and that the direction of needed adjustment was not one of elevation.

B) Your comments about grip adjustment are astute and should be observed by Mr. Outlaw. However, given correct grip and trigger pull then the only adjustment left to make on consistently left or right of center shots is one of windage regardless if the shooter is inside or outside. Employing the help of an experienced shooter can narrow down whether the sights are out of alignment or the grip is.


SLV^GLD,

I am going to agree with you on this one because I did not adjust my rear sight since I bought the gun. I think I see where I can adjust that. There is a screw that I have to turn to get it to move in the direction that I want. I will have to double check my manual to see if that is indeed the case. That web link that you posted in post # 51 of this thread will help me. Thanks for posting that link. Adjusting the sight along with more range practice time should help me improve my accuracy. I hope so anyway.

@Osoab: The next time that I go to the range, I will pay closer attention to my trigger grip. I do not think that is the problem for me but then again I could be wrong on that.

[osoab]

@Osoab: The next time that I go to the range, I will pay closer attention to my trigger grip. I do not think that is the problem for me but then again I could be wrong on that.



Art, You can do this sitting at home. Make sure the gun is unloaded.

Just hold the gun and pull the trigger. If you are pulling with your trigger finger, you will see the movement of the gun.

Hope this helps.

[Awoke]

That's right. That's called "Dry firing" and it is the BEST exercise you can do to eliminate any movement from your trigger squeeze.
I have been walking around with my pistol on my hip for the last 4 days, drawing and dry firing, and I have noticed a massive improvement in my accuracy after only a few days.

Josey, also be careful adjusting your sights. Before you get into all that, go to a range and shoot the shit with some experienced shooters. Get them to try your gun. If there is no one around, bench rest it and shoot it slowly. Your sights may not be off. You don't want to adjust them if they are not the problem. I missed targets for 6 months as a new shooter before I realized it was all in my trigger pull.

[1970 silver art]

I read somewhere that it was not a good idea to dry-fire a .22 semi-auto pistol because of the damage that it could do to the firing pin. Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong on this because I honestly do not know.

I will not adjust my sights yet but I do need a lot more practice because I went to the shooting range only 3 times since I bought my gun. I might be looking at my sights wrong. I plan to take a couple of beginner gun courses next month and one of those courses will be on the range and I think that will help me correct what I am doing wrong.

[osoab]

I read somewhere that it was not a good idea to dry-fire a .22 semi-auto pistol because of the damage that it could do to the firing pin. Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong on this because I honestly do not know.

I will not adjust my sights yet but I do need a lot more practice because I went to the shooting range only 3 times since I bought my gun. I might be looking at my sights wrong. I plan to take a couple of beginner gun courses next month and one of those courses will be on the range and I think that will help me correct what I am doing wrong.



You will only be dryfiring with the first pull if the slide has been racked. After that, you are just pulling back on the trigger. You will notice if the gun shifts during your pull.

[Awoke]

You can buy snap caps for the 22 as well.

You're right though, definitely not good to dryfire a .22 without snapcaps.

[big country]

You can buy snap caps for the 22 as well.

You're right though, definitely not good to dryfire a .22 without snapcaps.


That applies to ANY rimfire. Use snapcaps on a rimfire DEFINATELY, or atleast use an EMPTY shell casing so the firing pin isn't striking the edge of the chamber

[Awoke]

I got looking at the pics you posted.

Are you shooting Left handed, right handed or two handed?

Looking at how the shots are all off to the right so consistently, I am going to guess that you are shooting left handed, or your sights are off.

Before adjusting any sights, get some "really good" shooters to try the pistol, I would even suggest that you bench rest it too.

[1970 silver art]

I got looking at the pics you posted.

Are you shooting Left handed, right handed or two handed?

Looking at how the shots are all off to the right so consistently, I am going to guess that you are shooting left handed, or your sights are off.

Before adjusting any sights, get some "really good" shooters to try the pistol, I would even suggest that you bench rest it too.


I shoot two handed.

Those are good ideas Awoke. I have also signed up for a couple of beginner gun classes next month. The 2 gun courses that I am planning to take are on the first two Saturdays of next month and they last 3 hours each. The two classes cost a total of $90.00. This will IMO be money well spent. The first gun course (classroom only) in next Saturday (April 2) and second gun course will be held on the Saturday after next (April 9). I will look forward to the second gun course (on April 9) because that is hand on and it will be at the shooting range. I plan to take my gun when I go to the second gun class. I am allowed to take it to that second gun class. I have not shot any rounds since I last posted on this thread and I do not plan to until after the second gun course. I have not yet signed up for an annual range membership yet but I plan to do so sometime next month.

[chad]

josey, now you need this:

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/auction_info.php/products_id/13132/auctions_id/562/page/1/auction_show/1

[Awoke]

Good for you Josey, and I agree that that is money well spent.

If you're shooting right handed, and the shots are grouping to the right, you might have your trigger finger placed too far out from the trigger.
If you're using just the "very tip" of your finger, you might be pulling it a little.

Anyways, maybe you're hitting perfect bulls-eyes, but your sights are off. We'll see, but either way, keep shooting!!

Share info you learn on the course here.

[gunDriller]

wow - you're about 3 months ahead of me !

for you though, i think it would be good to have a gun with a special grip, so you can bolt a custom-poured art bar the shape of the handle and bolt it to the gun handle.

[1970 silver art]

wow - you're about 3 months ahead of me !

for you though, i think it would be good to have a gun with a special grip, so you can bolt a custom-poured art bar the shape of the handle and bolt it to the gun handle.


:ROFL:

That's funny. Thanks for making me laugh. :D ;D

[1970 silver art]

Good for you Josey, and I agree that that is money well spent.

If you're shooting right handed, and the shots are grouping to the right, you might have your trigger finger placed too far out from the trigger.
If you're using just the "very tip" of your finger, you might be pulling it a little.

Anyways, maybe you're hitting perfect bulls-eyes, but your sights are off. We'll see, but either way, keep shooting!!

Share info you learn on the course here.


Awoke,

I ended up cancelling those 2 gun courses because I went out of town yesterday and I was not able to make it to that course. I also cancelled the second gun course because I wanted to take both of those courses but I wanted to take the first one before I took second advanced gun course. I plan to take those two courses but I will have to reschedule later in the year probably sometime in July when I am not as busy. I still plan to eventually buy an annual membership to the range so I can shoot more on the days that are convenient to me.

[Awoke]

Yeah, life happens. Keep shooting though.

You can learn a lot from the other members of a Club, without going to an officail course, but you need to understand that different techniques work for different people, so not everything that everyone says to you is necessarily correct!

Keep Shootin'!

[1970 silver art]

I took some time off from work yesterday and today and I traveled out-of-town to my parent's house to spend some time with my parents. During that time, I went to the range with my dad to shoot my gun. I had fun today and yesterday at the shooting range and my dad was able to help me adjust my sights (rear sight) on my gun. The sights were right where they should be because my dad tested out my gun and it was accurate. After the sights on the gun were adjusted, then I shot many rounds in to it and I was more successful at hitting my targets this time around. I have shown some improvement from the last time I shot my gun but I need more practice. During the time that I was shooting my gun, there were a couple of things that I still need to work on and the two things are 1.) getting my sight target when I am aiming my gun at a particular target and 2.) my trigger pull.

Overall, it was a good experience for me and I enjoyed shooting my gun. I have been out there for a while yesterday (maybe 3 hours but I am not sure because I lost track of time) and today. My arms felt sore after a while from shooting but I felt great emotionally. As I mentioned, my dad helped me out in trying to shoot more accurately and I did improve some after he gave me some pointers. I am starting to enjoy this I plan to do more shooting this Summer but I do not know how much shooting I plan to do yet. I will have to work that in my schedule during the work week. I feel more confident about shooting my gun but I need to practice more to contimue to improve my accuracy.