Beretta’s New Pink U22 Neos .22 Long Rifle Auto Pistol

It has been just over five years ago that Paco Kelly reviewed the then-new Beretta .22 Neos pistol for Gunblast.com. I had seen a couple of them at the time, but had never warmed up to their space-age looks, and haven’t really paid much attention to the Neos, thinking it to be just a fancy little plinker. I had always been served well by the Ruger and Colt autos to fill my need for a good .22 auto pistol, so until recently, I had handled, but never fired a Neos. That was a mistake.

Speaking with Jason Cloessner at Lipsey’s one day, I asked the question that I always do; “What’s new and interesting on the market?” Jason told me that they had just received a shipment of Beretta Neos pistols that were built exclusively for Lipsey’s, featuring pink grip inserts. Knowing that such feminized pistols appeal to many women, I figured that there would be a lot of interest in such a pistol, and asked if he could loan one to me, which he graciously did. The Pink Neos is like other Beretta U22 Neos pistols, with the exception of the color of the grip inserts. The grip inserts on the Neos are of a synthetic rubber material, and offer a good hold on the pistol, being a bit more tacky than the slick polymer frame. From the beginning, shooting the Neos was a real pleasure. The feel of that futuristic grip fits the hand so well, that it feels as if the folks at Beretta knew exactly what they were doing when designing the rakish grip. The closest thing that I have ever felt to the grip of the Neos was the old Whitney Wolverine. Some of the High Standard auto pistols of a few decades ago also had such a rakish grip, but it was not contoured as well as on this Neos. Another welcome feature of the pistol for me is Beretta had the good sense to include a safety lever for us left-handed shooters as well. I have often wished that someone would produce a .22 auto with an ambidextrous safety, and the inclusion of one on an inexpensive pistol such as the Neos shows the thoughtfulness that went into the design of the pistol. Also included is a cocking indicator that is large and easy to see, along with a slide lock that holds the slide open after the gun is emptied. The slide lock also comes in very handy when disassembling the pistol for cleaning, which is done easily without tools by loosening the large thumb-wheel located above the trigger guard. The sights on the Neos are large and highly visible, with the rear being fully adjustable and recessed into the heavy top rib, which will accommodate any Weaver style scope rings. The trigger pull on the sample pistol was crisp, but a bit heavier than I like, releasing at just under four and one-half pounds. Not bad, and better than most on the market, but I like a lighter pull on a .22 target pistol, but the pull is about right for a field gun. That brings us to the accuracy of the Beretta Neos. It is not designed to be, nor marketed as, a target pistol, but the accuracy displayed by the sample gun would allow it to serve well as an informal target pistol, and to also make for a dandy squirrel and rabbit gun. I was pleasantly surprised by the accuracy of the Neos, especially using cheap bulk .22 Long Rifle ammunition. The worst accuracy displayed was with Wolf match ammo, and even it grouped under one and one-half inches at twenty-five yards. Several brands grouped under one inch, and keep in mind, the Neos sells at the time of this writing for under $250 at many retail gun shops.

For accuracy testing, I attached a Leupold 2.5 to 8 power handgun scope, which proved to be a perfect match for the Neos. I tried the Neos with a variety of .22 Long Rifle ammunition, and it proved reliable and accurate with every type of ammo tested. One of the two magazines included with the pistol would not feed reliably, so we set it aside and used the one that functioned well. Trying to figure out the problem later, I discovered a small burr on the inside of the magazine, right at the top rear, that was catching on the rim of the cartridge as it was being lifted into position to feed into the chamber. Removing that burr with a couple of strokes of a small file resulted in one-hundred percent reliability, and the pistol functioned perfectly thereafter.

The Neos tested here has a six inch barrel, but it is offered in a four and one-half inch version as well. The sample gun weighed in at 35.8 ounces, with an empty magazine in place. Most of the weight is in its heavy profile barrel and the top rib, with the frame made from a lightweight plastic. The ten-shot magazines are, thankfully, made of stainless steel. The magazine release is perfectly placed for a right-handed shooter on the right side, just above the trigger guard. It is easy to push, and the magazine drops out quickly under spring pressure.

The Pink Neos proved to be an excellent performer, and reliability was perfect, with the exception of the burr in that one magazine, which I think was just a fluke. The pistol is sleek, balances well, is very accurate, and points naturally. The Pink Neos should prove to be very popular with women and young girl shooters. It offers Beretta quality at a fair price, with a bit of extra feminine flair, and it is made in the USA.

The Pink Neos is available only through Lipsey’s dealers. For the location of a Lipsey’s dealer near you, click on the DEALER FINDER at www.lipseys.com, or have your dealer call 1-800-666-1333 to become a Lipsey’s dealer.

For a look at the Neos and other Beretta products, go to www.berettausa.com.