Beretta killed its tip-up pistols in late 2023 but threw them in the Lazarus pit in 2024. That year, we saw the release of the 30X, which replaced the 3032. And in 2025, we finally got the 21A replacement, the Beretta 20X Bobcat.
I’m not part of the typical demographic of a tip-up gun. On paper, these guns are designed to appeal to folks with poor hand strength. Tip-up guns make it easy for those folks to chamber a round without ever having to rack the slide.
I still love these guns. I have a goal to collect all of the Beretta variants, and I have numerous models in calibers ranging from .22 Short to .32 ACP. I even added a cheap Girsan 380 tip-up just because tip-ups have charm.
The modern Berettas are the smallest DA/SA guns on the market, and as a fan of both small guns and DA/SA triggers, they strike the right chord with me. The 21A used to come in .25 ACP and .22LR, but the 20X is a .22LR exclusive.
The 20x has gotten a major facelift from the 21A. In fact, it appears that Beretta is now using identical frames for the 20X and the 30X. The trigger guard is no longer part of the barrel spring, and the frame and barrel are significantly thicker. It gained two ounces over the 21A, but it’s still 2 ounces lighter than the 30X.
What’s Changed With the 20X?
The 20X comes in a few different flavors, and this is the You’re On Your Own model. We have two suppressor-ready variants with different finishes and grip options. The 20X is a bit different from the old 21A.
Here are the basic changes between the two:
- Larger, removable sights.
- G10 grips that look great and feel solid.
- Revamped magazine release that positions the button behind the trigger.
- The tip-up barrel is now released by a button rather than a lever.
- Larger and easier to engage safety.
- Flat trigger with a lighter pull.
- Eight-round magazines.
The 20X magazines are also now made of polymer. It’s an odd change, but polymer magazines have been in service for some time now without problems. I have no problems with these mags as a whole. They always worked just fine.
I appreciate the fact that Beretta included two magazines with the gun, and new mags only cost $25 directly from the company. As retailers begin stocking them, the price will get even cheaper.
In the Hand
Overall, the gun feels nice in the hand. The thick frame makes it comfortable to grasp, and the G10 grips look and feel fantastic.
The bigger safety and more modern magazine releases are nice, although I don’t think most of us picture John Wicking magazines in and out of a gun like this. I love the sights, too. They are huge and easy to see.
Magazine insertion is a bit of a drag. With the magazine fully loaded, you have to slap it hard to lock it into place. The magazine extension and pinky rest allow for a full grip on the gun, which is always nice, even on a 22LR.
It’s a chunky gun, and you feel all 14 ounces of it. The 20X is twice the weight of my KelTec P32. It’s also thick—thicker than an inch—which made me realize Beretta didn’t make a pocket pistol, here.
Not a Pocket Pistol
The 21A was a pocket pistol; I’d call it an OG of the genre. However, it’s clear Beretta didn’t intend for this to be a pocket pistol. They made a tip-up for people who really like tip-ups—and like shooting them.
Their aim wasn’t to make the smallest, lightest pocket gun. It was to make a fun gun.
That’s clear from the fact that it’s as thick as a P365 and weighs about five ounces more than a Bodyguard 2.0. It’s got huge grips that add width and a magazine that adds height. Beretta clearly didn’t care about making this pocket-friendly.
I’m convinced they made the 20X for tip-up enthusiasts who want a comfy shooting gun more than a pocket pistol. I’m the intended audience for this gun. I don’t carry my tip-ups; I just love shooting them.
If you want a pocket pistol, the 20x isn’t for you.
Shooting the 20X
Let’s talk about break-in periods. I figured that in the modern era, a quality pistol wouldn’t need a break-in period, but the 20X does. Right out of the gate, I had a ton of malfunctions with all types of ammo.
If I didn’t love tip-ups so much, I would have given up after a few magazines. It took about 150 rounds to get the gun running right.
I tried a variety of ammo types and found some interesting trends. It hates CCI Velocators. Something about the projectile design makes it a pain to feed correctly.
The 20X works mostly fine with CCI Mini Mags, but I kept having a light strike issue with Mini Mags. The double-action pulls would always fire, but every so often, the single actions would fail to ignite.
Since this is a DA/SA gun, I could pull the trigger again, and it would fire with a double-action press. Oddly, the gun worked best with Federal Automatic, Blazer Basic .22LR, and Aguila Super Extra. I’ll give an honorable mention to Federal Punch, but I only fired 50 rounds of it, and they were problem-free rounds.
After the initial break-in, the gun ran like a road runner. It just took a few range trips’ worth of failures to eject and failures to cycle to get it that way.
The Human Element
I also have to mention a human element that caused malfunctions, and that’s my big-ass hands. I instinctively reach as high as possible on the gun when I grab it. I do this with every gun, but it’s a problem with the 20X.
Namely, the slide hits my hand and further deepens the scar tissue I’ve built up from slide bites over the years. A .22LR blowback-operated gun can be sensitive, and the slide slows down a lot as it carves a chunk out of my hand.
This can cause malfunctions. It’s easy to avoid at the range, but as I practiced drawing, I couldn’t help but grab the 20X high. This wasn’t a problem for other shooters who handled the gun, but it seems to be caused by my 2XL hands.
I will say that after the break-in period, carving up my hands seemed to no longer affect the gun’s function.
While it’s reliable now, I had to shoot it a bit to get it that way. I will say it’s more reliable than my other two .22LR 21A Bobcats, which never worked right. After the break-in period, it’s as reliable as my center-fire options.
Tip Up Problems
Tip-ups rely on the blowback operation to eject and extract a spent cartridge. If a cartridge gets stuck, it’s not a tap-rack-bang event. It’s a “go find a cleaning rod” problem.
This is an inherent downside to tall tip-ups. I never had this issue with the 20X, but it’s wise to be aware.
Shooting Straight
Those big, easy-to-see, and easy-to-use sights make the 20X accurate enough to create acceptable groups at 25 yards. I landed eight rounds into an 8-inch circle at 25 yards, and it wasn’t much of a challenge.
At 50 yards, I put seven out of nine rounds on an IPSC-sized steel target with the 20X. Fifty yards with a gun this small will bring the biggest grin to your face.
The trigger is remarkably nice for such a small gun. It surprised the hell out of me. The DA pull is smoother than expected, and the single action is nice and crisp.
The single action has this odd two-stage thing going on. It’s not bad, but you’ll feel and hear a tactile click as you press the single-action trigger. I couldn’t tell you why, but it’s something to be aware of.
Recoil Schmeecoil
A 14-ounce gun firing a .22LR results in almost no recoil. There is no muzzle rise, and if you want to understand what tracking sights really means, the 20X is the gun for it. You can shoot very fast and put a ton of rounds on target.
It’s like unleashing the world’s angriest hornet nest! Shooting the 20X is downright pleasant, second only to the Minx in .22 Short.
The 20X and You
Don’t buy this gun if you want a pocket pistol.
Buy it if you want a fun-to-shoot 22LR. It excels in that role. It’s accurate and has no recoil to speak of. It’s reliable…after a break-in period.
Buy it as a kit gun or something similar. It’s not the best pocket gun and surely not the best .22LR pocket gun. If you do buy it, email Beretta asking when the optics plate will be available to replace the rear sight. They’ve shown it at two SHOT Shows, and it’s still not for sale anywhere.
I love the 20X — but remember, I have a bias toward tip-ups. In my experience, it’s a much more reliable option than the 21A, even with the break-in period. It’s the cheapest shooting tip-up I own, which counts for something because I love shooting it.
