The takedown procedure for the Neos is ingenious yet simple. Shown here are the main components.

All major pistol manufacturers anchor the light end of their product line with a handy .22 autoloader, a so-called "plinker." With Smith & Wesson it's the Sport Series 22A and 22S, and for Ruger it's one of many variations of the Standard Auto. Browning offers as many models of the BuckMark, and Sigarms recently introduced its Hammerli-based Trailsides. But Beretta, maker of the M9 GI service pistol, went without a plinker for a number of years.

The recently introduced Neos, however, effectively plugs that hole. The pistol gets its name from the Greek word meaning "new." And the Neos is one neat gun, thanks to its ultramodern styling.

BASIC SPECS AND OPERATION
The Neos is a full-size auto weighing 35.8 ounces in its 6-inch-barrel version. The same 6-inch-barrel gun runs to 10.3 inches of overall length, with an 8.9-inch sight radius. It's 5.2 inches in height. Clearly, this is not a small pistol but rather one that is properly sized for an adult hand. Much of the weight is fairly high, in the barrel and rib. Although my test gun was a 6 inch, the accompanying literature claims there will be a 4.5-inch-barreled version. Neos barrels quickly interchange on the same lower receiver.

Like many of its contemporaries, the Neos takes advantage of the relatively low pressure of the .22 Long Rifle to operate on the basis of a simple blowback system. This means that the pistol's steel slide and recoil spring work together to keep the breech closed. Immediately after firing--when the bullet exits the muzzle--pressure drops to a much lower level. At this point residual inertia drives the slide back for extraction and ejection. This movement compresses the recoil spring, which then expands to drive the slide forward into battery, thereby loading a fresh cartridge into the chamber and leaving the striker cocked. Another press of the trigger repeats the cycle.

This angle shows the racy, futuristic contours of the sighting rib and modular triggerguard.

The magazine holds 10 rounds of .22 Long Rifle ammo. A nicely written and illustrated manual specifically excludes the use of .22 Longs and .22 Shorts; they won't work through the magazine and don't have enough oomph to cycle the action anyway.

To take down the pistol, first unload it, then remove the magazine and lock the slide to the rear. Just above and forward of the triggerguard is a push-in, spring-loaded plunger and a knurled wheel. Pressing the plunger clears a block that permits you to turn the wheel on a plane that parallels the axis of the barrel. In doing so, you are literally unscrewing a nut with a female thread that tightens against a bolt that extends downward from the underside of the barrel. When it's completely unscrewed, lift the barrel free of the slide and receiver. Then release the slide lock, and remove the slide forward from the receiver. This will leave the recoil spring in place. It fits around the striker assembly, which is in the top rear end of the receiver--an unusual location for such a part. At this point, the striker will be cocked. Hold the striker by the forward end, and press the trigger. You can now ease the striker forward and out of its position in the striker housing (it will be under tension from a coil spring surrounding it). I've seldom seen such an ingenious system that permits such detailed stripping so easily.

At this point you can look down into the receiver and see how the trigger is linked to a drawbar running along the inner right side of the receiver. Farther forward on the receiver you can see how the takedown wheel is positioned and how it works.

Reassembly is pretty much what I have already described but in reverse order. Much of the receiver is made of molded polymer, but it is metal-to-metal where major assemblies interface.

STYLING CUES
The most noticeable characteristic of the Neos is its ultramodern styling. This comes from the styling and design firm of Guigiaro, working in collaboration with American-based engineers.

Look first at the shape of the receiver. The butt section is sharply raked to the rear. It's part of an overmolded lower with sort of an oval theme in the design. There are panels on both sides of the grip that use small ovals to furnish a positive grasping surface. The triggerguard is an oval of the same general shape. In front of the triggerguard is a sweeping curve that runs all the way up to the underside of the barrel.

Here is a left-hand view of the locked-open action. The takedown wheel is just forward of and above the trigger.

Like many .22 autos, the Neos barrel is round with flat side panels. But this one has a full-length sighting rib with both front and rear sights. The rib is ventilated but features a single relief cut that runs fore and aft in yet another sweeping curve. It is very unusual and contributes to a handgun with a completely different look. This modernistic touch resembles the design of an exotic roadster or a racing motorcycle. It'll appeal to some more than others, but we are seeing more of this stuff from Italian gunmakers all the time. Beretta just introduced a pistol-caliber carbine that shows the same influence.

Despite its design ingenuity, however, the Neos needs to be examined in light of its usefulness as a shooting tool.

(R) The integral rail accepts Weaver-type mounts for either a scope or projected-dot sight. (M) The rear sight--at the rear of the rib--is fully adjustable. (L) The front sight (above) is tapered--a nice touch in the author's opinion.

THE CONTROLS
The magazine catch is unusual, located on the right side of the receiver forward of the grip and just above the trigger. A push-in lever, the mag catch can only be manipulated by an extended right trigger finger. When depressed, it drops the magazine clear of the gun. Two magazines come with each Neos, and they deserve favorable mention in their own right. Unlike almost every other .22-pistol magazine I can think of, the Neos magazine has a button that is big enough to use without it digging into your thumb. And it works to perfection.

On the Neos the safety is an up-to-fire unit that is ambidextrous. It is located just above the grip tang and projects down when it is placed in the "on" position. You can easily feel it. This is done to tell the shooter who has the gun in a firing grasp that his safety is on. On my sample pistol the safety was a little stiff and awkward to operate, but since this is not a defensive handgun, I can't see it as a fault.

Over on the left upper edge of the receiver, there's a typical slide lock. Like all of the other controls, it has some of those voluptuous curves the Italians like so much. Even the grasping grooves on the slide are functional, but they're decidedly racy, with a long upper flute on either side.

THE CONFIGURATION
Like earlier classic .22s (Colt Woodsman, High Standard, etc.), the Neos has a very steeply raked angle to the butt. Many shooters contend that this contributes to instinctive pointing. Actually, I believe that the extreme grip angle has more to do with a magazine that feeds those problematic .22 Long Rifles efficiently. But the pronounced grip angle is as that of the long-departed Luger. For those who like it, the new Beretta may be just the ticket.

Take a look at the racy top sighting rib. Secured to the barrel, it is matte black in color and affords a reflection-free sighting plane. The rib includes a fully adjustable rear sight with positive click adjustments. Out front there is a superb front sight. It is really just a block of blued steel, but this one was cleverly designed. It's tapered from the rear edge forward. This means the shooter who wants a crisp sight picture focuses on the front sight where he is looking at three edges (top and both sides) and not three surfaces. It is a small contour change, but it pays big dividends. Also, the top rib on the Neos is set up as a full-length Weaver base that allows for the mounting of various projected dot or scope sights.

SHOOTING IMPRESSIONS
The trigger on my test sample was on the heavy side at about four pounds. After taking up the initial slack, I found it to be OK except for a small amount of creep. Functioning, incidentally, was perfect.

The gun is so new on the market that there are not yet Ransom Rest inserts for it. That means hand-held shooting at the local range. I wanted to be able to evaluate the gun with some degree of precision, so I went to an optical sight to help out my aging eyesight. I therefore used a small Weaver pistol scope for my evaluation shoot, mounting it with superb Warne quick-detachable rings. It's easy on and easy off with no change of zero.

In the past few years, I have shot a number of different .22 autos for accuracy. Rimfire ammo comes in a wide assortment of makes and qualities, and it's unfair to the gun to do a shoot with poor ammo, so I have chased down shooting quantities of the premium stuff. While the average shooter may never go to the trouble (and expense) of wringing out his new .22 with Eley Tenex or RWS R50, this is the best way to determine real accuracy potential.

Early on it was obvious that this was a decent gun. The creep in the trigger system was annoying and made me wonder what a good pistolsmith might be able to do. But even with the annoyance--you don't get a match trigger in a plinker--the accuracy was there. Shooting six premium .22 Long Rifle loads produced an overall group average of 1.40 inches. That is smaller than the X-ring of the Standard American Pistol target (1.695 inches).

And the best single group, fired with Eley Tenex, measured .97 of an inch. I think that is far better than we have any right to expect.

All things considered, the Neos is an excellent handgun. The wild, modernistic styling has an undeniable appeal for 21st century shooters. To me, however, the pistol's best feature is its accuracy. Anything that will hold the X-ring is very attractive to this old bullseye shooter. Probably the best thing about Beretta's newest pistol is the price tag. Depending on barrel length and finish, the Neos runs between $250 and $300.

You're getting a lot of pistol for the money.

ACCURACY RESULTS
LOAD USED	AVERAGE VELOCITY (fps)	STANDARD DEVIATION (fps)	GROUP SIZE (inches)
CCI Pistol Match	889	20	1.66
Eley Tenex	954	4	.97
Federal Gold Medal	977	18	1.77
PMC Pistol Match	859	19	1.41
Remington Match Extra	951	12	1.22
RWS Pistol Match	900	18	1.34
*Accuracy results based on a five-shot group fired at 25 yards from sandbags. Velocities measured with an Oehler Model 35P chronograph with sky screens mounted approximately 12 feet from the muzzle.