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Shooting

Beretta B22 Jaguar Tac Metal Review: Our Full Range Test

The Beretta B22 Jaguar Tac Metal was accurate enough to keep the range session going through the July heat—and well past lunchtime.

Beretta B22 Jaguar Tac Metal Review: Our Full Range Test
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Almost two hours into my second range session with the new Beretta B22 Jaguar Tac Metal, I had already run the pistol with a handful of .22 LR loads. The July heat was building and lunch was calling. But the pistol was so much fun to shoot—which for me means it was so very accurate—and I had one more brand of rimfire ammunition left.

Home and food, or stay and shoot? Shoot.

I loaded five rounds of Winchester Super Suppressed .22 LR into the Jaguar’s magazine. The load features a 45-grain, copper-plated bullet. From a rest at 12 yards, I lined up the green dot of my Viridian RFX45 optic on an orange sticky circle the size of a nickel and squeezed off my first shot.

Center punch.

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I fired four more times and all five shots touched. The group later measured 0.4 inch.

a photo of a visibly shot-up soda can next to the Beretta B22 Jaguar Tac Metal handgun that did it, along with a box of CCi .22 LR ammunition
Testing is one thing, but guns like this are supposed to be fun. What’s more fun than plinking, especially with an accurate firearm like this?

I didn’t know the group’s size at the time or I likely would have quit right there. Instead, I shot at two more orange circles, five rounds each, and produced groups slightly larger than my first. Slightly, as in both under 0.75 inch.

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The B22 Jaguar had done it again, drilling more sub-1-inch groups. And that 0.4-inch group came at the end of two hours of shooting, with the pistol and suppressor hot enough to burn skin.

As I packed up my gear, I thought to myself: Hell of a job with your new rimfire pistol, Beretta.

RIMFIRE PRECISION
Beretta B22 Jaguar Tac Metal

Beretta Jaguar B22 Jaguar Quick Takeaways

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The Beretta B22 Jaguar Tac Metal is a full-size, modular .22 LR pistol that produced repeated sub-1-inch groups at 12 yards. Its accuracy stands out; its size and $749 MSRP are also notable. The Tac Metal was one of several new pistols introduced as part of Beretta’s extensive 2026 lineup

  • Accuracy: A best five-shot group of 0.40 inch with Winchester Super Suppressed at 12 yards.
  • Handling: A clean 1-pound, 6-ounce trigger, minimal recoil and a secure full-size grip.
  • Configuration: Tested with open sights, a Viridian RFX45 and a Dead Air RXD22Ti suppressor.
  • Best for: Target shooting, plinking, instruction and shooters building a suppressed rimfire setup.
  • Main compromise: Premium pricing and a 33.6-ounce full-size frame.
a profile photo of a Beretta B22 Jaguar Tac Metal topped with a Viridian optic and a Dead Air RXD22Ti suppressor
Recoil during our testing was minimal with the Dead Air RXD22Ti suppressor, while muzzle blast was reduced to a safe level.

Beretta B22 Jaguar Tac Metal Test Setup

Across two outdoor range sessions in July, I shot the B22 Jaguar with open sights and a Viridian RFX45, both unsuppressed and with a Dead Air RXD22Ti suppressor. I fired offhand at 8 and 10 yards and from a rest at 12 yards.

The documented ammunition included CCI Clean-22, Federal Premium Punch, Winchester Silvertip and Winchester Super Suppressed.

Why the Beretta B22 Jaguar Tac Metal’s Accuracy Matters

Expert rifleman, author and famed hunter Townsend Whelen once stated, “Only accurate rifles are interesting.”

I agree with Whelen to the point that I include all firearms in the opinion.

Here’s a thing I’ve come to understand about firearms: A pistol with poor in-hand ergonomics, a stagey and inconsistent trigger, uneven rifling or hit-or-miss function is not likely to put bullets where they belong.

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Not bloody likely.

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The B22 Jaguar’s accuracy tells me Beretta not only manufactured the pistol’s many parts to a high standard. Just as importantly, its overall design melded those parts into a well-functioning whole.

As Townsend would say, the B22 Jaguar Tac Metal is a very interesting pistol.

a target with an excellent grouping with the handgun that did the shooting resting on top, along with a box of Winchester Silvertip .22 LR ammunition
In her very first time using the pistol, the writer’s fiancée put all 10 rounds in the white, 8 yards offhand, with seven of them at 1.25 inches.

Beretta B22 Jaguar Tac Metal Design, Controls and Trigger

A full-size handgun, the B22 Jaguar uses a standard blowback action with an internal hammer.

It features a 5.25-inch steel barrel and metal-alloy frame. The receiver and barrel shroud are aluminum. The shroud has M-LOK attachment points and an under-barrel rail for a light or laser, while optics attach to the receiver’s full-length Picatinny rail.

The generous polymer grips provide plenty of texture for a solid hold, while the trigger guard’s undercut creates a higher, more secure grip.

The pistol’s trigger broke at a very clean 1 pound, 6 ounces on average.

The rear sight is adjustable for elevation and windage, while the front post has a red fiber-optic.

a closeup of the standard rear sight on a Beretta B22 Jaguar Tac Metal handgun
The rear sight is adjustable for elevation and windage, while the front post has a red fiber-optic.

The manual ambidextrous safety snaps into and out of SAFE with minimal thumb pressure. Above the trigger guard sits the ambidextrous takedown button. Push the button down, then pull the receiver and barrel assembly forward and up to disassemble the pistol for cleaning.

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The package tested included two 15-round metal magazines with loading tabs on the sides. Beretta also offers 10-round versions. The manufacturer lists a 5.25-inch barrel, 33.6-ounce unloaded weight, adjustable sights, 15- and 10-round configurations and a starting price of $749.

Beretta B22 Jaguar Open-Sight Test at 8 and 10 Yards

I first ran the B22 Jaguar unsuppressed and with open sights, shooting offhand. The sights were on from the start. I practiced on a 12-ounce soda can and made solid hits at 10 yards.

Many people scoff at the idea of a .22 LR handgun as a defensive firearm. Well, scoff away. The reality is that people do buy .22 LR revolvers and pistols for that purpose. I know this from years of talking with gun shop staff around the country and repeatedly hearing that rimfire handguns were among their top defensive sellers.

Ammunition makers such as Winchester understand that market. The company’s 37-grain Silvertip .22 LR uses a plated, segmenting hollow-point bullet and is marketed specifically for short-barreled defensive firearms.

I loaded a B22 magazine with 10 rounds of Winchester Silvertip. I started shooting at 8 yards at the center mass of a silhouette target for a video, walking toward the target as I shot. The grouping wasn’t great, but six shots hit the white center-mass area and the other four landed just to the left.

a human outline defense target with some excellent groups in the head and chest area. The handgun and ammunition that was used for the shooting session rests on top
Using Federal Punch self-defense .22LR, the seven rounds in the very center measured to just 1 inch, shot offhand at 8 yards.

I then handed the B22 to my fiancée with another 10 rounds of Silvertip. Standing at 8 yards, she placed all 10 shots into the white, with seven forming a 1.25-inch cluster. It was her first time using the pistol.

Yes, it has occurred to me that maybe she should be the gun writer.

That exercise showed that the B22 was accurate, controllable and easy for a new user to shoot at close range. 

Beretta B22 Jaguar With a Viridian RFX45 and Dead Air RXD22Ti

I started with the RFX45 enclosed green-dot reflex sight from Viridian.

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The RFX45 has a viewing window measuring approximately 0.94 inch wide by 0.61 inch high and a sharply etched 5-MOA green dot. Its housing is machined from 6061 aluminum, its controls are mounted on the side and Viridian rates its CR2032 battery life at up to 50,000 hours. It has 10 brightness settings, including two night-vision settings.

My RFX45 had a low Picatinny mount that secured easily to the B22’s top rail.

Next, I mounted a Dead Air RXD22Ti rimfire suppressor.

The RXD22Ti is rated for .22 LR, .22 Mag., .17 HMR, .17 WSM and 5.7x28mm. Inside its 1.1-inch titanium tube is Dead Air’s 3D-printed, PVD-coated, single-piece Triskelion™ core. The suppressor measures 5.6 inches and weighs 5.6 ounces.

A green shooting target with a .4-inch group, along with the suppressed handgun and the ammunition that was used during the shooting session
At 12 yards from a rest, Winchester Super Suppressed and the Jaguar made this .4-inch group.

That size and weight paired well with the full-size Jaguar and did not make the pistol feel awkwardly front-heavy.

At 33.6 ounces unloaded, the B22 Jaguar wasn’t really much for recoil unsuppressed. But with the Dead Air addition? A small push back into my shooting hand. The pistol was so quiet I wouldn’t have had to use ear protection at all, though no doubt one should always consider earplugs or muffs for extended shooting sessions.

To my ear, the report from Winchester Super Suppressed sounded about as loud as a person speaking beside me.   

Beretta B22 Jaguar Accuracy Results by Ammunition

Back to my outdoor range I went a couple days after my initial shooting. 

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I zeroed the RFX45 and B22 at 12 yards from a rest using CCI Clean-22 and its 40-grain, red polymer-coated bullets. I got on target quickly and produced what looked like an inch-or-so five-shot group. I then fired 10 rounds and grouped them into 0.85 inch.

I also shot Federal Premium Punch .22LR, a self-defense offering loaded with a 29-grain flat-nosed bullet. Here I shot offhand at eight yards and got a nice three-round triangle.

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Then, I fired off ten rounds of the Punch at a Caldwell 12”x18” Dual Zone silhouette target. Of the 10, seven shots hit near center and measured out right at an inch.

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I finished the session with the 0.40-inch five-shot Winchester Super Suppressed group described at the beginning of this review.

AmmunitionDistance and positionRecorded result
Winchester Super Suppressed, 45-grain12 yards, from a rest0.40-inch five-shot group; two further five-shot groups under 0.75 inch
CCI Clean-22, 40-grain12 yards, from a rest0.85-inch 10-shot group
Federal Premium Punch, 29-grain8 yards, offhandSeven of 10 shots near center in approximately 1 inch
Winchester Silvertip, 37-grain8 yards, offhandSix of 10 in the center white; second shooter placed all 10 in the white
An Expert's View
Brian McCombie
Firearms Editor

"The B22 Jaguar’s accuracy tells me Beretta didn’t just manufacture the individual parts well. The overall design brought them together into a properly functioning whole."

Best-Performing Ammunition: Winchester Super Suppressed .22 LR

Of the loads documented in this review, Winchester Super Suppressed produced the smallest group: five shots measuring 0.40 inch at 12 yards.

The load uses a 45-grain, black copper-plated round-nose bullet and is sold in 100-round boxes. Winchester describes it as a subsonic load optimized for suppressed firearms, with plating intended to reduce fouling and improve semiautomatic function.

It sold for approximately $16 per 100 rounds online when the review was prepared.

Check Price At Bass Pro Shops

Beretta B22 Jaguar Customization and Left-Hand Configuration

The B22 Jaguar Tac Metal sells with medium-sized grips installed. As an optional accessory, one can also purchase small or large grips at the Beretta website under “Gun Accessories.” Gun Accessories Online for Firearm Enthusiasts.

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Aftermarket grips will also be available soon. 

Customization of the B22 Jaguar also includes the ability for the shooter to reverse the magazine release and to switch out the ejection of spent brass from the standard right side of the receiver to the left. That switch does require a new part, at an extra cost, also available from Beretta.

Beretta B22 Jaguar Tac Metal broken down

The Jaguar’s Owner’s Manual contains instructions for the mag release and ejection port customization.

Of course, the top Picatinny rail and the under-barrel rail translate to the easy addition of all sorts of lights, lasers and optics.

Should You Buy the Beretta B22 Jaguar Tac Metal?

Right out of the box or all tricked out, the B22 Jaguar Tac Metal is a fine option for plinking and the target shooting. With its minimal .22LR recoil and full-sized grips, it’s also the perfect pistol to introduce newbies to handgun shooting.

And if your caliber choice for a nightstand or truck gun pistol is .22LR? The B22 Jaguar and the right ammunition will handle those jobs, too.

Beretta B22 Jaguar Tac Metal with callouts

Beretta B22 Jaguar Review: Final Verdict and Score

RIMFIRE PRECISION
Beretta B22 Jaguar Tac Metal
B22 Jaguar Tac Metal (1 of 3)
B22 Jaguar Tac Metal (2 of 3)
B22 Jaguar Tac Metal (3 of 3)
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8.5
Out of 10
Very Good
Accuracy
9.5
A 0.40-inch five-shot group at 12 yards, with two further groups under 0.75 inch.
Reliability
8.0
The blowback action worked smoothly across four separate loads.
Handling
9.0
A very clean 1lb 6oz trigger and a full-size grip that make muzzle rise close to a nonfactor.
Aesthetics
8.0
Black Cerakote frame with an anodised aluminium receiver and shroud.
Build Quality
8.5
Steel barrel in an alloy frame, holding accuracy after two hours of shooting in July heat.
Value
8.5
At $749 it sits at the lower end of blowback rimfire pistols given the feature set.
Pros
  • 0.40-inch five-shot group at 12 yards
  • Very clean 1lb 6oz trigger
  • Stayed accurate after two hours of shooting
  • Full-length rail plus under-barrel accessory rail
  • Reversible mag release and switchable ejection
  • Two 15-round metal magazines included
Cons
  • 33.6 ounces is on the heavy side for a rimfire
  • $749 is premium for a .22 pistol
  • Small and large grips cost extra
  • Switching ejection side needs a bought part
Product Origin
Manufacturer Sample
Test Type
Two outdoor range sessions — offhand at 8 and 10 yards, from a rest at 12 yards; shot with open sights and with an optic, both unsuppressed and suppressed
Test Location
Author's outdoor range
Test Date
July 2026
Ammunition Tested
CCI Clean-22 40gr; Federal Premium Punch 29gr; Winchester Silvertip 37gr; Winchester Super Suppressed 45gr
Conditions
Building July heat; pistol and suppressor hot to the touch by the end of the second session
Malfunctions
None reported; magazine release initially tight, loosened with use
Magazines
Two 15-round metal with side loading tabs
Accessories
Viridian RFX45 enclosed green-dot reflex sight; Dead Air RXD22Ti rimfire suppressor
Second Shooter
The tester's fiancée placed all 10 rounds in the white at 8 yards offhand on her first use, seven within 1.25 inches
Tested By
Brian McCombie
Range Data — Winchester Super Suppressed
Distance and position: 12 yards, from a rest; Recorded result: 0.40-inch five-shot group; two further
Range Data — 45gr
Recorded result: groups under 0.75 inch
Range Data — CCI Clean-22 40gr
Distance and position: 12 yards, from a rest; Recorded result: 0.85-inch 10-shot group
Range Data — Federal Premium Punch 29gr
Distance and position: 8 yards, offhand; Recorded result: Seven of 10 near centre in approximately 1 inch
Range Data — Winchester Silvertip 37gr
Distance and position: 8 yards, offhand; Recorded result: Six of 10 in the centre white; second shooter placed all 10 in the white
Action
Single, internal hammer
Operation
Semi-automatic, blowback
Caliber
.22 LR
Capacity
15 rounds as tested; 10-round also offered
Barrel
5.25 inches, steel, 1:14 RH twist, threaded 1/2x28
Receiver and Barrel Shroud
Aluminium, black anodised; M-LOK points and under-barrel rail; full-length Picatinny top rail
Frame
Metal alloy, black Cerakote
Sights
Adjustable rear, red fiber-optic front
Trigger
Broke at 1 pound 6 ounces on average
Safety
Manual frame-mounted, ambidextrous
Grips
Polymer, medium fitted; small and large sold separately
Overall Height
6.0 inches with magazine
Overall Length
8.85 inches
Overall Width
1.35 inches
Weight
33.6 ounces unloaded
Customisation
Reversible magazine release; ejection side switchable with an extra-cost part
Included
Two 15-round magazines, gun lock, owner's manual
MSRP
$749

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