As you said(and I an assuming here that by 22A you mean the S&W 22A Pistol) both are from good companies with good service reputations, if it is ever needed. Only real difference I am aware of is the modular nature of the Barretta Neos with its additional parts like the carbine kit as well as others. Both have mostly positive reviews(that I have seen) I have not shot a Neos so I am only going on what I have read about them, I do have a S&W 22A that my wife likes to shoot and it seems to be a decent overall pistol, haven't had any problems with it and as most .22 seems more accurate then the shooters I have let use it(at 50 feet off a bench it will hold the 10 ring of standard 50 foot target) nor is it hard to clean.

I can only say from experience with the 22A that it has served me GREAT! I use it to shoot in my pistol league and it hasn't had a hiccup!
I will be taking it out squirrel hunting this year.
Like has been said; most .22s are more accurate than the shooter!!
I'm sure which ever one you decide on you'll be happy.
Just remeber to keep it clean and it will serve you fine!

Have two S&W 's One is the 22S, the other 22A. 22S is all stainless steel frame under grey paint. Not sure the 22S still available since I have not seen another one lately. Bit heavier than 22A . Both excellent pistols. Nice that they have rail built in for optics. Try one with match ammo and you cant go wrong. Mine both love the Federal Auto Match sold at Walmart for 15 bucks for 325 rounds. Never shot the Neo,heard it does work fine, but I dont care for that much plastic .

I had minor problems with my 22A. It ejects either left or right side randomly. You can get some shells in your face. Small bother, not a terrible thing. My action would catch every once in a while when trying to work the slide. I traded it away. I don't have a .22. Figured it was a waste of time.

I appreciate all of the information, guys!

I was at the local gun shop and had to bring this one home. It's the 7" barrel model of the 22A Smith & Wesson. I had it home about 5 minutes and put this Tasco red dot on it, cleaned it up, a little light oil and wen to the back yard with a clip of ammo. I'll take it to the range this weekend to put it on paper for the small game hunting seasons.



Bowhunter57

I made it out to the range, today and tried some Remington Golden Bullet HP and SubSonic ammo. The pistol liked both, but shot the SubSonics a little better. This target's 8 Ring is the size of a dime and the distance is 20 yards. Now, I'm ready for some small game hunting.



Bowhunter57

I own three NEOS pistols and a Carbine kit,,,
I much prefer them over the 22A a friend of mine has.

I have literally thousand of rounds through each frame,,,
I have had no problems with either of the three guns.

My friend has the 22A,,,
He has to replace the recoil buffer quite often,,,
It's an easy thing to do and they are inexpensive parts to obtain,,,
But my thinking is that a new designed pistol should not have disposable parts.

Also, the Beretta magazines are the best I have ever seen for any .22 pistol,,,
The metal mags have a BIG button allowing for very easy loading,,,
The only drawback to this is your ammo will go quick.

The Beretta's are very modular,,,
Extra barrels can be had for about $65.00.

One friend has a 6" barrel with a red dot mounted for small game,,,
When he just wants to casually plink he swaps to the 4.5" barrel in 60 seconds flat.

People sometimes tease me about my "space cadet" pistols,,,
But then I just outshoot them and they quickly shut up.

The only drawback to the NEOS is it has very slender grips,,,
Many of my ham-fisted friends say they are too small,,,
The S&W 22A has a fat grip they would like better.

Hope this helps,,,

Aarond

.

Nice shooting Bowhunter57

I purchased a S&W 22A that looks just like yours a few months ago. I've taken it to the range a couple of times and have been very pleased with it's accuracy. Plan on adding a red dot in the near future, so I can shoot groups like you do now.