Welcome everyone to the 133rd edition of ‘Hot Gat or Fudd Crap?’, one of our many series here on TFB. If you’re new to the series, this is where we look at the most obscure firearms that are actually for sale and ask the question – is this Gat a sweet deal or only has a Fudd appeal?  Each week the TFB staff weighs in with their thoughts, but readers get the final say in the poll at the bottom of each article.

In our last edition, our poll showed that you, the readers, decided that the Harley Quinn-themed Rhino was just fudd crap.  

HGFC – Comically Inspired or Just Comical? — Poll Results

At this time the original auction remains up without any bids.  We can only hope this gat finds its way to a fanboy’s home in the near future.     

In this week’s edition of HGFC, we look at a Beretta 71 Jaguar .22LR pistol and silencer combo. As is tradition, this classic gat is currently up for sale on GunBroker for $1,475 Current Bid with No Reserve.  

HOT GAT or FUDD CRAP?

Covert Classic or RestoMod Ruined?

HOT GAT or FUDD CRAP? Covert Classic or RestoMod Ruined?

Let’s see what the Staff had to say about this week’s offering:

“Nothing says ‘Sparta’ like a suppressed .22 pistol.” – Doug E.

“Change the grips and you have one Hot gat quiet enough for polite society” – Rusty S.

“Dammit, user ‘utda94’! We were on the verge of greatness; we were this close! ” – Will P.

“Those grips are screamingly loud for such a quiet tool… still HG territory, though” – Giorgio O.

Selling this classic suppressed gat is GunBroker seller utda94, located in Tomball TX.  Let’s see what they had to say about this classic Beretta.  

HOT GAT or FUDD CRAP? Covert Classic or RestoMod Ruined?

Note: Item description has been truncated in order to accommodate article length.  The full item description can be found here.

THEY ARE FINALLY HERE!!! A project that has been almost 3 years in the making has finally come to fruition. The MTC Jaguars have arrived! Mike Trent Customs (MTC) is proud to announce the latest addition to its line of custom Berettas. MTC has offered Beretta Centurions and Cougars in the past, and now is offering a limited edition run of 32 Beretta 71 Jaguars as well. You are bidding on a .22LR Beretta 71 Jaguar limited edition suppressor package in lustrous, brushed nickel. MTC Jaguars have been painstakingly refurbished and refinished in your choice of hard chrome, brushed nickel, and blue. They come with a matching, Rebel SOS-22 suppressor that was specifically serialized and engraved to match the limited edition number on the pistol. How cool is that??

The Beretta Model 71 Jaguar is a legendary firearm. Famed for its efficiency, reliability, and accuracy, the Model 71 is a lighter version of the Model 70S with an aluminum alloy frame instead of steel. Light, small, and easily concealed, these little pistols have been used by intelligence operatives from many countries, including the Mossad. They have earned their rightful place in history, having been used to foil hi-jackings, eliminate terrorists, and stop assassins. Beretta 71s were used by the Israeli Mossad in numerous operations including the raid on Entebbe and Operation Wrath of God”, the Israeli campaign to exact retribution for the massacre at the 1972 Munich Olympics. “A .22?” you ask incredulously? Yes, these spies, assassins, and sky-marshals of yesteryear actually used a .22 because they knew the value of shot placement and also the value of surprise: The Model 71 is incredibly quiet but still totally reliable when suppressed. –And to think they did it all without an RDO, a weaponlight, or 20-rd magazine! Hard to believe, I know… While there is no way of knowing what kind of action this particular pistol has seen, if it could talk I’m sure it would have plenty of tales to tell.

The Beretta Jaguar is unquestionably one of the most reliable .22 pistols to shoot suppressed. Subsonic, supersonic, dirty, clean…it functions flawlessly under almost any conditions and with almost any ammo. It is astoundingly quiet and incredibly fun to shoot.

So why not shoot them suppressed? Jaguars are not hard to find. The Beretta 71 has been imported into the United States for years. The trouble is, most of them have a heavy steel faux suppressor permanently attached to the end. They also arrive in widely varying conditions, sometimes with broken grips or important parts missing. Some are scratched and dinged up. Others have rust, significant blemishes, or just worn-down finishes. Factory magazines are almost unobtainable. Removing the faux suppressor can easily damage the threads underneath, and even if you avoid damaging them, you remove it only to find that they are 1/2×20 and most modern suppressors will not fit. The only alternatives are to buy a big, ugly adapter which adds about an inch of eyesore between the muzzle and suppressor, or to have the barrel rethreaded 1/2×28, an expensive procedure that only a few gunsmiths even know how to do and which alters the slide and removes the front sight.

HOT GAT or FUDD CRAP? Covert Classic or RestoMod Ruined?

MTC Jaguars have solved all of these problems for you. The product of an almost-3 year-long effort, MTC Jaguars have been lovingly refurbished to pristine condition and fitted with custom walnut grips inlaid with the MTC logo in silver. The faux suppressor has been professionally removed and the threads cleaned up. They come with a factory, 8-rd magazine that has been refinished to match the pistol. The pistol has been restored and refinished by the experts at Ford’s Custom Gun Refinishing and engraved with the MTC logo and its unique special edition number in gold. MTC Jaguars come in traditional deep blue, lustrous brushed nickel, and dazzling hard chrome. Only 32 have been made, so they are a very limited run of pistols and are sure to be in high demand. These pistols are listed as “used” but they have not been fired since refurbishing and the SOS-22 suppressor is unfired. 

HOT GAT or FUDD CRAP? Covert Classic or RestoMod Ruined?

Accompanying each MTC Jaguar is a matching, custom-built SOS-22 suppressor from Rebel Silencers. Rebel Silencers is a veteran owned and operated American company that makes all of their cans with integrity and pride. Their motto: “By Vets…For Patriots.” The SOS-22 is a high-quality, modular silencer that comes with a blast chamber (the engraved segment) and 4 baffles and is rated for .22 HMR, but can suppress .22LR to hearing safe levels with only one baffle. Each baffle easily comes on and off for cleaning and to achieve the desired decibel reduction. The manufacturer recommends using 2 baffles on pistol platforms and all 4 baffles on rifle platforms for optimal suppression performance. The SOS-22 is rated for use with more powerful .22 calibers such as .22 magnum, etc., all the way up to .22 HMR. It is NOT rated for rifle calibers such as .223 or 5.56. It is pictured here on the Jaguar with 2 baffles, and the serial number of each SOS-22 matches the special edition number of each Jaguar. These suppressors are fully backed by a Lifetime Warranty, and Rebel also offers 1/2×28 muzzle mounts in case you want to use your can on a different weapon.

HOT GAT or FUDD CRAP? Covert Classic or RestoMod Ruined?

Historically significant with its ties to the Israeli Mossad, you have to wonder why we’re leaning so hard towards the spartan theme.  Grips, yes those can be replaced, but why the laser etching by the serial number?  I can move past the grips and challenge coin, but I’d rather just tell someone who restored it than have the extra engraving.

HOT GAT or FUDD CRAP? Covert Classic or RestoMod Ruined?

Engraving aside, the rest of this restoration turned out great.  It’s a bit flashy compared to the original black factory finish, and this is where that grey area in the collectors market lies.  No, it’s not the original finish,  but one can (and I’m sure will) argue that this “new” finish makes it even more desirable.

So, is this Beretta Model 71 Jaguar worth it for the money?  Or is this price just too high for this RestoMod classic?  As always, I leave it up to you, the readers, to decide.

HOT GAT or FUDD CRAP? Covert Classic or RestoMod Ruined?

What do you think?  Is this Beretta 71 a Hot Gat or overdone and overpriced Fudd Crap?  Be sure to let us know in the comments below, and cast your vote to let us know if this Beretta 71 Jaguar is a Hot Gat or Fudd Crap: