Bosnian company AC-Unity unveiled the Bekto 22 pistol at the Balkan Shield 2026 exhibition in Sarajevo. The subcompact firearm is chambered in .22 LR and uses a 20-round magazine. This year's presentation also brought new information about the further development of AC-Unity's handgun lineup.
The Bekto 22 is the first pistol developed by AC-Unity. It features a polymer frame and, according to The Firearm Blog, uses a striker-fired mechanism. The model takes its name from its designer, Erwin Bekto, who currently serves as AC-Unity's technical director. During Balkan Shield, Bekto explained that the decision to use a polymer frame was based on the company's existing experience in manufacturing plastic components. Starting development with a rimfire cartridge was also a deliberate choice. Erwin Bekto stated that using the .22 LR cartridge would allow the company to refine its first pistol before developing similar designs in other calibers. He also indicated that further AC-Unity pistols chambered in different calibers could be expected in the future. According to Hungarian publication KaliberInfo, the pistol operates on a simple blowback principle and features an aluminum slide. The same source reports that it has a trigger safety, an ambidextrous magazine release, and a slide stop.
One of the most distinctive features of the Bekto 22 is its 20-round magazine, which is covered by a patent. A US patent document describes a magazine designed for a pistol chambered in .22 LR, a cartridge with a pronounced rim. This feature can make it difficult to stack large numbers of cartridges in a double-stack magazine, so the design incorporates specially shaped longitudinal ribs and guides. The cartridges are arranged in two columns that transition into a single feed path at the top of the magazine. The patent covers both the magazine itself and the pistol incorporating this design.
The Bekto 22 was first publicly displayed at Eurosatory 2024 in Paris, where it was presented as a .22 LR pistol intended for applications including training and fed from a 20-round magazine. The next stage in the project's development came on June 25, 2025, when the government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina approved an expansion of AC-Unity's production program to include the Bekto .22 LR pistol and the AC AR-15 rifle chambered in 5.56×45 mm. This decision paved the way for the company to begin production of both designs.
AC-Unity is based in Goražde, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is a licensed manufacturer and seller of firearms and ammunition. Its product range includes magazines and other polymer components for various firearm platforms, including AK, AR-15, AR-10, and AUG systems, as well as Glock and Beretta pistols. AC-Unity is also developing complete firearms, including the 9 mm AC-SMG9, its AR platform, and the Bekto 22.
The full official technical specifications of the Bekto 22 have not yet been released. AC-Unity has also not disclosed which cartridges its planned future pistols will use.
Photos: DEFGUNZ
