Beretta M1934
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Beretta M1934 | |
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 Beretta M1934. |
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| Type | Semi-automatic pistol |
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1937 |
| Used by | Italy |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Beretta |
| Produced | 1934 – 1991 |
| Number built | 1,080,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 750 g (26.4 oz) |
| Length | 150 mm (5.91 in) |
| Barrel length | 88 mm (3.46 in) |
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| Cartridge | .380 ACP (9 mm Short) |
| Feed system | 7-round detachable box magazine |
The Beretta model 1934 is a compact, semi-automatic (or self-loading) pistol which was issued as a standard service firearm to the Italian armed forces beginning in 1934. Its caliber is 9 mm Corto (also known as 9 x 17 mm, and .380 ACP).
Contents |
[edit] History
Armi Beretta SpA of Gardone Val Trompia (about 20 km north of Brescia, Italy) has a history in firearms manufacturing reaching back to 1526, when they were established as a maker of barrels. But it was not until 1915 that, responding to the needs of the military during World War I, they produced their first pistol, the model 1915. Beretta has become one of the world's largest pistol makers and the model 1934 (M1934) was their most numerous product in the pre-World War II era.
In the early 1930s, the Italian army was impressed by the Walther PP pistol. Beretta did not want to lose a big military contract to their German competitor and designed the M1934 for the Italian army which accepted it in 1937. This model was followed by the M1935, which was similar to the M1934 in most respects, except that it fired a .32 ACP (7.65 mm Browning) cartridge.
Pistols made during the Fascist Era are marked with their year of manufacture in two forms: the conventional Julian date in Arabic numerals and the date in the Fascist Era in Roman numerals. The Fascist calendar commenced on 28 October 1922, so a pistol from 1937 may carry either "XV" or "XVI" as its Fascist year.
Nathuram Godse used an M1934 to assassinate Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi, in New Delhi on 30th January 1948.
[edit] Specifications
The M1934 is 5.91 inches (150 mm) long overall and weighs 26.4 oz (750 g) unloaded. The barrel is 3.46 inches (88 mm) long. The gun is made of carbon steel except for its plastic grip panels. It is .380 ACP (9x17 mm. Browning Short, Corto in Italian) in chambering, a cartridge of modest power, allowing a simple blowback design as opposed to the locked-breech necessary with higher-powered cartridges like the 9 mm. Parabellum.
It is fitted with a manual safety and, when in the "Safe" position, the safety holds the slide in a rearward, open position. When the last shot has been fired, the slide is retained open by the empty magazine. The seven-round, detachable, box magazine is equipped with a spur-like extension that helps to ensure a firm grip even for a shooter with large hands, and assists with its extraction; the magazine is retained by a "heel catch" at the bottom of the grip.
As this pistol was intended for the Italian army, it was made with parts interchangeability in view, simplifying both manufacturing and maintenance, a first at the time.
[edit] Intended market
It was designed and purpose-built for the Italian armed forces, but was also sold on the civilian market. Pistols taken by the armed forces usually exhibit acceptance marks stamped into the frame on the left just above the grip: "RE" (Regio Esercito) for the army, "RM" (Regia Marina) for the navy, or "RA" (Regia Aeronautica) for the air force. Police pistols may be marked "PS" (Pubblica Sicurezza).
[edit] Design advantages
Fitted with the characteristic Beretta open slide, the M1934 has a very reliable feeding and extraction cycle; the elongated slot in the top of the slide acts as the ejection port. It is made with relatively few parts and very simple to maintain. The M1934 is very robust in construction with a service life believed to be over 100 years if properly maintained.
[edit] Limitations
The .380 ACP ammunition is somewhat anemic and the magazine capacity is only 7 rounds. When the empty magazine is removed it no longer holds the slide back. The slide will come forward and close the gun unless it is held open by application of the safety, a separate operation, and this slows down the reloading of the pistol. In most countries (though not in the U.S.) in this era, the carrying of a pistol was primarily an indicator of rank rather than having a serious defensive purpose.
[edit] Service
The weapon saw extensive use in World War II in the hands of Italian Fascist forces, and quite a few were captured by Allied officers in the hope that they would fire the 9 mm Parabellum cartridge used in the British Sten submachine guns, but they soon found to their dismay that the pistol was chambered for a shorter, less powerful cartridge.
[edit] Production
From 1934 to 1991, about 1 080 000 units.
[edit] Infamous use
Beretta M1934, serial number 606824, was used by Nathuram Godse to kill Mohandas K. Gandhi, in New Delhi, India, on 30 January 1948.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
| Italian firearms and light weapons of World War II |
|---|
| Side arms |
| Beretta M1934 | Beretta M1935 | Glisente M1910 |
| Rifles & carbines |
| Fucile di Fanteria Mo.1891 Moschetto Mo.91 da Cavalleria | Moschetto per Truppe Speciali Mo.91 | Mo. 1938 |
| Submachine guns |
| Beretta 1918 | MAB 38 | OVP | FNAB-43 | TZ-45 |
| Machine guns & other larger weapons |
| Fiat-Revelli M1914 | Fiat_Revelli M1935 | Breda M1930 | Breda M1937 Brixia M1935 |
