Beretta M1951
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Beretta M1951 | |
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| Type | Semi-automatic pistol |
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Beretta |
| Produced | 1953 - 1980 |
| Variants | M951, M1951R, M952, M952 Special |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | |
| Length | 203 mm (7.99 in) |
| Barrel length | 115 mm (4.5 in) |
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| Cartridge | 9 x 19 mm, 7.65 mm Parabellum |
| Caliber | 9 mm, 7.65 mm |
| Action | single action, locked breech |
| Muzzle velocity | 381 m/s (1250 ft/s) |
| Feed system | 8 round detachable box magazine |
| Sights | Iron sights, front - blade, rear - notch |
The Beretta M1951 (M951, 951, "Brigadier", Mod.51) is a semi-automatic single action pistol chambered for the 9 mm Parabellum cartridge, designed by Tullio Marengoni (Beretta design engineer) and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. It is of steel construction (with an experimental Ergal aluminum alloy frame version of approx. 100 produced) with a short recoil operated falling block system and open top slide. It was Beretta's first locked breech pistol, (previous semi-automatic pistols were blow-backs) and was in limited production circa 1953 and in full production in 1956 until 1980. The U.S. commercial version was marketed as the Brigadier. After 1968, in the U.S., it was briefly referred to as the 104 in the promotional literature. The 951 was replaced by Beretta 92 in 1976.
The M1951 was manufactured by Beretta for military use and was adopted by the Italian army, navy, and law enforcement agencies, Egypt, Israel, Nigeria, and Tunisia armed forces. By license, Egypt (the 'Helwan' produced by Maadi) and Iraq (the 'Tariq') made copies of the M1951. The quality of the licensed copies are inferior to the Italian model.
A rare variant, the M952 (starting production in 1963), was chambered for 7.65 mm Parabellum for commercial sales to sport shooters of Italy to comply with restrictions forbidding ownership of military caliber pistols. Serial numbers were separately sequenced, 1001 to 2933. A target version, M952 Special was produced from 1971.
A selective fire (machine pistol) version labeled Beretta M1951R (51R and 951A) ("R" for Raffica, burst in Italian) was created ca 1955 and was in limited production until the introduction of the Beretta 93R in the 1980s. The M1951R had a longer barrel, a heavier slide and could be loaded with an extended 10 round magazine. An optional front grip can also be installed.
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[edit] Construction
The slide was forged from a chromium nickel steel block and heat treated after machining. The frame was machined from a single block of steel (or Ergal). The magazine was steel sheet casing comprised of feeder, feeder spring, base, and base plate.
Grip panels were made of microcell plastic with horizontal grooves. They met in the back forming the backstrap.
[edit] Features
- Automatic holdopen located on left side of pistol at top front of grip panel. Holdopen actuated by magazine feeder which lifts the stop bolt catch.
- Cross-bolt push-button safety, located in the top rear of the grip panels, that prevented hammer striking firing pin in the event that the hammer was not sufficiently lifted to full cock position. The safety blocked both hammer and sear.
- Loaded chamber indicator integral with the extractor. The extractor is located on the right side of the slide.
- Takedown lever was situated on the right side of the pistol. Alignment with a notch in the slide was necessary before the lever could be rotated.
- Limited production of M951 & M952 after 1975 with adjustable rear sight.
- Early pistols, prior to 1954, had proof date of standard numbers. 1954 and following had proof date in Roman numerals, "X" being 1954 ("XI" being 1955, etc.) Proofmark was located on the frame to the rear of the left grip panel.
[edit] Operation
Grip the pistol with the right hand and with the left insert the magazine into the magazine well, pushing it into the chamber until it is engaged by the catch. Grip the slide by the checkered area and push it back with a quick movement, then allow it to snap forward and strip a round from the magazine and into the chamber of the barrel. The weapon is now loaded and ready to be fired.
To fire, the trigger lever is pushed back against the hammer catch and liberates the hammer which then pushed forward by its compressed spring, striking the firing pin.
Upon firing of a round the expanding gases act against the locked assembly of barrel and slide propelling them backwards, guided by a slot in the frame. The locked assembly provides a delayed blowback mechanism necessary for the 9 mm cartridge After a movement of approx. 7 mm (1/4 inch) a pin in the rear of the barrel forces the locking catch (falling block lug) to tilt downward, introducing its lateral guides into the cutout in the slide. This unlocks the barrel slide assembly. The backward movement of the barrel is arrested while the slide continues its direction of recoil movement, effecting at the same time extraction and ejection of the empty casing.
The recoil spring is compressed by the backward movement of the slide and the hammer is forced back, engages the sear lever, and cocks the hammer.
The recoil spring pushes the slide again forward. During this move the slide strips a round from the magazine and introduces it into the chamber, at the same time forcing the barrel forward to its original position.
Upon release of the trigger, the pistol is again ready to fire.
[edit] Technical data
- Trigger system: Single action
- Locking system: falling block
- Frame material: steel (Italy), light alloy "Ergal" (Egypt)
- Slide material: Carbon steel
- Finish: polished blue oxide
- Grip panels: Plastic
- Barrel material: stainless steel
- Rifling: R.H, 6 groove, pitch 250 mm (approx 1 turn in 10 in.)
- Muzzle velocity: 381 m/s (1250 ft/s)
- Muzzle energy: 583 joules (430 ft·lbf)
- Bolt recoil speed, max. approx.: 7.8 m/s (24.6 ft/s)
- Gas pressure, max. internal: 2100 kg/cm² (29,900 lbf/in², 206 MPa)
- Safeties: crossbolt in the grip, manual button type safety blocks sear and hammer. Also, half-cock position of hammer
- Magazine release: button in lower left grip
- Production location: Italy, Egypt
