Beretta M 1951

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Beretta M 1951
Type	Semi-automatic pistol
Place of origin	Italy
Service history
Used by	See Users
Production history
Manufacturer	Beretta
Produced	1953-1980
Variants	Helwan, M951 "Brigadier", M951R, M952, M952 "Special", M952 "Target"
Specifications
Weight	870 g (30.69 oz) (M 1951) 1,350 g (48 oz) (M951R)
Length	203 mm (8 in) (M 1951) Approx. 215 mm (8.5 in) (M951R)
Barrel length	114.2 mm (4.5 in) (M 1951) 125 mm (4.9 in) (M951R)

Cartridge	9x19mm Parabellum (M 1951, M951 "Brigadier", M951R) 7.65x22mm Parabellum (M952, M952 "Sport", M952 "Target")
Action	Short recoil, locked breech
Muzzle velocity	360 m/s (1,181 ft/s) (M 1951) 375 m/s (1,230.3 ft/s) (M951R)
Effective range	Sights fixed for 50 m
Feed system	8-round detachable box magazine 10-round magazine (M951R)
Sights	Fixed iron sights, front - blade, rear - notch

The M 1951 is a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol, developed during the late 1940s and early 1950s by Pietro Beretta S.p.A of Italy. Introduced into service with the Italian Army and security forces as the Modello 1951 (M 1951), replacing the 9 mm Modello 1934 pistol, chambered in the 9x17mm Short (.380 ACP) cartridge.^[1] Several changes were incorporated into the pistol’s design after an initial production run, these included: replacing the lightweight alloy frame with a steel frame, lengthening the slide and moving the magazine release lever from the heel of the pistol grip to the right side of the grip. Serial production was then initiated in 1955. Despite the fact that the M 1951 is no longer produced in Italy, it remains in service with the Italian Army and security forces alongside the 9 mm Beretta 92.^[1] It is also in use with the armed forces of Egypt (where it is produced by the local firm Maadi as the “Helwan”), Israel, Iraq (license-built as the "Tariq"), Nigeria and Tunisia. The pistol is known as the M951 “Brigadier” on the civilian market. After 1968, in the United States, it was briefly referred to as the 104 in promotional literature.

1 Design details
2 Variants
3 Users
4 Notes
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Design details

The M 1951 is a short recoil-operated, locked breech pistol with a vertically tilting locking piece (the locking mechanism design was borrowed from the 9 mm Walther P38 pistol).^[1] The locking piece, located under the barrel, is unlocked by a sliding pin and locked back into battery by a beveled surface on the pistol’s frame. The locking piece features two locking lugs that engage appropriate recesses cut into the slide’s internal side surfaces. The spring extractor is integrated into the slide, and the fixed-type ejector – in the pistol’s frame. The pistol has a hammer striking mechanism (with an exposed hammer spur) and a single-action trigger with a disconnector, which enables single fire only. A cross-bolt safety mounted on the weapon’s frame (beneath the hammer) provides safe operation with a cartridge introduced into the chamber. In the “weapon safe” position (the safety’s button pushed in to the left) the slide catch is disabled.

The M 1951 is fed from an 8-round detachable box magazine. A hold open device will keep the slide locked open after discharging the last cartridge from the magazine.^[1] The slide can then be released by depressing the slide release lever located on the left side of the frame. The pistol uses fixed iron sights set for engaging targets at 50 m. These consist of a forward blade and rear notch.

The pistol’s barrel has a rifled bore with 6 right-hand grooves at a 254 mm (1:10 in) twist rate.

The M 1951 pistol is chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge.

[edit] Variants

A version chambered in 7.65x22mm Parabellum was also produced for commercial sales to sport shooters in Italy to comply with restrictions forbidding ownership of military caliber pistols, designated the Modello 952 (also made in two sporting variants: the “Target” and “Special” models).

An evolutionary development of the M 1951 is the 9 mm selective fire M951R ("R" is short for Raffica or "burst" in Italian), which was designed during the late 1960s and early 1970s, in response to a request made by the Italian special forces. The primary difference between the M951R and the original M 1951 lies mainly in the fire selector lever, which was mounted on the weapon’s frame, on the right side and enables either semi-automatic or continuous fire (selector lever in the “AUT” setting – fully automatic fire, “SEM” – single fire). Additionally, the weapon received a folding wooden forward grip, the barrel was extended as was the magazine, which has an increased capacity of 10 rounds. The M951R has a rate of fire of approx. 1000 rounds/min.