The Model 1934 is a simple blowback-operated weapon. However, it was chambered for the 7.65mm Browning (.32 ACP) cartridge. This pistol was almost identical to the Model 1934. It should be noted parenthetically that Beretta later introduced the Model 1935. All things considered, given the evolutionary path of the Beretta semi-auto pistols, adoption of the 9mm corto round was a reasonable choice at the time and under the circumstances. The Beretta Model 1934 was the most widely produced and issued Italian pistol of WWII.
The 9mm corto, also known in Italy as the “9M34” and driving a 93-grain bullet at 985 fps, was chosen by the Italians in order to ease logistic problems by adopting a standard pistol cartridge for their armed forces.Īlthough adopting yet another cartridge type to alleviate the problem was an apparent anachronism, the wisdom of adopting the 9mm corto was vindicated during the war. Save for its grip panels and slide markings, it was identical to the Model 1934. It required no extraordinary effort for Marengoni to take the design a step further than the Model 1931, chambered for the 7.65mm Browning (.32 ACP), by adopting the 9x17mm (.380 ACP) round, known and referred to in Italy as the 9mm corto, or 9mm Short. In the early 1930s, it became obvious to Italian authorities that pistols like the Model 1889, the Glisenti and some of the early Berettas then issued to the armed forces and police agencies were not up to contemporary standards and were no longer adequate for military requirements. It was designed by Tullio Marengoni, Beretta’s most prolific and well-known gun designer. The Model 1934 traces its development back to the Beretta Model 1915. The Model 1934 was a very desirable war trophy for American GIs serving in Italy, and as a result, the pistol is readily available on the collector’s market in the U.S. Whether true or not, it does underscore the reputation that the pistol had for reliability under adverse conditions. When he awoke in the morning, his Beretta was gone, replaced by a holstered Luger left there in exchange by some unnamed German who had crept in during the night to make the swap. As the story goes, during the campaign in Russia, one night an Italian officer whose unit was operating alongside the Germans went to sleep after having removed his holstered Model 1934 and put it by his side. It proved itself in Italian service from North Africa to Russia.Ī somewhat apocryphal story regarding the Model 1934 is often told among Italians. It was a very popular weapon not only with the Italians but also with German and Allied troops as well, as it was light, handy and functioned well under various climatic conditions. Of the Beretta pistols, the best known and most familiar to American gun enthusiasts is the Model 1934 in. Revamping the Beretta 1301 Tactical Shotgun with a Few DIY Upgrades Beginnings
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