Hi, nice looking pistol. I think this is probably a postwar commercial model M1935 pistol. The caliber on the slide denotes 7.65 (.32) which is the M1935, whereas 9mm corto (.380) would be the M1934. Also it has postwar grips, no lanyard holder ring, and a PSF smokeless proof dated 1952. The S/N range of 803XXX also is consistent with 1952 production. That's not in any way to detract from the pistol which looks like it's in excellent condition.

 

Thanks a heap, I went by the seller's sketchy info. Yes, I am quite happy with it and will update my inventory pics!

 

Here is my wartime M1935

The postwar M1935 7.65mm pistols are well made, simple and rugged. They were widely used by municipal police, private security and civilian users well into the 1970s.

The steel frame versions can stand up to constant use with heavy loads if you heavy-up the recoil spring with a new Wolf replacement or a Beretta one for the .380 M1934. A charge of 3 grains of Unique or Autocomp with the .309" diameter, 90-grain Hornady XTP at 0.975" OAL approximates .380 ACP payload and velocity for 900 fps, Unique at 20,600 psi and Autocomp at 21,800,psi.

Accurate 31-090B cast bullet sized to .311 is also great with these charges. Reduce these charges 1/2 grain for light alloy frames.

The light alloy frame versions are fine with US factory and common Euro 73 FMJ, just avoid the 77-93 grain heavy ball and the Czech subgun loads intended for the Vz61.

Avoid light bullet JHP loads or any factory rounds shorter than 0.955", as they are short enough to shuffle due to recoil in the magazine stack and cause rimlock.

 

Yes, I agree the Beretta M1934 was chambered in the .380 round while the M 1935 was chambered in the .32 round. I believe to chamber two very much alike appearing pistols in different caliber rounds and issue them to green troops unfamiliar with military weapons would not be very smart, in my opinion. My M1935 Beretta pistol is stamped model 1935 XVIII on its slide. The finish is original and is turning a plum brown color on the frame and slide. it came with a pig skin holster and only one magazine with a finger rest on the bottom. It is a nice little piece with a hard trigger pull.

 

The Roy Dunlap book Ordnance Went Up Front from Samworth has instructions for doing a trigger job on these Berettas. The best historical info you can find in English is Ralph Riccio's book Italian Small Arms of the First and Second World Wars, published by Schiffer, Ltd.

 

If I had to choose just one vintage pocket pistol, it would be the Beretta '34 model. I would take it over PP/PPK, FN Browning, Sauer 38H and a few others from that time period. The design is beautifully simple and rugged. I like the fact that there are no safety levers (the flippy thingy is NOT a safety) to worry about and it's perfectly safe to carry one with the hammer down on chambered round. Good point from Outpost75 on the .32 acp rimlock. I handload both, 380 and 32 and the Walthers PP/PPK in .32 are very sensitive when it comes to that, for several reasons....

 

When I was in Italy in 2011 I was told by historians at the Beretta factory that the 9mm Corto M1934 pistol was the standard for the Army and that the 7.65mm M1935 was used by the Navy, Air Force and produced in great numbers for Germany which favored the 7.65mm due to the great number of pistols of that caliber in use by them.

After WW2 the M1934 remained an alternate standard for the Carabinieri and Polizia di Stato even after adoption of the M1951 pistol in 9x19mm, seeing frequent use well into the late 1970s. The 7.65mm M1935s were standard for federal forestry guards, tax and financial officers, courts security and corrections until replaced by the M81 in the early 1980s. The M1935 remains in common use by smaller municipal police organizations to this day.

 

I was taught at the Carabinieri academy in Milan when visiting there, in 2011, that the "safety" lever on the M1934/35 pistols is actually a takedown and slide hold-open lever. In the great majority of (low-risk) LE environments the holstered pistol is carried with its chamber empty and hammer at full cock to ease chambering a round as the pistol is withdrawn from the holster. "Israeli carry."

If enemy contact is likely, "Army carry" is for the pistol to be holstered with the chamber loaded and the hammer set in its safety notch which retracts the hammer face 3mm away from the firing pin. To ready for firing the hammer is thumb-cocked as the pistol is drawn. If the pistol should be dropped with the hammer set in the safe position, this short arc of travel, if the hammer were to be dislogded, is insufficient to fire a round.

When the pistol is shot dry the magazine follower catches and holds the slide open. To reload retract the slide and engage the lever into the hold open notch. The slide is then held captive while you remove the magazine. Exchange the empty mag for a full one and disengage the hold-open lever to chamber a round. Dunlap describes this in Ordnance Went Up Front.

 

Yep, when I lived in Italy, I had a friend who was an ex-police officer and that's exactly what he told me. That lever was never meant to be used as safety. The Beretta '34/35 is designed to carry one in the chamber, hammer down or on the safety notch, or chamber empty in a "low risk" situation.

 

We did a JCET with the Italian Incursores (their Special Forces) in 1978. Each Incursore had a BM 59 Para version, a Beretta 12 SMG, and a M1934 pistol, so they were still in use by the Italian military as late as then. John

 

I like the M1934/1935 better in some ways than the 80 series pistols imported a few years ago. Maybe I was just unlucky, but most of the 80s I handled had issues during disassembly and reassembly caused by the steel recoil spring rod pancaking the softer alloy inside the frame in a way that prevented it from being removed or put back together easily. As noted already the rugged and simple design of the M1934/M1935 with it steel frame means this will never be an issue.

 

I agree, I never could warm up to the 84 Model and I've had a few... Always wanted to try the 70s, but never had a chance unfortunately. The only negative thing about the '34 model that I have is lack of spurless magazines, but at least a slightly modified PP/PPK flat floor plate fits the Beretta mag perfectly. I, personally, don't like the finger rest magazines on small pistols.

 

The Cz27 floorplate fits the Beretta 1935 mags.
Also some wartime mags had the flat floorplate.

 

One odd thing about model 1934 vs 1935 is that the mags are not interchangeable. I haven't tried the CZ-27 floor plate, but modified PP/PPK one does not fit the '35 mag really well. But it fits perfectly the '34 mag... You do have to use Walther's mag keeper plate/button though. I use inexpensive Meggar mags for the conversion. And yes, there are factory flat base magazines out there, but they are rare and somewhat pricy. I never liked finger rest magazines on any pistol really, but especially the small ones. The better question would be which one do you prefer, the '34 or '35.... In my opinion, the .380 is a better cartridge for this platform even though you get an extra round with the .32 acp. And with the Walthers I am totally opposite...

 

One odd thing about model 1934 vs 1935 is that the mags are not interchangeable.

There is a reason: the 1,35 mm of different width o

f the lips.

 

Thanks everyone for the good posts on the '34 / '35 Beretta pistols. I have fired my '35

 

My 1934 and 1935….nice little pistols.

 

Yes, Sir, hence my "pretty much the same" statement. The difference in weight and size is negligible at best. I have both, though my '35 is a post-War. Either way, as small as the Beretta is, it's still a hefty pistol, plenty of metal there. Also, it does have a tendency to pinch a little with the hammer, but at least it's not a slicer like the pre-'41 PPK for example...

 

Here is mine, got them from another forum member as a pair. The 1934 had a 1935 mag jammed in it so I got 2 1935 mags and had no problem finding a 1934 mag for a lot less than what the 1935 mags were going for.

 

 

 

 

Gotta have one of each.

 

That sure is a good looking pair of Beretta pistols. They appear to be war time models. What are the Roman numerals on the slides? The holster that came with my 1935 is pig skin and looks a lot like the holster you show.

 

During the Facist era the Roman numerals were used. After April 1943 Arabic numerals were instituted.

 

The army stamped one is dated 1935 and the airforce is 1936.

 

I am a fan of these little guys, too. I have a late war parkerized finish M1935. Somebody scratched their initials into the late war holster. I would like to get a blued finish M1934 with the Roman Numerals eventually.

 

Crab. I was able to find a Mod. 1935 Beretta in 7.62mm, with blue finish, dated 1940 with a pig skin holster. It is with its holster a pretty good model to shoot on occasion. I don't fire it often.

 

... a Mod. 1935 Beretta in 7.62mm, ... I don't fire it often.

Yea, it must be very difficult to fire a 7,62mm in a 7,65mm ...