This expert-level entry details the extremely rare Beretta 38/43 submachine gun, as presented by Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons. It covers the firearm's historical context, unique visual features like its fluted barrel and underfolding stock, and operational controls including the dual-trigger system for fire selection. The guide also includes a field strip procedure highlighting late-war production simplifications.
The Zastava M51 was a Yugoslavian prototype submachine gun from the 1950s, designed as a more compact alternative to the M49. It features a hybrid bolt design, a collapsing metal stock, and uses PPSh-41 style magazines chambered in 7.62x25mm Tokarev. Despite its innovative features, it never entered production, with only a few examples surviving today. The M51's design elements were influenced by both Soviet and Italian submachine guns.
The FNAB 43 is a complex, late-WWII Italian submachine gun with a lever-delayed blowback action, produced in limited numbers. Despite its quality, it was expensive and offered little advantage over simpler designs like the Beretta 38. This specific example was altered with fake German markings and used by the FLN in Algeria.
This video examines a unique EOKA-modified Beretta 38 submachine gun, cut down for concealability and featuring a Bren gun barrel handle as a front grip. The firearm, housed at the Royal Armouries, showcases post-war Beretta production and EOKA's tactical adaptations. It includes a rare 10-round magazine and historical markings.
The Beretta Model 1918/30 is a unique semi-automatic carbine, serving as a developmental link between earlier models and the later Beretta 38 family. It was designed from the ground up for police use, featuring a distinctive ring-shaped charging handle and a folding bayonet. A critical safety warning is issued regarding ammunition: only 9mm Glisenti should be used, as standard 9mm Parabellum is too high-pressure and will damage the firearm.
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