EOKA Cut-Down Beretta 38 SMG

The Beretta 38/42 is a simplified, cost-effective WWII submachine gun derived from the Model 38A, featuring a unique left-side ejection and dual-trigger system for semi-auto and full-auto fire. Despite its historical significance and reliable performance, including a controllable rate of fire in full-auto, its short length of pull requires the shooter's face to be close to the receiver. It's considered a desirable and transferable Curio & Relic firearm for collectors and shooters.

The Beretta 38/42 is a simplified, wartime production variant of the excellent Beretta 38A submachine gun. It features a shorter barrel, simplified construction using stampings, and a dual-trigger system for semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Despite its wartime efficiencies, it retains reliable double-stack magazines and a robust blowback action.

The Bernardelli VB is an Italian post-WWII submachine gun that superficially resembles the Beretta Model 38 but has significant internal differences. It features a single trigger with a three-position selector, unlike the Beretta's dual triggers. Disassembly and internal components are not interchangeable with Beretta parts. Despite its design, the VB was a commercial failure, with only about 500 units produced.

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.

This video segment from American Rifleman Television's "I Have This Old Gun" series focuses on the historical Beretta Model 1938 submachine gun. It details the M1938's lineage from the Villar Perosa and its development by Tullio Marengoni. The description highlights its open-bolt, direct-blowback action, distinctive wooden stock, ventilated barrel shroud, and dual triggers for full-auto and burst fire. The evolution of the design through various models, including the 1938A and the simplified 38/42, is explained, along with its extensive use by Italian forces in WWII and by German forces as the MP 738(i) after Italy's surrender. The video also touches on the M1938's influence on the later Beretta M12.

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 details the unique 'French Finger Trap' issue with the MAS-36 rifle's bayonet, where two rifles can become unintentionally locked together. A 1951 French arsenal memorandum identified this problem, proposing a simple modification to the bayonet handle. Drilling a small hole allows a tool, like a firing pin, to depress the internal spring, enabling the separation of locked rifles.

The M134 Minigun is a scaled-down 7.62 NATO rotary cannon, requiring 24V DC power and consuming 1.5 kW. Its high rate of fire (3,000+ RPM) is essential for aircraft engagement windows. The complex delinker mechanism is critical for feeding ammunition, and practical hand-held use is impossible due to weight and recoil. Live fire demonstrates rapid ammunition consumption and the need for indirect aiming.

The H&K G11 is a revolutionary prototype assault rifle designed in the late 20th century, notable for its caseless ammunition and unique rotating drum bolt mechanism. Despite advanced features like a 2000 RPM burst fire rate and integrated optics, its development was ultimately halted by geopolitical shifts and cost concerns.

This video demonstrates the assembly and live-fire of the German 1936 pattern light mortar (L.Gr.W.36). It highlights the mortar's leveling mechanism for accuracy and the difficulty in visually tracking its 50mm projectiles after firing. The content showcases historical military hardware and its operational use.