Beretta 1935 - another new love!

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

I dropped my wife and one of her friends in Salem MA today and not wanting to walk around the "witch city"
I went to North Shore Firearms to spend a few hours, looking and talking.

I had credit card and my C&R with me. I was looking at the used guns they had, a commercial P-38 and then I saw her, my new love a Beretta 1935, it was marked "1934" but is in .32 7.65
I new they existed but new next to nothing about Berettas. It was marked Police gun so I bought it, I collect S&W, Military as well as Police guns.
I brought it home and then started researching it, it turns out to be a 1935 due to being a .32, the serial number range 517705 went to the German High Command between March and June 1944. It was made in 1944, dated on the slide.
All the numbers match, unlike my Luger, and I pulled the barrel and it numbers to the frame and slide. The bore is good, not great but ok, the finish is very nice original. I paid $320 for it.

The more I look at it the more I like it! I am just sitting here looking at it.

Now I have to get a .380 1934, big brother, for it.

[zinfull]

SHHHH don't tell everyone, I found one at a store earlier this year and now I have 4. They are nice and it is like a small tank.

jerry

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

zinfull I have a question for you. A friend was helping me work on a Luger, refitting the hold open lever, anyway I had brought the Beretta (the name even says quality) I was showing it to him and how to field strip it. When I put it back together I ut the barrel in place and let the slide "slam" forward and it pushed it into place.

Later last night I was reading in Surplus Firearms that it is safe to shoot it if the barrel numbers to the gun, so I field stripped it again. The barrel does number to the gun, good.

When I put it back to together I put the barrel in and pulled down on the safety and let the barrel slam forward. The barrel only seated partway home, it was about 1/4 inch short of being where it should be. I pulled the slide back and with the soft rubber end of a toothbrush I pushed on the forcing cone (?) and without excessive force (maybe about the same force as pushing the slide back) it clicked home.
When it first happened I took some Q tips and cleaned the channels and the channels in the barrel there was some powder residue. I didn't "really" clean it.
Does that sound right?
Hmm, if it doesn't sound right I was just thinking I could make a You Tube video of what is happening and post it, I live the internet for information!

Anyhow I don't see any real reason it wouldn't go home by just releasing the slide, needing just that extra oomph. The slide and spring seem fine as stiff as my Sigma or 1911.

On your 4 Beretta's, how do your barrel go home?

[Lugerdoc]

Jeff, No excess force should be required to reassemble your Berette M34 or 35. With the slide held back, you should be able to install the barrel in its groove and pull it into battery position by hand, before closing the slide. TH

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

I field stripped it and cleaned it well especially the channels and the slide.

I can (with my weak hands) just barely pull the barrel into battery, it clicks as it goes home. But usually I can't get a good grip

However

I put the barrel in place and pull it slightly forward not quite into battery, where I start to slip in my grip, I then release the safety and the barrel "slams" forward and pushes the barrel into battery and everything lines up.

I wonder if the slide rails etc were dirty and just slowing it enough.

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

Just got back from the range, being such a small gun I was expecting more kick...

What a fun gun to shoot! I put 5 rounds in the magazine each time and went through 50 rounds, no hammer bit even with my fat hands. Nice and accurate!

It returned my love! The gun worked flawlessly!

[zinfull]

the trigger is a little heavy but over all it is a fun gun. I got a 1953 make and use that one for the range.
jerry

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

The trigger is only heavy based on what you are used to. In Mass all our semi's, at least the DA ones are required to have a minimum 10 pound trigger pull.
I have been shooting a Sigma and the new PPK DA is heavy as well, I also shoot alot of revolvers, so to me the Beretta has a nice feel, granted not like my Colt Gold Cup 1911, but I like it.

I also like the looks of it, if I am not careful I will find room in the safe, I need more Beretta's!

[Edward Tinker]

There is one of these by my wife's side of the bed, she (and me) loved how it felt in the hand.

Cute, solid, dependable Beretta


Ed

[Steinar]

It sure is a neat gun that is fun to shoot. I barely able to tuck all four fingers around the grip, that in addition to beeing 9mm short gives it very little muzzle raise. I'm also happy with how reliable this little gun it is..

Does anyone know a smart "fix" (that is not unreversible) for making the hold open function with mag removed?

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

What I have been doing is flipping the safety into the slot and then taking the mag out, as if I was going to field strip it.

[Curly1]

Yea using the saftey acts as a hold open.

[Steinar]

I know.. just that I keep forgetting it + it's a bit hard to reach with the thumb. It's no big problem, just thought perhaps there was some clever "fix" somehow.

[antonio_liviero]

Congratulations for your new gun!
It shows a little wear, but this is part of the history of the weapon.
I know many american soldiers brought home Berettas from the WWII as souvenirs, due to their beautiful and simple design and reliability.
Your gun shows that reddish finish that is very appreciated by italian collectors. We call it "beaver's tail" color.
Almost all the Beretta M35 in the s/n range between 504.865 and 612.442 should have the german acceptance stamp WaA162: is it true for your gun also?
I can see on it only the city of Brescia proof i.e. a crown over a lioness.
What is the stamp I see on the trigger guard?
Here I can show a couple pics of my M35, dated 1941-XIX.

All the best
Antonio

[Steinar]

An interesting thing to notice, is that yours Mr Cartwright (I'm a big fan of Bonanza btw ) does not have a Roman numeral behind the production year 1944. This is because this figure indicates the year of Fascism. Above you see a 1939 XVII(17) while Antonios is 1941 XIX(19). If you count back, you seee that it started in 1922.

I have just handeled one of these Berettas, is it common that the slide is a bit stiff to pull back?

[zinfull]

Stiff is a nice way to say it, but yes it is very stiff. If you engage the hammer first it is easier. Checking the chamber with out ejecting the round takes some practice.

jerry

[Sieger]

Hi:

I have a next to mint 1941 Model 34 in .380 and a post-war Model 948 in .22 LR. These are nice little "belly guns", and are built like little tanks!

Both of these little guns give me considerable "hammer bite" without shooting gloves.

In my opinion, they are more than adequate for military purposes. The Makarov is as well.

Sieger

[antonio_liviero]

The use of roman numerals is referred to the year of the Fascist Era.
It started on 29 october 1922 (the date that Mussolini entered Roma) and stopped on september 1943 (the date that the fascist government ended).
As the fascist year started on october, it is possible to find pistols with different fascist dates, even if with the same civil date. For example, a pistol dated 1941 can have the fascist year IX if manufactured before october and the fascist year XX if manufactured after october.

Regards
Antonio