Model 1934 Slide Safety Lever

MarkC · 03-23-2019, 10:18 PM

I've posted this on some of the other forums and thanks to our sister P38Forum I was able to get this rare Beretta which most of you most likely have not seen from a member of the forum who found it.

A short history

After WWI the model 1915 needed to be replaced and the Model 1923 in 9mm Glisenti was adopted by the Army but soon rejected for a number of reasons. The 1923 used an internal buffer system for the 9mm Glisenti round which is basically an under powered 9mm but the case was still 9x19. The buffer system didn't work since a buffer wears out easily and if 9mm full power ammo was used the gun became unserviceable.

Beretta improved the design with the model 1932 that fired the 9mm short or .380 round without the use of a buffer system in a smaller more compact weapon. During this time the Italian army was looking at the Walther PP with the slide decocking lever and liked it.

When the Model 1934 was developed about 650 guns were made as a test run. The first 200 or so guns were not considered safe enough and Beretta installed a "half cocking" on the hammer to try and satisfy the requirements. Beginning around serial number 500203 Beretta installed a slide safety to look like the one in the PP but because of the design of the gun it did not decock the hammer but was a firing pin block safety.

To avoid redundant safeties Beretta added a tab on the frame safety so it could not be actuated as a safety on the frame. This caused a problem with reloading the gun since the last round holds the slide open with the magazine, then you use the frame safety to hold the slide open to remove the mag and reload without the slide moving back into battery for regular production guns.

It was also more difficult to use as the slide safety guns needed the take down lever to be rotated with the slot on the slide to hold it back instead of the full rotation for regular production. A regular production gun can rotate the safety at any time to hold the slide back to remove the barrel with the mag removed.

I have attached photos of the two differences in the takedown/safety levers.

Since the gun was difficult to reload with the slide moving back into battery and no way to hold the slide open with the new take down lever, then the additional cost of the slide safety for machining the slide, firing pin and extra safety lever, the new design was rejected by the military in favor of the original design with the half cocking on the hammer.

There are very few surviving examples of this gun and the serial range is 500203-500686 with a scant 6 guns reported in my DB. There may be more out there but considering the gun saw service from 1935-1945 very few examples may exist but they turn up.

Mark

03-23-2019, 10:18 PM	#1
MarkC User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 478 Thanks: 1 Thanked 109 Times in 26 Posts	Model 1934 Slide Safety Lever I've posted this on some of the other forums and thanks to our sister P38Forum I was able to get this rare Beretta which most of you most likely have not seen from a member of the forum who found it. A short history After WWI the model 1915 needed to be replaced and the Model 1923 in 9mm Glisenti was adopted by the Army but soon rejected for a number of reasons. The 1923 used an internal buffer system for the 9mm Glisenti round which is basically an under powered 9mm but the case was still 9x19. The buffer system didn't work since a buffer wears out easily and if 9mm full power ammo was used the gun became unserviceable. Beretta improved the design with the model 1932 that fired the 9mm short or .380 round without the use of a buffer system in a smaller more compact weapon. During this time the Italian army was looking at the Walther PP with the slide decocking lever and liked it. When the Model 1934 was developed about 650 guns were made as a test run. The first 200 or so guns were not considered safe enough and Beretta installed a "half cocking" on the hammer to try and satisfy the requirements. Beginning around serial number 500203 Beretta installed a slide safety to look like the one in the PP but because of the design of the gun it did not decock the hammer but was a firing pin block safety. To avoid redundant safeties Beretta added a tab on the frame safety so it could not be actuated as a safety on the frame. This caused a problem with reloading the gun since the last round holds the slide open with the magazine, then you use the frame safety to hold the slide open to remove the mag and reload without the slide moving back into battery for regular production guns. It was also more difficult to use as the slide safety guns needed the take down lever to be rotated with the slot on the slide to hold it back instead of the full rotation for regular production. A regular production gun can rotate the safety at any time to hold the slide back to remove the barrel with the mag removed. I have attached photos of the two differences in the takedown/safety levers. Since the gun was difficult to reload with the slide moving back into battery and no way to hold the slide open with the new take down lever, then the additional cost of the slide safety for machining the slide, firing pin and extra safety lever, the new design was rejected by the military in favor of the original design with the half cocking on the hammer. There are very few surviving examples of this gun and the serial range is 500203-500686 with a scant 6 guns reported in my DB. There may be more out there but considering the gun saw service from 1935-1945 very few examples may exist but they turn up. Mark Attached Thumbnails