Beretta M1935
The Beretta M1935 is a compact .32 ACP caliber, blowback pistol that was manufactured by Beretta.
History
In the early 1930s, the Italian army was impressed by the Walther PP pistol, Beretta did not want to lose a big Italian military contract and designed the compact M1934 for the Italian army which accepted it in 1937. The M1935 is simply a M1934 modified to fire .32ACP ammunition.
Specifications
The M1935 is a single-action semi-automatic blowback pistol that fires the .32 ACP ammunition. It is made out of carbon steel with plastic grips. It is fitted with a manual safety and when the last shoot has been fired the slide is retained open by the empty magazine. The magazine capacity is 8 rounds. As this pistol was built for the Italian army, all parts were interchangeable, which simplified maintenance and manufacturing: a first at the time.
Intended market
It was purpose built and designed for the Italian armed forces, however it was also sold to the civilian market and issued to the German forces in 1944 and 1945.
Design advantages
Fitted with the Beretta style open slide, the M1935 has a very reliable feeding and extraction cycle. It was made with few parts and is very simple to maintain. The M1935 is a very robust construction with long service life if properly maintained.
Limitations
The .32 ACP ammunition is somewhat anaemic. The magazine capacity of only 8 rounds reduces the M1935 to a last resort self defense pistol. When the empty magazine is removed, the slide moves back forward as the magazine holds it back, this slows down the reloading of the pistol.
Production
From 1935 to 1967, about 525,000 units.
WW 2 prize guns
The Beretta M1935 had been captured in huge numbers during WW 2 from Italian and German armed forces by allied soldiers who liked it cause of its small size, rugged design and good contstruction. Near all of these captured pistols are operational to this day and widespread in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France and in the United Kingdom. The M1935 is compact and easy to hide, with ammunition available for it.