thumb|M1935 right side

thumb|M1935 slide open

The Beretta M1935 is a compact .32 ACP caliber blowback pistol that was manufactured by Italian firm 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 an M1934, modified to fire .32 ACP ammunition.

Specifications

The M1935 is a single-action semi-automatic blowback pistol that fires .32 ACP ammunition. It is constructed from carbon steel with plastic grips and is equipped with a frame safety that also acts as a take down lever and slide hold open. When the last shot has been fired the slide is retained open by the empty magazine and must be held open manually by the safety lever to reload the pistol. The magazine capacity is eight rounds.

Intended market

The M1935 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 has a very robust construction with long service life if properly maintained.

Limitations

The low magazine capacity of eight rounds and short effective range reduces the M1935 to a last resort self-defense weapon.

See also

  • Beretta M1934

References

  • Beretta 1935 pictures and information