Beretta M34



Overview

Beretta M34

Left side view of Beretta 1934 pistol chambered in .380 ACP.

Source: Rock Island auction house - © Copyright lies with original owner

Origin
Italy
Type
Pistol
Entered service
1935 for M34
1937 for M35
Status
Obsolete
Development
Early 1930's
Developer
Italy - Beretta
Production
1934 - 1992 (Beretta M34)
1935 - 1967 (Beretta M35)
Producer
Italy - Beretta
Number produced
About 1.080.000 M34 and 525.000 M35 have been produced, production complete.
Designations
M1934 / Modelo 1934
Pistole 671(i)
Nazi Germany

Description

Introduction

The M34 is a pre World War 2 era pistol of Italian origin. It was developed by Beretta on behalf of the Italian military who desired a pistol in the same performance class of the German Walther PP. The M34 was produced in large quantities and was a breakthrough design for Beretta. Many examples remain today, but it is considered obsolete for military or law enforcement use.

Design

The M34 is a small semi-autmotic pistol that uses a blowback mechanism. The frame and slide are all metal and the grip plates are made of plastics. The slide has the distinctive open design used on many Beretta designts. Overall, the M34's design is simple, cost effective and rugged.

Firepower

The M34 is a semi-automatic pstol that fires the .380 ACP round from a 7 round single stack magazine. The M35 uses the smaller .32 ACP round and has an 8 round magazine capacity. The effective range is quoted as 10 to 20 meters.

Users

The M34 was adopted by the Italian military in 1937, although samples were used as early as 1935. The M34 was widely used throughout World War 2, alongside the M35. Both models were also used by Nazi Germany in the later stages of World War 2. In Italian military service the M34 soldiered on until it was replaced in the 1990's by the newer, larger and more capable Beretta M92. In law enforcement use the M34 was supplemented at an earlier stage by the M951 and M92.

Details

Beretta M35

Left side view of Beretta 1935 pistol chambered in .32 ACP.

Source: M62 - © GNU Attribution Share Alike license

Variants of the Beretta M34

Modelo 34: Baseline production model chambered in .380 ACP (9x17mm Short).
Modelo 35: Similar to Model 34, but chambered in .32 ACP (7.65x17mm Browning).

Facts Modelo 34 Modelo 35
General
Origin
Italy
Type
Pistol
Caliber
Caliber
.380 ACP
Magazine
7 round detachable box
Barrel length
89 mm
Muzzle velocity
229 m/s
Operation
Action
Blowback
Fire selector
0 - 1
Rate of fire
Semi-automatic
Dimensions
Length
152 mm
Weight
0.66 kg empty
Sights
Type
Iron sights, fixed front blade and rear notch

Media