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Beretta M1951 | |
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Type | Semi-automatic pistol |
Place of origin | Italy |
Service history | |
Used by | See Users |
Production history | |
Designer | Tullio Marengoni |
Manufacturer | Beretta |
Produced | 1949–1980 |
Variants | Helwan, M951 'Brigadier', M951R, M952, M952 'Special', M952 'Target' |
Specifications | |
Mass | 870 grams (31 oz) (M1951) 1,350 g (48 oz) (M951R) |
Length | 203 millimetres (8.0 in) (M1951) Approx. 215 mm (8.5 in) (M951R) |
Barrel length | 114.2 mm (4.5 in) (M1951) 125 mm (4.9 in) (M951R) |
Cartridge | 9×19mm Parabellum (M1951, M951 'Brigadier', M951R) 7.65×21mm Parabellum (M952, M952 'Sport', M952 'Target') |
Action | Short recoil, locked breech |
Muzzle velocity | 360 m/s (1,181 ft/s) (M1951) 375 m/s (1,230.3 ft/s) (M951R) |
Effective firing range | Sights fixed for 50 m |
Feed system | 8-round detachable box magazine 10-round magazine (M951R) |
Sights | Fixed iron sights, front–blade, rear–notch |
History[edit]
Design details[edit]
Variants[edit]
The M951R is a select fire version of the M1951 chambered in 9 mm Parabellum. The 'R' stands for Raffica, which is Italian for 'volley', 'flurry', or 'burst' (sometimes spoken 'R' as 'Rapid' in English), which was designed and produced during the 1960s in response to a request made by the Italian special forces. The primary difference between the M951R and the original M1951 lied in the fire selector lever mounted on the right side of the weapon’s frame, enabling either semi-automatic or continuous fire - labelled 'SEM' and 'AUT', respectively. Additionally, the weapon has a heavier slide, a folding wooden forward grip, the barrel was extended, and so was the magazine, increasing capacity to 10 rounds. The M951R had a rate of fire of approximately 1000 rounds/min. The M951R was issued to several Italian special forces and to a lesser extent to the Carabinieri and the Polizia di Stato all along the 1960s; it had poor success and quickly went out of production, as it was plagued by several defects: the ammunition capacity was low compared to the rate of fire and, with the selector on the 'AUT' position, the M951R fired in full-automatic mode rather than by three-rounds bursts as other similar products of the following years; this produced high recoil and resulted in poor controllability and scarce accuracy. Furthermore, with such a high rate of fire, even with extensive training it was impossible for the shooter to produce short and controlled bursts, and as reported by many users the shortest burst one could achieve was five-rounds.
In popular culture[edit]
Beretta Mark And Numbers 2
Users[edit]
- Egypt:[2] Special Egyptian Contract guns marked with National crest. Later licensed by Maadi and produced as the Helwan.
- Haiti[2]
- Iraq:[2] Manufactured under license as the Tariq by Al-Qādisiyyah Establishments from 1981 onwards. Production stopped in 2003 and resumed from 2009 onwards. The internal design appears identical to the original pistols, and the primary external differences are the Arabic stamping on the slide and the warrior emblem (the medieval Arab warrior Tariq ibn Ziyad—who invaded Spain in 711 A.D.) on the grip. Gold-plated guns were produced for presentation and some pistols have special inscriptions. The Tariq pistol is currently in service with the Iraqi Police and the Kurdish Asayish and Zeravani, and was in service as the standard pistol of the Iraqi Armed Forces and the Republican Guard; pistols issued to Saddam Hussein's Private Police have a special marking on the frame.
- Iran: Used captured Iraqi 'Tariq' pistols known only as 'Beretta' in duty service.
- Israel[2]
- Italy[2]
- Libya[2]
- Mali: People's Movement for the Liberation of Azawad[3]
- Nigeria[2]
- Thailand[2]
- Tunisia[2]
- United Kingdom: In 1954 the Beretta M1951 was selected as the standard sidearm of the Metropolitan Police's Special Branch and Royalty Protective Officers[4]
- Yemen[2]
Non-State Actors[edit]
- Hayat Tahrir al-Sham: Captured from ISIL.[5]
- Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant[6]
Notes[edit]
- ^ abcWoźniak, Ryszard. Encyklopedia najnowszej broni palnej - tom 3 M-P. Bellona. 2002. pp106-107.
- ^ abcdefghijJones, Richard D.; Ness, Leland S., eds. (January 27, 2009). Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010 (35th ed.). Coulsdon: Jane's Information Group. ISBN978-0-7106-2869-5.
- ^Small Arms Survey (2005). 'Sourcing the Tools of War: Small Arms Supplies to Conflict Zones'(PDF). Small Arms Survey 2005: Weapons at War. Oxford University Press. p. 166. ISBN978-0-19-928085-8.
- ^Sep 29 1829: Founding of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) of London, Commonly Known as Scotland Yard
- ^https://www.calibreobscura.com/jihadi-rebel-and-militants-use-of-supressors/
- ^https://www.calibreobscura.com/jihadi-rebel-and-militants-use-of-supressors/
References[edit]
- Woźniak, Ryszard (2002). 'p. 106-107'. Encyklopedia najnowszej broni palnej - tom 3 M-P. Warsaw, Poland: Bellona. ISBN83-11-09311-3.