(Redirected from Carcano 1891)
Fucile di Fanteria Mod. 91/38 (Model 1938 short rifle chambered in 6.5×52mm caliber since 1940) This is the model (stamped '1940' to show manufacture date) owned by Lee Harvey Oswald. From 1940 the Moschetto Mod. 1938 and Mod. 1938 TS were also made in 6.5×52mm.
Carcano | |
---|---|
Type | Bolt-action rifle |
Place of origin | Kingdom of Italy |
Service history | |
In service | 1891–1981 (Italy) 1981–present (others) |
Used by | See Users |
Wars | |
Production history | |
Designer | Salvatore Carcano |
Designed | 1890 |
Produced | 1891–1945 |
No. built | 2,063,750–3,000,000 of all variants |
Variants | Long rifle, short rifle, cavalry carbine, special troops' carbine See Variants |
Specifications (Fucile mod. 91) | |
Mass | 3.9 kg (8 lb 10 oz) |
Length | 1,285 mm (50.6 in) |
Barrel length | 780 mm (30.7 in) |
Cartridge |
|
Action | Bolt action |
Muzzle velocity | 700 m/s (2,300 ft/s) |
Effective firing range | 1,000 m (1,100 yd) |
Feed system | 6 round integral magazine, loaded with an en-bloc clip |
Carcano is the frequently used name for a series of Italian bolt-action, magazine-fed, repeating military rifles and carbines. Introduced in 1891, this rifle was chambered for the rimless 6.5×52mm Carcano cartridge (Cartuccia Modello 1895). It was developed by the chief technician Salvatore Carcano at the Turin Army Arsenal in 1890 and called the Modello (model) 91 or simply M91. Successively replacing the previous Vetterli-Vitali rifles and carbines in 10.35×47mmR, it was produced from 1892 to 1945. The M91 was used in both rifle (fucile) and shorter-barreled carbine (moschetto) form by most Italian troops during the First World War and by Italian and some German forces during the Second World War. The rifle was also used during the Winter War by Finland, and again by regular and irregular forces in Syria, Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria during various postwar conflicts in those countries.
The Type I Carcano rifle was produced by Italy for the Japanese Empire prior to World War II. After the invasion of China, all Arisaka production was required for use of the Imperial Army, so the Imperial Navy contracted with Italy for this weapon in 1937. The Type I is based on the Type 38 rifle and uses a Carcano action, but retains the Arisaka/Mauser type 5-round box magazine. The Type I was used primarily by Japanese Imperial Naval Forces and was chambered for the Japanese 6.5×50mm Arisaka cartridge. Approximately 60,000 Type I rifles were produced by Italian arsenals for Japan.
A Carcano Model 91/38 was used to assassinate US President John F. Kennedy.
History[edit]
Although this rifle is often called 'Mannlicher–Carcano', especially in American parlance, neither that designation nor the name 'Mauser–Parravicino' is correct. Its official designation in Italian is simply Modello 1891, or M91 ('il novantuno'). The magazine system uses en bloc charger clips which were originally developed and patented by Ferdinand Mannlicher, but the actual shape and design of the Carcano clip is derived from the German Model 1888 Commission Rifle.
Until 1938, all M91 rifles and carbines were chambered for the rimless 6.5×52mm Modello 1895 cartridge, using a round-nose metal case bullet of 160 grains weight at approximately 2,000-2,400 ft/s muzzle velocity, depending upon barrel length. At least one small arms authority noted inconsistencies in powder types in arsenal-loaded 6.5×52mm military ammunition, often with different powder types and ammunition lots intermixed within a single clip of ammunition.[1] The practice of intermixing powder types and ammunition lots in clipped rifle ammunition was generally avoided by arsenals of other nations, as it frequently resulted in varying bullet velocities and excessive bullet dispersion on the target.
After reports of inadequate performance at both short and long ranges[2][3] during the campaigns in Italian North Africa (1924-1934), and the Second Italo-Abyssinian War (1934), the Italian army introduced a new short rifle in 1938, the Modello 1938, together with a new cartridge in 7.35×51mm caliber. In addition to the slightly larger caliber, Italian ordnance designers introduced a spitzer-type bullet for the new cartridge, with the tip filled with aluminum to produce an unstable (tumbling) projectile upon impact in soft tissue (a design most likely copied from the .303 British Mk VII bullet).
However, the Italian government was unable to successfully mass-produce the new arms in adequate quantities before the onset of war, and in 1940, all rifle and ammunition production reverted to 6.5 mm, but no 7.35 mm Mod. 38 rifles nor carbines were ever re-barreled to the old 6.5×52mm caliber. Some Italian troops serving on the Russian front were armed with 7.35 mm Mod. 1938 rifles, but exchanged them in 1942 for 6.5×52 mm arms.[4]
(Left to Right) 7.92mm Mauser (also called 8mm Mauser), 6.5mm Carcano, and 7.35mm Carcano
Model 91 Bayonet
Approximately 94,500 7.35mm Modello 1938 rifles were shipped to Finland, where they were known as Terni carbines (from the Terni stamp with the royal crown, the logo or seal of the Regia fibbrica d’armi di Terni arsenal where they were manufactured).[5] They were primarily used by security and line-of-communications troops during the Winter War of 1939–1940, though some frontline troops were issued the weapon.[5] According to reports, the Finns disliked the rifle.[5] With its non-standard 7.35 mm caliber, it was problematic to keep frontline troops supplied with good quality, or any ammunition at all, and its non-adjustable rear sight (fixed for 200 m) made it ill-suited for use in precision shooting at the varied ranges encountered by Finnish soldiers during the conflict.[5] Despite this, it's worth noticing that the Finns themselves modified the fixed optics on the rifle to operate from a range of 200 m to only 150 m.[6] Whenever possible, Finnish soldiers discarded the weapon in favor of rifles acquired on the battlefield,[5] including standard models of captured Soviet-made Mosin–Nagant rifles. The latter had the advantage of using commonly available 7.62×54mmR ammunition. By the outbreak of the Continuation War, the remaining Mod. 1938 7.35 mm rifles were issued to the Finnish Navy, as well as anti-aircraft, coastal defense, and other second-line (home front) troops.[5]
In 1941, the Italian military returned to a long-barrelled infantry rifle once again (slightly shorter than the original M91), the Carcano M91/41.[7] True sniper versions never existed, but in World War I a few rifles were fitted with telescopic lenses and issued for service use (World War II scoped rifles were strictly prototypes).
Several lots of Moschetti M91/38 TS (special troops' carbines) were chambered for the German 8×57mm Mauser sS heavy ball round. This modification entered service in 1943, just before the Italian capitulation.[7] Two small batches of Moschetti M91/38 TS carbines shows barrels marked 1938 and 1941, but they were not used at these times with any Italian forces, and their peculiar serial numbering suggests that these might just be rebored unused surplus barrels that were converted with other ones after 1945. Many 7.92 mm Carcano carbines were apparently exported to Egypt after World War II, where they served as drill and training carbines. Several also bear Israeli armed forces markings. The occasionally used model moniker 'Model 1943 (M43)' for these converted 7.92mm rifles is wrong, as they were never so designated by the Italian military.[citation needed]
German forces captured large quantities of Carcanos after Italy's capitulation in September 1943. It was the most commonly issued rifle to the German Volkssturm ('People's Militia') units in late 1944 and 1945.[8]
After World War II, Italy replaced its Carcano rifles first with British Lee–Enfields and then with the US .30 caliber (7.62 mm) M1 Garandsemi-automatic rifle,[7] which the Italians labeled the 'Model 1952 (M52). Finland sold all of its approximately 74,000 remaining 7.35 mm M91/38 Carcano rifles on the surplus market. As a consequence, large quantities of surplus Carcanos were sold in the United States and Canada beginning in the 1950s. In Italy, the Polizia di Stato and the Carabinieri retained the Moschetto 38 TS,[7] retiring it from service in 1981. Captured 6.5mm Carcano rifles were used by Greek forces post-war, with ammunition supplied by U.S. Western Cartridge Co. Some were also converted to 6.5×54mm Mannlicher–Schönauer, one of the standard cartridges of the Greek military at the time.
During the Libyan Civil War in 2011, many rebels went into battle with their personally-owned weapons, including old bolt-action rifles and shotguns. Of these, Carcano-style rifles and carbines have been the most frequently observed style of bolt-action rifle. They were predominantly used by rebels in the Nafusa Mountains. These old weapons saw combat once again due to the rebels' limited access to modern firearms. Additionally, some Libyan rebels preferred to use their familiar hunting weapons over the more modern, yet unfamiliar, assault rifles available.[9][10] According to Al-Fitouri Muftah, a member of the rebel military council overseeing the western mountain front, as many as 1 in 10 rebels in the region were armed with World War II-era weapons.[11]
Variants[edit]
All variants used the same Carcano bolt action, fed by an en-bloc clip; the rifles and carbines had different barrel lengths and differences in stocks and sights depending on barrel length.[12][13] As noted in the introduction, the word moschetto means literally 'musket' but was used generally by Italian arms makers as a descriptor of Italian 20th century rifles, often shorter-barrelled rifles in the carbine style meant for other than regular infantry uses. Regular length infantry rifles are named as fucile models.
- Fucile di Fanteria Modello 1891 (infantry rifle Model 1891, detachable knife bayonet, adopted in 1891 in 6.5×52mm caliber) 30.7 inch barrel.[14]
- Moschetto da Cavalleria (cavalry carbine) Mod. 91 (6.5×52mm carbine with integral folding bayonet, adopted in 1893) 17.7 inch barrel.[15]
- Moschetto per Truppe Speciali Mod. 91 (or 6.5×52mm M91 TS, carbine for special troops; TS = Truppe Speciali). These included machine gun, mortar and motorcycle crews, adopted 1897) 17.7 inch barrel.[14] Both sling swivels are mounted below the stock and barrel ring, where they are visible from both sides of the rifle.
- Moschetto di Fanteria (infantry carbine rifle) Mod. 91/24 (6.5×52mm carbine, modification of the original Mod. 1891 with shortened barrel and altered rearsight blade, adopted in 1924) 17.7 inch barrel.[14]
- Moschetto per Truppe Speciali Mod. 91/28 (lightly altered M 91 6.5×52mm carbine, adopted in 1928) 17.7 inch barrel.[14]
- Moschetto per Truppe Speciali con Tromboncino (con Tromboncino, with grenade launcher) Mod. 91/28 (modified 91/28 coupled with a 38.5 mm grenade launcher) 17.7 inch barrel.
- Fucile di Fanteria Mod. 1938 ('infantry rifle' Model 1938, adopted in 1938 in 7.35×51mm caliber, fixed sights, detachable folding knife bayonet) 20.9 inch barrel.[14]Carcano Model 1891/38 Infantry rifle
- Moschettos (carbines) Mod. 1938 (folding bayonet) and Mod. 1938 TS (detachable bayonet) carbine versions of Model 1938 short rifle in 7.35×51mm, 17.7 inch barrel.
- Fucile di Fanteria Mod. 91/38 (Model 1938 'infantry rifle' chambered in 6.5×52mm caliber since 1940). The barrel is the 20.9 inch barrel of the earlier 7.35 mm caliber, but now changed to 6.5 mm. Unlike the slightly shorter and lighter TS Moschetto, it also has both sling swivels on the left side of the stock, not visible from the right side of the rifle, identifying it as a Fucile di Fanteria type. This is the model (stamped '1940' to show manufacture date) owned by Lee Harvey Oswald and determined to be the John F. Kennedy assassination rifle. From 1940, the Moschetto Mod. 1938 and Mod. 1938 TS were also made in 6.5×52mm.
- Fucile di Fanteria Mod. 91/41 (6.5×52mm 'infantry rifle' adopted in 1941, adjustable sights), 27.2 inch barrel.[14]
- Type I Rifle (6.5×50mm infantry rifle, produced for export to Japan, adjustable sights)
Users[edit]
- Albania[16]
- Austria-Hungary: Captured during World War I, about 49,500 were converted to use the available 6.5×54mm Mannlicher–Schönauer cartridges.[17]
- Independent State of Croatia[18]
- Ethiopian Empire: captured from the Italian forces in 1896[19] or acquired after World War I.[20] Still in use with irregular forces in the 1950s.[19]
- Egypt
- Finland[16]
- German Empire
- Italy
- Kingdom of Italy
- Italian Social Republic
- Empire of Japan[16]
- Libya[21]
- Malta
- Mali: People's Movement for the Liberation of Azawad[22]
- Nazi Germany[8][23]
- Netherlands: The British sent captured Carcanos to the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army[24]
- Persia
- Republic of China[25]
- Romania
- Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes: In 1921 the Kingdom had about 11,000 Italian M91 rifles in stock. In the start of the 1920s it was proposed these be exchanged for Mauser rifles with the Kingdom of Italy. The proposition was declined in 1922 and these rifles remained in Yugoslav hands until 1941.[26] The Yugoslav Partisans also used captured M91 and M91/38 rifles and carbines.[27][28]
- Saudi Arabia
- Somalia
- Syria: M91 carbines used after the 1946 Syrian independence[29]
- Tunisia: M91 rifles used by the Neo Destour[30]
Kennedy assassination rifle[edit]
Carcano Model 1891/38 short rifle (Fucile di Fanteria) with a 4-power Ordnance Optics scope used by Lee Harvey Oswald to assassinate John F. Kennedy.
In March 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald purchased a '6.5 [mm] Italian carbine', later improperly called a Mannlicher–Carcano (although it uses a Mannlicher style En Bloc clip system), through mail order, for $19.95 ($155 in 2015 dollars).[31] The advertisement only specified a '6.5 Italian Carbine' and actually shows a Carcano model M91 TS, which was the 36-inch (91 cm) Carcano carbine model sold through the ad when it was originally placed. However, from a time 11 months before Oswald placed his order, the Chicago sporting goods store from which he purchased it had been shipping the slightly longer 40.2-inch (102 cm) Model 91/38 under the same ad, and this is the weapon Oswald received.
Official reports have concluded that Oswald used this weapon to assassinate U.S. President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. The rifle, made in the Terni arsenal in 1940 and bearing the serial number C2766, was equipped for an extra $7 with a new 4x18 Japanese telescopic sight, on a sheet metal side mount. It was later scrutinized by local police, the FBI, the U. S. Army, and two federal commissions. Shooting tests, conducted by those groups and others using the original rifle or similar models, addressed questions about the speed and accuracy with which the Carcano could be fired. Following lawsuits over its ownership, the rifle ended up in storage at the National Archives. The assassination was one of the factors leading to passage of the Gun Control Act of 1968, which banned mail order sales of firearms.
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^Dunlap, Roy F., Ordnance Went Up Front, Samworth Press (1948), pp. 47: Dunlap, a small arms ordnance expert serving with the Foreign Weapons section in the Royal Ordnance Corps, broke down many Italian 6.5×52 mm cartridges, and sometimes found different components in the same rifle clip—up to four different types of smokeless powder, using different size flash holes for the primer in an attempt to regulate the burning speed and resultant velocity.
- ^Dunlap, Roy F., Ordnance Went Up Front, Samworth Press (1948), pp. 47-48: The 6.5mm Carcano had reportedly proved inadequate in stopping charges of native tribesmen for a number of years, prompting various stop-gap solutions such as brass-jacketed multiple projectile or frangible explosive bullets, apparently for use against tribesmen in colonial conflicts.
- ^Weeks, John, World War II Small Arms, New York: Galahad Books, p. 47: the 6.5mm's blunt bullet and relatively low velocity also gave poor long range performance in machine guns, compared to the cartridges used by most other nations.
- ^Miller, David. Fighting Men of World War II, Volume I: Axis Forces--Uniforms, Equipment, and Weapons (Fighting Men of World War II). Stackpole Books. p. 369. ISBN0-8117-0277-4.
- ^ abcdefThe Finnish Army 1918–1945: Rifles, Part 6 Three Mausers and One Terni Jaeger Platoon Website
- ^McCollum, Ian (August 1, 2017). 'M38 TS Carcano Carbine: Brilliant or Rubbish?'. forgottenweapons.com. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- ^ abcd'Le Carcano modèle 1891 et ses dérivés'. La Gazette des Armes (in French). No. 239. December 1993. pp. 25–29.
- ^ abYelton, David. Hitler's Home Guard: Volkssturmman. Osprey Publishing. p. 62. ISBN1-84603-013-7.
- ^'YouTube'. www.youtube.com. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
- ^Chivers, C.J. (April 20, 2011). 'Inferior Arms Hobble Rebels in Libya War'. The New York Times.
- ^Smith, David (July 12, 2011). 'Libyan rebels make gains against Gaddafi forces in western mountains'. The Guardian. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
- ^W.H.B. Smith, Small Arms of the World, Stackpole, 1966, 8th ed., pages 476, 477.
- ^'Carcano Identification: A Quick and Dirty Guide for Variations'. candrsenal.com. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
- ^ abcdef'The Italian Carcano Rifle'. Archived from the original on 2011-09-24. Retrieved 2012-09-26.
- ^Julio S. Guzmán, Las Armas Modernas de Infantería, Abril de 1953
- ^ abcWalter, John. Rifles of the World. Krause Publications. p. 273. ISBN0-89689-241-7.
- ^'Italian Carcano Rifles Captured by Austro-Hungary'. hungariae.com. Manowar. 28 Dec 2010. Retrieved 21 Feb 2015.
- ^Vladimir Brnardic. World War II Croation Legionaries: Croation Troops Under Axis Command 1941—45. p. 9. ISBN978-1-4728-1767-9.
- ^ abScarlata, Paul (Feb 1, 2009). 'Ethiopian military rifle cartridges part 1: from the Queen of Sheba to Adowa'. Shotgun News.
- ^Scarlata, Paul (Mar 1, 2009). 'Ethiopian military rifle cartridges: Part 2: from Mauser to Kalashnikov'. Shotgun News.
- ^Old Italian Carcanos Used by Rebels in Libya Revolutionary Program, July 7, 2011
- ^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.
- ^W. Darrin Weaver (2005). Desperate Measures: The Last-Ditch Weapons of the Nazi Volkssturm. Collector Grade Publications. p. 61. ISBN0889353727.
- ^Scarlata, Paul (April 2014). 'Military rifle cartridges of the Netherlands: from Sumatra to Afghanistan'. Shotgun News.
- ^Chinese Warlord Armies 1911-30 by Philip Jowett, page 22.
- ^Bogdanivić, Branko (1990). Puške: dva veka pušaka na teritoriji Jugloslavije. SPORTINVEST, Belgrade. pp. 110–123. ISBN86-7597-001-3.
- ^Scarlata, Paul (1 October 2017). 'Yugoslav Part II: World War II small arms: an assortment of small arms from friends and foe alike'. Firearms News.
- ^Vukšić, Velimir (July 2003). Tito's partisans 1941–45. Warrior 73. Osprey Publishing. p. 59. ISBN978-1-84176-675-1.
- ^Scarlata, Paul (February 2010). 'The military rifle cartridges of Syria'. Shotgun News.
- ^Scarlata, Paul (November 2012). 'Military rifle cartridges of Tunisia: from Phoenicians to today'. Shotgun News.
- ^'CPI Inflation Calculator'. data.bls.gov. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Carcano. |
- Carcano M38 cal.7.35x51mm shooting (video); close-up (video)
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carcano&oldid=900985350'
Beretta Modello 38 | |
---|---|
Type | Submachine gun |
Place of origin | Kingdom of Italy |
Service history | |
Used by | See Users |
Wars |
|
Production history | |
Designed | 1935 |
Variants | 1938A 1938/42 1938/43 1938/44 1938/44 Special - Model 1 1938/49 - M2, M3 & M4 Model 5 |
Specifications | |
Mass | MAB 38A: 4.2 kilograms (9.3 lb) (empty) MAB 38/42: 3.27 kilograms (7.2 lb) (empty) MAB 38/49: 3.25 kilograms (7.2 lb) (empty) |
Length | MAB 38A: 946 millimetres (37.2 in) MAB 38/42: 800 millimetres (31 in) MAB 38/49:798 millimetres (31.4 in) |
Barrel length | MAB 38A: 315 millimetres (12.4 in) MAB 38/42: 213 millimetres (8.4 in) MAB 38/49: 210 millimetres (8.3 in) |
Cartridge | 9×19mm Parabellum |
Caliber | 0.355 inches (9.0 mm) |
Action | Blowback |
Rate of fire | MAB 38A: 600 rpm MAS 38/42 and 38/49: 550 rpm[3] |
Muzzle velocity | MAB 38A: 1,378 feet per second (420 m/s) MAS 38/42 and 38/49: 1,250 feet per second (380 m/s)[3] |
Effective firing range | 200 m (219 yd) |
Feed system | 10, 20, 30 or 40-Round Detachable Box Magazine |
The MAB 38 (Moschetto Automatico Beretta Modello 1938), Modello 38, or Model 38 and its variants were a series of official submachine guns of the Royal Italian Army introduced in 1938 and used during World War II. The guns were also used by the German, Romanian, and Argentine armies of the time.
History[edit]
Italian WWII propaganda poster showing a Beretta Model 38
Soldier of an assault Battalion of the Republican National Guard (GNR) of Repubblica Sociale Italiana, armed with a MAB 38A and wearing a 'Samurai' magazine-holding vest.
Originally designed by Beretta's chief engineer Tullio Marengoni in 1935, the Moschetto Automatico Beretta (Beretta Automatic Musket) 38, or MAB 38, was developed from the Beretta Modello 18 and 18/30, derived from the Villar Perosalight machine gun of World War I. It is widely acknowledged as the most successful and effective Italian small arm of World War II and was produced in large numbers in several variants.[4] Italy's limited industrial base in World War II was no real barrier toward the development of advanced and effective small arms, since most weapons did require large amounts of artisan and semi-artisan man-hours to be fine-tuned and made reliable by default. Italian specialized workers excelled and the initial slow rate of production meant that the MAB 38 became available in large numbers only in 1943, when the fascist regime was toppled and Italy split between the Allied-aligned co-belligerent forces in the south and German collaborationists of the Italian Social Republic in the north.
The MAB 38 was developed by Beretta to compete in the rich market of machine and sub-machine guns; it was a well-made and sturdy weapon, introducing several advanced features and was suitable for police and special army units. Presented to Italian authorities in 1939, its first customer was the Italian Ministry of Colonies, which purchased several thousands MABs to be issued as standard firearm of the Polizia dell'Africa Italiana (Italian Africa Constabulary), the government colonial police force. Army orders were slow to come; although impressed by excellent qualities and firepower of the weapon, the Italian military did not feel the MAB was suitable for standard infantry combat. It was judged ideal for police and assault units and in the beginning of 1941 small orders were placed for Carabinieri (military and civilian police), Guardie di Pubblica Sicurezza (national state police), and paratroopers. The Italian Army requested minor changes to reduce production costs, notably the changed shape of the recoil compensator and the removal of the bayonet and catch as the MAB 38A. This was the standard army variant, used throughout the war and issued to elite Italian units, paratroopers, Alpini 'Monte Cervino' assault battalion, 10th Arditi Regiment, 'M' Battalions of Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale (MVSN, Blackshirts) and military police.
The Italian Royal Navy also purchased the type and MAB 38A were given to the 'San Marco' Marine Regiment and naval security troops; The Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) issued the MAB 38A to its crack A.D.R.A. Regiment. Orders were still small and the Carcano M1891 rifle remained the standard weapon even in elite units. Until 1943, MAB 38A (and since 1942, the MAB 38/42) was available almost exclusively to paratroopers, Blackshirts, tank crews and Carabinieri military police, given the need of all of the former to express high volumes of firepower in prolonged actions or to keep close-quarters combat superiority. The paratroopers of the 185th Airborne Division Folgore was armed exclusively with the weapon. Blackshirt legions (one per infantry division) were regarded and used as elite assault units both for their fanaticism and their Beretta 38s.
After the Italian armistice of September 8, 1943, the Italian armed forces melted away and an Italian army was reconstructed in northern Italy under German sponsorship, the Beretta MAB equipped many units. The Italian Social Republic (R.S.I.) army fought a guerrilla war against partisans from the start, as well as against the Allies. For assault and counterinsurgency units, where firepower at close range was a vital asset, it was the ideal weapon. Production of the MAB became priority and it was supplied in great numbers to R.S.I. formations, especially elite units and it became an iconic weapon, symbolizing the Italian soldier in popular culture. Later in the war, a simplified variant known as the MAB 38/44 was introduced. Regardless of the tables of organization and equipment of a unit, the Beretta 38 was a popular weapon that could eventually find its way into the hands of virtually any soldier, especially amongst officers and higher non-commissioned officers, in any type of unit.
A magazine-holding vest was designed for elite troops (Blackshirts, paratroopers) armed with the Beretta 38; these were dubbed 'Samurai' due to the similarity of the stacked magazines with traditional Japanese armour. A special canvas holster was issued with the MAB with two magazine-carrier pouches sewn on, to be worn as a belt but only came into use during the brief life of the R.S.I. and by then could be seen in the employ of many different units whose 'elite' status could have been reasonably questioned (such as Black Brigades and other militias). The Beretta MAB was highly praised by Italian resistance movement fighters as well, being far more accurate and powerful than the British Sten which was common issue in partisan units, although the smaller Sten was more suited for clandestine operations. German soldiers also liked the Beretta MAB, judging it large and heavy, but reliable and well made.
The 1938 series was extremely robust and proved very popular with Axis forces as well as Allied troops, who used captured examples.[5] Many German soldiers, including elite forces such as the Waffen-SS and Fallschirmjäger forces, preferred the Beretta 38.[6][7][8] Firing a powerfully loaded Italian version of the widely distributed 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge, the Cartuccia 9 mm M38, the Beretta was accurate at longer ranges than most other submachine guns.[9] The MAB could deliver an impressive firepower at close range and at longer distances its size and weight was an advantage, making the weapon stable and easy to control. In expert hands, the Beretta MAB allowed accurate short-bursts shooting up to 100 m (110 yd) and its effective range with Italian M38 ammunition, was 200 m (220 yd)s, an impressive result for a 9 mm submachine gun.
Specifications[edit]
MAB 38, in its first variants, was a fine weapon by any standard, crafted with high quality materials, flawlessly finished and with carefully machined parts. Models 38/42 and 38/44 were easier and faster to build, the finish was sacrificed for speed of production but the quality remained high. The mechanism was a traditional simple blowback recoil but with a novel floating firing pin, an automatic safety on open bolt (both later removed to save production costs), a recoil compensator on the muzzle, a bolt cocking handle with sliding dust cover and a striking trigger gear with no fire selector but with two triggers instead; the fore trigger was for semi-automatic fire and rear trigger for full-auto. The user could shift quickly between methods without switching levers or safety catches, which proved useful in combat. The full-auto trigger a safety catch on left side, which was eliminated from 1942 and the rear sight was adjustable up to 500 m (550 yd) in the MAB 38 and 38A, the 38/42 and 38/44 variants had fixed rear sights. The MAB 38 had a wooden stock, was about 800 mm (31 in) long and weighed about 5 kg (11 lb) when loaded, with an effective range of about 200 m (220 yd).
Variants[edit]
Beretta M38/42
Beretta Model 1 with MP40-style under-folding stock
Beretta M38/49 (Model 4) (note push-button cross-bolt safety located at the middle of the stock)
The Model 1938 can be recognized by its machined steel receiver, fine craftsmanship and finish and by the perforated cooling jacket over the barrel.[10] It was produced from 1938 to 1950 and fired 9×19mm Parabellum ammunition at 600 rounds per minute. It used 10, 20, 30 or 40-round magazines; the short 10-round magazine, when used in conjunction with the fixed bayonet, was popular with Allied and Axis forces for guarding prisoners or internal security.[9][11] In combat, the 30 round magazine was the most common. The original MAB 38, first issued to Italian police in 1939, had a bayonet mount and stock rest for the Carcano M91/38 folding bayonet.
In compliance with Italian army requirements, bayonet mount and rest were eliminated and the recoil compensator was redesigned, the two horizontal muzzle slots substituted by 4 transversal cuttings, judged more effective. This standard army variant was renamed MAB 38A and issued in 1941. Despite its undeniable effectiveness, the Beretta Model 38 proved too time-consuming and expensive to produce during wartime. Marengoni designed a simplified model made from sheet steel, in which the cooling jacket and bayonet mount were eliminated and the separate firing pin mechanism replaced by a fixed firing pin machined on the face of the bolt. The barrel and wooden stock were also shortened to save weight and cost.[10][12] This new model the Model 38/42 had a fluted barrel to aid cooling and save weight. It also had a slower rate of fire (550 rpm). The Model 38/43, was an intermediate production stage between the 42 and 44 patterns.[10] The 38/42 and 38/43 were adopted by the Wehrmacht as the Maschinenpistole 738(i), abbreviated as MP.738.[12] Models produced for the German Army received German aceptance marks.[13]
The Model 38/44 was a minor revision of the 38/43, in which the bolt was simplified and a large-diameter recoil spring used in place of the operating spring guide.[12] It also eliminated the fluting to save time and increase production.[12] The 38/44 was also adopted by the German army as the MP.739.[14] A variant of the Model 38/44 was fitted with an MP40-style under-folding stock as the Model 1.[12]
After World War II, the 38/44 continued in production in slightly revised form as the 38/49 series: the Model 2 or MP 38/44 Special with an MP40-style under-folding stock and extended magazine well,[12] the Model 3 with an extended magazine well and telescoping steel-wire buttstock and the Model 4 with a standard wooden rifle stock. All of these models have a push-button cross-bolt safety catch at the middle of the stock[12] After Marengoni's death, Beretta engineer Domenico Salza revised the safety system of the Model 38/49 series as the Model 5, identified by a large rectangular grip-safety button located in the stock's finger groove.[15][16][17] The Model 5 was produced for the Italian Army, police and the armed forces of several other nations until 1961, when production ceased in favor of the compact, modern Beretta M12.[15]
Users[edit]
- Albania: captured by the Albanian Partisans in vast quantities during the war
- Algeria: Used by Armée de Libération Nationale[18]
- Costa Rica:[19] Models 38/44 and 38/49[12][20]
- Dominican Republic[19]: Model 38/49[20]
- Empire of Japan: 350 ordered and 50 delivered in 1943.[21]
- Egypt: Models 38/42 and 38/49[22]
- Ethiopia[19]
- Finland: Italian surplus MP38s bought in 1958.[23]
- Nazi Germany[24]
- West Germany: MP38/49 (Model 4) and Model 5, identified as the MP1. Used by Bundeswehr (until 1959) and Bundesgrenzschutz (replaced at the end of the 1960s)[4][25]
- Indonesia: MP1938/49 variant.[20] Deployed during the United Nations Operation in the Congo.[1]
- Iran[4]
- Iraq: Model 38/44[12]
- Italy[6]
- Italian Social Republic[26]
- Italian Resistance[4]
- Libya[27]
- Morocco[19]
- Somalia: Used by Western Somali Liberation Front rebels during Ogaden War.[28]
- Pakistan Model 38/44[12][4]
- Romania: 5,000 ordered in 1941 and delivered during 1942.[24][29] Received both Model 38A and Model 38/42.[4][30]
- Syria[4]
- Syrian National Coalition[31]
- Thailand: Model 38/49[20]
- Tunisia: Model 38/49[20]
- Yemen:[19] Model 38/49[20]
- Yugoslavia: Captured in vast quantities.[32]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ abAbbot, Peter (February 2014). Modern African Wars: The Congo 1960–2002. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. p. 44. ISBN978-1782000761.
- ^JWH1975 (September 27, 2015). 'StG-44 in Africa after WWII'. WII after WII. Wordpress. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- ^ abSmall Arms of the World, p. 488
- ^ abcdefgIannamico, Frank (June 1998). 'Moschetto Automatico Beretta 38/42'. Small Arms Review. Vol. 1 no. 9.
- ^Dunlap, Roy F., Ordnance Went Up Front, Samworth Press, (1948), p. 58
- ^ abMiller, David. Fighting Men of World War II, Volume I: Axis Forces--Uniforms, Equipment, and Weapons (Fighting Men of World War II). Stackpole Books. pp. 139, 353. ISBN0-8117-0277-4.
- ^Quarrie, Bruce, Fallschirmjäger: German Paratrooper, 1935-45, Osprey Publishing (2001), ISBN1-84176-326-8, ISBN978-1-84176-326-2, p. 59
- ^Ordnance Went Up Front, p. 58: 'No one ever bothered with any other kind of submachine gun if he could get hold of a Beretta M38, and keep it. The New Zealand boys especially loved them. Even the Germans liked it, and they hated to admit anything was good except their own stuff'.
- ^ abOrdnance Went Up Front, p. 58
- ^ abcHogg, Ian V. and Weeks, John, Military Small Arms of the 20th Century, 6th ed. DBI Books, Inc. (1991), pp. 224-225
- ^Smith, Joseph E., Small Arms of the World, 11th ed., Harrisburg, PA: The Stackpole Company (1969), pp. 481-482
- ^ abcdefghijSmall Arms of the World, pp. 482-483
- ^Small Arms of the World, p. 429
- ^'Moschetto Automatico Beretta'. historiamilitaria.it (in Italian). Marco Marzilli. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
- ^ abMilitary Small Arms of the 20th Century, pp. 224-225
- ^http://world.guns.ru/smg/it/beretta-m1938-e.html
- ^https://web.archive.org/web/20020112104153/http://www.nasog.net/datasheets/firearms/smg/Beretta_Model_3.htm
- ^Windrow, Martin (1997). The Algerian War, 1954-62. Men-at Arms 312. London: Osprey Publishing. p. 37. ISBN978-1-85532-658-3.
- ^ abcdeJones, Richard (2009). Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009-2010. Jane's Information Group. pp. 894–905. ISBN0-7106-2869-2.
- ^ abcdefSmall Arms of the World, p. 487
- ^'ITALIAN-JAPANESE MP 38/43 MACHINE PISTOL'. Dragons of Fire. Retrieved 2011-12-10.
- ^Small Arms of the World, p. 615
- ^Thompson, Leroy (23 Mar 2017). The Suomi Submachine Gun. Weapon 54. Osprey Publishing. p. 73. ISBN9781472819642.
- ^ abBishop, Christ (2002). The Encyclopedia of Weapons of WWII: The Comprehensive Guide to over 1,500 Weapons Systems, Including Tanks, Small Arms, Warplanes, Artillery, Ships, and Submarines. Metrobooks. p. 262. ISBN1-58663-762-2.
- ^http://www.bundesheer.at/truppendienst/ausgaben/artikel.php?id=1437
- ^Jowett, Phillip (2001). The Italian Army 1940-45 (3): Italy 1943-45 (Men-at-Arms) (v. 3). Osprey Publishing. p. 17. ISBN1855328666.
- ^'World Infantry Weapons: Libya'. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016.
- ^JWH1975 (September 27, 2015). 'StG-44 in Africa after WWII'. WII after WII. Wordpress. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- ^Mark Axworthy,Third axis, fourth ally, page 76
- ^Small Arms of the World, p. 534
- ^http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2012/08/10/nifty-beretta-model-1938-in-syria/
- ^Vuksic, Velimir (2003). Tito's Partisans 1941-45. Osprey Publishing. p. 60. ISBN1841766755.
Further reading[edit]
- Dunlap, Roy F., Ordnance Went Up Front, Samworth Press, (1948) ISBN1-884849-09-1
- Hogg, Ian V. and Weeks, John, Military Small Arms of the 20th Century, 6th ed. DBI Books, Inc. (1991), ISBN0-87349-120-3
- Smith, Joseph E., Small Arms of the World, 11th ed., Harrisburg, PA: The Stackpole Company (1969), ISBN0-8117-1566-3
- G. Rosignoli, RSI: uniformi, equipaggiamento ed armi, Albertelli Ed., 1985
- Beretta A5 SMG Brochure(PDF) (in Italian). Gardone Val Trompia, Italy: Pietro Beretta S.P.A. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
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