A Couple of Beretta Pocket Pistols

[FALPhil]

I started to post this in the Beretta forum, but since this post has both rimfire and centerfire, I decided to post it here.

I like to collect surplus guns, and there have been a couple of rounds of surplus Beretta pistols lately. Here are a couple that I scored - a Model 71 (22LR) and a Model 81 (32ACP).


The 81 is about 1/2 inch taller and 1/4 inch longer than the 81. The 71 is about 1/4 inch thinner. The 71 is single stack and holds 9+1. The 81 is double stack and holds 12+1.

This is how the 71 came to me:


The faux suppressor was an accommodation to the insane regulations that the BATF imposes upon importers. It was a solid hunk of steel with a hole drilled through the center. It made the pistol so front end heavy it was difficult to shoot. The importer claimed that these pistols were surplus Mossad assassination pistols and were threaded by the Israelis. After getting that POS off the muzzle and examining the threads, I am pretty sure that CAI had some angry beavers thread the muzzles.

Here is a closer picture of the 71.


And a closer picture of the 81.


The manual of arms and field stripping of both pistols is very similar. The 81 has ambi safety levers and the 71 does not. The mag release on the 81 is behind the trigger on the left side like you find on most American autoloaders. On the 71, the mag release is at the bottom rear left grip.

These are fun pistols to plink with. The 81 feels like a larger pistol than it is when shooting it. I will need to get an adapter for the threads on the 71 so I can mount a can.

[Toomany22s]

Nice, very nice. Id seen those faux suppressors before, but the guy at the gun show told me it was illegal to pull it off so i passed.

Hers one you might like , a model 34 in 380 , from WW2

[Andyd]

Handguns have to have minimum dimensions, safety requirements and have to get a certain number of points to be importable. The end user can change the parts on handguns out but not on rifles that fall under 922(r). Technically an importer can also import a handgun that does not fulfill the factoring criteria in parts and assemble it in the U.S., unless local laws prevent it. It kept F.I.E. in business for a long time.

https://www.atf.gov/file/61591/download

[Model 52]

The dealer I bought mine from had already removed the faux suppressor and just included it in the box.

As noted above, the end user can certainly remove it, after it has been imported.

They clean up nice, and shoot very well. It's accurate, and more reliable than my Walther PP in .22LR:

[Model 52]

Originally Posted by Andyd

Handguns have to have minimum dimensions, safety requirements and have to get a certain number of points to be importable. The end user can change the parts on handguns out but not on rifles that fall under 922(r). Technically an importer can also import a handgun that does not fulfill the factoring criteria in parts and assemble it in the U.S., unless local laws prevent it. It kept F.I.E. in business for a long time.

https://www.atf.gov/file/61591/download

KBI got by with importing the FEG made SMC-380 because it barely squeaked passed the dimensional limit due to the finger extension on the magazine and had a thumb rest on the original grip. If there had been a flush magazine available for it from FEG, it would not have met the import requirements.

The grips on it now delete the thumb rest and extend down around the finger extension (no magazine installed in the bottom picture):

[Bartlow]

The Beretta Model 71's imported by Century came from Israel, but they were used for training, not assassination. The barrel was threaded to "permanently" attach the fake silencer to make it importable. The Model 71's commercially imported into the US after 1968 had adjustable sights and a thumbrest (target) grip. The guns Century imported were the model that had a fixed sight and flat grips, so they needed the longer barrel to be "sporting" enough to be importable.

[j.r. guerra in s. texas]

Some very handsome rimfire pistols up there folks, thanks for sharing pictures of them.

Good shooting !

[FALPhil]

Originally Posted by Model 52

The dealer I bought mine from had already removed the faux suppressor and just included it in the box.

Model 52, did your dealer provide the thread protector, or did you procure it? I'd like to find a thread protector for mine.

[Piexcel]

Those are nifty pistols, FALPhil!