This Old Gun: Beretta Model 1934

Watch our American Rifleman TV video above to learn about the Beretta Model 1934.

Beretta’s 1934 semi-automatic pistol laid the groundwork for many of the popular Beretta models we know today. The gun's open-top design is certainly a distinguishing feature of the double-action pistol’s slide. The Model 1934 Beretta’s cutting-edge design found wide distribution and was commissioned for official duty with the Italian military. 

The world’s oldest gunmaker got right with the M1934. The direct-blowback-operated pistol has a slide that locks back on empty magazine. It offers a thin, single-stack design that is easily carried concealed. The Model 1934 is a compact pistol chambered for .380 ACP that allows for a seven-round detachable-box single-column magazine. The magazine’s release is affixed to the heel below the lanyard ring. The design provides double-action lockwork with an exposed hammer at the rear. Serrations are found at the rear of the slide.  

Its stocks are made of steel-backed rubber, which at the time of its release was a brilliant addition to the handling and longevity of the panels. The pistol provides sights for aiming its 3.7” barrel and is comprised of just 39 parts, making for a shootable and reliable sidearm. 

Beretta’s Model 1934 design was a success. One year after its inauguration, a version chambered for .32 ACP was released. The successful Beretta Model 1934 design helped lay the ground for what would be coming the service pistol for the U.S. military decades later. 

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