The Italian Beretta M1918 submachine gun, developed at the very end of the First World War, had a fairly successful design that allowed it to hold out in the army until the early forties. In addition, it became the basis for several new weapon modifications, and also remained in history as one of the first submachine guns in the modern sense of the term. Nevertheless, despite all the advantages of the M1918, by the mid-thirties, the troops needed a new weapon with a more advanced design and improved characteristics. The answer to the new requirements was the Beretta M1938A submachine gun, which turned out to be just as successful as its predecessor.
The project of a new weapon did not appear immediately. By the mid-thirties, it became clear that the existing submachine gun "Beretta" mod. 1918 no longer fully meets modern requirements and must be replaced with newer and more advanced weapons. In order to re-equip the troops in 1935, Beretta specialists, led by designer Tulio Marengoni, proposed a new project of a submachine gun. It was based on the design of the M1918 / 30 carbine, but differed from it in some details. This weapon, referred to in some sources as the M1935, did not meet all the requirements, which is why the work continued.
The next version of the weapon was proposed in 1938, which affected its name. This submachine gun remained in history under the designations M1938 ("Model 1938") and MAB 38 - Moschetto Automatico Beretta 38 ("Automatic carbine Beretta '38"). These designations are equivalent and can be used in parallel. To indicate later modifications, the corresponding indexes with additional letters are used.
General view of the Beretta M1938 submachine gun. Photo Wikimedia Commons
When creating a new weapon, it was planned to use the existing developments. In addition, some innovations were planned. For example, it was proposed to abandon the relatively weak 9x19 mm cartridge Glisenti. This ammunition, which was a modified version of the 9x19 mm Parabellum cartridge, differed from the prototype in a smaller amount of gunpowder and, as a result, in its main characteristics. The MAB 38 submachine gun was proposed to be developed for a new reinforced version of the 9x19 mm Parabellum cartridge. Calculations showed that a small increase in the powder charge would increase the muzzle velocity by about 50 m / s and thereby improve the basic parameters of the weapon.
In 1938, according to the results of design work, the first prototype of a promising weapon was assembled. It is noteworthy that he had some notable features that did not pass to the subsequent weapons of the family. Perhaps the most noticeable difference was the barrel design with a muzzle brake-compensator, valleys in the front and an aluminum radiator in the rear. Later it was decided that such a barrel design did not meet the existing requirements, which is why the finned radiator was replaced with other cooling means.
Testing the first prototype showed that some of the original solutions implemented in its design did not justify themselves. According to the test results, T. Marengoni and his colleagues reworked the weapon's automation, and also changed the design of the barrel and its cooling systems. The result of these alterations was an increase in the reliability of mechanisms and a noticeable reduction in the cost of finished weapons. The updated submachine gun did not receive its own designation, retaining the M1938 index. In this form and under this name in the future, the weapon went into series. It should be noted that in some sources this weapon is referred to as the M1938A, but there is information about the use of this name in relation to another development of the family.
A further development of the M1918 submachine gun, the new Beretta M1938 had a similar design and assembly. The main element of the weapon was the receiver, made in the form of a hollow tube with rectangular lower compartments under the front and rear parts. The front rectangular part served as a magazine shaft, the rear one served as a firing mechanism casing. A barrel was attached to the front of the receiver on a thread, to which a tubular casing with perforation was attached. At the back, the box was closed with a round lid. The assembled receiver with installed USM parts was fixed on a wooden stock, which was a modified unit of an existing weapon of the M1918 / 30 type.
Beretta M1918 submachine gun. Photo Forgottenweapons.com
A promising weapon was equipped with a 9 mm rifled barrel with a length of 315 mm (35 calibers). The barrel was fixed in the receiver, and was protected from the outside by a perforated casing. It was proposed to fasten a brake-compensator with four transverse slots in the upper part to the muzzle. Due to the correct redistribution of the flow of powder gases, this device was supposed to reduce the toss of the barrel during firing. On the barrel casing, in the front lower part, devices were provided for attaching a bayonet-knife.
Like its predecessor, the new submachine gun was supposed to use a free-bolt-based automation. The main part of such automation was a shutter of a complex shape. Its rear part was in the shape of a cylinder, and a deep recess was provided on the lower front part. In addition, there were several cavities inside the shutter for the installation of various internal parts, including the striker. An interesting feature of the Beretta M1938 bolt was the lack of its own cocking handle. This device was made as a separate part.
The cocking handle was located in a special recess on the right surface of the receiver and was an L-shaped (when viewed from above) part. When moving back, the handle interacted with the bolt and cocked it, after which it freely went forward. In its forward position, the handle with a long curtain bar covered the side slot of the receiver and did not allow dirt to get inside the weapon. It is noteworthy that the use of such protection against contamination led to a re-arrangement of the liner ejection system.
A characteristic feature of the M1918 and M1938 submachine guns was the use of a reciprocating mainspring of a relatively small diameter. Since in this case the spring could not have sufficient bending stiffness, it was placed inside the tubular casing and the corresponding hole in the valve. For greater rigidity from the side of the bolt, a metal rod entered the spring. The casing was made in the form of a glass with a washer at the bottom, designed to rest against the rear cover of the receiver.
The first prototype of the MAB 38. The barrel is clearly visible with ribbing and without a casing. Photo Opoccuu.ru
The Beretta MAB 38 submachine gun received a hammer-type firing mechanism. Inside the bolt, in its front part, there was a movable striker. The trigger and some other details were placed in the middle part. Their task was to ignite the cartridge primer after moving the bolt to the forward position. Due to the use of a reinforced cartridge for weapon automation, special requirements were imposed on the correct sequence of work.
Working on the project of a new weapon, T. Marengoni applied a rather old idea, which was abandoned two decades ago. He suggested not to equip the submachine gun with a fire translator. Instead, two separate triggers should have been used: the front one was to be responsible for firing single ones, the rear one for automatic fire. The triggers had a different shape in the upper part, which is why they interacted differently with other parts of the trigger. A fuse was also provided. It was made in the form of a swinging flag on the left surface of the receiver. He had to move along a shallow recess in the box. According to some reports, the fuse blocked only the rear trigger and allowed single fire.
The new submachine gun was supposed to use reinforced 9x19 mm Parabellum cartridges, placed in detachable box magazines. With the M1938 product, double-row magazines with a capacity of 10, 20, 30 or 40 rounds could be used. The store was proposed to be placed in the lower receiving window in the box, covered with a metal plate with a movable curtain. To avoid contamination of the weapon, after removing the magazine, the window should be closed. With the help of its own spring, the store fed cartridges to the chambering line, where they were picked up by the bolt. After firing, the bolt removed the spent cartridge case and threw it out through the window in the upper left of the receiver. Due to the presence of a movable bolt handle with its own shutter, a different layout of the extraction mechanisms was not possible.
The Beretta MAB 38 submachine gun received a wooden box with a pistol protrusion, inside which cavities were provided for installing all the necessary mechanisms. The general assembly of the weapon was carried out using pins and screws. In addition, the rear of the barrel casing was additionally attached to the stock with a clamp, on which the front swivel was provided. The rear one was made in the form of a notch on the left surface of the buttstock with a metal axis.
Complete disassembly of the M1938. The receiver has been cut due to legal requirements. Photo Sportsmansguide.com
The weapon received open sights. A small front sight was placed on the barrel casing, in front of the muzzle brake-compensator. In the middle part of the receiver (behind the window for ejection of cartridges), an open sight was provided with the ability to adjust for firing at different distances.
The total length of the M1938 submachine gun was 946 mm, the weight without cartridges was 4.2 kg. Thus, the new weapon was shorter than its predecessor, but differed from it in greater weight. However, other characteristics, including increased firepower, gave the newer weapon a noticeable advantage over the old one.
The automatic system based on a free shutter and a reinforced pistol cartridge made it possible to fire at a rate of up to 600 rounds per minute. Shooting was carried out from an open bolt. The fire mode was selected by using different triggers, which to a certain extent facilitated and accelerated the shooter's work. A reinforced cartridge with an increased weight of gunpowder, according to various sources, accelerated a 9-mm bullet to an initial speed of about 430-450 m / s. Due to this, the effective range of fire reached 200-250 m.
In 1938, the Beretta company manufactured and tested prototypes of a new submachine gun, which opened the way for this weapon to enter the army. In addition, the development of the design continued. At the end of the same year, a sample known as the M1938A was presented, created with the wishes of the army in mind. It differed from the basic weapon in the design of an efficient brake-compensator and in the absence of mounts for a bayonet. The rest of the M1938A / MAB 38A was similar to the base M1938 / MAB 38.
German paratroopers with Italian M1938 submachine guns. Photo Opoccuu.ru
A promising submachine gun was developed for arming the army and security forces. Their representatives got acquainted with the new weapon, after which the first contracts appeared. The initial customer of the MAB 38 in the first version (with the old compensator brake and bayonet mounts) was the colonial police Polizia dell'Africa Italiana, operating in Africa. Several thousand new submachine guns were ordered to arm the colonial police.
Later, contracts were signed for the supply of M1938A submachine guns for the army, carabinieri and other structures. According to reports, various special forces were the first to receive new weapons. In the future, based on the available capabilities, the command distributed new weapons between other units. Due to the impossibility of producing the required amount of weapons until 1942-43, the Beretta MAB 38 systems were available only to tankers, "black shirts", carabinieri, airborne troops and some other structures. Despite the small distribution, such weapons showed good results and earned good reviews.
Over time, some units operating submachine guns designed by T. Marengoni began to receive special vests for transporting magazines. On the chest part of such a vest there were five horizontal oblong pockets for magazines for 40 rounds. The store was accessed through the right flap with a fastener. For its resemblance to traditional Japanese combat equipment, such a vest was nicknamed "samurai".
The airborne units used standard submachine guns, although a special version of the weapon was developed for them. The submachine gun with the symbol Modello 1, developed in 1941, received a pistol grip and a folding metal stock instead of a stock. For the convenience of holding the weapon, the magazine shaft was lengthened. This modification did not go into the series, but the original ideas of this project were later used in new developments.
Italian soldier with M1938 submachine gun and samurai vest with shops. Photo Wikimedia Commons
The main reason for the insufficient production volumes was the relatively high cost of weapons. For this reason, in 1942, the M1938 / 42 project was developed, the purpose of which was to simplify the design of the weapon and reduce the cost of its production. In the course of this modernization, the submachine gun lost the barrel casing and the shop window cover. The sight remained without the possibility of changing the firing range, the front stock was shortened to the store window, and the barrel received several longitudinal valleys and became shorter. Finally, the requirements for the quality of production of parts were reduced, which also affected the complexity and cost of production.
The M1938 / 42 submachine gun with a 213 mm barrel (23.6 caliber) had a total length of 800 mm and weighed only 3.27 kg. The automatics and firing mechanism remained the same, but the maximum rate of fire dropped to 550 rounds per minute. Two separate triggers have survived.
The MAB 38/42 product became the basis for two new types of weapons. The first to appear was the M1938 / 43 submachine gun, which differed from the 1942 model only by the absence of dolly on the barrel, which led to some simplification of production. The subsequent M1938 / 44 had more serious differences.
In the M1938 / 44 project, the rear of the bolt was redesigned and a new return spring was applied. Instead of a small diameter spring, it was proposed to use a larger part that does not need additional covers and is simply placed inside the receiver. Despite such improvements, the characteristics and dimensions of the weapon remained the same. At the same time, the cost of production has significantly decreased. According to some reports, submachine guns arr. 1943 and 1944 were produced both with a wooden stock and with a metal stock.
MAB 38/43 submachine gun in the version with a folding stock. Photo Miles.forumcommunity.net
It should be noted that all submachine guns up to and including the MAB 38/43 were produced before the surrender of the Kingdom of Italy. The release of the M1938 / 44 sample was already established by the Italian Social Republic. There is reason to believe that the use of new modifications was the result of a reduction in production capacity associated with the onset of the anti-Hitler coalition.
Submachine guns of the MAB 38 family of the first models were produced in relatively small quantities, which is why they were not widely used. The situation changed only in 1942. This led to the beginning of the supply of such weapons to a large number of units of the Italian army. In addition, mass production contributed to the rearmament of the Italian, Yugoslav and Albanian resistances, which successfully used captured submachine guns.
Several export contracts have been signed. According to reports, in 1941, Romania ordered Italy 5 thousand submachine guns in the MAB 38 version. These weapons were produced and handed over to the customer early next year. Shortly thereafter, a contract with Japan for the supply of 350 weapons was issued. Before the surrender in September 1943, the Italian gunsmiths managed to send only 50 submachine guns to the customer.
A number of Italian weapons were supplied to Nazi Germany. Products arr. 1942 and 1943 were accepted into service under the designation Machinenpistole 738 (I) or MP 738. Newer MAB 38/44 were operated under the designation MP 737.
"Beretta" M1938 / 44 in section. Figure Berettaweb.com
After the end of World War II, the Beretta M1938 submachine guns remained in service with several armies, primarily the Italian. This weapon proved itself well during the war, and its quick replacement was not possible. In addition, soon the replacement was considered unnecessary, and in 1949 a new modification of the weapon was developed.
The M1938 / 49 submachine gun was a "refined" version of the M1938 / 44 with improved production quality and some design changes. The end of hostilities allowed the manufacturer not to save on the execution of weapons, which accordingly affected the serial submachine guns. Instead of a fuse flag, a fuse was installed on this weapon in the form of a transverse button located above the triggers. When this part was displaced in one direction, the trigger was blocked, and the opposite position was allowed to fire. In the mid-fifties, the MAB 38/49 product was renamed the Beretta Model 4. Under this name, the weapon was exported.
In 1951, the MAB 38/49 became the basis for the MAB 38/51 or Model 2 amphibious submachine gun. Such weapons lost their wooden stock, instead of which they installed relatively short side plates, a pistol grip and a folding stock. A long magazine shaft was also used, similar to that used on Mod 1 '41. In 1955, the Model 2 became the basis for the Model 3, a weapon with a retractable stock and an automatic safety on the handle.
The main customer of the Beretta M1938 submachine guns was the Italian armed forces and security forces. During World War II, a number of such weapons were ordered by the Axis countries, and some of the released samples were captured by the partisans. After the war, Italy established a massive production of updated weapons for its own needs and for export supplies. A significant number of weapons of the new MAB 38 modifications were sold to the countries of Latin America and Asia. In addition, Germany became a major customer, which operated these submachine guns until the early sixties.
American soldier with a Beretta Model 1938/49 submachine gun. Photo Militaryfactory.com
Production of later modifications of the Beretta M1938 submachine gun continued until 1961. After that, the assembly of such weapons was discontinued due to the appearance of a newer and more advanced model. The Beretta company mastered the production of the new Model 12 submachine gun, which soon began to enter the army and the police. The operation of the existing weapon continued over the next several years, but was later discontinued due to replacement with new samples. By the second half of the sixties, Italy completely abandoned the old and outdated MAB 38 of all modifications.
The Beretta M1938 / MAB 38 submachine gun project is of great interest due to its long and unusual history. This weapon was created in the late thirties, and then was actively used by the army and was repeatedly modernized in connection with its new requests. After the end of World War II, the family's submachine guns were not melted down due to obsolescence. On the contrary, their production and further development continued. The last modifications of the family were created in the mid-fifties - 16-18 years after the development of the base model. The operation of the weapon, in turn, continued until the mid-sixties. Few submachine guns created before or during World War II have such a long operating history.
