A Century of Beretta Auto Pistols

By Garry James

With a history dating back to the early 16th century, Beretta is unquestionably the oldest firearms manufacturer extant, and today it is renowned for its extensive selection of world-class auto pistols.

It seems curious, then, that with such a lineage the company took so long to enter the handgun market, not coming out with its premier offering until 1915, well after many types of semiautos produced by Mauser, DWM, Colt and Fabrique Nationale had become commonly accepted by the military, police and civilians.

Herewith we present a sommario of a century of autos made by Beretta, a company that, during that period, has turned out more different models of semis than any other firearms company, ever. Needless to say, the sheer scope of its product line over the decades, plus the limited amount of space afforded in this article, means that every model can’t be dealt with in detail, so with your indulgence, we’ll highlight favorites we believe to be a representative selection of some of the most significant milestones in a very impressive portfolio. The product line is so large and lineage sometimes so byzantine, a strict recitation of chronology is not appropriate unless one can dedicate time for a novel. …Read the Rest

Source:: Guns and Ammo