Beretta Model 38/44
Beretta · Submachine Gun · Discontinued · 1944
Also known as: MAB 38/44, Moschetto Automatico Beretta 38/44, Modello 1938/44, MP.739
Overview
The Beretta Model 38/44 was the most simplified wartime variant of Tullio Marengoni's MAB 38 family, introduced in 1944. To speed production it used a shorter, lighter bolt with a single larger recoil spring and dropped the perforated barrel jacket of the earlier Model 38A, while retaining the dual-trigger fire selection (front trigger for single shots, rear for full-auto). Its long heavy barrel and low cyclic rate made it exceptionally controllable, and it was widely regarded as one of the best submachine guns of the war, prized by Italian, German and Romanian troops alike.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3260 g (115.0 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 3900 g (137.6 oz) |
| Overall Length | 800 mm (31.50") |
| Barrel Length | 213 mm (8.39") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 20 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 420 m/s (1378 fps) |
| Effective Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 550 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 9x19mm Parabellum · primary · 9mm NATO — also known as 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO, 9x19mm, 9mm M38
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Bolt Handle Safety Slot
- Features: Open Bolt, Dual Trigger Fire Selection, Simplified Short Bolt, Wooden Full Stock, No Barrel Jacket
Service history
Operators
- Kingdom of Italy / Italian Army · adopted 1944 · as Moschetto Automatico Beretta 38/44
- Nazi Germany (Wehrmacht) · adopted 1944 · as MP.739(i)
- Romanian Army
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
- Arab-Israeli wars (1948-1973)
Production
Production years: 1944-1949
Entered production February 1944; the simplified-bolt production form ran into the late 1940s, with service into the 1960s. Adopted by the Wehrmacht as the MP.739
Origin
Country of origin: Italy
Designer: Tullio Marengoni
Discontinued: 1949
Notes
Distinct from the earlier MAB 38/38A (machined, jacketed barrel). Sources differ on barrel length (~213-216 mm correct for the 38/44 vs an outlier 315 mm carried over from the 38A) and muzzle velocity (~380-429 m/s).
Background
The 38/44's drastically simplified internals, a shorter bolt and one big recoil spring, were a wartime cost-cutting measure that ended up improving reliability and were carried straight into Beretta's acclaimed postwar Model 5 and Model 12 submachine guns.