Beretta Model 38A
Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta S.p.A. · Submachine Gun · Discontinued · 1938
Also known as: MAB 38A, MAB 38, Moschetto Automatico Beretta 38, Beretta M1938A
Overview
The Beretta Model 38A (Moschetto Automatico Beretta 38, or MAB 38) is an Italian submachine gun designed by Tullio Marengoni and introduced in 1938. Chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge and operating on a simple blowback system from an open bolt, it featured a finely machined steel receiver, a full-length wooden stock, a perforated barrel jacket, and a distinctive twin-trigger arrangement that selected semi-automatic fire on the front trigger and fully automatic fire on the rear. Adopted as the standard submachine gun of the Royal Italian Army as the MAB 38A in 1941, it earned a reputation as one of the most accurate, reliable, and best-built submachine guns of World War II.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4200 g (148.2 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 4970 g (175.3 oz) |
| Overall Length | 946 mm (37.24") |
| Barrel Length | 315 mm (12.40") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Dual Trigger |
| Magazine Capacity | 40 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 418 m/s (1371 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 651 J (480 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 600 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| 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
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Bolt Safety
- Features: Twin Triggers, Wooden Stock, Barrel Jacket, Machined Receiver, Folding Bayonet Early Models
Variants
- Beretta Model 38/42 - Simplified Wartime
Service history
Operators
- Royal Italian Army · adopted 1941 · as MAB 38A
- Nazi Germany · adopted 1943 · as MP 738(i)
- Kingdom of Romania
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
- Italian Campaign (1943-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 500,000 · Production years: 1938-1950
Total production of the Model 38 family probably exceeded 500,000 units; manufacture continued into the 1950s for export and police use.
Origin
Country of origin: Italy
Designer: Tullio Marengoni
Discontinued: 1950
Notes
The dual-trigger system gives selective fire without a fire-selector switch: the forward trigger fires single shots, the rear trigger fires fully automatic. Early production examples were fitted with a folding bayonet, later deleted to simplify manufacture. The simplified Model 38/42 with a shorter barrel and stamped components succeeded it from 1942.
Background
The MAB 38 series traced its lineage to the Villar Perosa twin-barrel aircraft gun of World War I via the Beretta Modello 18 and 18/30 carbines. Prized for its accuracy and build quality, it was widely sought after as a war trophy by Allied troops in the Italian and North African campaigns.