The initial model of the Beretta 38A had a number of features that were dropped rather quickly once wartime production became a priority. Specifically, they included a lockout safety switch for just the rear full-auto trigger. This was in place primarily for police use, in which the guns were intended for semiautomatic use except on dire emergency (and the first batches of 38As in Italy went to the police and the Polizia dell’Africa Italiana). The first version of the 38A also included a bayonet lug to use a version of the folding bayonet also used on the Carcano rifles. This was a folding-blade bayonet, and the model for the 38A replaced the rifle muzzle ring with a special T-lug to attach to the muzzle brake of the SMG. These bayonets are extremely scarce today, as they were only used for a very limited time.
Bolt Action Rifles
Miniature Guns for the Fascist Youth: Italian Balilla Carbines
As part of his effort to imbue Italy with a fascist culture, Mussolini formed the ONB, or National Balilla Organization as a replacement for all other youth organizations in Italy in 1926. It was intended […]
Shotgun
Franchi SPAS-12 at the Range
Today I’m taking the SPAS-12 out to the range, to try a variety of ammunition and see what runs in it. The SPAS is a gas-operated shotgun that can be switched to manual pump operation […]
Bolt Action Rifles
M38 Carcano: Best Bolt Rifle of World War Two?
During the 1920s, Italy was concerned about insufficient lethality with their 6.5x52mm cartridge, and began experimenting with larger bore diameters. By the late 1930s they settled on a new 7.35x51mm round, based closely on the […]
Actually, the really early MAB38As for the PAI featured a different muzzle device, with two large windows divided longitudinally. Even the Rumanian MABs had already the 2nd model compensator with 4 transverse slots (and then with the short-nosed wooden handguard, which no Italian featured). PLUS the Rumanian Berettas (all serialized in R-range with Rumanian legend – important remark, since there was as well a regular late-production R-series with Italian legend and late features, dated 1943/44) had NO rear trigger latch – these were only used on Italian Police guns. The Rumanian trigger guard has no opening for it, neither has the woodwork.
What you call a 3rd Type bayo (the non-folding) was actually, only made in Carcano-style, i.e. with muzzle ring, and not T-lug, AFAIK – but perhaps I just don’t know. Happens all the time. Anyway, the Carcano folding bayo has a SHORTER (ca. 1 inch shorter) blade, which were unfortunately used on Indian-made MAB-style folding bayo reproductions. When a real thing was unavailable I bought myself one of these and it looked just plain ridiculous with a blade tip slot a full inch from the actual blade tip.
But, there was also a 4th type of MAB bayonet (provided we grant the fixed blade was a legit MAB bayo after all, which I doubt) – the brass-handled folding bayo for Egyptian Royal Guard MAB, and that one is even more unicorny than the regular one, because these were bought for the last Egyptian King Farrukh’s palace honor guard. In early 1950s (before the king was deposed by Nasser), together with the Beretta Brigadier 951 pistols, Egypt has bought a batch of MAB 38/49 style subguns (meaning new-style mainspring, new-style simplified bolt, sheet-metal receiver with a single-blade fixed sight notch for 100 m). There were two types of these ordered: regular style, with short (250 mm) pencil bbls, which constituted 95% of the batch for the troops, and a bunch (some say 50, some say 75, and then some say 100) of old fashioned, WW2-style guns with longer (320 mm) bbls encased in perforated shrouds. These were complete with folding bayos, spitting image of the 2nd Model, BUT – brass-handled, instead of steel-handled.
I bought myself such an Egyptian long-bbl Beretta (featuring a royal crest on the receiver). Many moons earlier on I lucked in buying a correct, Arabic-inscribed 40-rd magazine for it. Some guy at Kassel had ONE of those Egyptian 40-rd magazines thrown in amongst a bathtub full of other 10 Euro a piece greasy postwar Beretta magazines (30-rounders in a 40-rounder tube, for those who know what I mean). This Egyptian was a first one I picked up, and an hour later I was up to elbows in grease, but assured there were no others 🙂 I took it because it was an interesting piece, I didn’t not have a single MAB then. But it was a really fortunate twist, as the gun came with a 32-rd PM12 magazine, and I have never seen an Egyptian Beretta magazine for sale since.
After the magazine, the last thing I was missing was the bayo, and seeing the prices and the frequency of offers (mere three in eight years, all north of $1500) I was rather pessimistic about the chances. Yet, lo and behold, in 2023 a brass-handled Egyptian bayo was offered in a Polish auction and I reeled it in – even though the damn thing costed twice what I paid for the SMG to attach it to! Nevertheless – I remained a happy (though thoroughly depleted) customer, for I have not seen another one for sale since. Anyway, Ian, next time you come by way of Poland, the Egyptian is yours to make another video for the chaps.