The Beretta Model 38 SMG was a very successful design, and a folding-stocked version of it was a natural development. Beretta first made a prototype of such a thing in 1941, but it never went into production – possibly because Italy ceased to have an effective paratrooper corps after El Alamein. However, many of the design elements from this experiment saw use in the simplified 38/42 and 38/44 models of the Beretta SMG. Late in the war, a small batch of folding-stocked guns were actually produced (one source says about 200) specifically for the RSI. This was the puppet government Germany operated in northern Italy after the country surrendered to Allied forces.
This particular example came out of the Balkans, and managed to acquire a Yugoslav nation crest along the way – although I don’t know the details of how. Thanks to Limex for giving me access to this extremely rare piece to film for you guys!
In many of the monuments in ex-Yugoslavia, you’ll see quite a few statues of Partisan figures holding Beretta SMGs. The presence of the Beretta folder in the Balkans is interesting because Italian occupation of ex-YU collapsed with the 1943 Armistice. Post-’43, a few RSI units such as the Black Brigades and Decima MAS were active in Slovenia and Istria, cooperating with the Germans and the Slovenian Home Guard in anti-Partisan activities.
I was in Montenegro a few weeks ago and the fence around one particular monument was composed almost entirely of rifle barrels and receivers – symbolic, but actual parts – mostly Mannlichers, one SMLE and the side plates of an MG I could not determine.
Italian Sub Machine Guns. NICE!