Beretta M1918
| Beretta Model 1918 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Submachine gun |
| Place of origin | Kingdom of Italy |
| Service history | |
| Used by | See Users |
| Production history | |
| Variants |
Model 1918 Model 1918/30 Hafdasa C-1 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 7 lb 3 oz (3.3 kg) |
| Length | 43 in (1092 mm) |
| Barrel length | 12 in (305 mm) |
|
| |
| Cartridge |
9mm Glisenti .22LR |
| Caliber |
9mm .22 calibre |
| Action | Blowback, automatic only |
| Rate of fire | 900 round/min |
| Feed system | 25 round detachable box |
The Beretta Model 1918 was a submachine gun that entered service in 1918 with the Italian armed forces. Designed initially as a semi-automatic rifle, the weapon came with an overhead inserted magazine, an unconventional design based on the simplicity of allowing a spent round to be replaced using only gravity. The gun was made from half of a Villar-Perosa aircraft submachine gun,[1] and as such it can be considered the first submachine gun issued to and used by the Italian armed forces, and is possibly the first SMG used as a general-issue combat weapon.
Another variant was the Model 1918/30 with the magazine inserted underneath and came with a bayonet.[2] The Model 1918/30 was also manufactured in Argentina by Hafdasa as the C-1, which formed the basis of the Ballester-Riguard submachine gun.
Design
- Barrel rifling: 6 grooves with a right hand twist (6-right)
- Automatic carbine, cal. 9mm, having a barrel length of 12.5" and a magazine capacity of 25 rounds.
Users
See also
- Hafdasa C-4, an Argentine derivative of the Beretta Model 1918.
- Italian submachine guns
References
Beretta Firearms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Handguns |  | |
| Submachine guns | ||
| Rifles & Carbines | ||
| Machine guns | ||
| Shotguns | ||
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