Beretta APX

     Notes: The APX began development years before being put on the market – however, the conceptual specs were well known to the public two years before Beretta deemed it ready for the market, and the APX is sometimes considered the worst-kept secret among civilian pistols.  In addition to civilian use, the APX was designed to meet any possible interest from military and police forces.  As a matter of fact, Beretta surveyed over 500 military and police forces for their opinions on the APX and what they would like on such a weapon. A modified form of the APX was entered in the US Military’s Modular Handgun System competition.

     The APX has a polymer frame (specifically fiberglass-reinforced technopolymer, according to Beretta) with a steel slide, and the APX is a commander-sized weapon. The side has wide cocking grooves basically down the entire slide except where the ejection port and external extractor are, and on the left side in the same place.  The barrel is cold hammer-forged and has polygonal rifling (the advantages of which are not quantifiable in Twilight 2000 v2.2 terms).  The APX is striker-fired, and has no external hammer.  Though initial offerings to civilians will be all-black, Beretta also plans to include their flat dark earth, OD Green, and gray versions to the general public.  (These are only available to police and military right now.)  Under the frame is a Picatinny Rail which is fairly long for a pistol of its size.  The grips use a wrap-around stippled pattern and there are three interchangeable grip inserts.  Magazines designed for the APX have a rather small finger stop.  Trigger pull weight is a bit heavy at six pounds, which enhances accuracy at point-black range while giving trigger-happy noobs something to think about.  In addition, the break is crisp and tactile and is wider than a standard handgun trigger.  The magazine release is reversible, while the slide lock is ambidextrous.  If one puts something small in a recessed button on the right side and pushes, the striker decocks.  Other safeties include a passive firing pin safety and magazine safety.  There is a small button which rises and falls as the pistol fires – this is the chamber loaded indicator.

     A variant, designed primarily for police and military concerns but available on the civilian market, is the Comp Mod.  As the name would indicate, this is a standard APX with a muzzle compensator added.  The APX Compact is also available with a 3.7-inch barrel.  The shrinking of the APX into a compact as left it, according to several testers, a bit chunky-looking. The trigger pull weight is also dramatically heavier at 7.38 pounds.

Beretta Cougar 8000

     Notes: This small pistol was first designed for use as a gun for undercover police forces, but began to be carried by growing numbers of regular police officers in the US and Europe, and has proven popular among US civilians.  Despite being fully NATO qualified, no large-scale military orders have occurred.  The Cougar was, in fact first produced in .40 Smith & Wesson, with 9mm Parabellum and 9x21mm versions appearing a short time later.  The .41 Action Express model was produced only in very small numbers for a very short time.  Later, .45 ACP and .357 SiG chamberings appeared.

     The Cougar’s barrel-rotating action and ergonomic design harnesses some of the recoil forces to reduce felt recoil.  Due to its small size, it is preferred by many officers as a backup gun, and by female officers due to their smaller hands.  The edges and hammer are rounded to avoid snagging when drawn from pockets or other concealed positions.  The trigger is double-action, with an exposed hammer; the trigger action may be DA/SA with an ambidextrous safety/decocker, DA/SA with a decocker only, and DAO with no safety or decocker.  Barrels are 3.6 inches in all cases except for .45 ACP versions, which have a 3.7-inch barrel.  Cougar Minis have the same barrel length, but a shorter grip. The frame is of aluminum alloy, with the slide and working parts being of carbon steel or Inox stainless steel.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: .45 ACP and .357 SiG chamberings do not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

     Merc 2000 Notes: This is one of the preferred pistols of Italian Intelligence services, as well as the Mafia.

Beretta M21 Bobcat

     Notes: This pistol was designed as a light self-defense pistol, especially for ladies.  It is a small caliber pocket pistol that is not good for much beyond emergency use.  The M3032 Tomcat is a somewhat larger version of the M21 Bobcat.  It is only slightly larger, however, and fires the more powerful .32 ACP cartridge.  The heavier weight actually makes it easier to shoot, however, and the more powerful cartridge makes it a better self-defense or backup gun.

Beretta M70

     Notes: This pistol was originally designed as a plinking pistol and for short-range self-defense.  The M70 series has definite Walther PP/PPK influences, though externally it is quite different from the PP/PPK, and also differs internally somewhat. The M70 has found its niche as an assassin’s pistol (particularly by Mossad), however. When used with a silencer/ suppresser, the weapon is virtually noiseless.  The M70S is the most common version, with .22 Long Rifle as the most common caliber of the M70S.  Most of the M70 series has a 3.5-inch barrel. The M70T is a match version of the M70, with a long barrel and adjustable sight.  The M71 uses a light alloy frame, but is otherwise like the M70S in .22 Long Rifle.  The M72, also known as the Jaguar, comes in two barrel lengths and also has a light alloy frame.  It was sold primarily in the US, mostly imported by Century Arms. (Century M70-series pistols often come with a faux suppressor mounted on the end of the barrel; though this is not designed to be user-removable, a good gunsmith can readily remove it.)  M70Ss sold in the US were typically sold as the Puma, M71s were sold as the Jaguar. A complaint about the M70 series is that the grips tend to be a bit bulky and not suited to shooters with small hands.

Beretta M81/82/83/84/85/87 Cheetah

     Notes: These weapons are basically smaller versions of the M92 series.  The “Cheetah” moniker is not used in Europe, but is the name by which these pistols are commonly known in the US and Canada.  They are simple weapons which have a double-action-only mechanism, several safeties, and easy disassembly.  By 1987, the M81 was out of production, in favor of the M84 and M92, but by then several thousand had been made and employed by police forces in Western Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.  The M81 is the base model, with an ambidextrous safety, a magazine release which may be switched between the left and right sides of the frame, and an optional magazine safety. The M81BB uses a straight blowback operation, and is mechanically simpler, but more prone to fouling. It also has chamber-loaded indicator and a firing pin safety.

     The M82BB is a Beretta M81BB with a few differences.  The biggest difference is that the pistol has been made smaller by reducing the magazine capacity.  The M82BB has a total of four safeties: a manual safety, a pin safety, a half-cock safety, and an inertia-operated firing pin that will not allow the weapon to fire if it is dropped or bumped.  The M82FS is also similar to the M82BB, but has decocker. All three are otherwise identical for game purposes.  The Model 83FS is the same as the M82FS, but chambered for .380 ACP.

     The M84 is pretty much an M81 in .380 ACP and with a slightly longer butt holding a larger-capacity magazine.  The M84BB is also equivalent to the M81BB; it was discontinued in 1983.  The M84F is an M84 with a decocker and a squared trigger guard to help facilitate a two-handed grip; it is otherwise identical to the standard M84 for game purposes.  The M85BB is virtually identical to the M84BB, but has an even slimmer grip; the M85F is an M85BB with a decocker.  Both are otherwise identical to the M84BB for game purposes.

     The M87BB is a rimfire variant of the series; it has an adjustable rear sight and has a 3.8-inch barrel.  A variant of this pistol, the M87BB/LB, has a 5.9-inch barrel.  The Model 87 Target is a development of the M87BB/LB introduced in 2000; this version has a heavy, squared steel slide along with a light alloy frame, dovetailed adjustable sights, and an integral sight base.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The M87 Target is not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Beretta M86

     Notes: This is a simple pocket pistol designed for use in both law enforcement and self-defense.  It has a tip-up barrel, a feature which was common before and shortly after World War 2 is not normally seen in contemporary pistols.  This allows easy access to the chamber and breech, making the barrel and chamber easy to clean without disassembling the entire weapon.  It also makes it easier to slip an extra round in the pistol, by inserting a full magazine and then inserting a round manually into the chamber.  Other features include ambidextrous controls and a chamber loaded indicator. 

Beretta M89

     Notes: Though primarily designed as a target pistol, the M89 can also be used as a training pistol for heavier weapons due to its design and weight.  Other than the optional adjustable sights and trigger, the M89 is otherwise a simple weapon, easy to maintain.  It has also been marketed under the name M89 Gold Standard. 

Beretta M92 Series

     Notes: The M92 offers the widest product selection of the entire Beretta line of pistols; there are at least 15 major variants of the M92, plus several other minor variations.  In addition, the M81, M84, M98, and M99 are merely smaller versions of the M92. 

     The base model is the standard M92.  It uses a short recoil system rather than the straight blowback system of Beretta’s smaller designs; this reduces recoil somewhat as well as making stoppages less common than they would be if a blowback system were used with the more powerful ammunition of the M92.  There is one manual and two internal safeties, and a chamber loaded indicator.  The action is simple and reliable, and stripping takes very little training.

     The M92S is similar to base M92, but has a more reliable safety mechanism.  The safety has been moved to the slide and a decocker has been added.  It is slightly heavier due to these improvements.

     The M92SB is an M92S with an ambidextrous safety, the magazine release moved to a position under the trigger guard, a firing pin safety, and a half-cock safety.  It is otherwise identical to the M92S. The M92SBC (Compact) is a smaller version of the M92SB, but is otherwise the same. The M92SBC Type M is the same as the M92SBC, but with a narrower grip and a smaller magazine.  A variant of the M92SB is employed by US armed forces as the M9; the modifications resulted in the M92F. 

     The M92F (also called the M92SB-F, particularly in early iterations designed for the US XM9 trials) is perhaps the most common version of the M92, due to its employment as standard service pistol for US armed forces as well as some Italian military, the French Gendarmerie Nationale, and widespread sales to civilians.  It is almost identical to the M92SB, but the front of the trigger guard is squared off to aid in two-handed shooting, the magazine has an extended base, the grip plates have been replaced with ones made of a more durable plastic, and a lanyard ring has been added to allow the attachment of a “dummy cord.”  The finish is made from Bruniton, a derivative of Teflon. The M92FS was the template for later versions of the US M9 pistol, and like the M92S, it has more reliable safeties and a decocker. (It is otherwise the same as the M92F for game purposes.)   As would be presumed from the name, the M92FC Compact is a smaller version of the M92F; a similar version exists for the M92FS, the M92FSC.  The mechanisms are the same, but the dimensions are smaller.  They are both identical for game purposes.  The M92FC was discontinued in 2000, replaced in production by the M92FSC. The M92FS Border Marshall version was produced only for a short time during 2000; it was designed for US Border Patrol and used a slightly shorter barrel than the M92FS, along with tritium inlays for the sights and rubber grips.  It was issued to the US Border Patrol for a few months, but later rejected in favor of true M92FSs with tritium inlays for the sights.

     The M92G is designed specifically for police use (the “G” stands for “Gendarmerie”).  It is basically an M92FS with only a decocking lever and no manual safety.  The M96G Centurion is a variant of the M92G, but chambered for the .40 Smith & Wesson cartridge.  The M92G is otherwise the same as the standard M92 for game purposes.  The M92G Elite is a variant of the M92G, with extra cocking grips at the front of the slide, a slightly shorter barrel, a beveled magazine well, a skeletonized hammer, ribbed frontstrap, and 3-dor Novak Lo-Mount Carry sights.  The M92G Elite II is basically the same, but uses an alloy frame instead of a steel frame.  The M92G Elite is otherwise the same as the M92FS Border Marshall version for game purposes; the M92G Elite II is lighter than the Elite, but otherwise shoots the same for game purposes.

     The M92SB-C Type M is a standard M92SB-C with a narrower grip for smaller hands.  Because of this grip, the magazine used is a single-column 8-round instead of the normal double-column magazine.

     The M92 Brigadier FS is a variant of the M92F designed for combat competitions and other situations where a large number of rounds are to be fired in a short period of time.  The base M92F is strengthened and reinforced, and the contours are smoothed.  There are three variants: the M92 Brigadier FS is in 9mmP, the M96 Brigadier FS is in .40 Smith & Wesson, and the M98 Brigadier FS is in 9x21mm.  Besides civilian and isolated police and military sales, the M92 Brigadier FS and its variants are used by the US Border Patrol and armed ICE agents.

     The M92D and M92DS are essentially similar to the standard M92F for game purposes; the differences are that both are DAO weapons that have no manual safety.  The M92D is the DAO counterpart to the M92F, and the M92DS is the DAO counterpart to the M92FS.  The M96D and M96DS variants are identical to the M92G Centurion for game purposes, being chambered for .40 Smith & Wesson but otherwise identical to the M92D and M92DS.  The M92DC is a compact version of the M92D, with a smaller grip and barrel.

     The M92, M96, and M98 Combat models are further refinements of the Brigadier series above, and are geared more towards international shooting competitions than actual combat.  They are single action only weapons, adjustable rear sights that are micrometer-adjustable, tritium sight inlays, ultra-thin aluminum grips, and oversized safety and magazine release levers.  Each model comes in two barrel lengths, 125mm and 150mm. 

     The M92 Vertec is a standard M92 that has undergone a redesign to make it better suited for special operations personnel.  The grips are smaller and ergonomically better in form to allow a surer grip.  The trigger reach is shorter.  One of the biggest changes is the integral rail on the bottom of the receiver to allow the mounting of laser aiming modules, flashlights, and suchlike.  The barrel is slightly shorter to allow it to fit in a holster better and draw faster.  The rear sight is adjustable, and of the high-visibility 3-dot variety.  The M96 Vertec is the .40 Smith & Wesson counterpart to the M92 Vertec, it is a newer weapon than the M92 Vertec, built with newer technology, and also has a light alloy frame, so it is considerably lighter than the M92 Vertec.  One notable user of the M96 Vertec is the US ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement), whose M96 Vertecs have a reinforced slide to ensure that the slides will not crack under normal use.

     The M98/M98F is an M92SB-C chambered for use with the 7.65mm Parabellum cartridge.  Intended for use by police, it saw some service in that role, but was mainly a civilian weapon.  In appearance and mechanics, it is otherwise identical to the M92SB-C.  The M98F is identical, but may be chambered in either 7.65mm Parabellum or 9x21mm ammunition. 

     The M98FS Target is a target pistol version of the M98F. It is longer (with a 150mm heavy barrel), and is a bit heavier.  The rear sight is adjustable, it has anatomical grips (before the war, Beretta would tailor the grips for the user), and has a muzzle counterweight for better balance. 

     The M99 is similar in concept to the M98, but is based on the M92SB-C Type M instead of the M92SB-C.  This means that it has a narrower pistol grip housing a single-column magazine instead of a double-column magazine; it also has a shorter barrel.

     ATI in the US imports a Turkish copy made by Girsan of the M92 called the AT-92.  It is an almost straightforward copy of the M92FS.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The M92 Vertec does not exist, nor do the M96 Vertec the M92FS Border Marshall, and the M96FS Border Marshall.

Beretta M93R

     Notes: The Model 93R (R for raffica, which is Italian for “rapid-fire”).  I have found conflicting information on whether the M93R is based on the M951 or the M92, but as the M92 is a descendant of the M951, both may be true in a way.  The M93R was designed for the same reason most modern machine pistol were: to provide a compact close-combat weapon that is also reasonable concealable if necessary.

     Differences between the M92 and the M93R are extensive.  The receiver is strengthened in critical places; the shape is also a bit beefier, and the trigger guard is enlarged and has a rudimentary folding foregrip attached to help the shooter stabilize the weapon when firing automatic bursts.  The slide is noticeably heavier, which holds down the cyclic rate of fire.  At the bottom of the grip is a plate with a stud for the attachment of a folding shoulder stock.  The barrel is extended to 6.14 inches, and near the muzzle are compensator slots to help fight recoil.  The design of the extended barrel also allows for the use of a silencer.  The selector lever is on the frame above the rear of the grip, apart from the safety, allowing burst or semiautomatic fire.  The M93R can use any 9mm Parabellum magazine that will fit into an M92-series pistol; in addition, the M93R can use an extended 20-round magazine that projects below the grip when inserted.

     John Arthur Ciener will convert an M93 into a version firing .22 Long Rifle ammunition – but he will not make is full-auto capable if the shooter does not have the proper government paperwork for ownership of an automatic weapon.  Therefore, most of his conversions are in semiautomatic. The conversion basically consists of new internal parts and a new barrel, which is capable of mounting a silencer.  Again, with the proper paperwork, he will make one with the folding shoulder stock attached, but these are very rare. Note that Ciener’s conversion does have a muzzle brake; the slotted portion is for Knight’s Hush Puppy suppressor.

Beretta M948

     Notes: Also known as the Featherweight or Plinker, the M948 is a small-caliber version of the M1934 chambered for .22 Long Rifle and with an extended barrel.  It is a basic small-caliber pistol for recreational shooting or vermin killing.

Beretta M950

     Notes: This is a very small pocket pistol also known as the Minx in .22 caliber and the Jetfire in .25 ACP.  Introduced in 1950, only the Jetfire is still produced.  While similar to many other such pocket pistols, the M950 is noted for its reliability – most such tiny pistols firing small-caliber ammunition are very prone to stoppages, because of the small size of their parts and the tight tolerances necessary to achieve that small size.

     The M950 is typical of Beretta pistols of its time period (1950s and 1960s) in having an open slide from just behind the front sight to just ahead of the ejection port (when the slide cycles back, the ejection port is exposed long enough to eject the spent case).  It also has the tip-up barrel typical of many small-caliber pistols of the period, allowing for quick clearing of the weapon, removal of a stuck case, or a quick barrel cleaning. Spent case ejection on the M950 is achieved literally by blowing the case out of the pistol using spent gas and the cycling of the slide – the M950 has no extractor at all.  (While this can theoretically lead to frequent stoppages, it is actually quite rare on an M950.) In the case of dud rounds or normal clearing of the M950, the user tips the barrel up normally, and the case or round is ejected by springs from the barrel. The M950 also has no manual safety.  The sights consist of a very small fixed notch in the rear and a half-moon blade in the front which is also quite low.  The magazine release is at the heel, another common feature of the time.  The M950 is very light and kicks ferociously even with its small-caliber ammunition. 

     Minor variants of the M950 include the M950B, which uses dual recoil springs, and the M950BS, which has the dual recoil springs as well as a manual safety (added to cover laws in other countries).  The M950 is usually found with a 2.4-inch barrel, though it can be had with a 3.7-inch barrel.

     A great deal of export sales went to the US, until 1968, when the Gun Control Act of 1968 prohibited the importation of almost all such pocket pistols.  This situation continued until 1978, when Beretta set up Firearms International in Maryland, which later became Beretta USA.

Beretta M951

     Notes: The predecessor to the M92 and M84 series of handguns, the M951 (also called the M1951, or the Brigadier in its civilian form) was designed for shooting ease and accuracy. Also known as the “Brigadier” (primarily on the civilian market) M-51, or M1951, the M951 was the standard sidearm of the Israeli military until its partial replacement by the Browning Hi-Power and later by the Jericho.  This weapon was first designed in the wake of World War 2 in 1950, but Beretta had difficulties with the design and it wasn’t put into full-rate production until 1955 – though early examples were in limited production in 1951.  (The biggest difficulty was the very light weight of the original design, but another problem was an inadequate locking mechanism (which had been borrowed from the Walther P-38, but not properly implemented on the M951).  A shooter with experience with the M92 or M9 will find the M951 easy to shoot, once he gets used to the single-action design.

     The original M951 used a frame made from a light aluminum alloy called Ergal.  While the Ergal frame worked with the rimfire M948, it was far too light (0.71 kg) and not strong enough for the far more powerful 9mm Parabellum cartridge, and this early M951 was quickly withdrawn for redesigning.  The new frame was made from lightweight-but-strong steel, and this became the M951 we all know and love.  The “new” M951 was used as a primary and secondary service weapon by dozens of countries worldwide – thousands are still being used today as service weapons by military and police forces.  Several countries also produced the M951 under license – especially Iraq (their copy being called the Tariq, and the existence of the contract not being known until after Desert Storm), Nigeria, and especially Egypt. Italy terminated production of the M951 in 1983; production of the Egyptian copy, the Helwan, (identical to the Beretta version except for its marking and the lesser-quality finish) remains in production, and enjoys considerable export sales to civilian, police, and military forces worldwide.

     The M951 uses a 4.5-inch barrel, and is known for its exceptionally smooth operation, ease of maintenance, and accuracy -- features that carried into later Beretta pistols.  Sights are what became standard for many later Beretta pistols -- a fixed notch rear and a low blade front.  The largest complaints about the M951 are about awkward controls: the manual crossbolt safety button is in the upper grip, just out of the reach of the thumb of the firing hand for most shooters.  The M951 also has a slide lock on the left side of the frame. There are no passive safeties.  On most M951s, the magazine release is a button near the heel, but some early examples, as well as the on the Egyptian Helwan, the magazine release is actually on the heel, and is similar to that of the Walther P-38/P-1.  The grip includes a large hooked finger rest at the bottom, which give some shooters with large hands problems and also tends to snag when drawn.

     Variants include a light alloy model of the Helwan (made from a much stronger alloy), which made a brief reappearance in the late 1990s and is rather rare; the M951 Target, with an adjustable rear sight, ergonomic grips, and a 5.7-inch barrel, with the last inch being conical in cross-section and topped with larger front sight consisting of a bead atop a blade. The frame is of light alloy.  (This target version is a very rare weapon).  The magazine catch is at the heel.

     The Helwan M-51/57 Berhama is a relatively rare version; it was designed before the M951 Target by an Egyptian Army officer named Berhama for his military competition shooting team.  The Berhama chambers 7.65 Parabellum instead of 9mm Parabellum, but for the most part otherwise conforms to features of the M951 Target (or actually, vice-versa).  An extremely rare variant of the Berhama is essentially a standard Helwan chambered for the 7.65mm Parabellum.  Beretta also manufactured this variant in small numbers for a short time, calling the Berhama target version the M952 Special and the standard-sized Berhama the M952.

     Two versions are available: one with a relatively heavy steel frame, and one with a light alloy frame.  A rare variant is the M952, which is chambered for 7.65mm Parabellum.  The M951 may also be considered the predecessor of the M92 and M96.

     Italian special operations units asked Beretta for another version of the M951 for use in certain CQB situations.  This version, the M951R (also called the M951A) originally grew out of field modifications by military armorers at the request of Italian special operations units, and was later refined and standardized by Beretta.  It is the M951 turned into a light machine pistol.  It uses an extended magazine and has a folding forward grip to help stabilize the weapon in automatic fire. Eventually replaced in the Italian military and other armed forces by the M93R, the M951R was popular with criminals and terrorists worldwide and lived on in their hands.  The M951R suffers from its light weight as well as a tendency for the locking block to wear quickly and eventually crack.  The M951R uses a lengthened 4.9-inch barrel, a heavier slide to reduce the cyclic rate of fire to about 1000 rpm, a larger, heavier hammer, and a rear sight adjustable for windage (though both the front sight and rear sight are quite small). 

Beretta M1915

     Notes:  The Beretta M1915 was produced in quantity when the demands of World War 1 outstripped the ability of Italy to produce the Glisenti pistol Italians were using at the time.  It is a simple blowback weapon meant to be easy to build and maintain.  Though most were chambered for either .32 ACP or .380 ACP, a few were chambered to fire the 9mm Glisenti cartridge, and some were chambered for .38 ACP.  Though 9mm Parabellum will chamber in these 9mm versions, NEVER try to fire 9mm Parabellum from this pistol, as the more powerful Parabellum cartridge will cause the chamber to explode.  Barrel length is for the most part 3.5 inches; however, a version of the 9mm Glisenti-chambered M1915 used a 3.75-inch barrel and heavier construction.

     After World War 1, the M1915/19 was produced; it was basically an M1915 with the slide cut away from the front sight to the breech face, a feature which later became common in Beretta pistols; the internal mechanism was also changed to give the M1915/1919 a greatly-improved trigger pull.  The entire weapon is also 4mm shorter, yet has a 2mm longer barrel.  It is chambered only for .32 ACP.  It was made largely for civilian sales, but small numbers were taken into military service as the Model 1922.

     The Beretta M1919 was introduced in 1920.  It is basically a smaller version of the M1915/19, chambered for .25 ACP and much smaller than the M1915/19, with a barrel only 2.5 inches long.  The M1919 does not have sights, but does have an aiming groove down the slide.  Production stopped in 1939.

     The M1923 is an enlarged version of the M1915/1919.  Changes include a 4-inch barrel and an exposed loop hammer; some are also slotted for a stock.  As prior to World War 2, the 9mm Glisenti cartridge was still the Italian standard, the M1923 was chambered for it.  Like most other 9mm Glisenti-firing Italian pistols, the M1923 will chamber the 9mm Parabellum cartridge, but attempting to fire the Parabellum cartridge will cause a chamber explosion.  This is perhaps the reason the M1923 was not produced after 1925.

     The M1931 is a modified M1931; the main difference is that is chambered for the .32 ACP cartridge and has a shorter barrel. It was used only in small numbers by the Navy itself, but all models carried the symbol of the Italian Navy, even those made for civilian sales.  Other than the caliber, the distinguishing feature of the M1931 is the external hammer.

     The M1934/M1935 is essentially a “cleaned-up” M1915/1919, built of first-rate materials, better finishes, and cleaner lines.  It is far better made than the typical Beretta pistol of pre-World War 2 manufacture, which is why many of them survive until this day in perfect working order.  They were widely issued as a sidearm to Italian forces in World War 2, which also means that there are more M1934s than other pre-World War 2 Beretta pistols.  Virtually all M1934s found will fire .380 ACP; there is a .32 ACP chambering, called the M1935, but it is very rare.

     The M1937 is a civilian version of the M1923.  Then, as now, civilian weapons could not be sold in “military” chamberings, so the M1937 was chambered for 9mm Largo.

Beretta M9000S

     Notes: This is basically Beretta jumping on the compact polymer-frame bandwagon.  The frame is actually polymer reinforced with fiberglass, and is quite strong.  The Beretta also does not use the modified Browning operating system and most Berettas use, opting for a new, more efficient (but more complicated) system.  The M9000S comes in two major variants: the Type F with a double action trigger system, and the Type D, which is double-action only.  Other than the action, they are virtually identical except for minor weight differences.

Beretta BU9 Nano

     Notes: In most cases, the “BU9” is dropped and this pistol is known as merely the Nano.  According Beretta’s web site, “The Beretta Nano is the ultimate evolution of the micro compact carry pistol.”  The Nano’s development was driven from the beginning by ease of use and concealment.  The Nano is almost totally dehorned, including very low profile, almost flat, non-adjustable front and rear sights with a 3-dot-typoe sighting pattern.  The sights are adjustable, but a hex wrench is required. Controls are fitted almost flat into the body of the Nano; the controls can be reversed for left- or right-handed use.  The frame is of ulktra-modern thermoplastic and reinforced fiberglass mixed with what Beretta calls “technopolymer.”  The barrel is 3.07 inches and made of stainless steel, but otherwise ordinary.  The interior of the grip is reinforced by slim stainless steel rods.  The grip and frame are black polymer; the slide is stainless steel finished in black Pronox.

Beretta Px4 Storm

     Notes: This pistol is a further development of the Beretta Cougar pistol.  It uses the same basic operating principle, with four trigger mechanisms available: The Px4F, with a double-action trigger and a manual safety/decocker; the Px4D, a double-action-only weapon with no safety or decocker and a shrouded hammer; the Px4G, double action with a decocker but no manual safety; and the Px4C, with a “constant action trigger” (a double-action-only system with less pull), and a shrouded hammer.  (All are identical for game purposes.)  The Px4 Storm (when bought from the dealer) comes with a set of three interchangeable backstraps of differing sizes, allowing the weapon to be fitted to larger or smaller hands.  The Px4 also has a short MIL-STD-1913 rail under the barrel for the attachment of lights or laser aiming modules.  Construction is primarily from high-strength polymers, particularly the frame and grip.  The standard magazines are the smaller ones (they fit into the grip); the larger ones are extended magazines which stick out from the bottom of the grip.  There are (according to Beretta literature) going to be four calibers of the Storm; however, the .357 SiG version is not yet available as of the time I write this (mid-April 2007). Many customers have apparently contacted Beretta asking that they produce a version of the Px4 in .45 GAP, but they so far have been told that a .45 GAP version is not in Beretta’s plans at present.

     The .45 ACP Px4 did not appear until early 2007, and it appeared in two versions: The standard Px4 .45 ACP, and the Px4SD (Special Duty) .45 ACP.  The standard Px4 in .45 ACP is essentially a Px4 enlarged to accommodate the .45 ACP round, but the Px4SD .45 ACP was designed as a military weapon, primarily to compete for the new US military .45 ACP pistol (the US military has recently announced that it is looking at replacing the M9 with a new .45 ACP pistol for some purposes).  The SD was designed to meet even the US SOCOM’s specifications, and includes features such as a redesigned grip angle (while retaining the ability to use interchangeable backstraps), true ambidextrous controls, two sizes of interchangeable magazine release buttons, standard and low-profile “dehorned” interchangeable slide catches, 3-dot “Super Luminova” luminous night sights which are dovetailed in to allow replacement with other sights (the rear sight is adjustable), and a slightly longer MIL-STD-1913 rail under the dust cover.  The Px4SD has an extended barrel with threads, allowing the use of various screw-on muzzle devices including brakes and silencers.

     In the Summer of 2007, Beretta introduced the PX4 Storm Subcompact.  This is essentially a smaller version of the standard Px4; it has a shorter grip with a smaller magazine, and an inch lopped off the barrel for a barrel length of 3 inches.  Currently, Beretta intends to introduce the Px4 Subcompact in 9mm Parabellum and .40 Smith & Wesson only.  The Subcompact version does have an attachment point for accessories, but this attachment point is quite short and small.  It will be available in C, D, F, and G configurations.

     Beretta now also makes the Compact, with an in-between frame size and a 3.27-inch barrel.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: Introduced in 2004, this pistol does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Beretta U22 Neos

     Notes:  This is a small-caliber pistol designed specifically for target shooting, with a secondary use as a training pistol for the neophyte.  It is based around a frame and mechanism that uses as much polymer and composites as possible, to reduce weight.  The most novel feature is the sight mount: it is on a rail above the receiver that does not move with the slide, reducing abuse on sights and allowing a wide variety of devices through its Picatinny-like interface.  The entire weapon is designed to be quick and easy to use, but this means that some controls are not the same as is standard on most pistols.