Beretta M1951

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Linda loved shooting the Maadi Helwan- a license-built copy of the Beretta M1951. The Maadi, however, has issues; entirely my own fault and probably fixable. So Linda bought an M1951 off of Gunbroker. Rather funnily I thought she was buying it for her, and she thought she was buying it for me. Sort of a 'Gun of the Majii.'

It's cosmetically rough, which is why she got it at a good price, but the mechanicals are buttery smooth and nice. It also turns out to be a more interesting gun than we thought. It's a Series 2 Egyptian contract gun, one of 50,000 made for the Egyptians prior to them licensing the design to produce in-country. The Egyptian Army request a heel-magazine release, a simplified grip and larger sights, which Beretta provided. Interestingly when they began to produce the guns under license they did not include any of these features. This gun has the Egyptian state seal on the slide, but no importer or import marks; a bit curious, that.

Helwan magazines will work fine in the Beretta with only a tiny modification that does not affect their ability to be used in the Helwan, which solves the spare magazine problem nicely.

I may clean up the cosmetics, or leave the old war-horse as she is; that will be largely up to Linda's preference. I'm very much looking forward to shooting it!

 

[Blkhrt13]

Looks like it took a bit of a beating for sure. I wonder where all it's been.

 

[chicharrones]

Nice 20th century relic.

 

[bannockburn]

Tinker

Always liked the clean, trim lines of the Beretta Model 1951. This one does look to be a little "cosmetically challenged" but could shape up to be a decent shooter.

 

[Kaeto]

What is the problem with the Helwan?

 

[Blkhrt13]

What is the problem with the Helwan?

Parts and quality of metallurgy

 

[Blkhrt13]

Maybe his is something else. But this is the complaints I've seen.

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Poor metallurgy/heat treat- 5 rounds of +P ammo peened the lugs on the locking-block.

 

[Kaeto]

The locking block is near impossible to get. I have a Helwan that both lugs broke off the block and have not been able to find a replacement block for a reasonable price. I'm almost ready to part it out. And I had went and got 3 magazines for it. 1 factory original, 1 aftermarket normal capacity, and 1 aftermarket extended.

My Helwan looks like this

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Yeah, those locking blocks are pretty much unobtainium. I will eventually get to the point where I can fabricate one, and when I can I'll post about it here.

 

[Jim NE]

Another cool gun from Michael Tinker Pearce. Thanks for posting. Are these Berettas somewhat affordable? I might like to find one.

 

[lysanderxiii]

Poor metallurgy/heat treat- 5 rounds of +P ammo peened the lugs on the locking-block.

You should have known better . . .

I find it interesting that people will call something defective after it is abused and breaks.

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

You should have known better . . .

I find it interesting that people will call something defective after it is abused and breaks.

I should indeed have known better, and I did say it was entirely my own fault. In this case it was my judgement that was defective, not the gun.

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Another cool gun from Michael Tinker Pearce. Thanks for posting. Are these Berettas somewhat affordable? I might like to find one.

Honestly I do not know- this is the only one I've seen for sale, and even as cosmetically challenged as it was we paid $350. I could see a nice one going for twice that. Helwans are much cheaper- usually $200-$300, and military marked guns are reputed to be of better quality and may cost somewhat more.

 

[Blkhrt13]

I only paid 300 for a 92s the 1951 will have to wait

 

[Blkhrt13]

You should have known better . . .

I find it interesting that people will call something defective after it is abused and breaks.

I didn't see him call it defective. I was the one who called it defective metal. That's the reputation they have. There is no making up for a gun with bad metal. Yeah plus p was a fail. But it would have failed sooner or later just shooting regular 9mm.

 

[JT-AR-MG42]

I too had a 951 that broke a locking lug.
Italian made with no proofs IIRC. Always thought of it as a lunchbox gun.
Bought it quite a few years ago, long before the 951s or Helwans came in as surplus.

I picked up a 92 block that I got to fit (I am sure the 'fit' was not correct) and function for a
bit before it broke as well.

Just made the gun a blowback re-loaders special with .380 type loads.
I DO NOT recommend that anyone else try or do the same, just saying I gave up
on the gun as a 9mm service pistol.

I gave the gun to a friend to play with and will try to get photos (if photobucket co-operates!)

JT

 

[Blkhrt13]

I think the 92s I have is as far back as I want to go in the 92 series. I have always liked the 951 and helwan though. I read an article on them way back in the 90s.

 

[Kaeto]

I too had a 951 that broke a locking lug.
Italian made with no proofs IIRC. Always thought of it as a lunchbox gun.
Bought it quite a few years ago, long before the 951s or Helwans came in as surplus.

I picked up a 92 block that I got to fit (I am sure the 'fit' was not correct) and function for a
bit before it broke as well.

Just made the gun a blowback re-loaders special with .380 type loads.
I DO NOT recommend that anyone else try or do the same, just saying I gave up
on the gun as a 9mm service pistol.

I gave the gun to a friend to play with and will try to get photos (if photobucket co-operates!)

JT

I had goofed and fired my Helwan for 20 rounds before I found out the lugs were broken. It fired ok but I haven't tried since.

 

[strangelittleman]

Try Numrich. Right now they are sold out of the locking blocks, but you never know.....Register w/ them and place the locking block on your "wish list" and they will notify you when some come in.....I've been purchasing from Numrich for years they are great to do business with.

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/Manufac...oPistols-35387/1951Brigadier-34800.htm?page=1

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Try Numrich. Right now they are sold out of the locking blocks, but you never know.....Register w/ them and place the locking block on your "wish list" and they will notify you when some come in.....I've been purchasing from Numrich for years they are great to do business with.

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/Manufac...oPistols-35387/1951Brigadier-34800.htm?page=1

Thanks- already done! Like you I've been going to them for years. I did manage to repair mine, but having a spare is never a bad thing.

 

[bannockburn]

JT-AR-MG42

I gave the gun to a friend to play with and will try to get photos (if photobucket co-operates!)

If Photobucket doesn't "cooperate" (they stopped posting my photos unless I paid them their $400 yearly fee), maybe check out imgur.com. I did and while it took awhile to upload all of my photos it was worth it. Very simple to use (just click on the photo you want to attach and then click on the BBCode and drag it over to whatever message board or forum site your on). Looked at Flickr and Google Photos and imgur was the most straightforward and easiest to set-up and get into action.

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

JT-AR-MG42



If Photobucket doesn't "cooperate" (they stopped posting my photos unless I paid them their $400 yearly fee), maybe check out imgur.com. I did and while it took awhile to upload all of my photos it was worth it. Very simple to use (just click on the photo you want to attach and then click on the BBCode and drag it over to whatever message board or forum site your on). Looked at Flickr and Google Photos and imgur was the most straightforward and easiest to set-up and get into action.

I use Imgur. Works a treat!