What is this Beretta??

[depicts]

I have a Beretta pistol that looks a lot like a Model 34 except it is not .380 caliber. It might be a 32 or .25. It has an open slide top, and the seriel number is 4997xx, and has a rowel hammer and lanyard loop with plastic PB grips and fixed sights. There is a pinned claw extractor just forward of the rear sight on top of the slide.

There is a proof mark on the left side of the gun (holding it) that looks like a "F" in a big "C" near the hammer, and forward of the slide release the is a stylized "S" or it might be an "S" over a "C" (Opps, just realized is S for safe and there is a red dot and an "F" for fire,...it's a safety)

The magazine has a finger extension with a break down plunger on the bottom and 5 groves on the finger piece. There is no Seriel number on the magazine.

It came in a Tan/Brown holster with a Mag pouch on the front. It has a stamp I think is Luftwaffe, an eagle over a globe with the letters "WaA76"" underneath it.

Anyone know what I have? It looks like commercial manufacture to me in good shape with nice Beretta bluing. I don't know if the holster is original as the pistol has no Nazi markings I can find. The holster is marked in big letters and numbers on the back P. Mod. 27

Where could I find more info?

Thanks

Bill

 

[Onmilo]

Since your pistol has an exposed hammer it could be a Modello 23 a Modello 31 or a Modello 34, all were made in .32 acp.
Since you say it has a finger extension on the magazine and plastic grips, I am going to guess it is a Modello 34.
Modello 31 pistols are almost always found with wooden grip plates and Modello 23 pistols have flat bottom magazines.

The holster could have come from anywhere and is probably not original to the pistol.
It is a Luftwaffe holster style made for issue with the Czechoslovakian Model 27 .32 acp pistol.
Unscrupulous dealers mismatch holsters and pistols to increase the value of just a pistol alone, although a Modello 34 in .32 acp is a fairly rare bird in its own right.
There just weren't many made since the Italians had adopted and standardized the .380 acp by the time the Modello 34 was introduced.

Again a guess but $600.00 would probably be a fair retail market value for you pistol if a spare factory magazine is included.
The holster would be worth about $75.00-$125.00 retail if it can be proven original, is not a reproduction, and is sold seperately.HTH

 

[depicts]

Onmilo, thank you!

thanks for the information. The gun just seems so light compared to modello 34's I've handled in .380 (9mm short). You sound like you know what you're talking about though, I appreciate your quick response.

Anyone else have any info, like date of manufacture based on seriel number?

Thanks again

Bill