policerevolvercollector
Member
I just picked an Interarms import one up for $175. It seems like a decent copy of the Beretta 1951...
Best,
Charles
Best,
Charles
Anyone own an Egyptian Helwan?
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I had the misfortune to have two people show up at CHL class with Helwans. Neither gun worked well enough to survive the 30 rounds needed for practice and qualification.
One went dead trigger on the first string.
The other pistol would not fire five shots in a row for a timed string without failing to cycle.
I hope yours is better than these, which are the only ones I've seen shot.
The two men qualified with my S&W loaner Sigma.
One went dead trigger on the first string.
The other pistol would not fire five shots in a row for a timed string without failing to cycle.
I hope yours is better than these, which are the only ones I've seen shot.
The two men qualified with my S&W loaner Sigma.
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italiansport
Member
I had one and got rid of it. It was the only single action semi-auto I ever owned. When you fired it ,it would eject the empty,cycle the action and then let the hammer down. Of course you had to manually re-cock the hammer after each shot. After a gunsmith shrugged his shoulders I gave up on it and traded it off.
Jim
Jim
Owned several years ago when they were imported and sold for cheap. Same for the Hakim rifle and Rasheed carbine. Don't recall exact amount but under $100. They seemed ok for an all steel, single stack, single action 9mm.
smitret
Member
Helwan
Bought my son one in the early 90's.
First one locked up during first mag.
Was replaced by importer and has worked OK.
He still has it.
Better than nothing barely.
Good Luck
Bought my son one in the early 90's.
First one locked up during first mag.
Was replaced by importer and has worked OK.
He still has it.
Better than nothing barely.
Good Luck
Arik
Member
I don't think it was so much a Egyptian manufactured firearm as much as when they surplused them it was for a reason. Let's just say the Egyptians got their use out of those handguns.
There were 50,000 that were produced by Beretta in Italy. The rest in Maadi
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I've owned many of these over the years,....I don't own any now and won't in the future. FWIW, here's my impression,.....
There are several different levels and I'd say yours is near the upper end.
New condition commercial Helwans produced for US importation are junk. You could not give me one.
Military surplus Helwans in poor condition tend to be junk. As a group they don't wear well and internal parts have a 'melted' look to them,......I assume from soft metal but considering their origin it could just be from the conditions in which they served. I can easily imagine 50yrs packed with valve grinding slurry. I see more of these guns offered up as parts kits than as live firearms.
Military surplus Helwans still in good condition tend to work reliably. I just don't have much faith in their long term viability. As a military collectible I can see owning one. More interesting than a Hi Point for a similar price with similar drawbacks. Don't mean that as a slam,....after all the Helwan was a military issue firearm.
I've managed to find several actual Beretta 951's in nice shape in the $200-250 range and can't imagine dedicating space to another Helwan.
There are several different levels and I'd say yours is near the upper end.
New condition commercial Helwans produced for US importation are junk. You could not give me one.
Military surplus Helwans in poor condition tend to be junk. As a group they don't wear well and internal parts have a 'melted' look to them,......I assume from soft metal but considering their origin it could just be from the conditions in which they served. I can easily imagine 50yrs packed with valve grinding slurry. I see more of these guns offered up as parts kits than as live firearms.
Military surplus Helwans still in good condition tend to work reliably. I just don't have much faith in their long term viability. As a military collectible I can see owning one. More interesting than a Hi Point for a similar price with similar drawbacks. Don't mean that as a slam,....after all the Helwan was a military issue firearm.
I've managed to find several actual Beretta 951's in nice shape in the $200-250 range and can't imagine dedicating space to another Helwan.
Erich
Member
I've long loved the look of the Beretta 951s, and have heard good things about them from friends who own them. I managed a gun store when the Helwans were being imported ('88-'90) and we had a couple come through the store new (I believe our wholesale was $88). They were problematic in a way that the Norinco 213 Tokarev 9mms were not.
I've had a lot of friends who owned Helwans over the years - and I've always paid attention to their experiences, because I like the base Beretta design. I can recall one friend who said his Helwan was reliable.
This has been what's kept me from buying one. As kaveman says, my suggestion would be to go for the real thing.
I've had a lot of friends who owned Helwans over the years - and I've always paid attention to their experiences, because I like the base Beretta design. I can recall one friend who said his Helwan was reliable.
This has been what's kept me from buying one. As kaveman says, my suggestion would be to go for the real thing.
Ivan the Butcher
Member
When Berretta designed the original gun, it was for a 9x19 case bout the load was much lighter than the Lugar or Parabellum loading. My best friend has kept the same gun running for over 20 years as it bounces from one "friend" to another. The slide side rails tend to bow out with a diet of Lugar loads, and can be forced back into proper alignment with a bench vise. Gun Parts corp. often has parts for when they fail!
Ivan
Ivan
Uhm,....are you thinking of the Glisenti Model 1910? Then yeah.
Beretta was using full power 9mm in their subguns by WWII and actually quite a bit earlier. The 951 is a modern firearm,.....just a little dated by the single action/single stack,.....but as strong as any other.
Beretta was using full power 9mm in their subguns by WWII and actually quite a bit earlier. The 951 is a modern firearm,.....just a little dated by the single action/single stack,.....but as strong as any other.
I don't have it on this computer, but there is a bunch of stuff out there on the interwebs about these guns. Seems the steel they used for their commercial export pistols were recycled Campbell Soup cans (or of similar quality) and these guns should be avoided.
The Israelis captured a bunch of them, held them a while and then surplused them. The quality can be determined by some of the markings, but, unfortunately, I don't have access to it....but its out there if one is determined to own one.
I waited 'till the right Beretta 1951 came along and was over it like a cold sweat. It's a wonderful pistol....and if you can pick up a P38/P1 and a Beretta 92s (heel mag release) and regular 92FS or a variant, you have a nice little historical shooting timeline in the development of today's Beretta 92 model line.
The Israelis captured a bunch of them, held them a while and then surplused them. The quality can be determined by some of the markings, but, unfortunately, I don't have access to it....but its out there if one is determined to own one.
I waited 'till the right Beretta 1951 came along and was over it like a cold sweat. It's a wonderful pistol....and if you can pick up a P38/P1 and a Beretta 92s (heel mag release) and regular 92FS or a variant, you have a nice little historical shooting timeline in the development of today's Beretta 92 model line.
Stevie
Member
I had owned a really rough Helwan back in the day. Poor-looking bore...loose...rusted and pitted old surplus pistol.
While it's looks and mechanical condition of my particular Helwan did not impress me...the nasty old pistol ran well and displayed fair decent accuracy despite it's rotten bore.
I traded my Helwan off and always intended to buy a better condition version or perhaps a genuine Beretta Brigadier...but never have.
While it's looks and mechanical condition of my particular Helwan did not impress me...the nasty old pistol ran well and displayed fair decent accuracy despite it's rotten bore.
I traded my Helwan off and always intended to buy a better condition version or perhaps a genuine Beretta Brigadier...but never have.
Nope........but if you ever find a Beretta 92 Compact Type M..single stack 8+1 9mm..... grab it...... one of my favorite guns!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not a Helwan but back when cdisales first got a big batch of the Israeli Model 951's in I grabbed one. I have not been disappointed. Very nice trigger and I have had no issues at all with it.
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