Beretta 1934 Surplus Arrived

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stanmerrell

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I have a weakness for Beretta guns and the ads from the various surplus sellers for 1934's finally got to me, and I ordered one from Guns.com It was $349. I'm posting it here to show you what you might be getting, if you have been interested in these. Several retailers have them now for prices from $279 to $349. To allow import, it seems they had a muzzle device installed and removed, so too bad about that, and then of course the import markings on the underside of the trigger guard. But the pistol is in quite good condition.
https://ibb.co/Y3rV5gB
https://ibb.co/MP9wyG8
 
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I got one from AIM Surplus a month ago. Very clean nice example except for where they dinged up the threads on the muzzle. Don't know why they did that but removing a muzzle device of some sort that wasn't intended for easy on/off would explain it. Mine shoots really well and I'm quite happy with it. Have owned a few older ones that I foolishly let go so this makes a nice replacement. Curiously the marks on the trigger guard by the importer on my example seem to indicate they came from Switzerland.
 
desi2358 said:
I got one from AIM Surplus a month ago. Very clean nice example except for where they dinged up the threads on the muzzle. Don't know why they did that but removing a muzzle device of some sort that wasn't intended for easy on/off would explain it. Mine shoots really well and I'm quite happy with it. Have owned a few older ones that I foolishly let go so this makes a nice replacement. Curiously the marks on the trigger guard by the importer on my example seem to indicate they came from Switzerland.
Click to expand...

Mine have the same markings from Switzerland. I understand the guns were imported into Switzerland for the muzzle device and then sent to the US after the modifications to enable the guns to get past the old GCA68 act.
 
I love the 1934 Beretta .380s. Currently have seven of them. Looked at the ones on the Guns.com link. Listed at $363 in very good condition with threads added to the muzzle. Actually a lot less than decent ones sell for on GB. But I don't really need another one. Just tried the links again and they still don't work for me.
 
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stanmerrell said:
Sorry Steve they are working for me now.
Click to expand...

I still have nothing, I just get timeouts if I click on the links. Either only you can see them because it is your hosting account, or else that hosting site wants to do something I do not allow. I run my computers like a duck's butt in a hurricane when it comes to security and links to places away from the site I'm viewing.
 
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Nice looking commercial mfg pistols.
AIM Surplus makes note of the damage to the threaded muzzle on them and posts a pic of that.
Maybe the damage was intentional as part of the import agreement with ATF ,,who knows. Perhaps they didn't like the surpressor ready pistol idea on the import.
Others speculate the damage is from the removal of a surpressor that was permanetly installed with a small weld.
I personally have no idea.

No aftermarket Target Sights or Target Grips added,,both the usual add-on items on service type semi-auto pistols to gain ATF points to make the finish line on the handgun importation contest.
Nice to see that..

Seems like the simple round bbl could be trimmed of the threads only on tht extended portion on a lathe leaving a short step there.
Then a simple plain close fitting steel ring slipped into place, held with solder, press fit or loctite ect,,and again trimmed down to the bbl profile.

AimSurplus, LLC
 
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AHA! Now the pictures will load for me. The Web was iffy yesterday like the local provider was having issues with domain names. Looks like the problem is still about.

Nice looking surplus gun, although I prefer the 1935 as I have a downer on blowback 380s. Either way, you are now equipped to act as a villain in any number of British spy and action TV shows like The Saint or The Avengers. The baddies always had a ready supply of Beretta 1934s and 1935s.:)
 
Dang should have known better than to look at them. I have too many already but the 1934 is one of my favorite semi autos. Knowledgeable gunsmiths and writers have called them the best blow back single action semi auto design ever and I agree. Must resist the urge to buy one.
 
Agency?

glenncal1 said:
Any idea what they are surplussed from? Army or LE?
Click to expand...

So, I've read quite a bit from all the different retailers about the source of these guns. Some of them are Italian armed forces, some from WWII, some from other years of production. Mine that came very recently from Guns.com was advertised as maybe LE trade in, but I have my doubts. It does have a single proof mark that seems like a star with the letters FA7 below it. It's also marked 1972, so not from WWII, sadly. It's kind of a gamble, pay up and see. If I had it to do over, I might try Rguns at $279 they might have something cool. Who knows. I've procrastinated many times and missed out. It's more fun to play a hand, if you can.
 
My seven date from 1937 to 1967. Importation in the US ended with the GCA of 1968 but I have never seen one marked higher than 1967. I saw the 1972 date on the one pictured and I knew production continued beyond 68 but I don't know when it stopped. The good thing is that one dated 1972 is still C&R eligible.
 
What am I not seeing,,
if the orig Model 34 was banned from importation due to GCA68 as it doesn't collect enough points on the ATF Handgun Import Factoring scale (semi autos need at total of at least 75 points),,how are these imported.

They show no upgrades to get extra points. Like the addition of target sights or target grips as done on some other pistols for importation to get them in. The flood of the 380 STAR pistols for example in the 90's.

Maybe I'm missing some point gathering feature(s) the gun has.

..or maybe the whole process has changed since the last time I saw the sun.

I'm sure there's an easy explanation to it all.

They are great pistols and at a great price. Glad to see some different and decent stuff on that market.

https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/form/factoring-criteria-weapons-atf-form-4590/download
 
Muzzle device

2152hq said:
What am I not seeing,,
if the orig Model 34 was banned from importation due to GCA68 as it doesn't collect enough points on the ATF Handgun Import Factoring scale (semi autos need at total of at least 75 points),,how are these imported.

They show no upgrades to get extra points. Like the addition of target sights or target grips as done on some other pistols for importation to get them in. The flood of the 380 STAR pistols for example in the 90's.

Maybe I'm missing some point gathering feature(s) the gun has.

..or maybe the whole process has changed since the last time I saw the sun.

I'm sure there's an easy explanation to it all.

They are great pistols and at a great price. Glad to see some different and decent stuff on that market.

https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/form/factoring-criteria-weapons-atf-form-4590/download
Click to expand...

I'm no expert, what I read was that a muzzle device was threaded and welded on that increased barrel length and probably weight, to allow import, then removed for sale. Those laws were silly even in 68. But they still govern imports 57 years later.
 
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