Just picked up a Beretta 950B (Minx) in .22 short. It has 3 import stamps on left side of frame above trigger. Does anyone now what or where they are from? I only bought it because I have its bigger American made brother in .25 acp. Funny thing is this one came with a holster. I can’t imagine actually carrying it on a belt. I bought a holster for the .25 but only because it was in a giant bucket of cheap holsters. Any help is appreciated. I’d just like to know where it’s been.
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Beretta Minx import marks
- Thread starter Bald1
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I believe those are Italian commercial proof marks.
"XVI" = 1960
"XVI" = 1960
LVSteve
Member
Yep, Italian proofs, not import marks.
Does that mean all Beretta firearms manufactured in Italy got these? Is it done at factory? They are not as well done as rest of Lettering on gun. That’s why I thought they might be import marks.
leonardocarrillo
Member
In Europe all firearms have to go through the test bench, the stamps on your weapon correspond to Gardone (Italy) where the Beretta factory is located.
LVSteve
Member
It's done by the proofing authority who don't care if it looks as nice as the factory lettering. If the proofing were done in the UK at certain times, there would be a stamp stating "Not English Made" as well as the actual proof marks. Many a milsurp was so marked if it visited the UK in private hands, because it is a requirement for it to be proofed.
Those are Gov't Proof marks done at the Brescia, Italy Proof Facility.
They are essentially the same for that period as those used by the Gardone, Italy facility except in one instance.
The bottom one in the pic if done at the Gardone Proof Hs would have a very tiny 'V' and a 'T' aside the upper Star on the mark.
Even appearing being double struck here, I don't see evidence of the V/T.
So I will guess the pistol was Proofed at the Bresia, Italy Proof Hs.
Top to Bottom on the markings
--Yr of Proof in Roman Numerals (1960 as S&WChad pointed out)
--- Star/PSF is the Definitive Proof (Final Proof)
-----Star/Shield w/ animal figure (?) is the Provisional Proof.
This pistol was importable to the USA back then. It wasn't till 1968 that it didn't meet the new Points System set up by the STF that it failed to be importable.
The new edition was then made in the USA to bypass the importation issue.
'Import Markings' as most people speak of them now came to be in 1985 or '86. It was then that the GCA68 was updated and MilSurp guns were once again allowed to be imported into the USA.
One addition to the importation regs was that all imported firearms needed to have those 'Import Markings' on them showing Country of origin, caliber and whatever else.
Many guns from the earlier days of the 20th Cent show a small marking of Country of Mfg'r/Origin. A small Spain. Germany. Italy, etc marking on the gun somewhere.
Provisional Proof is a pre-firing inspection of mechanism, lockup, chamber and bbl specs, etc. General safety check.
Sometimes called a 'View Proof' in other Countries.
After Final Proof, the gun is supposed to be rechecked once again to make sure those specs and measurements taken during the Provisional Proof are still in tact or at least with in an acceptable range.
Most guns that actually fail a Govt mandated proof testing fail on the initial Provisional /View Proof and never get to the Proof Firing.
Actual gun KaBooms are extremely rare in that business.
Since the Proofing process is done on the finished product. the stamps and markings are punched into the finish and usually damage and/or upset the surface finish.
True of any Proof Marks no matter where applied by a mfg'r.
Something to look at when examining a firearm and deciding if the gun has been refinished or not.
Marks if orig should be done 'thru' the blue or plating and not be blued or plated over.
But there are plenty of hand stamps around now too, to re-mark stuff,,so you really have to know what you are looking at.
Not much to worry about on a Beretta Minx, but a high grade/high value firearm,,yes.
They are essentially the same for that period as those used by the Gardone, Italy facility except in one instance.
The bottom one in the pic if done at the Gardone Proof Hs would have a very tiny 'V' and a 'T' aside the upper Star on the mark.
Even appearing being double struck here, I don't see evidence of the V/T.
So I will guess the pistol was Proofed at the Bresia, Italy Proof Hs.
Top to Bottom on the markings
--Yr of Proof in Roman Numerals (1960 as S&WChad pointed out)
--- Star/PSF is the Definitive Proof (Final Proof)
-----Star/Shield w/ animal figure (?) is the Provisional Proof.
This pistol was importable to the USA back then. It wasn't till 1968 that it didn't meet the new Points System set up by the STF that it failed to be importable.
The new edition was then made in the USA to bypass the importation issue.
'Import Markings' as most people speak of them now came to be in 1985 or '86. It was then that the GCA68 was updated and MilSurp guns were once again allowed to be imported into the USA.
One addition to the importation regs was that all imported firearms needed to have those 'Import Markings' on them showing Country of origin, caliber and whatever else.
Many guns from the earlier days of the 20th Cent show a small marking of Country of Mfg'r/Origin. A small Spain. Germany. Italy, etc marking on the gun somewhere.
Provisional Proof is a pre-firing inspection of mechanism, lockup, chamber and bbl specs, etc. General safety check.
Sometimes called a 'View Proof' in other Countries.
After Final Proof, the gun is supposed to be rechecked once again to make sure those specs and measurements taken during the Provisional Proof are still in tact or at least with in an acceptable range.
Most guns that actually fail a Govt mandated proof testing fail on the initial Provisional /View Proof and never get to the Proof Firing.
Actual gun KaBooms are extremely rare in that business.
Since the Proofing process is done on the finished product. the stamps and markings are punched into the finish and usually damage and/or upset the surface finish.
True of any Proof Marks no matter where applied by a mfg'r.
Something to look at when examining a firearm and deciding if the gun has been refinished or not.
Marks if orig should be done 'thru' the blue or plating and not be blued or plated over.
But there are plenty of hand stamps around now too, to re-mark stuff,,so you really have to know what you are looking at.
Not much to worry about on a Beretta Minx, but a high grade/high value firearm,,yes.
Last edited:
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