Seems like trade ins are everywhere right now. I’ve never handled one. Are they reliable? Good shooters?
The idea of a thinner, smaller, single stack 92 seems like something a lot of Beretta fans might be interested in; in a way, such a thing does (kind of) exist, in the 1951. Albeit in a SAO format with a weird safety.
I think of it as a SAO Walther P.38. I've never had (or even handled one that I can recall), but I think you can assume significant durability and reliability. In addition to the Italian armed forces and police, both the Israel and Egyption armed forces issued them; the Egyptians locally manufactured a variant termed the "Helwan," which does not have the reputation for durability and quality the Italian 1951 has.
Sights are miniscule, cross-bolt safety (and the conceptually similar magazine release at the bottom of the left grip side) is a bit odd, although my understanding is that with familiarization and use they're pretty easy to use. I would assume that the locking block has a relatively limited lifespan compared to the current 92 Gen 3 blocks.
I don't see why, particularly with sight upgrading, that it couldn't be a perfectly viable defensive pistol (especially for Italian-orientated hipsters), but there are far better updated alternatives in my opinion. Like a Glock G48...And thinness for a contemporary 92 is easily achieved with the current crop of excellent ultra-thin grips, like those available from LTT/VZ/WC.
Best, Jon
Nice. Thanks for the insight. I might end up grabbing one. We’ll see. As you mentioned, I think the locking block is something to consider—they don’t seem readily available.
The one thing that intrigues me about the 1951... the slide looks significantly thinner than a 92. Seems like a more svelte package, overall.
I have played with a number of them, as there are no shortage of them in the middle east. In the pic below there are a couple on my work bench.
They were likely a pretty solid and modern pistol in the 1950s, but by today's standards, not so much. That said they are a functional pistol and seem to run well on standard nato ball ammo.
No reason not to get on if you just want something unique to fiddle with on range days, but I can think of quite a few modern choices that I would pick beforehand for actual CCW use.
Interesting. The Tariq? That was the Iraqi version, I think.Originally Posted by Lost River
I have played with a number of them, as there are no shortage of them in the middle east. In the pic below there are a couple on my work bench.
They were likely a pretty solid and modern pistol in the 1950s, but by today's standards, not so much. That said they are a functional pistol and seem to run well on standard nato ball ammo.
No reason not to get on if you just want something unique to fiddle with on range days, but I can think of quite a few modern choices that I would pick beforehand for actual CCW use.
Yeah, it wouldn’t replace my Kahr. But still... if it shoots like a 92 and it’s more carry friendly. Could be a nice option.
I love the 1951. I had my hands on one a number of years ago. It was actually a Helwan that had Egyptian Army and Israeli Army markings. Ended up meeting the Israeli Army officer that owned it (retired to Hawaii). He claimed that they had some older Italian Army officers train them to take off the safety using the knuckle of the thumb on your right hand (lefties need not apply). He also claimed that was part of the reason for developing the "Israeli style".
I love the feel and the fit of them. I've thought about using on as a CCW but...just can't see it. The odd safety is just a bridge too far.
No reason not to get one for sure. I am a Beretta fan, so I got mine really to just add to the collection. The one I have shows excellent build quality.
When I was a kid, Interarms imported these at one time. Probably others did too. Then the model name was Brigadier. Sound familiar?
Pretty sure the Brigadier was Mack Bolan’s pistol of choice.
Nope, Mack Bolan sported a 93R.
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