Beretta Model 59 (BM59)

History

The original M1 Garand became the world's first standard semi-automatic rifle and served millions of people in the United States and Allied forces during World War II. During the conflict, the rifle played a central role in countless battles and was considered a solid and reliable weapon.

However, it was tactically limited as it could only fire from eight "magazine" rounds at a time. Plus, its one-piece solid wood stock makes it a heavy weapon for extended action. The M1 saw extensive service with the U.S. military during the Korean War (1950-1953), with limited appearances during the Vietnam War. The American development of the series offered a similar M14 with its detachable magazine. After World War II, the M1 was licensed by Pietro Beretta SpA, and these examples were held in stock by the Italian army.

Over time, these Beretta Garands were also supplied to the armies of Denmark and Indonesia.

In the late 1950s, it was necessary for the Italian army to improve its standard weapons. However, instead of pouring millions of dollars into a local rifle design and development program, the decision was made to modernize the existing rugged M1. As such, the Beretta took the basic M1 form and added a larger 20-round detachable magazine.

Additionally, a fully automatic firing mode for suppressed fire was implemented, with only minor modifications to the firing action (specifically the recoil spring and gas operation) to use the new 7.62x51mm NATO standard cartridge (the original M1 was already similar 7.62mm cartridge). To round out the changes, a new trigger assembly was designed and installed, a rubber recoil pad was added, and the barrel remained largely unchanged (although support for firing grenades and flash suppressors was added). The end result is a modern selective-fire battle rifle designed for the rigors of battlefield use.

While using the new 20-round detachable magazine, the Beretta redesign also enables the use of loading clips via receiver action, which remains unchanged from the M1. The new rifle - dubbed the "Beretta Model 59" or simply "BM59" - officially entered service in 1959 (as the name suggests).

Bipods are optional for stabilizing firepower.

The basic BM59 appears in four major brands. The BM59 Mk I was the first production model to feature an all-wood solid stock and integrated pistol grip. The BM59 Mk II also features an all-wood stock, although it includes a full pistol grip for improved stability when firing fully automatic.

The BM59 Ital TA (BM59 Mk III) was designed for mountain troops. As such, the design features a short stock with a collapsible skeletal stock, standard bipod, flash suppressor and pistol grip. All these changes resulted in a more compact system suitable for mountain operations. Another development is the BM59 Ital Para for Italian paratroopers. The BM59 Ital Para is identical in every respect to the BM59 Ital TA mentioned above, with the exception of a shorter barrel and a detachable flash suppressor.

The BM59 Mk IV is used in squad support roles with a heavy barrel, bipod and lighter plastic stock. Then came a pair of "demilitarized" versions - the BM62 and BM69 - each with their own characteristics. The BM62 is fired from a 10-round detachable magazine.

Both civilian versions are only semi-automatic fire.

The BM59 was eventually used by militaries outside Italy. These include Algeria, Argentina, Bahrain, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Libya, Morocco and Nigeria. Indonesia and Nigeria have established localized licensed production through Bandung Arms Factory and Defence Industries, respectively.

The BM59 was in service with the Italian army until 1990 when it was replaced by the Beretta AR70/90 series assault rifles.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes