The Beretta M1938 WWII Submachine Gun: Historical Review

I’ve normally been impressed with Beretta submachine guns (SMGs). One exception is the M93R Machine Pistol, which isn’t bad as machine pistols go but which has various features that limit its usefulness. On the other hand, the true SMGs from Beretta are normally well designed. The forerunner of the first Beretta SMG, the Italian Villar Perosa of 1915, was the first automatic weapon chambered for pistol cartridges and, thus, is often labeled the first submachine gun. There were two versions, one double barreled and one single barreled. The Villar Perosa saw combat with Italian troops during World War I, though tactical use of the SMG was in its infancy. The later single-barreled version was more akin to the SMG, as we now know it.

Beretta’s first SMG was a modified version of the Villar Perosa designated the M1918. According to Nelson in The World’s Submachine Guns both Villar Perosa and Beretta were asked by the Italian government to develop a more practical and handier version of the original Villar Perosa design. The version developed by Beretta retained the basic V-P open bolt action, barrel, receiver, and feed-system. Among other alterations from Beretta were a new trigger system and stock as well as a folding bayonet. Retained was the top-feed location of the magazine. To aid reliability, the M1918’s ejection port was enlarged. The M1918 was chambered for the same cartridge as the Villar Perosa, the 9mm Glisenti — basically a loaded down 9mm Parabellum round (appx. 1,000 fps versus 1,200 fps in the original German loading). Some M1918 SMGs saw action with Italian troops before the end of the World War I and may have actually seen combat before the German MP18, I, often credited as the first SMG to see combat. The M1918 would remain in service through World War II.

The replacement for the M1918 was the M1938, which was chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge. A bayonet lug was retained on the Model 38 and a cooling jacket and compensator were added to the barrel. Magazines with capacities of 10, 20, and 40 were available; 10-round stripper clips speeded loading. The fire control system is interesting as it uses two separate triggers (forward semi- and rear full-) instead of a selector switch. A separate safety was above the trigger group. As changes were made to the M1938, it was designated the M1938A. There were actually three variations of the M1938A, with the third variation designed reportedly for desert fighting in North Africa eliminating the bayonet and increasing the blades on the compensator from two to four.

As production of the M1938 continued during World War II, other changes were made. The M1938/42 was simplified to reduce production costs by removing the cooling jacket/barrel shroud, simplifying the rear sight, cutting two compensator slots at the front of the fluted barrel, and using a stamped receiver The M1938/43 used an un-fluted barrel. While the M1938A had a 12.8" barrel, the 38/42 and 38/44 had 8.2" barrels. Note that the Wehrmacht adopted the 38/42 and 38/43 as the MP.738. The M1938/44 used a simplified bolt and recoil spring. The post-war production M1938/49 replaced the lever safety with a cross-bolt one.

The Model 1938A saw substantial usage among Italian elite troops such as the Folgore (paracadutista ), San Marco Marines, Black Shirts, and Carabinieri among others. The Folgore and some other units used an interesting magazine carrying vest similar to later tactical vests; because it resembled Japanese classical armor, it was nicknamed “the Samurai.” Interestingly, these vests are available from SARCO. A special 9x19mm cartridge was introduced for the M1938A, the “9mm Cartuccia Pallottola 38A,” with a muzzle velocity of 1,378 feet per second according to an Italian source, though Peter Labbett in Modern Small Arms Ammunition of the World, 1945-1980 states it has a FMJ 115-grain FMJ bullet at 1,450 fps.

Since I used the M1938A for shooting tests in this article, I’ll discuss its special features. The 38/42 and 38/44 were lighter and simpler to produce; hence, some will find them handier, but I consider the 38A the classic of the 1938 line of SMGs. The 38A has a comfortable stock that may be pulled tight against the shoulder where it will stay without shifting even when firing longer bursts. Having said that, I do find the forearm feels fat when I grasp it to fire, but it doesn’t seem to affect my ability to control the weapon when firing on full auto. The sights are good for an SMG, allowing more precise shooting at longer range with the single-shot trigger. Ergonomics are good with the safety lever easy to operate with the support hand’s thumb and the cocking handle readily operated with the palm of the right hand.

Though the cocking handle is on the right side, the ejection port is on the left side of the receiver. For a southpaw, the ergonomics would not be so good. I do find the magazine release lever a little small, but it does allow the thumb to depress it while grasping the magazine and pulling it free. I’ve never used a 30-round magazine, but I have found that the 40-round magazine is easier to grasp and pull free than the 20-round magazine. The magazines are double stack, dual feed and in my limited experience have proven reliable. The use of dual triggers means that it isn’t necessary to fumble with a selector switch to choose between single-shot (semi-) and full-auto fire. The front trigger is semi-auto and the rear is full-auto. To aid in determining where one’s finger is, the front trigger is serrated.

Before starting this article, I read various articles on the M1938 series of SMGs and found that most knowledgeable writers rated the 38A, as well as the 38/42 and 38/44 among the best SMGs of World War II. I’ve fired most of the SMGs that saw combat in World War II and I definitely concur. I’ve seen some arguments that the Suomi KP/31 was the best. It was an excellent SMG, but I have found the M1938A to be handier and easier to hold on target for bursts. I’m a fan of the US M3 “Grease Gun” for close range combat, but at 50 yards or more I would feel more confident of getting hits with the 38A. The German MP38 and MP40 are well made SMGs.

The combo of the pistol grip and the magazine well/fore grip allow good control when firing bursts. The sights are not as good as those of the 38A, the folding stock is not especially comfortable in full auto fire, and the SMG could only be fired in full auto; thus, it was not as effective at longer ranges as the 38A. Also, the MP38 and MP40 used a double column, single feed magazine, which was more likely to cause failures to feed. Once again, I concur that the 38A was among the best World War II SMGs and believe an argument could be made it was the best. Obviously, the Germans felt the MP38/42 was effective enough that after they occupied the portion of Italy containing the Beretta plant they took delivery of 20,000 of the Beretta SMG per month.

I fired the M1938A at ranges between 15 and 35 yards and found it handled well. I have never fired the 38/42 or 38/44, which have shorter barrels — 8.4 inches versus 12.4 inches and are lighter at 7.2 pounds empty versus 9.3 pounds empty, but I still found the 38A handled well when engaging multiple pepper poppers as well as hanging plates. At 15 yards, firing in short three to five round bursts it was easy to keep my rounds centered on a silhouette target. My impacts stayed center of mass. I should point out, though, I was using GI Winchester overrun 9mm ammo rather than the hotter Italian 38A ammo. I’ve found with SMGs it’s always a tradeoff between lightness and handiness and control of muzzle rise. The M1938A was about as good as any SMG I’ve fired for meeting this tradeoff.

Italian troops sometimes get a bad rap in World War II when compared to their German allies. However, the Italian Navy’s Decima Flottiglia MAS and the 185th Divisione Paracadutisti Folgore were elite troops and they were armed with the M1938A. US GIs who captured the M1938A or later variations of it usually thought highly of it, as long as they could keep capturing 9mm Parabellum ammo. Italian Partisans made good use of the M1938A and successors fighting the Germans and their own Fascists. And, the Germans used a lot of the M38/42 and M38/44 in combat. This is a submachine gun I recommend to any reader who gets a chance to shoot it — no, make that shoot it a lot!

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