Best SMG of World War Two: The Beretta M38A

[@TheCheat_1337]

"Do you really need a bayonet on an SMG? Mmmmm...not really." *Imperial Japanese Army glares angrily*

[@Drownedinblood]

Not crazy if you think smgs will be used in cqc anyway tbh.

[@redrb26dett]

The imperial empire (Star Wars)had bayonets for there blaster rifles

[@truekhmer7292]

Well, the Japanese Army barely had any Type 100 so… No problem is there’s no SMG in the first place

[@M.M.83-U]

Italian issued dedicated daggers as companion pieces for paratroopers etc...

[@Zombi3Johnny]

@Scott Reynolds who says you can't

[@thehungriergrue]

"Front trigger semi auto. Rear trigger fully auto." Rear trigger clearly looks more used.

[@davidvulakh744]

@Andy Ruse Given the timeframe, that might have been what actually happened.

[@werwar27]

if you pull both you get the legendary full semi auto fire

[@leonardodenni1562]

@@werwar27 also known as "big boom in your hands"

[@JustIn-op6oy]

@@werwar27 yep, the timing is tricky but it's so worth it. Seeing a firearm magically sprout as many barrels as there are rounds in the magazine so it can discharge them all at once is pretty sweet. However, since it usually requires a bit of necromancy (the whole blood sacrifice & invoking the soul of a dead gun designer routine) to accomplish, it could be argued that it's a religious practice and therefore protected under the 1A.

[@alanwilkin8869]

Pull both Single shot Brrrrr Single shot Brrrrrrrr Or am I wrong 😂

[@danschneider9921]

Ian- the American of Scottish heritage who lives a double life of a Frenchman with with a desire to be a Finn who is actually a closeted Italian...

[@nigeh5326]

Ian is a real everyman he finds good and bad in everything regardless of national origin. It’s one of his strengths imo

[@michaelangelomaimone3181]

Don’t forget the Finns

[@MichaelYT23]

200th 👍

[@pigchunk2216]

Well Scotland loves Italy for beating England in the euro

[@nigeh5326]

@@pigchunk2216 lol and plenty of us English love Italy and Scotland too.

[@towakin7718]

ATF: How long did you have this machine gun? Guy: 20 years. ATF: That's impossible, you would have been nine years old! Guy: Yeah, sounds about right.

[@jordangreenwade2931]

Ian:"Do you really need a bayonet on a sub machine gun?" Empire Of Japan:"Yes and light Machine guns too!!"

[@mrkeogh]

It's a shame they didn't put a bayonet on their katanas.

[@sirderp2343]

@@mrkeogh Nah, they needed to put bipod on those.

[@travishabursky4362]

Chesty Puller wanted to put bayonets on flamethrowers, things can always get weirder.

[@Helltanz98]

@@travishabursky4362 I'm sure the Japanese Army would have agreed that would have been a great idea.

[@smokeyplane3285]

@E Van would you put bayonet lugs on a minigun

[@maledetto1221]

The production during the German occupation is one of the funniest stories in my opinion, it's unknown how many were produced because they were stolen by anyone: workers at the factory, partisans during the shipping, fascist regime itself, etc... And the German were really pissed off about it, they were the last one to get the final guns. Also the production was very slow due to the different models and the workers kept their normal shifts ignoring the pressure of the Germans, on top off that they also had to fight the fascist officer that kept asking for custom guns(like gold plated, engraved, etc...)

[@AsbestosMuffins]

Its like a cookie jar only a crate full of guns

[@lanfrancoadreani9212]

I would Like to read about this myself, can you suggest me any reference?

[@norwegianwiking]

This could be turned into a good comedy

[@gastone2168]

Also military deposits were full of them due the fact that before 1943 were issued only ti officials.

[@flip849]

Italy as its finest

[@farenheit1100]

I got a chance to shoot two of these back in the early 70's that were brought home by a US officer as war trophies. It was amazing. they had the 40 round mags. The finish as as nice as any "Baretta shotgun. i was able to hold an entire mag dump into a B27 x ring , I think it is my favorite of all the MGs that I have fired,. We shot both factory and reloads that day and both functioned flawlessly in the total of 8 boxes that we fired that day,. thanks for posting

[@coopersand911]

This is the gun that started it for me!! Playing Medal of Honor Allied Assault's DLC Breakthrough as a kid, this was my favorite weapon, and ever since then, any and all weapons have grabbed my interests firmly! Thanks Ian!!

[@itsconnorstime]

That was a nice gun. Too bad that game never gave you any ammo.

[@DorothyGameplays]

So we are here for the same reason... loved to user her at the assault in Gela. Loved the sound and the design

[@Xerxes1688]

Strange that he didn't cover the mechanics of the trigger pack. Also, worth mentioning (which Ian did on the 2018 video) that the magazines are double-stack, double-feed, which is also the case for the Villar-Perosa, or the OVP, Beretta 1918. They got that right from the very get go.

[@iknowmy3tables]

Thanks for reminding me that the Italians fielded 3 different pressure loadings of 9mm during WWII to make logistics as fun as possible

[@blamokapow137]

Beretta is quality for sure. Oldest exsisting gun company.

[@shoelessbandit1581]

@@bocefusmurica4340 I'd imagine there's a bank somewhere that's been around longer, those things never die

[@blamokapow137]

@@bocefusmurica4340 word!

[@Cristian-nn5jj]

@@shoelessbandit1581 I think the oldest is a japanese construction company that was contracted to build a buddhist temple in 500ad or something.

[@Bacteriophagebs]

@@bocefusmurica4340 Not even CLOSE. The oldest existing company, possibly the oldest company ever, is a Japanese construction company founded in 578 CE. The oldest existing Western/European business is an inn in Austria founded around 800 CE which is documented to have served Charlemagne at one point. Then there's a few hundred hotels, breweries, and winemakers. The oldest manufacturing company is a chemical company founded in Japan in 1395, oldest Western manufacturer is an Austrian clothing company (1434). In Italy, the oldest existing manufacturer is a boatmaking company founded 1438. Just liiiiiiiiiiiittle bit older than Beretta. And yes, Shoeless Bandit, there are four Italian banks founded in the 1470s alone that still exist, and many younger ones.

[@vadimflaks7795]

@@bocefusmurica4340 Not even close. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_companies

[@nigeh5326]

I watch a few KZbin firearm channels but Ian is the best presenter I’ve seen. He explains the technical side really well and his enthusiasm while there is not over the top like some. When he is on the range he keeps cool and points out just what you need to know about whatever he is firing and of course he gives us the mag dump, unless it is sensible not to as with the recent silenced Sten. Cheers Ian long may your videos continue 👍

[@marks_sparks1]

Quite simply Ian is a legend in his own lifetime

[@GRHrivnak]

My other favorite gun YT channels are Paul Harrell and Hickock45. Paul for his detailed chronograph tests and Hickock for his history and shooting demos.

[@jean-pascalesparceil9008]

Captured Beretta SMGs were used by the SAS in 1942: some were used by the French/British/Greek team that destroyed 21 German planes at Heraklion Airfield (Creta) on June 13th 1942.

[@TheUrizen]

Beretta has been selling weapons since the motherfucking battle of Lepanto. Their pistol was also one of the best, if not the best, pistol of WW2

[@ypfsg7177]

TheVillar Perosa that Sean Connery uses to shoot the tail off their own bi-plane in The Last Crusade is actually a mock up made from two upside down m38’s! “I’m sorry son, they got us.”

[@florentleider222]

At a time I owned one - in perfect condition- I was given by a french colonel who had fought in the Monte Cassiono area. I got the accompanying semi_vest with 6 magazines (+1) for (40 cartridges.), worn across the chest. The buttplate was so well adjusted that by chance I discovered years later that there was a small trap door. When I lifted it up, I discovered the cleaning kit perfectly packed! in the butt. A beauty !!. I was also a box of original italian cartridges, a special 9x19 more powerful than the regular 9 parabellum, and I was advised to never use them in a handgun.

[@frankbrowning328]

This submachine gun was so far ahead of its time. Very well thought out, well made, and beautifully finished. For the time it was made its difficult to find fault with it. It surpasses many other guns that were designed well past WWII

[@culshie]

British Troops in North Africa sought these out as they were well admired, (the only Italian Firearm they felt that way about) back in the seventies there warnings to not use Italian 9mm surplus in alloy frame pistols due to it being extra hot.

[@culshie]

@@0neDoomedSpaceMarine Actually they were pretty disappointed when they discovered it was .380 ACP and not 9mmP.

[@Compulsive_LARPer]

Ackshually, they had some captured Italian ammo to run them when "found". Aside from battlefield captures, non-negible amounts were secured by the Allies from surrendered troops after El Alamein, from the shit left behind in Tunisia and then Sicily, from the troops that managed to surrender to them after the Italian capitulation, etc.

[@Frank-pc2rs]

Nah the Beretta pistols were sought after and they did appreciate the Breda M37.

[@trombonista92]

my father was an MP in the italian air force, in the early 70s, was given this gun, the arresting hocks were all worn down to nothing, and they usually didnt work unless the muzzle was level and horizontal, also he main springs were very soft , and when in full auto the firing pin is stuck out permanently, , so it would happen that a solider would sit down, slam the stock on the ground, the bolt would fly back, strip a round, and just start full auto magdumping itself , often it would stop firing once it fell horizontal into the ground, but some times it would just keep going, i think 3 of his collogues accidentally shot them selves this way, no one died

[@geordiedog1749]

My grandad who fought with the RHA said that the Berretas were top prizes in North Africa and much sought after. Anyone who got one either held onto it or traded it for a lot of kit.

[@geordiedog1749]

@@zoiders well, obviously!! he was in the SAS as well!:) Good point though. Why do people make crap up?!

[@geordiedog1749]

@@zoiders probably something to do with thinking they were ‘the best’. The sort of person who thinks they ‘would have made a really good SAS trooper’ because they’ve watched the Omaha beach scene on Saving Private Ryan five times now and basically that makes them a hardened war veteran!

[@geordiedog1749]

@@zoiders I shall look out for that book. I like the stories of the ‘Other guys’. Ones you never hear about. And I agree with your point, too. I just read a book on the Royal Navy patrol service. They were amazing! Grubby fishermen in trawlers painted grey with WW1 guns bolted onto them. Keeping the coastal convoys of coal going. Corelli Barnett doesn’t even mention them in ‘Engage the Enemy More Closely”.

[@Jamez84]

As a machinist I love watching Ian disassemble these and explain how these guns were produced and manufactured. 😊😀

[@vernonhess3842]

Ian did a good job not letting “left hand eject privilege” sway his production.

[@travishabursky4362]

The Elbonians are sweating hard at that barrel shroud, but they know they can’t afford anything that nice.

[@bickyboo7789]

Do you mean those types that kinda c grip with their elbow sticking out when you say Elbonian?

[@Mirageknight2133]

Tis unfortunate that their chief export is dirt

[@totenkopf28]

They would beat a steel sheet with hammer until it looks like that if they wanted it 😂

[@brandonblackfyre5783]

*The Beretta firearms are probably my most favorite firearm till this day... I believe I love Beretta's so much because I was born in 1994 & grew up watching awesome movies like "Lethal Weapon" & "Die Hard" that had Beretta's as their main hand guns for the bad & good guys alike... Plus at the time period I was growing up in, which was the late 1990s & early 2000s, most Law Enforcement Agencies & Departments were still using the famous Beretta 9mm Handguns before adopting the, at the time, brand new Glock 9mm... So always seeing the Beretta Handguns in awesome & timeless movies & TV Shows, along with real life Law Enforcement using the Beretta's, really gave me a love for the weapon. I've only heard great things about the classic Beretta Pistols, even the older Beretta's that were used in WWII, which were basically a small verison of the famous Beretta 93... When I was younger, even though I saw different Beretta SMGs, had no idea Beretta even produced & manufactured SMGs or any other firearm besides Pistols.* *Till this day in 2023, even with all the new modern pistols that have been invented & produced, the Beretta 93 still keeps up and even out classes some modern pistols... Over the years of being a HUGE firearm enthusiast, I have never heard any bad things about the Beretta Pistols & very rarely did you hear any bad things or criticisms about Beretta's SMGs... I need to look up & see if Beretta is still making any Sub-Machine Guns in todays times because I have not seen or heard of any new Beretta's being developed or invented... Especially since most Countries & Their Armies are using "Carbines" now instead of SMGs for their soldiers in the rear guard & the Armoured Vehicles Units because Carbines can shoot a intermediate rifle round like the 5.56x45 in the M4 Carbines, which is better than 9mm or .45 in most cases... Plus the size of the carbines give armoured vehicle units & rear echelon troops a lot more room for their supplies & other necessities... Nowadays we are seeing more SMGs that fire intermediate rounds like the 5.7mm ammunition that can be used in the P90 SMG & 5.7 Pistols, even though some call the P90 a PDW (Personal Defense Weapon)... With the ammunition like the 5.7mm being used in SMGs we are starting to see a resurgence of SMG manufacturing that are 5.7mm or another similar calibers.*

[@alessandrorona6205]

My father was given one of those in 1986 when he had to go trough the conscription mandatory year. As a conscript he was assigned to guard duties. Fancy modern stuff like the AR70 or powerful stuff like the BM59 was reserved to professionals combat personnel.

[@enricofesta1161]

I BM59 nell’86 erano già largamente diffusi tra i reparti di leva non “operativi”, perciò la dotazione di ogni militare dipendeva dall’armeria della caserma e dal suo inventario, non dalle priorità. Quel discorso vale per gli AR. Nell’86 i MAB erano ancora dotazione ufficiale delle FFAAA e delle FFOO, ecco perché tuo padre li ha usati.

[@alessandrorona6205]

@@enricofesta1161 davvero? Il BM59 è difficile da sparare, sia per il calibro grosso che per il calcio poco ergonomico ed non adatto a gestire il rinculo elevato. Oltretutto ho letto che era dato alle truppe che combattevano fino al 1995. È stato usato sia in Libano che in Somalia. Quindi pensavo fosse dato solo ai soldati di professione con molta pratica di tiro sulle spalle.

[@noahwail2444]

I realy wonder why it wasn´t mentioned, that it as one of the very few SMGs in WW2, was double stacked, double feed, and thus did not have all the feed problems most others had.

[@cdncampcook8680]

That gift eclipsed every single other gift ever given.

[@hugebartlett1884]

A boxful of ammo at Christmas would have been handy.

[@BortBortson]

@@hugebartlett1884 you don't give a new toy without the batteries

[@phenethylamine91]

I bet the kid went "gee whiz"

[@_A.K_]

Ian is really lucky. A fairly rare all consecutive serial gun that can easily be damaged by taking it apart as intended and they let him go about gutting it for us to see.

[@totenkopf28]

Cause he have the license to dissassemble lol, i remember that one time he accidentally fixed a broken gun while dissassembling it. I forget what video tho but he really lived up to his name, the Gun Jesus 😂

[@StressmanFIN]

How so? Is it fragile?

[@Bambihunter1971]

There's a big difference between Bubba and Ian taking a gun apart. I would bet any that he does not understand, he researches first. And, by now, he has a feel for how they all come apart. Largely, there is a theme to most guns disassembly, though he has certainly found some really weird ones to be sure.

[@ballisticjason8889]

Disassembling a gun doesn't damage it lmao, believe it or not, guns are designed to be disassembled.

[@duanesamuelson2256]

@Ballistic Jason it's the reassembly which can go wrong...this little spring can't really be needed...lol

[@jonathanenglish9146]

I remember the Italian Coastal Patrol Units in Sinai issued those SMGs to their sailors back in the early 90's. We would sit on the CPUs in Sharm el Sheik harbor to count refugees coming across the Red Sea after Iraq invaded Kuwait.

[@sandrodunatov485]

It was standard issue to many (if not all) Navy units back then, iirc.

[@DefunctYompelvert]

Seems most Navies after WW2 received the heavy, obsolescent first gen SMGs as hand me downs. The British empire had lanchesters, the US had Thompsons,

[@ironhead2008]

@@DefunctYompelvert And grease guns, they were used as sidearms for tank crews and other units through Desert Storm.

[@DefunctYompelvert]

@@ironhead2008 they lasted until the 2000s in national guard use, even as late as 2006-2008 officially I’ve read.

[@Jack72607]

Unfortunately for the Italian soldiers on the ground mab38s were reserved almost exclusively for officers and were a rare enough sight in the field. Officers had to purchase the 9x19 m38 ammo with their own pockets and it was a very scarce commodity. Much easier to get supplied (or steal) from the Germanic ally

[@kinghoodofmousekind2906]

>when the army goes from f@scist to anarco-capitalist to supply itself

[@liviomerlo7764]

Ummm, my father was a corporal in the paratropper regiment and he had one.

[@larrymcjones]

@@liviomerlo7764 weren’t corporals technically NCOs?

[@67claudius]

The 185th Paratroopers Division "Folgore" had this gun.

[@GiulioBalestrier]

As far as I've read, this weapon was available to paratroopers (Folgore division), marines (San Marco regiment) and PAI (Italian Africa Police). It might have been available on purchase to other troops as you say, but apparently it was a scarce commodity.

[@justindunlap1235]

every little detail of that gun says it would be a pleasure to shoot. I can't wait to see the range video tomorrow.

[@gohunt001-5]

You can see it now! The video of him shooting the gun's been up for ages!

[@thatoneannoyingcommentbot7415]

it's been out for years

[@Niinsa62]

Out of battery discharges on a fixed firing pin SMG might be rare, but the guy next to me had one when we did national service a long time ago here in Sweden, with Kpist 45's. It might have had something to do with the empty round collector attached to the ejector port, that had a tendency to kick empty rounds back into the receiver. Without that peace-time environmental thingy attached, the gun was rock solid. But anyway, he had an out of battery discharge, which blew the mag well halfway off. I think the receiver was slightly bulged as well, the gun was a total write-off. He still had all fingers attached, but you don't really have any fingers close to that part of the gun, so no surprise there. Still, nice to see that Beretta thought of that, and took care of it, with a not-fixed firing pin!

[@StacheMan26]

I would presume one of the factors leading to the M38A continuing in production alongside its simplified descendants was that Beretta simply couldn't afford to take all the lines offline in order to retool them.

[@geodkyt]

Exactly. The production inefficiencies are still more efficient in the near term than retooling. Now, when the war is over (or mostly.won) and you don't need tens of thousands of SMGs "yesterday", you can shut down and retool.

[@neutronalchemist3241]

Probably more the fact that Beretta outsourced the building of many parts to family workshops in Val Trompia (they still did for their shotguns for several decades after the war). Once the workshop had tooled to produce a part, it was simply not economical to retool, and, since the workshops were labour-intensive family business, the economy in building a part that was intended to simplify mass production was negligible so, along with the mass produced parts built directly by beretta, there was still a continue influx of original M38A parts.

[@Bambihunter1971]

If by afford you mean lost production, then I totally agree. They needed all the SMG's they could get.

[@tallerdumo]

I like the close ups to the weapon. It is close to how you look a new gun for the first time, the shape and bright of all the components, patina and details.

[@evanbaggins4885]

An amazing SMG wielded by some very brave fighters indeed... Always so much wonderful knowledge to share, Ian! Thanks!

[@badopinionsrighthere]

Did we finally find something to unseat Ian's love for the Suomi?

[@rodgerjohnson3375]

This is likely a lighter gun.

[@johnstewart4646]

Think there enough love to go around

[@jojomaster7675]

Yes, but only for one reason: _Left side ejection port_

[@vitoscaletta7151]

@@rodgerjohnson3375 Yep, Suomi is Thompson heavy

[@454FatJack]

Blond or Brunette? TaKe both ❤

[@DIEGhostfish]

I eagerly await the day you go to that one guy in Switzerland who has the only surviving Armaguerra OG-43 and hopefully an OG-44 or two. The OG-43 for its incredible novelty and the OG-44 for just how good it looks as like, a starwars gun, either in full stock or folding configuration.

[@pompey333]

I noticed you pronunciation if you ever see in italian two letters right next to each other pronounce as prodit-to for product as the double letter in italian follows stops at the first syllable and begins in the second syllable. Just so you know I really enjoy your informed and non politicized explanation of weapons from history. Thank you Ian!

[@panzerdragoonss4021]

I watched "The gods must be crazy" yesterday and I believe the leader of the villains was using one of these.

[@RodrigoFernandez-td9uk]

18:25 And I considered myself a cool uncle for giving my nephew a slingshot...

[@ziomaxxx]

An another masterpiece made by Beretta.

[@martinrps13]

10:43 the smaller screws are not supposed to be notched. They are supposed to be fully round and the larger one gets notched. That was a method of keeping the larger screws tight. Someone working on this gun must not have been aware of that.

[@edm240b9]

Really need to get my hands on one of these again. Such a fun shooting SMG and really is the best subgun of WWII IMO.

[@tekumeku2244]

Favorite War Prize of the Americans who fought in the Africa/Italian campaigns

[@AshleyPomeroy]

I remember reading that the Beretta M1935 was pretty popular as well - I imagine it being a lot easier to stuff into a backpack and bring home.

[@SnoopReddogg]

Where there any left to trophy by the time they got there???

[@454FatJack]

@@AshleyPomeroy34, .380/.32❤

[@brapgabslab7336]

"Do you really need a bayonet on an SMG? Mmmmm...not really." Yes I do how else am I supposed to take a trench do you know how much more efficient I could be with a bayonet affixed on my SMG.

[@ineednochannelyoutube5384]

Yeah, if anything needs a bayonette in ww2, its probably only the smg.

[@Matt-md5yt]

Glad you talked about this smg, i think it's pretty neat

[@fruitbat4429]

Cool video. Cool story attached to it. And I lovethe detail of the rear trigger being serrated for use in the dark.

[@Jack72607]

Always heard older Italian gentlemen hating on the Mab-38 and the risk of slam fire (almost surely talking about the later simplified models and not the fancy ww2 mab38a , having served in the military in the 50s and 60s). Did they go with a fixed firing pin with the later models or is it just some Fuddlore?

[@Jack72607]

@@0neDoomedSpaceMarine Ian said the later models are way less smooth and operate much more like a run of the mill open bolt blowback 9mm smg. My own grandad was trained back in 50s on the 7,62Nato beretta garands (not bm59s), m1 carbines and mab38s and despised the mabs for lack of accuracy and safety. He really really dug the m1 carbines for the light weight and short lenght and respected the garand’s range and accuracy. Back in ww2 having a guy with an smg and full auto fire was much more of a force multiplier because almost everyone else was running bolt actions

[@Jack72607]

@@0neDoomedSpaceMarine And yes, All the guys I talked to used their weapons in training only. I know a few guys who served in Somalia and Kossovo but I doubt they were still running mab38s (at least I hope so. My dad had his basic training on garands and mg42s in the 80s)

[@Teenar99]

This gun was still used in the Italian army for decades after the end of WWII (at least for conscripts). My father used one to spray at his commanding officer in the '60s. Fun times.

[@jeromethiel4323]

Something that could be VERY valuable to shooters and collectors, is knowing which firearms can handle which ammo. For example, there were 9mm ammo manufactured at significantly higher pressures, for use in submachine guns, which will ruin some pistols that can chamber that round. Especially some military surplus 9mm is hotter that +P+ ammo, because it was intended ONLY for use in SMG's.

[@btl5008]

One of the most fantastic subguns out there. Such a joy to shoot

[@gasmonkey1000]

@7:25 Gun Jesus: "Do you really need a bayonet on a submachine gun?" IJA: "YES!"

[@christopherwang4392]

The Beretta Model 38/49 was also the standard SMG for West Germany's _Bundesgrenzschutz_ (Federal Border Guard) or BGS in the 1950s. Due to the poor state of post-war Germany's small arms industry, there were very few factories left that could resume production of the MP40. Rather than going through the expenses of rebuilding the domestic manufacturing infrastructure for the MP40, the West German government decided that it would be more convenient to purchase the Beretta Model 38/49 from Italy for the BGS.

[@alaincharlesleroy87]

Some Madsen MP 50 were used by the new german army in 1954

[@454FatJack]

DUX smg West Germany, Oviedo Willy Daugs ex owner Tikkakoski 🇫🇮 . Home Kp -31, Sudajev 9mm kp-44. Late 1944 Soviet took all German property 😢

[@johnthomas-km2bf]

Man, i want one so bad, but i have a feeling it is one of those "if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it" type of guns.

[@amigi968]

You could hear the smile when Ian said "And it ejects from the left!"

[@MrGarwest]

Hello I an, Our father Captain A-R-West MC of the 4th Indian Division of the 8th Army in North Africa was issued with a Beretta Modello 1938. He mentioned it in his recently published war memoirs and thought it was one of the best sub machine guns too. Regards, G and L. A-R-West FHBSA

[@kaylt.7864]

18:30 brings a tear to my eye 🥲

[@emmedigi89]

This was still in service in mid 1970s when my father was enlisted for his required military service period, it was his standard weapon. :D

[@k31owner46]

Got to shoot one of these at Big Sandy. Absolutely love it. Probably the smoothest SMG I have ever held. Gotta get one once I figure out how to afford it.

[@amphibious3381]

Even if you’ve never heard or seen this SMG before, you take one look at it and you can tell it just shoots real smooth

[@racerk99]

This is my favorite sub from WWII, thanks Ian.

[@Francois15031967]

"Moschetto" means "musket" and is pronounced something like "Moss-k-tow"

[@loods2215]

With a double t though, something that English native speakers always struggle to pronounce

[@vsarge8762]

Moss kee tow

[@paoloviti6156]

As I'm Italian I would pronounce it Mos-sKetto!

[@vincenzo2737]

I think they can try to pronounce moss keth o.

[@ooloncaluphid]

I tend to think of the usual submachine gun, like a sten, as being slightly more mechanically complex than a flintlock. But that one bucks the trend.

[@WhenDoesTheVideoActuallyStart]

Interwar SMG's could actually be rather complex, even the ones not made by the swiss.

[@costantinoandruzzi2219]

The Germans favored this gem over the MP40 and got their hands on lots of MABs during the last year of WWII.

[@454FatJack]

RSI❤

[@Deamon93IT]

Boy this M38A looks pristine, aside of minor wear where the bolt smacks the stock and other similar places. I wonder how much this piece will bring at auction

[@Anino_Makata]

Considering the lineage of the piece alongside it's condition, I'm guessing she's gonna go for a five to six figure tag.

[@salty_armorer4027]

The seller ought to be able to buy a whole gallon and a half of gas with the proceeds.

[@KentuckyAk101guy]

@@salty_armorer4027 I think a gallon and a half is a bit generous. Try half a gallon

[@marvindebot3264]

2 part field strip, brilliant! A very clever design indeed.

[@Verdha603]

Two long years later, and we finally have Ian post a sit down video of the Beretta Model 38 after the shooting video for it came out (and that’s not including the two WAY older videos of him shooting the Model 38/42 and 38/44).

[@Viper2132]

"Do you really need bayonets on a submachine gun?" Imperial Japan: "YES!!"

[@matteohetzy7599]

or LMG like the type99 I wonder if there has ever been a cannon with bayonet😂

[@swj719]

"what could be cooler or more American?" I will bet you money that GI was from Texas. 😂

[@ironhead2008]

Or West VA, or most of the south for that matter.

[@duanesamuelson2256]

Hard to believe in this day and age but things like that happened in CA also back then. My grandfather, who today would be diagnosed with severe PTSD had a lot of war trophies which were full auto..which would get taken by the cops for a few weeks and later returned when he'd go outside and fire off a few hundred rounds on full auto..in LA. He gave me several which were kept at his house so eventually they eventually permanently disappeared. I was about 5 when he gave them to me.

[@mpetersen6]

Father told me and my brothers that when in Italy they got to shoot a couple of these. He basically said that you could rest the magazine on your left hand and fire it.

[@jm9371]

Fascinating, the bolt is a hardcore 3D puzzle to disassemble. Very unlike a normal open bolt SMG design.

[@knightofastora1324]

Uncle: Gives 9 year old nephew a full auto submachine gun that was used in world war Nephew: "Mom, can you stop messing around and upgrade to uncle Jim already?" Mom: "I'm 9 years ahead of you, son."

[@JimCOsd55]

Back in the 60’s, my dad and all his friends were WW ll vets which just seemed normal growing up. Some had M1 Garands, M1 carbines, Mausers, Arisakas, Lugers and one of his buddy’s had a Beretta M38 so when we went over to his house ... we wanted to see a real machine gun!

[@obiwankenobi2749]

A good extra level of safety would be to make the trigger be what enables the firing pin to be pushed. Like a revolver, if the bolt comes forward, and the trigger is not held, it will chamber a round, but there would be no metal block to actuate the firing pin.

[@stefanosiclari]

Ian finally managed to pronounce an Italian name correctly, twice in a row. This is a glorious day

[@josearellano5778]

An absolute work of art this SMG is so beautiful‼️😍😍😍

[@pathoulihan6206]

My 9 year old nephews are going to be terribly disappointed in me this Christmas. Cool uncle status revoked 🙁

[@CeylonMondegreen]

Us Finns are gonna be none too happy if this Italo-bullet hose is going to be eclipsing the Suomi all of a sudden.

[@bluebagger1262]

Give me an Owen SMG 9mm any day of the week.

[@nigeh5326]

I’m sure next time Ian visits Helsinki you can take him into the woods and convince him 😊

[@davidmorningstar]

The Suomi will have the faster rate of fire, but the Beretta will always have the pasta rate of fire.

[@giulianoilfilosofo7927]

There is a reason if Beretta is the longest running weapons manifacturer on This Planet.

[@jojomaster7675]

@@andrehashimoto8056 The Berreta is good, but it just seems inconvenient. The left side ejection post is a very bad idea for the military, as most people are right handed, and having hot casings get ejected on your arm can take a toll on your accuracy. Then you have the dual triggers, which are insanely annoying if you have big fingers, and then the complex machining which not only makes it expensive, but also a hell to fix if yomething goes wrong. Overall, a good gun, but I still think the Suomi is superior, as well as the PPD (and if you ignore the horrible magazines and often rushed and unskilled production, the PPSH).

[@brandonblackfyre5783]

*My love for Beretta's firearms will never end. Beretta makes some of the best firearms in the world, especially their Pistols like the famous Beretta 93... I'm curious to know how many Beretta's were sold AFTER the movies "Lethal Weapon" & "Die Hard" came out because they showed the Beretta 93 in a awesome way that made people love the gun, especially if you were born in the 90s like me and grew up on those movies & seeing real life Law Enforcement using Beretta's before they transferred over to the Glock 9mm... Plus if you love firearms & video games, like I myself do, then Max Payne is another big reason why people fell in love with the Beretta 93's. Even in nowadays the Beretta still out performs other 9mm pistols, actually all pistols.*

[@edgydio4127]

I have a dug up nonfunctional torso of the Beretta M38/44 found near Banska Bystrica that was used by Germans during Slovak national uprising. One of my rarest items in ww2 collection

[@andreinarangel6227]

There was a guy in the Tampa Bay area that had a pair of them that his father had brought back from the War while he was a bomber mechanic in the Foggia airfields of Italy. Sweet shooters.

[@0ktk]

I’ve been waiting for this. YOU CAN’T JUST SHOOT A GUN AND NOT TALK ABOUT IT IAN.

[@cristianoboschetti3882]

Thank you Ian for all your awesome videos.....

[@kinghoodofmousekind2906]

>moccetto automatico No, it's "moschetto", like in "moskettoh". Like you said it would mean "little snot" (which, tbh, would fit for the efficiency of the generals in the Italian army at the time for the most part, tbh, few amazing men aside who are worthy of being remembered).

[@tommytwotacos8106]

When I was a kid I had a friend who, like myself, spent a great deal of time reading books about historical guns that normally had large pictures of the guns alongside the descriptions and stories. He would refer to the elongated holes that we'd sometimes see on barrel shrouds as "speed holes" because it "made the gun look like it's going really fast". I don't know why I found it so funny at the time, but here I am 30 years later and I still call them speed holes on the rare occasion that I see them while smirking a little bit to myself.

[@Tap02]

My great cousins carried this at Stalingrad, they all never made it home. Their bodies are in a mass grave still at Rostov

[@TerryDowne]

British troops also liked the M38A and used it whenever they could get hold of it. There is even a story that Britain tried to order some from Beretta prior to Italy's entry into WWII.

[@yungmalaria]

This is a real treat, big fan of this gun

[@DFloyd84]

For a Forgotten Weapons gag reel, you could go back to the bolt disassembly and when you manipulate the lug to unlock the pin, you instead get a lightsabre blade.

[@noahboat580]

Gotta love how the old-school way of select fire is having 2 triggers. Its a great firearm, too bad there wasnt a lot of them produced

[@fabiovarra3698]

way more than 200.000 isn't so few

[@sasquatchman22]

@@fabiovarra3698 200k is a lot, but they may have been thinking in the millions.

[@federicotirelli6841]

I was waiting so much for this finally!

[@NoThankYouReally]

"when you pull the bolt on an M98, it tends to flex down, so just be aware of that." Me who will never see one in person, let alone handle one, let alone disassemble one: "'Good to know. I'll make a note."

[@JH-lo9ut]

Gotta love it when Ian makes positive statements like this. It's like you can feel a disturbance in the force as a million self-proclaimed experts goes: "what the... now hold on... you can't just... whatabout... Arrgh!" Because no-one really likes to question Ian's authority on the matter and he knows it.

[@SNOUPS4]

Thank you for this nice video, I wish we could have seen more of the firing group though :)

[@thiagokawano1618]

I don't know why, but I have something for those old-timey SMGs and automatic rifles. You can call me a fudd, but we can all agree that those weapons look very cool.

[@bitfreakazoid]

Got to shoot one recently at the Big Sandy machine gun shoot. It was pretty nice.

[@TheBucketSkill]

This question has been my obsession for a while now, "what was the best smg of ww2?"

[@nigeh5326]

It’s been a point of debate for decades and always will be as is the case with every category of weapon whether a bow and arrow or a nuke. Makes it all more fun 😊

[@thankstodd2794]

PPS is. Period

[@tredbobek]

It reminds me a bit of the Kiraly 43M, after it had a diet to slim down a bit

[@agustinperretta1043]

Excellent video, what a wonderful piece of engineering

[@herschelschueler]

Legendary thing. I saw it for the first time playing through Mafia II at the very start. Goddamn it left an impression on me.

[@Mongo63a]

Assuming you don't include the Swedish m/45, it is the best shooting SMG of WW2. The magazine design is still in use in the Beretta 12S, another get SMG.

[@menamen7178]

WHAT THE... 3 WEEK AGO!?!?!?!

[@c1ph3rpunk]

@@menamen7178 Patreon supporters get early access.

[@menamen7178]

@@c1ph3rpunk thanks I didn't know that.