Brief history of pistol-carbines. Part of 6. Beretta 93R
In the 1960-70-ies in Western countries, several attempts have been made to develop special automatic pistols equipped with a butt. Mainly they were intended for special forces soldiers. We can mention the German pistol HK VP-70M, as well as the Italian Beretta 93R. The first of them was completed with a massive holster-butt made of plastic with an integrated automatic firing mechanism, and the second with a detachable folding metal butt, which was carried in a separate pouch. The Italian pistol was more successful in terms of military career than the German model, but it also eventually gave way to modern compact pistol-machine guns.
In general, it can be said that submachine guns or self-loading carbines on their base substantially exceeded almost all pistols with detachable butts in their combat effectiveness. This was quite logical explanation - more capacious shops, a longer sighting line. But there were submachine guns and flaws. First of all, we are talking about their mass and size. Therefore, designers sometimes returned to the subject of creating pistols-carbines.
The Italian automatic gun Beretta 93R was designed in the middle of the 1970-s based on the newly created self-loading gun Beretta 92. The designation "93R" is deciphered as follows: 9-mm pistol, 3-I model, with the possibility of firing in bursts (Raffica), this feature of it was the main "chip" weapons. The gun was widely used by the police and special forces, who appreciated the high firepower of the weapon and the effectiveness of the pistol in the melee.
The weapon was originally intended for the arming of officers of the special forces of the police and carabineers, that is, people who needed the greatest possible firepower during fleeting fire contacts at ultra-small and short distances in urban environments and in buildings. Pistol Beretta 93R entered the service of the elite Italian units, which included the Carabineri GIS and NOCS. As in the case of the Soviet APS and all the post-war development of automatic pistols, in the end he had to give way to cheaper and no less effective compact submachine guns (HK MP5K, Steyr TMP and Micro-UZI). As a result, the production of Beretta 93R pistols was discontinued in the 1990-s, while the pistol is still limitedly used in the Italian special forces.
The main feature of the Italian Beretta M93R pistol is the ability to fire short bursts of 3 shots, in addition to the standard firing mode with single shots. In the gun uses a recoil scheme in the short course of the barrel. Locking is done with the help of a swinging combat larva, and the shutter-casing and steel frame have high strength and thick walls, different from the pistols of previous modifications. Trigger trigger pistol Beretta M93R trigger. Drummer inertial type has an automatic fuse. The levers of the translator of the fire and safety modes are located on the left side of the pistol frame. The trunk lock button is located on the right side of the frame. The pistol received an elongated barrel with holes, which play the role of a compensator, they allow to somewhat reduce the toss of the weapon at the moment of the shot. In fact, the gun has a muzzle brake compensator, which also plays the role of a flame arrester. The barrel of the gun was lengthened by a quarter compared to the standard barrel that is used on the 92 model.
Shooting a pistol with single shots is carried out when the fire interpreter is in the upper position, opposite the white mark on the bolt-casing. The fire in short bursts of 3 cartridge is carried out when the translator is in a horizontal position - opposite the three white marks on the frame of the gun. In the automatic shooting mode, when the technical rate of fire is 1100 rounds per minute, the cutoff of short bursts is performed by a special device, which is located under the right cheek of the handle. This is a rather complicated mechanism, which consists mainly of levers and gears, in severe operating conditions it does not have sufficient reliability of operation, and is also difficult to maintain. The ejector also serves as a pointer to the presence of a cartridge in the chamber of the gun. The weapon is equipped with a two-row magazine, designed for 20 cartridges, however, the Beretta M93R can also use the standard magazine from the M 92FS pistol on 15 cartridges.
The gun was originally designed by developers with a number of devices that are designed to improve the accuracy and convenience of shooting, especially in automatic mode. The gun has a special folding front handle that is located in front of the trigger guard. With this handle, the shooter is able to control the gun better, both when firing in automatic mode and when firing single ammunition.
The second notable feature of the automatic gun Beretta M93R is a folding metal shoulder rest (butt), manufactured by stamping. If necessary, it can be attached to the back surface of the grip, allowing for improved accuracy and control of the weapon. The folding stock is fastened directly to the base of the pistol grip, after which it is securely fixed with the help of a push-button latch screw. In the folded position, this butt is quite compact, which allows you to carry a weapon in a tactical holster without unfastening it, however, the weight of the pistol increases by an order of magnitude.
The aiming devices of the Beretta M93R pistol are made unregulated. The cast fly has a white contrast mark to facilitate the aiming process, the rear sight is installed in a dovetail slot. The course of the trigger is very soft and short, by which it resembles the trigger, which can be found on sports models of pistols. The trigger guard has an elongated forward shape, which is due to the presence of the front hinged handle on the pistol. For more convenient hold for it, the arrow needs to pass the thumb of the left hand through the trigger guard. The reclining handle itself is made short, in the folded position, it is parallel to the barrel of the weapon, and in the folded position, at an angle of 45 degrees relative to the aiming line. This position of the handle allows the shooter to fix the weapon most tightly with two hands when firing in bursts.
Experts note that when firing single-shot guns, the gun behaves perfectly, which is true for all products of the Italian company Beretta, which has long made a name for itself in the small arms market. The single-trigger firing mechanism is safe and very reliable, the inertial type drummer with an automatic safety device raises more questions (it will suddenly jam at the most inopportune moment), but over time the shooter gets used to it. But many consider the system for switching fire modes to be difficult, it requires close attention when cleaning, although, as the owners note, with proper care it does not cause any problems, some use the gun for 20 years and have not encountered difficulties.
The Beretta M93R gun feels great and in automatic firing mode. A decent weight of the weapon in conjunction with the front handle allows you to shoot the shop in 15 seconds, sending all the bullets to a growth target from a distance of 25 meters without a single slip. This is a fairly decent figure for short-barreled weapons.
The translator of fire is combined with a fuse; this is done quite unusually and without a habit of accumulation, instead of removing the weapon from the fuse, you intuitively switch the shooting mode. The fact is that the switch of the fuse is reversible - that is, it is turned in the direction of the trigger, and smaller in size than the translator of fire (also plays the role of a safe descent of the trigger). The translator of fire modes itself is turned towards the barrel and is rather massive, switches fairly easily and has two positions: a single fire and an automatic fire with a cut-off of three rounds.
Next to the translator of fire modes is the slide stop lever, and quite tight. Much more interesting is the third switch located above the trigger - this is the lever for fixing the barrel. All translators and switches are one-sided, they are designed for firing with the right hand. The bolt carrier of the pistol has a tight and precise stroke, an indicator of the presence of a cartridge in the chamber is present, its role is played by the ejector. The pistol trigger is quite massive and wide, it is strongly tilted back from the slide frame, which allows the shooter to easily and quickly cock it with his thumb.
Although the gun is no longer available, it is still used in small quantities by Italian special forces. Large firepower, magazine capacity, the length of the sighting line, good controllability when maintaining automatic fire, all this still makes the gun relevant, although the weapon loses to modern compact pistol-machine guns. The disadvantages of a pistol include its single-action firing mechanism, which does not ensure the safe carrying of a weapon in a state of full combat readiness without the safety catch on. The advantages of a pistol, in addition to the effectiveness of shooting and firepower, are usually: safety in handling, minimum firing when fired, high accuracy, low recoil force, good controllability of weapons, traditionally high quality workmanship and a large enough resource.
Performance characteristics:
Caliber - 9 mm.
Cartridge - 9x19 mm Parabellum.
The initial speed of the bullet - 375 m / s.
Length - 240 mm.
Barrel length - 156 mm (including a compensator).
Width - 37 mm.
Height - 170 mm.
Weight - 1,17 kg (with a magazine for 20 cartridges).
Rate of fire - 1100 cent./min. (Bursts with cut-off on 3 cartridge)
Magazine capacity - 20 cartridges.
Aim range - 50 m.
Information sources:
https://www.all4shooters.com/ru/strelba/kultura/Kratkaya-istoriya-pistoletov-karabinov
http://army-news.ru/2012/11/goryachaya-italyanka-beretta-93r-raffica
http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg/it/beretta-93r-r.html
https://wf.mail.ru/wiki/index.php/Beretta_M93R
Open source materials
In general, it can be said that submachine guns or self-loading carbines on their base substantially exceeded almost all pistols with detachable butts in their combat effectiveness. This was quite logical explanation - more capacious shops, a longer sighting line. But there were submachine guns and flaws. First of all, we are talking about their mass and size. Therefore, designers sometimes returned to the subject of creating pistols-carbines.
The Italian automatic gun Beretta 93R was designed in the middle of the 1970-s based on the newly created self-loading gun Beretta 92. The designation "93R" is deciphered as follows: 9-mm pistol, 3-I model, with the possibility of firing in bursts (Raffica), this feature of it was the main "chip" weapons. The gun was widely used by the police and special forces, who appreciated the high firepower of the weapon and the effectiveness of the pistol in the melee.
The weapon was originally intended for the arming of officers of the special forces of the police and carabineers, that is, people who needed the greatest possible firepower during fleeting fire contacts at ultra-small and short distances in urban environments and in buildings. Pistol Beretta 93R entered the service of the elite Italian units, which included the Carabineri GIS and NOCS. As in the case of the Soviet APS and all the post-war development of automatic pistols, in the end he had to give way to cheaper and no less effective compact submachine guns (HK MP5K, Steyr TMP and Micro-UZI). As a result, the production of Beretta 93R pistols was discontinued in the 1990-s, while the pistol is still limitedly used in the Italian special forces.
The main feature of the Italian Beretta M93R pistol is the ability to fire short bursts of 3 shots, in addition to the standard firing mode with single shots. In the gun uses a recoil scheme in the short course of the barrel. Locking is done with the help of a swinging combat larva, and the shutter-casing and steel frame have high strength and thick walls, different from the pistols of previous modifications. Trigger trigger pistol Beretta M93R trigger. Drummer inertial type has an automatic fuse. The levers of the translator of the fire and safety modes are located on the left side of the pistol frame. The trunk lock button is located on the right side of the frame. The pistol received an elongated barrel with holes, which play the role of a compensator, they allow to somewhat reduce the toss of the weapon at the moment of the shot. In fact, the gun has a muzzle brake compensator, which also plays the role of a flame arrester. The barrel of the gun was lengthened by a quarter compared to the standard barrel that is used on the 92 model.
Shooting a pistol with single shots is carried out when the fire interpreter is in the upper position, opposite the white mark on the bolt-casing. The fire in short bursts of 3 cartridge is carried out when the translator is in a horizontal position - opposite the three white marks on the frame of the gun. In the automatic shooting mode, when the technical rate of fire is 1100 rounds per minute, the cutoff of short bursts is performed by a special device, which is located under the right cheek of the handle. This is a rather complicated mechanism, which consists mainly of levers and gears, in severe operating conditions it does not have sufficient reliability of operation, and is also difficult to maintain. The ejector also serves as a pointer to the presence of a cartridge in the chamber of the gun. The weapon is equipped with a two-row magazine, designed for 20 cartridges, however, the Beretta M93R can also use the standard magazine from the M 92FS pistol on 15 cartridges.
The gun was originally designed by developers with a number of devices that are designed to improve the accuracy and convenience of shooting, especially in automatic mode. The gun has a special folding front handle that is located in front of the trigger guard. With this handle, the shooter is able to control the gun better, both when firing in automatic mode and when firing single ammunition.
The second notable feature of the automatic gun Beretta M93R is a folding metal shoulder rest (butt), manufactured by stamping. If necessary, it can be attached to the back surface of the grip, allowing for improved accuracy and control of the weapon. The folding stock is fastened directly to the base of the pistol grip, after which it is securely fixed with the help of a push-button latch screw. In the folded position, this butt is quite compact, which allows you to carry a weapon in a tactical holster without unfastening it, however, the weight of the pistol increases by an order of magnitude.
The aiming devices of the Beretta M93R pistol are made unregulated. The cast fly has a white contrast mark to facilitate the aiming process, the rear sight is installed in a dovetail slot. The course of the trigger is very soft and short, by which it resembles the trigger, which can be found on sports models of pistols. The trigger guard has an elongated forward shape, which is due to the presence of the front hinged handle on the pistol. For more convenient hold for it, the arrow needs to pass the thumb of the left hand through the trigger guard. The reclining handle itself is made short, in the folded position, it is parallel to the barrel of the weapon, and in the folded position, at an angle of 45 degrees relative to the aiming line. This position of the handle allows the shooter to fix the weapon most tightly with two hands when firing in bursts.
Experts note that when firing single-shot guns, the gun behaves perfectly, which is true for all products of the Italian company Beretta, which has long made a name for itself in the small arms market. The single-trigger firing mechanism is safe and very reliable, the inertial type drummer with an automatic safety device raises more questions (it will suddenly jam at the most inopportune moment), but over time the shooter gets used to it. But many consider the system for switching fire modes to be difficult, it requires close attention when cleaning, although, as the owners note, with proper care it does not cause any problems, some use the gun for 20 years and have not encountered difficulties.
The Beretta M93R gun feels great and in automatic firing mode. A decent weight of the weapon in conjunction with the front handle allows you to shoot the shop in 15 seconds, sending all the bullets to a growth target from a distance of 25 meters without a single slip. This is a fairly decent figure for short-barreled weapons.
The translator of fire is combined with a fuse; this is done quite unusually and without a habit of accumulation, instead of removing the weapon from the fuse, you intuitively switch the shooting mode. The fact is that the switch of the fuse is reversible - that is, it is turned in the direction of the trigger, and smaller in size than the translator of fire (also plays the role of a safe descent of the trigger). The translator of fire modes itself is turned towards the barrel and is rather massive, switches fairly easily and has two positions: a single fire and an automatic fire with a cut-off of three rounds.
Next to the translator of fire modes is the slide stop lever, and quite tight. Much more interesting is the third switch located above the trigger - this is the lever for fixing the barrel. All translators and switches are one-sided, they are designed for firing with the right hand. The bolt carrier of the pistol has a tight and precise stroke, an indicator of the presence of a cartridge in the chamber is present, its role is played by the ejector. The pistol trigger is quite massive and wide, it is strongly tilted back from the slide frame, which allows the shooter to easily and quickly cock it with his thumb.
Although the gun is no longer available, it is still used in small quantities by Italian special forces. Large firepower, magazine capacity, the length of the sighting line, good controllability when maintaining automatic fire, all this still makes the gun relevant, although the weapon loses to modern compact pistol-machine guns. The disadvantages of a pistol include its single-action firing mechanism, which does not ensure the safe carrying of a weapon in a state of full combat readiness without the safety catch on. The advantages of a pistol, in addition to the effectiveness of shooting and firepower, are usually: safety in handling, minimum firing when fired, high accuracy, low recoil force, good controllability of weapons, traditionally high quality workmanship and a large enough resource.
Performance characteristics:
Caliber - 9 mm.
Cartridge - 9x19 mm Parabellum.
The initial speed of the bullet - 375 m / s.
Length - 240 mm.
Barrel length - 156 mm (including a compensator).
Width - 37 mm.
Height - 170 mm.
Weight - 1,17 kg (with a magazine for 20 cartridges).
Rate of fire - 1100 cent./min. (Bursts with cut-off on 3 cartridge)
Magazine capacity - 20 cartridges.
Aim range - 50 m.
Information sources:
https://www.all4shooters.com/ru/strelba/kultura/Kratkaya-istoriya-pistoletov-karabinov
http://army-news.ru/2012/11/goryachaya-italyanka-beretta-93r-raffica
http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg/it/beretta-93r-r.html
https://wf.mail.ru/wiki/index.php/Beretta_M93R
Open source materials
Information