"The Losers of 1910": "Italian Parabellum" and "Italian Mauser"

31
"The Losers of 1910": "Italian Parabellum" and "Italian Mauser"
Nicolas Cage fires a Glisenty pistol. A still from the 1989 Italian drama film A Time to Kill, directed by Giuliano Montaldo. The film is set in 1936 during the Italian invasion of Ethiopia. Filmed in Zimbabwe. Based on the novel of the same name by Ennio Flaiano


“They hope to take us alive, children!” They don't know that there are three of us now. I'll give you parabellum. We will retreat to the mountains. Can you cover us?
- I can not...

"12 chairs" I. Ilf and E. Petrov

stories about weapons. In all countries, sooner or later, the same thing happened: a person appeared (and sometimes more than one) who came up with the idea to make his own successful model of small arms and thereby gain fame, respect and money. At the same time, the desire to do very often turned their heads so much that the samples they received were not only no better, but much worse than the original models, which they were guided by as objects to follow! Moreover, it also happened that even the military turned a blind eye to their shortcomings, just to get their own, “national” weapon, for which, however, they later had to pay. In Italy, for example, in 1910, two such pistols appeared at once. And that's what we're going to tell you about today.




Pistol "Glisenti" M1910. Right view. Overall length: 206 mm. Barrel length: 95 mm. Weight: 800 g. Magazine: 7 rounds. Caliber: 9 mm. Muzzle velocity: 270–305 m/s. Externally, the gun does not look at all as elegant as the same Parabellum. The handle looks too wide, the bolt box is also clearly oversized. But the trigger guard is too small and could well be larger and ... more convenient. Royal arsenal. Leeds

The first of them is the Glisenti, officially known as the Glisenti self-loading pistol mod. 1910, which was produced by Sochieta Siderurgica Glisenti. It was developed by Abiel Betel Revelli, an officer in the Italian army in 190-1903, and already in 1906 the company purchased the necessary machinery and equipment in the UK to start its production, but for a number of reasons was forced to sell all rights to the production of the Metallurgical Company in Brescia." But the name behind it remained the same. Initially, it was designed to use a 7,65 × 22 mm cartridge with a bottle-shaped sleeve. And such a model appeared already in 1908 under the unofficial name Glisenti Modello 1906. But the military did not like it. They demanded to increase the caliber to 9 mm. But the design of the pistol was not designed for the powerful German cartridge 9 × 19 mm Para, and therefore it was decided to use its own cartridge of exactly the same size and caliber, but with a charge of gunpowder reduced by 25 percent. This is where it all started...


Scheme of the device of a pistol with a branded bakelite handle

Soon the pistol was adopted as the main pistol of the Italian army, but for many years the old 10,35 mm Bodeo revolver mod. 1889, which was produced until the 1930s.


Detailed diagram of the Glisenti pistol

The new pistol had several rather strange and incomprehensible features at once. A mechanism of this type was rarely found in other models: it used a semi-free shutter, in which the barrel and receiver moved back when fired. Moreover, the shutter began to move until the barrel stopped, having passed about 7 mm. In this case, the barrel was held in place by a rising wedge-shaped lock, which fell as soon as the bolt began to return forward to send a new cartridge into the chamber.


Pistol "Glisenti" M1910. View from above. The upper surface of the shutter with the extractor spring is clearly visible. Royal arsenal. Leeds

It is difficult to call such a design successful. Firstly, the bolt was designed in such a way that, when moving back, it almost completely opened the pistol mechanism, which, of course, increased the likelihood of sand and dust contamination (especially in places such as the deserts of North Africa). Secondly, the trigger mechanism on it was self-cocking, so in order to fire from the Glisenti, it was necessary to press hard on the trigger, which first cocked the drummer, compresses the mainspring and only then released it. Because of this, the trigger had too long a stroke, and the production of a shot required considerable effort, which made it difficult to aim properly.


The pistol with the side plate of the frame removed is in the photo above and, in addition, turned upside down. It clearly shows the milled groove for the shutter in its rear part. It is clearly seen that it is attached to the frame at only two points, and only in one of them, namely the front, the mount is fixed! The bakelite cheeks of the handle were so fragile that, as soon as they broke, they were immediately replaced with wooden ones. Photo http://littlegun.be

But the strangest detail in this pistol (and you can’t say it any other way!) Was its frame. Usually, paired grooves or protrusions are milled in it for the movement of the shutter. The Glisenti had only one groove on the frame, on the right. But there was a groove on the left ... too, otherwise the gun would not have worked, but for some reason it was on a removable plate, which was screwed to the frame with just one screw! This was supposedly invented so that the shooter had free access to the pistol mechanism and could easily disassemble it. And he really easily understood, it was only necessary to remove this plate by unscrewing the fixing screw in front. It is only known that any screw connection weakens over time, because the thread wears out.


Here it is, the very fixing screw of the side plate, right under the barrel. Royal arsenal. Leeds

With prolonged shooting, such a mount often weakened, and the plate could move aside at the most inopportune moment. That is, if you do not follow the screw and do not periodically tighten it, the gun could “self-sort” when fired with all the ensuing consequences. But be that as it may, the Glisenti pistol remained in production until the very end of the 1920s, and the Italian army used it until 1945.


Pistol "Glisenti" and a holster to it. Photo https://www.rockislandauction.com

By the way, if you accidentally load it with an ordinary 9-mm cartridge, when fired, it could well collapse with the most unfortunate consequences for the shooter. And confusing these cartridges, by the way, was quite easy.


The gun was patented even in China...

That is why in 1912 a model called "Brixia" appeared again: stronger and heavier (950 g), smoother, without a fuse and with a more reliable shutter locking system, but still it was not strong enough for continuous use. 9mm Parabellum cartridge.


Pistol "Vitali" M1910 Terni. View from the left. Photo http://littlegun.be

The second pistol in a series of Italian losers in 1910 was designed by the Italian officer Giuseppe Vitali, who participated in the creation of the Vetterli-Vitali rifle. He also designed the Vitali M1910 Terni automatic pistol, but almost nothing is known about him. Moreover, it is not known even to such a weapons specialist as Ian McCollom. Again, outwardly, the gun looks like a damaged Mauser K96. The bolt and barrel move together for a short distance before they unlock and the bolt continues to coast back to eject the empty case and load a new cartridge into the chamber. The design uses a large external trigger, which is hidden between the side walls of the U-shaped bolt, probably so that it does not cling to a holster or clothing.


Pistol "Vitali" M1910 Terni. Right view. The shutter is moved. Photo http://littlegun.be

The pistol was loaded from a 6-round clip, which for that time was already becoming an anachronism. The 7,65-mm caliber was also not of particular interest, since at the same time in Switzerland, the Parabellum of the same caliber was in service, much more perfect in every respect.


Scheme of the device of the gun "Vitali" M1910 Terni

However, the highlight of the design was not at all the combat characteristics of this pistol, but ... operational, as in the case of the Revelli pistol. It was enough to unscrew the L-shaped screw with a pear-shaped head in the back of the frame on the right, as the pistol opened on a hinge tripled in front of the trigger guard, like "clamshell revolvers".


Pistol "Vitali" M1910 Terni. The pear-shaped head of the fixing screw is clearly visible. Photo http://littlegun.be

Why this was done is unclear. This did not add any convenience in using Vitali. Moreover, due to the high-lying line of the barrel, even when firing with weak cartridges, he had to experience a strong overturning moment. Apparently, all these “cumulative characteristics” led to the fact that very few such “Mausers” were made, and no information about them and their creator has reached us.


The pistol is folded out. Photo http://littlegun.be

It is quite obvious that thanks to this design, it was more convenient to lubricate his trigger and take care of the pistol as a whole than for the German Mauser. But despite this, the gun "did not go." Nobody liked it and nobody used it!
Our news channels

Subscribe and stay up to date with the latest news and the most important events of the day.

31 comment
Information
Dear reader, to leave comments on the publication, you must sign in.
  1. +9
    24 July 2022 04: 55
    I didn’t hear anything about the second “Pseudo-Mauser”, and the first one was really a loser who missed the “progress” train.
    Although it must be admitted that the Italians, for all their originality, had their own weapons of almost the entire nomenclature.
    Thanks to Vyacheslav Olegovich!
    1. +4
      24 July 2022 13: 08
      Namesake, good day, I agree: the Italians have a weapons school at the level.
      I think that Italians and Germans are excellent gunsmiths.
      1. +5
        24 July 2022 13: 20
        Quote: vladcub
        Namesake, good day, I agree: the Italians have a weapons school at the level.
        I think that Italians and Germans are excellent gunsmiths.

        It is now. During the Second World War, the first were a lot of weirdos.
        1. +4
          24 July 2022 19: 07
          During the Second World War, the first were a lot of weirdos.

          Vlad, hello! Submachine guns "Beretta" were found in the vicinity of St. Petersburg in the 90s. And the rifle / carbine "Mannlicher-Carcano" was delivered to Finland with might and main in the era of the Finnish War. Almost a hundred thousand delivered - for the Finns a huge amount! wassat
          A searcher friend of mine found a bunch of packs from her two or three years ago (the loading was in packs, characteristic), 6 charges, on the Karelian Isthmus. He found it himself, called me to identify - they say, what an exotic miracle. He finds, I identify unknown samples, fortunately, we work in the same building! drinks
          I scratched my bald turnip... what The caliber, judging by the shells, is somewhat smaller than ours ... Pack loading ... The work of my thought: which samples had packs? Soooo... what "Garand" (we throw back!) And "mannlicher" ... Well, the task is next, for promotion! Six shells fit... request
          Miracles in the sieve! Who else released "manlicher" with additions and perversions? Yes Italians! fellow
          And I remembered here about the article by Vyacheslav our mustachioed Olegovich from 2016 ...
          https://topwar.ru/104363-karabin-manliher-karkano-oruzhie-ochen-srednee-no-zato-svoe.html

          From that same spaghetti carbine, there were packs!
          Here they are from the article. He held the same in his hands.

          And here is our V.O. Shpakovsky posing with a mustache and a carbine.


          I must say this ... The personal small arms of the Italians were at the level - pistols / PP / rifles. But with artillery and tanks there really was a fucking shame, as well as a pathological inability to fight!
          1. +4
            24 July 2022 19: 51
            Hi Nikolay!
            It is really difficult to call Italian tanks otherwise than “coffins”! However, this is not me, but the Americans during the company in North Africa.
            The Italians also had a hard time with machine guns. Surprisingly, assuming that they would fight in Africa, their most massive Breda machine gun required pre-lubrication of cartridges with oil. In winter in Russia, this did not help them either, but at least one can say that in the Bug nightmare itself, their designers did not expect to fight 30 degree frosts. Plus, the rate of fire is especially combat “below the plinth”.
            With artillery, everything is not clear with them either. At least there was a successful light mountain gun. The rest of the originality has become fatal.
          2. +2
            25 July 2022 08: 25
            pathological inability to fight!


            It's more like unwillingness. smile

            Re-read "Young Lions", where Shaw goes well on the "fighting spirit" of the Italians.
    2. +4
      25 July 2022 08: 21
      I didn’t hear anything about the second “Pseudo-Mauser”,


      I didn’t hear it either, but a construction like “you can’t invent it on purpose”. What kind of twisted brain does it take to come up with something like this? wassat
  2. Eug
    +4
    24 July 2022 05: 14
    PMSM, the epigraph to the article from "12 chairs" does not correspond to the text of the work. On the topic of the article - the Italians often freaked out, but as a result, the Italian weapons (and not only) school is authoritative and recognized all over the world ....
    1. +5
      24 July 2022 09: 16
      Quote: Eug
      Italian weapons (and not only) school is authoritative and recognized all over the world....

      Until recently, the Beretta M9 was the standard service weapon for all of NATO. Only relatively recently, in 2017, the SIG Sauer M17 came to this role.
  3. +3
    24 July 2022 06: 23
    Well, even such an experience enriches the design school. It’s really, sometimes useful to learn from mistakes! Vyacheslav hi as always, thanks for the interesting information! hi
  4. +3
    24 July 2022 06: 25
    Well, they say - Nambu, Nambu ... - Glisenti! )))
    1. +4
      24 July 2022 07: 10

      mark1
      Today, 06: 25
      0
      Well, they say - Nambu, Nambu ... - Glisenti! )))
      Well I do not know. Of course, there are some external similarities. especially with type.14.
      1. +5
        24 July 2022 07: 51
        It's not about the similarity, it's about the title - "the worst pistol", in this nomination they are competitors)))
        1. +1
          24 July 2022 10: 59
          mark1
          Today, 07: 51
          NEW

          +1
          It's not about similarity it's about the title - "the worst gun" , in this nomination they are competitors)))
          Agree completely! Approximately from the same series): "There are bad films, there are very bad ones, and there are also Polish films."
        2. +2
          24 July 2022 19: 55
          Well, the most bullshit is Liberty
      2. +8
        24 July 2022 09: 18
        They all wanted to be Parabellum, but it didn't work out well. By the way, the Finnish Lahti also looks like Parabellum purely outwardly, but, unlike the above, it is quite a worthy machine.
        1. +4
          24 July 2022 12: 39
          In principle, Lahti was a pretty decent pistol. Another thing is that the cost was ...
    2. +1
      24 July 2022 13: 24
      What do you want from the first, what do you want from the second
  5. +2
    24 July 2022 11: 44
    It was developed by Abiel Betel Revelli, an officer in the Italian army in 190-1903,
    I developed it for a long time, therefore I could not participate in the crusades. laughing Please correct the date. hi
  6. +1
    24 July 2022 12: 35
    "no one liked" neem fools to use it.
    "Vitali" is the same Mauser as from Volochkov's hippopotamus
  7. +2
    24 July 2022 13: 22
    Comrades, it seems to me that V.O.'s epigraph is not entirely in the subject.
    1) Glizanti and Parabellum, as they say in Odessa,
    - these are two big differences.
    2) in the same place he talks about the "pseudo-mauser".
    Perhaps I'm being too picky?
  8. +9
    24 July 2022 13: 29
    "Italian parabellum" ... "Italian Mauser" ... But there was also an "Italian Volcanic"! Somewhere, in the seventies, a Venditti pistol was produced in Italy! There are also disputes about this pistol ... Many are sure that the Vendetti pistol is an imitation (copy) of the Volkanik pistol; but there are those who claim that Venditti created his pistol earlier. than Smith and Wesson! It's just that Venditti was in trouble with the law ... well, he sat down on the bunk! And his partner, who was supposed to help either patent the weapon or set up production, left alone, "visited" Smith and Wesson ... That's such a sentimental story!
  9. +3
    24 July 2022 13: 38
    Comrades, as you wish, but in the editorial office of the site, "they don't catch mice": in one day put the three best authors of the site. Is this bungling or I don’t know how to evaluate
    As our Astra says: "I want to bite."
    Perhaps they will "play out" that they will be bitten?
    PS. During the 2002 census, there was a case: a man bit a scribe. In the "injury" recorded bite marks on the face and hands.
    If that is the real case
    1. 0
      30 July 2022 18: 16
      Good day, can you tell me links to the other two best authors of the site? Sincerely, Igor
      1. 0
        30 July 2022 19: 57
        For you: Edward and Valery are not serious authors?!
        Then read: Samsonov and Apukhtin
        1. 0
          30 July 2022 21: 05
          I did not quite understand the answer, I wrote without sarcasm, I have not been in the top var for a long time due to personal circumstances. But no, no, I beg your pardon ....
        2. 0
          30 July 2022 21: 15
          To be honest, I don't know Apukhtin and co. Edward too, for Valery I can assume that this is VLR, but I'm not sure, I haven't been for a long time.
          PS Why this aggression?
          1. 0
            31 July 2022 09: 24
            In fact, Apukhtin's opuses cannot be confused with Valery. It's like kerosene and a light bulb.
            I apologize if I was aggressive.
          2. 0
            31 July 2022 09: 31
            Didn't provide links laughing plz give. And I really don’t know who Apukhtin is, but it became already interesting
  10. 0
    30 July 2022 18: 12
    Thank you, Vyacheslav Olegovich. I am glad that during my absence the articles have become not worse, but better. And Revelli is still an entertainer, it’s worth remembering his machine guns, or even better vilar perozu, a double-barreled machine gun pistol is strong ....
  11. 0
    19 January 2023 15: 04
    The 1906 Glisenti pistol was patented in Japan, not China. June 12, 1907 Japanese patent number 12252.

"Right Sector" (banned in Russia), "Ukrainian Insurgent Army" (UPA) (banned in Russia), ISIS (banned in Russia), "Jabhat Fatah al-Sham" formerly "Jabhat al-Nusra" (banned in Russia) , Taliban (banned in Russia), Al-Qaeda (banned in Russia), Anti-Corruption Foundation (banned in Russia), Navalny Headquarters (banned in Russia), Facebook (banned in Russia), Instagram (banned in Russia), Meta (banned in Russia), Misanthropic Division (banned in Russia), Azov (banned in Russia), Muslim Brotherhood (banned in Russia), Aum Shinrikyo (banned in Russia), AUE (banned in Russia), UNA-UNSO (banned in Russia), Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People (banned in Russia), Legion “Freedom of Russia” (armed formation, recognized as terrorist in the Russian Federation and banned)

“Non-profit organizations, unregistered public associations or individuals performing the functions of a foreign agent,” as well as media outlets performing the functions of a foreign agent: “Medusa”; "Voice of America"; "Realities"; "Present time"; "Radio Freedom"; Ponomarev; Savitskaya; Markelov; Kamalyagin; Apakhonchich; Makarevich; Dud; Gordon; Zhdanov; Medvedev; Fedorov; "Owl"; "Alliance of Doctors"; "RKK" "Levada Center"; "Memorial"; "Voice"; "Person and law"; "Rain"; "Mediazone"; "Deutsche Welle"; QMS "Caucasian Knot"; "Insider"; "New Newspaper"