Post by trooper on Oct 24, 2019 18:41:55 GMT -5
A couple of weeks ago I attended a local gun show. I haven't been to one in a while, since they're typically nothing but a goonfest these days. However, my semi-retired indentured fed status has given me a few spare shekels in my pouch, so I decided to risk it.
On the very last table at the show, I found something I've wanted for quite some time. A gun so awesome it had a record album named after it.
I've always thought Beretta's Model 70 was an awfully cool little gun. It's somewhat art deco design reminds me of a ray gun from a 1930's Flash Gordon serial. It really epitomizes the Ferrariesque aesthetic Beretta maintained until the advent their plastic fantastic offerings. Specifically, this is a 70S in .380acp, manufactured in 1985.
I caught it out of the corner of my eye as I was passing the table, nestled there among the Glocks, Caniks and Taurii. I opened with a slightly lower than marked price and was informed the gun belonged to the dealers father and a call needed to be made. A call was quickly made, to the retirement home for cool guys who own Beretta 70's and my offer was deemed acceptable. Being manufactured in 1985, it had a few scuffs and dings from nearly thirty five years of service, but all in all it was in pretty good shape. Except that is, for the thumb rest grips that were required for the guns legal importation, due to the GCA of 1968. Apparently, some politician decided that flat grips were the mark of an assassin, yet a thumb rest meant you were a sporting man. An ebay search located a set of original factory grips, sans thumb rest, and the offenders were consigned to the box-o-grips.
An initial range trip showed everything to be in good working order and the 70 is a surprisingly good shooter for a small gun, although I found it surprisingly snappy. Hardly detrimental, but the web of my strong hand really felt it afterward. Original factory mags come with a nose bleed inducing price, so I'm glad I don't need any. Overall though a pleasing find I was happy to check off the list of my growing vintage Beretta collection.
But wait, there's more.................
Before I discovered the Beretta I found something else that peaked my interest: a Manurhin produced Walther PP, in .32acp. "7.65mm, with a delivery like a brick through a plate glass window." Post WWII, Germany was allowed to rearm the Bundeswehr, but they weren't allowed to produced arms in Germany itself. As a result, Walther set up a plant in Haut-Rihn, Greater Est France known as Manufacture de Machines du Haut-Rhin, or Manurhin in abbreviated form. Not only were PP series pistols manufactured under the Manurhin banner, unfinished parts were shipped to Walther in Germany for finishing. Consequently, this is a case of "same but different". Manufactured in 1961, the pistol features the quality of an old Walther, but lacks the collector value due to the lack of the Walther banner on the slide. The upside is the substantially lower price. I'm not a Walther collector and don't plan on becoming one, so this cheaper sample of one is fine with me.
I've never cared for the PP series of pistols as carry guns. Being too small for my hands they abuse the web of my shooting hand terribly and too many of the US produced examples I've seen suffered from QC issues. Still, I've had a hankering for one lately. Ever since I encountered a stainless Interarms era PPK in a local pawnshop. After all, every self respecting collection needs a James Bond gun.
The same dealer had a World War Two PPK for sale. This would have been my preferred choice but, unfortunately it had been refinished at some point. The shite had been polished out of it enough to remove all the markings, thereby destroying any value. It was shiny and blue though. I then found this one. I was immediately taken by the quality of the machining and finishing. Both of which were far better than any US produced PP series pistol I've ever encountered. The trigger was also superior to the domestically produced guns, both in single and double action.
Due to the pattern of finish wear and the addition of a lanyard loop, this was obviously a European governmental sidearm of some kind. In spite of the finish wear, the quality of manufacturing caught my eye and the piece had a very solid, well made feel to it. However, I found this one early in my show coverage so I decided to hold off. I did negotiate a lower than marked price beforehand. The dealer was from the western part of the state and it helped that he knew a lot of my old coworkers. I told him if I didn't find anything of greater interest, I'd be back.
At the eleventh hour I found the Beretta, so I let the PP lie. Still, I went home with it on my mind. So, after a strategic reconnoitering of Mrs. Awesome's good will, I returned to the show the next day and brought the PP home. It turned out to be a fine shooter as well. The slide tortures my hand as expected, but it will dump an eight round mag into a dime sized hole at ten yards. This experience has caused me to opine that the PP series pistols are better guns in .32acp than .380acp. I was impressed by how smoothly the gun operated in this smaller caliber. I won't be shooting through any plate glass windows any time soom, but it's a nice addition to the "Ain't it cool?" section of my safe.
On the very last table at the show, I found something I've wanted for quite some time. A gun so awesome it had a record album named after it.
I've always thought Beretta's Model 70 was an awfully cool little gun. It's somewhat art deco design reminds me of a ray gun from a 1930's Flash Gordon serial. It really epitomizes the Ferrariesque aesthetic Beretta maintained until the advent their plastic fantastic offerings. Specifically, this is a 70S in .380acp, manufactured in 1985.
I caught it out of the corner of my eye as I was passing the table, nestled there among the Glocks, Caniks and Taurii. I opened with a slightly lower than marked price and was informed the gun belonged to the dealers father and a call needed to be made. A call was quickly made, to the retirement home for cool guys who own Beretta 70's and my offer was deemed acceptable. Being manufactured in 1985, it had a few scuffs and dings from nearly thirty five years of service, but all in all it was in pretty good shape. Except that is, for the thumb rest grips that were required for the guns legal importation, due to the GCA of 1968. Apparently, some politician decided that flat grips were the mark of an assassin, yet a thumb rest meant you were a sporting man. An ebay search located a set of original factory grips, sans thumb rest, and the offenders were consigned to the box-o-grips.
An initial range trip showed everything to be in good working order and the 70 is a surprisingly good shooter for a small gun, although I found it surprisingly snappy. Hardly detrimental, but the web of my strong hand really felt it afterward. Original factory mags come with a nose bleed inducing price, so I'm glad I don't need any. Overall though a pleasing find I was happy to check off the list of my growing vintage Beretta collection.
But wait, there's more.................
Before I discovered the Beretta I found something else that peaked my interest: a Manurhin produced Walther PP, in .32acp. "7.65mm, with a delivery like a brick through a plate glass window." Post WWII, Germany was allowed to rearm the Bundeswehr, but they weren't allowed to produced arms in Germany itself. As a result, Walther set up a plant in Haut-Rihn, Greater Est France known as Manufacture de Machines du Haut-Rhin, or Manurhin in abbreviated form. Not only were PP series pistols manufactured under the Manurhin banner, unfinished parts were shipped to Walther in Germany for finishing. Consequently, this is a case of "same but different". Manufactured in 1961, the pistol features the quality of an old Walther, but lacks the collector value due to the lack of the Walther banner on the slide. The upside is the substantially lower price. I'm not a Walther collector and don't plan on becoming one, so this cheaper sample of one is fine with me.
I've never cared for the PP series of pistols as carry guns. Being too small for my hands they abuse the web of my shooting hand terribly and too many of the US produced examples I've seen suffered from QC issues. Still, I've had a hankering for one lately. Ever since I encountered a stainless Interarms era PPK in a local pawnshop. After all, every self respecting collection needs a James Bond gun.
The same dealer had a World War Two PPK for sale. This would have been my preferred choice but, unfortunately it had been refinished at some point. The shite had been polished out of it enough to remove all the markings, thereby destroying any value. It was shiny and blue though. I then found this one. I was immediately taken by the quality of the machining and finishing. Both of which were far better than any US produced PP series pistol I've ever encountered. The trigger was also superior to the domestically produced guns, both in single and double action.
Due to the pattern of finish wear and the addition of a lanyard loop, this was obviously a European governmental sidearm of some kind. In spite of the finish wear, the quality of manufacturing caught my eye and the piece had a very solid, well made feel to it. However, I found this one early in my show coverage so I decided to hold off. I did negotiate a lower than marked price beforehand. The dealer was from the western part of the state and it helped that he knew a lot of my old coworkers. I told him if I didn't find anything of greater interest, I'd be back.
At the eleventh hour I found the Beretta, so I let the PP lie. Still, I went home with it on my mind. So, after a strategic reconnoitering of Mrs. Awesome's good will, I returned to the show the next day and brought the PP home. It turned out to be a fine shooter as well. The slide tortures my hand as expected, but it will dump an eight round mag into a dime sized hole at ten yards. This experience has caused me to opine that the PP series pistols are better guns in .32acp than .380acp. I was impressed by how smoothly the gun operated in this smaller caliber. I won't be shooting through any plate glass windows any time soom, but it's a nice addition to the "Ain't it cool?" section of my safe.
