Towards
the end of the 1960s Beretta decided to enter into a field which
had been neglected up lo that time, and through its Roman affiliate
introduced their first double action pistol, the 90. |
 |
|
Beretta probably hoped to achieve a double result with this gun: on the one hand competing with the already highly acclaimed double action German pistols, while on the other testing the market with a gun that was al odds with Beretta's traditional design. In both senses the results were disappointing, though certainly not through the fault al the gun itself, which was an excellent weapon. The problem was that the Model 90 did not look like a Beretta, but rather one of the many imitations of the Walther PP. This caused a negative reaction in the market generally, and also among Beretta's admirers who felt in some way betrayed. The lesson was learned immediately, and the failure of the 90 served to indicate the right direction lo follow. |
|
The
Beretta 90 was based primarily, as I have said, on the German
guns of the same category, with which it can be compared, in some
cases favourably. The firing mechanism is simpler and more efficient
than that of the German guns, and the barrel, while solidly attached
to the frame, can be removed relatively easily. The finish is
also superior for the price. Unlike similar models, the Beretta
Model 90 was produced only in 7.65 calibre, and it seems that
the construction of the frame (in light alloy) did not allow a
conversion to 9mm. This fact was irrelevant in Italy and of little
importance in Europe generally, but was crucial to the gun's success
in the American market, where the 7.65 calibre is considered,
not entirely incorrectly, to be insufficient for a defensive weapon. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Handguns
made 25.000~ Place of production: Armi P. Beretta Roma Prototypes Cal. 9x17 e 9 Ultra |
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The production of the 90 began in 1970, and continued sporadically for several years, along with the more favoured Model 70. For many years the gun was featured in the catalogue in a slightly modified version. The principal modification was the hold open device, which was easily engaged with the thumb of the right hand. The Model 90 officially went out of production only in 1982, by which time Beretta had firmly established itself on the market with double action guns that were both more successful and more significant. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
