Beretta Model 38/42
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Barrel
- 210 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.27 kg
- Introduced
- 1942
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Beretta Model 38/42 is an Italian submachine gun designed by Tullio Marengoni as a simplified, mass-production variant of the MAB 38 for wartime service. Introduced in 1942, it dispensed with the perforated barrel cooling jacket and bayonet mount of the original, used a fluted barrel for cooling, a shortened wooden stock, stamped sheet-steel components, and a fixed firing pin machined onto the face of the bolt. Chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum and fed from box magazines, it retained the highly regarded dual-trigger system (front trigger for semi-automatic, rear for full-automatic). Valued for its reliability and controllability, it was used widely by Italian and German forces in World War II.
The MAB 38 family designed by Tullio Marengoni was prized by both Axis and Allied troops who captured them; the dual-trigger select-fire layout and excellent build quality made the Beretta submachine guns among the most respected of the war.
Sources differ on barrel length: roughly 210 mm (8.25 in) for the shortened 38/42 barrel, versus the longer ~315 mm barrel of the original Model 38. The dual-trigger select-fire arrangement was carried over from the MAB 38.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Beretta
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Country
- Italy
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1942 to 1944
- Variant of
- Simplified wartime variant
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 210 mm
- Overall length
- 800 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.27 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Open bolt
- Trigger
- Double trigger
- Capacity
- 40
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 420 m/s
- Effective range
- 200 m
- Rate of fire
- 550 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Fluted barrel
Fixed firing pin
Dual trigger select fire
Wooden full stock
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 201 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 3.27 kg | 3.18 kg | Heavier than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 200 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 800 mm | 723 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 202 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 210 mm | 213 mm | Near the median |
| Magazine capacityAmong 204 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 40 | 32 | Holds more rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the Beretta Model 38/42
How much does the Beretta Model 38/42 weigh?
The Beretta Model 38/42 weighs 3.27 kg (7.21 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Beretta Model 38/42?
The Beretta Model 38/42 is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the Beretta Model 38/42 hold?
The Beretta Model 38/42 holds 40 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Beretta Model 38/42?
The Beretta Model 38/42 is 800 mm (31.5 in) long overall, with a 210 mm (8.27 in) barrel.
Who makes the Beretta Model 38/42?
The Beretta Model 38/42 is made by Beretta (Italy). It was designed by Tullio Marengoni.
When was the Beretta Model 38/42 introduced?
The Beretta Model 38/42 was introduced in 1942 and discontinued in 1944.
How does the Beretta Model 38/42 operate?
The Beretta Model 38/42 uses a blowback action, and its firing mechanism is open bolt.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Royal Italian Army
- 1942
- Nazi Germany
- 1943
- Kingdom of Romania
- Romania
Provenance
Confidence in this record
82%
Stockists
Where to buy
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No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/beretta-m1938-42' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "beretta-m1938-42", "name": "Beretta Model 38/42", "manufacturer": { "id": "beretta", "name": "Beretta", "countryCode": "IT", "foundedYear": 1526, "website": "https://www.beretta.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:40", "version": "8b9fe1893419c995aa99c862828f03dd5729ecd351a2fed53e95d04b9a47918f" }, "category": { "id": "submachine-gun", "name": "Submachine Gun", "description": "Automatic firearms chambered in pistol calibers" }, "country_of_origin": "IT", "year_introduced": 1942, "barrel_length_mm": 210, "weight_empty_g": 3270, "action_type": "blowback"}