Beretta Model 38/49
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Barrel
- 210 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.25 kg
- Introduced
- 1949
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Beretta Model 38/49 is an Italian blowback, open-bolt submachine gun chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum. A post-war development of Tullio Marengoni's wartime Model 38 family, it retained the series' distinctive twin-trigger arrangement, front trigger for semi-automatic fire and rear trigger for full-automatic, a wooden stock and a perforated barrel jacket. Fed from detachable box magazines of up to 40 rounds, it served the Italian armed forces and was widely exported through the 1950s and 1960s.
The Beretta Model 38 family was famous for its twin triggers, one for single shots and one for automatic fire, a simple but effective fire-selection method that let soldiers switch instantly by finger placement rather than fumbling for a selector lever.
The Model 38/49 was produced in several sub-models (commonly numbered 1 through 5) that differed mainly in safety arrangement, magazine housing and cocking-handle details. Widely exported, it became one of the most successful post-war Italian small arms.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Beretta
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Country
- Italy
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1949 to 1961
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 210 mm
- Overall length
- 798 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.25 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Open bolt
- 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
- 380 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 538 J
- 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.
- Dual trigger fire selection
Wooden stock
Perforated barrel jacket
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 | 3.25 kg | 3.18 kg | Heavier than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 200 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 798 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 38/49
How much does the Beretta Model 38/49 weigh?
The Beretta Model 38/49 weighs 3.25 kg (7.17 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Beretta Model 38/49?
The Beretta Model 38/49 is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the Beretta Model 38/49 hold?
The Beretta Model 38/49 holds 40 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Beretta Model 38/49?
The Beretta Model 38/49 is 798 mm (31.4 in) long overall, with a 210 mm (8.27 in) barrel.
Who makes the Beretta Model 38/49?
The Beretta Model 38/49 is made by Beretta (Italy). It was designed by Tullio Marengoni.
When was the Beretta Model 38/49 introduced?
The Beretta Model 38/49 was introduced in 1949 and discontinued in 1961.
How does the Beretta Model 38/49 operate?
The Beretta Model 38/49 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
- Italian Armed Forces
- 1949
- West German Bundesgrenzschutz
- Germany
- Indonesian National Armed Forces
- Indonesia
Provenance
Confidence in this record
72%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
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-model-2' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "beretta-model-2", "name": "Beretta Model 38/49", "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": 1949, "barrel_length_mm": 210, "weight_empty_g": 3250, "action_type": "blowback"}