Beretta Italy vs. USA Question??
Is there a difference between Beretta's made in Italy compared to the ones made in the USA??? Would the resale value of a Beretta be higher if it was made in Italy??
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Baretta USA is the distributor. The guns are made in Italy.
I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.
-- Thomas Jefferson0 -
Mike; this question pops up every month or so. I assume that you are refering to the Beretta 92 series of pistols. When Berretta won the contract to produce the new official sidearm (M9) for the U.S. Military back in 1985 the following production guidelines were in effect: The first years production of M9 pistols could be manufactured at Beretta's location of choice. Beretta produced the first 52,930 pistols in Italy. In the second year all assembly and testing of the pistols had to take place in the USA. Beretta imported the parts for 65,750 pistols and assembled them at its facility in Maryland. During the third year, at a minimum, the frames, slides and barrels had to be manufactured in the United States, along with all assembly and testing. Beretta spent $13 million dollars to up grade its facility in Accokeek, Maryland.
I own several Model 92's, both Italian and US made and I'll tell you that there are no real differences between pistols of the same model/type, save perhaps a difference in finish coloration. All of the machinery and tooling used in Maryland was brought in by Beretta- Italy and home office engineers set the production line up. These are the same engineers who mastermind things in Brescia so there is nothing better or worse about the guns production USA vs.Italian that I can see. There does however appear to be a slight premium asked for Italian made 92's. Why this is is beyond the notion of better quality; I suspect that it is more of a collectability issue.
Mark T. Christian0 -
They don't do any of the manufacturing in Maryland? 0 -
Chunkstyle; Beretta has owned and operated a manufacturing facility in the United States for over 25 years. Here is the (brief) story. When the Gun Control Act of 1968 was passed it limited the importation of many small pistols, including some made by Beretta. Back in 1977 Beretta purchased the old Firearms International factory in Maryland. FI had an interesting history with the CIA but thats another story! FI was later purchased by the Garcia Corperation and in 1977 they sold the factory to Beretta who quickly began to assemble pistols which had been non importable since the GCA-1968. The first pistol produced was the single action Model 950 in .22 short and .25 acp. Berreta USA then added the double action Model 20 in 1983, followed by the Model 21 in mid-1984. By the time Beretta bid on the M9 contract they already had a fully functional production line in the USA manufacturing three pistol models. this no doubt helped their cause in their M9 pistol bid. The factory needed to be expanded, but it was in existance and examples of its production capabilities were easy to see in the line of pistols coming out of its factory. Anyone who believes that the M9/M92 pistols were the first Berretta pistols produced here in the USA is sadly mistaken. As far as all of them being made in Italy; the first 118,680 came from Brescia- either assembled or of Italian parts. The rest have been made right here in the USA. I hope this answers your question.
Mark T. Christian0 -
Mark, thanks from me as well for the education! Does this only apply to pistols? I was under the impression that shotguns were produced in Italy. Thanks!
I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.
-- Thomas Jefferson0 -
There are differences between the USA-made Beretta 92 magazines and the ones made in Italy. You can feel it in your hand. The ones that were made in Italy feel heavier in your hand and tend to be more durable than the USA-made 92 magazines. They will often command a higher price as well. 0 -
I agree with idsman on the superiority of the Italian mags, they are flawless and I have yet to wear one out.
One thing that I like about the Italian 92's, in comparison to those built in the USA, is the quality of bluing.
I have seen USA built with considerably more blue wear than Italian built that have been handled and shot much more.0 -
Gentlemen, I agree with the finish opinion. As I mentioned in my first post there is a slight difference in the cosmetic apperance of the two nations pistols with the same type of finish. I am unaware that any USA made M92's were ever blued, save perhaps a few special commemerative models. I thought that only the first run of Italian made pistols had the polished commercial blued finish and that even this was discontinued in 1985, about the same time the Maryland facility got up and running. All USA M92's that I've come across, which were not stainless, have the matt black Bruniton finish.
As to the magazines. I have a certified Ohaus scale from Switzerland which was given to me by a customer who happens to work as an undercover narcotics officer, a sort of "spoils of war". Here are the results from the weigh in: Beretta M92 magazine 13 shot, pre-ban marked PB cal 9PARA-MADE IN U.S.A. ACKK. MD- 97 grams. A pre-ban Italian made M92 magazine marked PB CAL 9 PARA MADE IN ITALY- 106 grams. A slight difference to be sure, but the Italian made magazines are indeed heavier. I also weighed a post ban LE restricted magazine from Beretta USA and found the weight to be nearly identical to the pre-ban magazine...no doubt a slight variance in material weights. I've never noticed this difference in weight myself so high praise goes to Spring creek and idsman- you guys know your magazines! He dog, happy to help out. The new MATO rifle is also manufactured here in the USA. I am unaware of any of the Beretta shotguns manufactured here.
Mark T. Christian
Edited by - mark christian on 10/15/2002 22:49:000 -
While I was stationed at Fort Lewis I attended an armorer's course. We had to bring each weapon that we were dealing with that day to the course from our own unit's arms room complete with magazines if the particular weapon(s) used magazines. Well, my unit armorer issued me a brand new Italian-made 15-rounder for my M9 but never had me sign for it. I inadvertantly tucked it away in a pocket because I had several weapons to transport that day and my hands were full of books and weapons. I turned in the weapons and then went up to my barracks room and found the magazine in my pocket. The arms room was closed so I tucked the magazine away in a drawer with every intention of turning it in. Months passed and I was re-statioend (PCS'd) to Fort Drum, NY. When my property arrived at Fort Drum I found that magazine. Once again, I tucked it away in the drawer wondering if I should mail it back to Fort Lewis or just turn it in at Fort Drum. I was issued a SIG P-228 (M11) at Fort Drum so the magazine never entered my mind again. Soldiers tend to accumulate magazines in their room they way some of us gun enthusiasts accumulate guns. One more never phases us much. I was packing up my property for another move last year and I found that magazine. Knowing the quality of that magazine and the likelihood that I would once again be issued an M9 for duty I was so tempted to keep it. I would rather be carrying a new Italian-made Beretta 92FS magazine than an American made one. I realized this at the armorer's course. They actually made a point of showing us that the Italian ones were better and more durable. In the end I turned the magazine back in at Fort Drum before I moved. It was such a temptation--especially since it was made before the ban and wasn't stamped with "LEO/Military Use Only". 0 -
The Italian made mags were probably Mec-Gars who seems to make most all of the "factory" mags for just about everyone. I have a 15 round MecGar Beretta mag and it's excellent.
Three Precious Metals: Gold, silver and lead0 -
I've owned 2 Beretta's and the one I had to sell for money about 10 years ago (very regrettably!!) was one made in Italy with the Italian box, Italian instructions and 2 original mags. I know they're supposed to be the same, but it always seemed to me that the Italian one had a fit and finish that was just tighter and "better". Don't get me wrong - I love my current one, but to me it really seemed like the difference in a Cadillac and a Mercedes - both well made but the Mer. just fits together with more authority. (And I don't mean to start any discussion on the relative merits of cars!!) 0 -
Newdad, I've heard this same thing from lots of people but when I examine their Beretta's, and as an LE dealer I've seen PLENTY of M92's- including many that I own, I just can't see much difference between the pistols from Italy or the USA. If these pistols were actually manufactured by "people" I could understand a possible higher quality between the two factories. Humans however do not manufacture these firearms. They are made by machines and I cannot understand how a CNC controled milling machine, which has all of its data loaded by the same engineers, can possibly produce a better quality pistol sitting on a factory floor in Gardone(Italy) than an indentical CNC mill parked on a floor in Maryland. Of course the final assembly and testing takes place using either Italian or American workers...but that involves little or no hand work on this type of pistol. These folks are not sitting in the Colt Custom Shop "making" SAA's and you are not paying a custom shop price for a M92! Italian M92's do bring a premium and that will not change and it may well be worth a bit of extra money to own an Italian Beretta.
Mark T. Christian0
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