Beretta 72

The Beretta Model 72 is a small, lightweight semi-automatic pistol chambered in a .22 Long Rifle. It was designed as a compact and reliable personal defence weapon and was produced by the Italian firearms company Beretta.

The Model 72 was introduced in the 1970s and quickly gained a reputation for accuracy and reliability. It features a single-action trigger, a fixed barrel, and a detachable magazine with a capacity of up to 8 rounds.

The pistol's compact size and low recoil made it popular for personal defence and training for new shooters. It was also popular with collectors due to its sleek design and high-quality construction.

In the 1980s, Beretta introduced a variant of the Model 72 called the Model 76, which was chambered in a .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire. This variant featured a longer barrel and a higher magazine capacity of up to 10 rounds.

The Model 72 and Model 76 were eventually discontinued in the 1990s, but they remain popular among collectors and shooters due to their enduring reputation for reliability and accuracy.

Behaviour & construction

The Beretta Model 72 is a small, lightweight semi-automatic pistol chambered in a .22 Long Rifle. It has a single-action trigger, meaning the hammer must be manually cocked before the first shot can be fired. After the first shot, the hammer is automatically cocked, and the pistol will fire in double action, meaning that pulling the trigger both cocks the hammer and releases it to fire the gun.

The Model 72 has a fixed barrel, which means the barrel is not designed to move during the firing process. This helps to improve accuracy by eliminating any potential movement of the barrel. The barrel is rifled, which means it has grooves cut into the inside surface to impart a spin on the bullet as it is fired, helping improve accuracy and stability in flight.

The Model 72 has an aluminium frame and a steel slide. The slide houses the barrel and the recoil spring, and it moves back and forth during the firing process to chamber a new round and ejects the spent casing. The frame is the main body of the pistol and contains the grip, trigger, and magazine release.

The Model 72 has a detachable magazine with a capacity of up to 8 rounds. The magazine is inserted into the pistol's grip and held in place by a magazine release button on the frame. The magazine release button is pressed to release the magazine, allowing it to be removed and replaced with a fully loaded one.

The Model 72 has a safety catch on the frame's left side, above the grip. The safety catch can be engaged to prevent the pistol from being fired and disengaged to allow the gun to fire. The Model 72 also has a slide lock, which locks the slide in place when the gun is empty to prevent it from cycling. The slide lock can be released to allow the slide to move and chamber a new round.

Fields of use

The Beretta Model 72 was designed as a compact and reliable personal defence weapon and was primarily intended for use by law enforcement, military personnel, and civilians. Its small size and low recoil made it well-suited for close-range personal defence, and it was also popular with collectors due to its sleek design and high-quality construction.

In the 1980s, Beretta introduced a variant of the Model 72 called the Model 76, which was chambered in a .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire. This variant featured a longer barrel and a higher magazine capacity of up to 10 rounds, and it was also intended for use as a personal defence weapon.

Both the Model 72 and Model 76 were discontinued in the 1990s, but they remain popular among collectors and shooters due to their enduring reputation for reliability and accuracy. They can still be found on the used market, and they are often used for recreational shooting and as training weapons for new shooters due to their low recoil and easy handling.

Interesting facts

The Beretta Model 72 was designed by Giuseppe Mazzetti, an engineer who worked for the Italian firearms company Beretta. Mazzetti was born in Brescia, Italy in 1922 and began working for Beretta in 1947. He quickly rose through the ranks and became one of the company's leading designers, responsible for designing many of Beretta's most popular firearms.

Mazzetti is best known for designing the Beretta M9 (also known as the 92FS), a popular semi-automatic pistol that was adopted by the United States military as its standard sidearm in the 1980s. He also designed the Beretta M21, a compact semi-automatic pistol that was used by Italian law enforcement and military personnel.

In the 1970s, Mazzetti designed the Beretta Model 72, a compact and reliable personal defense weapon that was chambered in .22 Long Rifle. The Model 72 was intended for use by law enforcement and military personnel as well as civilians, and it was known for its accuracy and reliability. In the 1980s, Mazzetti designed a variant of the Model 72 called the Model 76, which was chambered in .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire.

Mazzetti retired from Beretta in 1987, but his designs continue to be popular and widely used around the world. He passed away in 2012 at the age of 90.