Beretta Model 1915

Lore & Background

The Beretta M1915 was developed to replace the Glisenti Model 1910, which had a complex and weak firing mechanism. When Italy entered World War I, the need for more military pistols increased dramatically. Tullio Marengoni completed his design of a simple blowback action pistol that could fire the 9mm Glisenti cartridge, and it was patented by the Pietro Beretta Arms Factory on June 29, 1915, immediately adopted by the Royal Army just over a month after Italy entered the war. It replaced the previous ordinances, the revolvers Chamelot Delvigne 1874 and Bodeo Model 1889 and above all the automatic Glisenti Model 1910 and Brixia Mod. 1913, not fully satisfactory. In the 9mm Glisenti model, the barrel is exposed by an open slide, a signature design for later Beretta pistols, but unlike later models the front sight is fitted along the front end of the barrel as that part of the slide is cut open. The ejection port and extractor are at the top of the slide, ejecting the bullet casing upwards. Since the pistol does not have a locking mechanism, the slide closes by itself when the empty magazine is removed. It has two slide notches: the forward one allows disassembly, while the other is for the side safety. An unusual feature is that it has two manual safety features—one on the left side of the frame that blocks the trigger, and another on the rear side that prevents the hammer from operating. A .32 ACP version, the Beretta M1917, was also produced and adopted by the Italian Royal Navy. Some pistols were also used in World War II until 1945. The M1915 was later replaced by the Beretta M1934.

Reader's Guide

The Beretta Model 1915 holds significance as the first semi-automatic pistol manufactured by Beretta and the first to be issued as a service pistol in the Royal Italian Army. Its open slide design, introduced with this model, became a defining characteristic for later Beretta pistols including the M1923, M1934, M1935, M1951, Beretta 70, Beretta 92, Beretta Cheetah, and Beretta M9. The pistol's simple blowback action and use of the 9mm Glisenti cartridge addressed the need for a reliable sidearm during World War I, replacing earlier revolvers and unsatisfactory automatic pistols. The M1915's production of about 15,600 units from 1915 to 1918, along with about 56,000 of the M1915/1917 variant, demonstrates its widespread adoption. The design's longevity is evidenced by its continued use into World War II and the later development of the M1915/17 and M1915/19 variants, which refined features such as the grip, safety, and slide configuration. The M1915/17 variant was also exported to Finland in 1940, showing its international reach. Ultimately, the Beretta M1915 established the open-slide lineage that would define Beretta's pistol line for decades.

Did You Know?

• The Beretta M1915 was designed by Tullio Marengoni, chief engineer at Beretta.
• The pistol has two manual safety features: one blocking the trigger and another preventing the hammer from operating.
• A .32 ACP version, the Beretta M1917, was adopted by the Italian Royal Navy.

Origins & Design Context

The Beretta Model 1915 emerged from a specific military frustration. The Italian Army had been relying on the Glisenti Model 1910, but its firing mechanism proved both overly complex and mechanically fragile. Compounding the problem, the military had determined that the 7.65 mm bottlenecked cartridge the Glisenti used was too light for combat duties. A competition was launched for 9 mm handguns, and the Glisenti's owner, Metallurgica Bresciana Tampini, responded by simply enlarging the 7.65 round to eliminate the bottleneck while keeping the same powder load. The resulting 9 mm Glisenti cartridge was dimensionally identical to the 9 mm Luger but carried roughly one-quarter the propellant charge. When Italy entered the Great War, demand for reliable sidearms surged. Tullio Marengoni, Beretta's chief engineer, delivered a straightforward blowback-action pistol chambered for that underpowered 9 mm round. The design was patented on June 29, 1915, and the Royal Army adopted it within weeks, replacing a patchwork of older revolvers and unsatisfactory automatics.

Mechanical Features & Design Philosophy

Marengoni's M1915 was built around simplicity. The barrel sat exposed beneath an open-top slide, a layout that would become Beretta's visual hallmark for decades. Because the slide was cut open at the front, the front sight was mounted directly on the barrel rather than on the slide itself. The ejection port and extractor were positioned at the top of the slide, sending spent casings upward. The pistol employed a simple blowback action with no locking mechanism whatsoever; once the empty magazine was withdrawn, the slide simply closed on its own. Two notches were cut into the slide: the forward one served as a disassembly point, while the rear one housed the side safety. Perhaps most notably, the M1915 featured two independent manual safeties. One, located on the left side of the frame, blocked the trigger. The other, on the rear of the frame, prevented the hammer from operating. A .32 ACP variant, the M1917, was also produced and adopted by the Italian Royal Navy.

Variants & Design Evolution

The M1915 spawned two notable successors. The M1915/17 was smaller and lighter, with a straighter grip inclined only nine degrees to the barrel and vertically scored panels replacing the original knurling. Its trigger guard became round rather than ovular, and the grip safety was eliminated entirely. The frame-mounted left-side safety now doubled as a dismounting pin and hold-open lever. The shock absorber spring and dedicated ejector were dropped, with the striker taking over the ejection role. The magazine capacity increased from seven to eight rounds. War production of this variant ended in 1921, though civilian manufacture continued for years. The M1915/19 refined the design further, chambering the 7.65 mm Browning cartridge. The barrel's round-post mount was replaced by a T-slot arrangement, which required a larger opening in the slide's top. The previous double opening became a single longer slot, giving the slide the unmistakable open-top profile that would define Beretta's future pistols.

Service History & Lasting Legacy

As the first semi-automatic pistol ever produced by Beretta, the M1915 carried the weight of a company's new identity. Approximately 15,600 of the original model were built between 1915 and 1918, with roughly 56,000 of the M1915/1917 variant following. The gun served across the Italian Royal Army, Air Force, Navy, and Police, and some examples remained in active use through World War II until 1945. In 1940, a batch of 1,500 M1915/17 pistols was shipped to the Finnish Army, and the type also saw service in Albania. The M1915 was eventually superseded by the Beretta M1934. Yet its most enduring contribution was aesthetic and structural: the open-slide design it pioneered became the defining visual language of Beretta's entire subsequent lineup, from the M1923 and M1934 through the M1951, the 70, the 92, the Cheetah, and the M9. Every one of those later guns carries the M1915's open-top silhouette in its DNA.

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