Churro
Well-known member
- Messages
- 162
Sooooo my 12 year project is finally over and I'm glad to say that I don't have anymore. For those of you who don't know the story. Over a decade ago I was dating a girl (IN A FREE STATE!!!!) and was set to inherit a transferable Beretta 38a and Carcano from an Italian vet that migrated to the US after the war. The gun was well worn and rusty but the old man still had his original paperwork from the amnesty period. Because I was into firearms and dating his grand daughter. I was the perfect candidate for about 3 months, until she broke up with me. From that moment, I began my obsession to find replacement and as my luck had it no one ever builds or sells their builds.
About 2 years ago, I got my chance and found a salvageable kit sitting in an auction house. I really had to grind my teeth to outbid the dinosaur next to me with the oxygen tank but I got it. The next step was replacing some of the worn components and finding a suitable smith to bring it back to life and turn it semi auto legal. As you can guess that also required a crap tone of money and months on the Internet.
After taking a deeper look over the parts that came with my original kit I did learn a few things. My gun was made in Beretta between 1938-1940 as a Romanian contract.
My kit had a replacement electro pencil bolt, late war stock, barrel, and demilled in a way that used both saw cuts and torches. If I had to guess, my gun went to Russia was captured and used to a point where the parts needed to be replaced ( Either by the Romanians or Soviet). Then used post war in the balkans where it stayed until the collapse then surplused out.
I just got her out of jail today and will be out on the range on Sunday to see what she still has left in her. While it's not NFA it's close enough and I think the only one in Southern California that works.
About 2 years ago, I got my chance and found a salvageable kit sitting in an auction house. I really had to grind my teeth to outbid the dinosaur next to me with the oxygen tank but I got it. The next step was replacing some of the worn components and finding a suitable smith to bring it back to life and turn it semi auto legal. As you can guess that also required a crap tone of money and months on the Internet.
After taking a deeper look over the parts that came with my original kit I did learn a few things. My gun was made in Beretta between 1938-1940 as a Romanian contract.
My kit had a replacement electro pencil bolt, late war stock, barrel, and demilled in a way that used both saw cuts and torches. If I had to guess, my gun went to Russia was captured and used to a point where the parts needed to be replaced ( Either by the Romanians or Soviet). Then used post war in the balkans where it stayed until the collapse then surplused out.
I just got her out of jail today and will be out on the range on Sunday to see what she still has left in her. While it's not NFA it's close enough and I think the only one in Southern California that works.
