Cuban Contract M1 Garand by Beretta

[90A]

Here is a neat one. A Cuban contract M1 Garand produced by Beretta. Beretta produced M1 Garands for the following countries:

Cuba
Denmark
Indonesia
Italy
Libya
Yemen

The Cuban contract consisted of 5,054 rifles. This rifle has been confirmed as belonging to that contract by Ruggero Pettinelli, author of "Il garand in Italia 1951-1996" which is the definitive work on Italian Garands.

I still need the Libyan and Italian Army contracts (both Breda and Beretta for the Italian Army) and then my foreign Garand collection will be complete.

[bruce]

Cool rifle! Had no idea Cuba ever bought Garands from anyone. Stock does look a bit different. Good luck in finding representative Libyan and Italian Garands! Sincerely. bruce.

[42Springfield]

Very cool. Is it expected that it be all Beretta parts or did they use some USGI parts when they were originally built?

[GotSnlB28]

Very interesting piece of history. Is it the heel marking 'E' and serial that identify it as Cuban contract?

[90A]

Originally Posted by bruce

Cool rifle! Had no idea Cuba ever bought Garands from anyone. Stock does look a bit different. Good luck in finding representative Libyan and Italian Garands! Sincerely. bruce.

Thank you! Cuba also scrounged surplus US Garands on the secondary market during the 1950's! But these Beretta ones are much cooler in my opinion because you can confirm their intended recipient. The Libyan is probably a pipe dream, especially considering the situation there... Their contract was very small as well, with around 1,670 rifles built. There is not a known example and no one even knows what the crest looks like.

The Italian Army example will be a bit easier. Unfortunately most were converted to 7.62 NATO and the Tipo 2 standard. Finding an original in 30.06 is nearly impossible.

Originally Posted by 42Springfield

Very cool. Is it expected that it be all Beretta parts or did they use some USGI parts when they were originally built?

Still trying to figure that out myself. The two examples I have that are the most untouched (Yemen and Indonesia) are both all original Beretta parts.

Originally Posted by GotSnlB28

Very interesting piece of history. Is it the heel marking 'E' and serial that identify it as Cuban contract?

It is thought, but not confirmed, that the "E" is for "esportare" or export. It is also seen on the Yemeni contract.

[bandhunter31]

very cool...... Cuba has always been a country that ive been interested in, in regards to small arms....... there has always been a vale of secrecy surrounding it and my gut tells me they have a lot (or had a lot) of U.S. milsurps..... do you happen to have a break down of how many were produced for each contract? I have a Danish return Winchester M1 and it has a few PB parts, i assumed Beretta or would it be Breda?

[90A]

Originally Posted by bandhunter31

very cool...... Cuba has always been a country that ive been interested in, in regards to small arms....... there has always been a vale of secrecy surrounding it and my gut tells me they have a lot (or had a lot) of U.S. milsurps..... do you happen to have a break down of how many were produced for each contract? I have a Danish return Winchester M1 and it has a few Italian parts, i assumed Beretta?

I don't have a Danish return, but I do have a Breda and Beretta Danish contract. Breda and Beretta each made approximately 11,000 for the Danish contract. Breda rifles will have BMB and BMR marked parts. Beretta will have PB marked parts.

[ordmm]

Originally Posted by 90A

I don't have a Danish return, but I do have a Breda and Beretta Danish contract. Breda and Beretta each made approximately 11,000 for the Danish contract. Breda rifles will have BMB and BMR marked parts. Beretta will have PB marked parts.

Is this book 'Ruggero Pettinelli, author of "Il garand in Italia 1951-1996" an English or Italian language version?

[90A]

Originally Posted by ordmm

Is this book 'Ruggero Pettinelli, author of "Il garand in Italia 1951-1996" an English or Italian language version?

Unfortunately it is only available in Italian. It is still an excellent book, and the best on the subject of Italian Garands.

[Bodyman]

THAT is not something I would have expected to see this morning when I woke up, ... or ever! Foreign Garands are really so few and far between here in the States that it is not even a realistic goal to actually collect them!

Thank you, really, for sharing that - very cool!