19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Decent reading, but less than one might expect, November 9, 2000
This review is from: Modern Beretta Firearms (Paperback)
This volume was preceded by the works of J.B. Wood (1985) and Marco Morin / Robert Held (1980) on Beretta firearms. The prolific US gunwriter Gene Gangarosa, who previously had authored a similar popular monography on the German Walther P 38 pistols, judiciously qualifies his book as a treatment of "modern" Beretta firearms. This title must be taken literally, as a clear indicator of content limitation. The absolutely central part of the book - and ist most valuable one, too - is the extensive in-depth treatise on the Model 92 pistol series and notably the trials and tribulations which, through various stages and retractions, finally led to its acceptance by the US Armed Forces as new service pistol and successor of the venerable Colt .45 Government Mod. 1911 A 1. On 174 pages alone (!), the author retraces and relates the various army and air force trials, the competitors and the maze of brazen incompetence and sham which surrounded these proceedings. Anybody who is interested not just in Beretta pistols, but in modern military handguns and their selection procedures in general, should thoroughly study this treatise, which alone would be be worth the book's price.
Far weaker, however, are the other sections of the book. Long arms (shotguns and rifles) are treated very superficially with a few general comments, with hardly any substantial facts and information. Target pistols are barely outlined. And while the much-collected pre-1951 pistols of Beretta are indeed covered succinctly, this is not done in any scholarly or well-researched manner; neither the wartime sub-varieties, nor productions figures, nor foreign contracts have been listed. Totally lacking is any indication of sources (the author has included many Beretta factory photographs, but older archival material seems not to have been used), and even a slight hint of a bibliography - zero. The volume is thus not a collector's handbook, nor a scholarly study; it is a coffee-table book which gives well-readable general information arranged around a weighty central essay (Model 92 pistol).
Gangarosa's style is easy-going and clear, and - appreciably - it is not as over-enthusiastic and glowing as in J.B. Wood's previous work, which showered its subject with superlatives on almost every page, regardless of how much or how little the covered various pistols might have deserved it actually. In contrast, Gangarosa remains quite sober. Illustrations are decent (black-and-white), but lack explosion drawings, parts lists or marking details; the book is thus of very limited use for the gunsmith or collector. The final, "definitive" handbook on Beretta firearms therefore still remains to be eagerly awaited...
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
buy it if your interest is very focused on the model 92, January 16, 2002
This review is from: Modern Beretta Firearms (Paperback)
The book justifiably centers on the current flagship of Beretta products, the model 92 and all it's variations. but for a book focused on "modern" beretta firearms it's unfortunate to buy an edition 7 years out of date. This wouldn't be anything to count against the book except that in this instance there has been several interesting new developements. Those somewhat familiar with Beretta firearms should be aware that the Model 8000 series and the model 9000S series as well as the subcompact Tomcat are not featured which might not be overtly stated by it's 1994 publication date. However, the superb coverage of the model 92 including detailed information on proper 9mm cartridges and holsters makes this a good buy if your interest is very focused on the model 92.
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gene Gangarossa Does It Again!, December 3, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Modern Beretta Firearms (Paperback)
This is a very well written and documented book regarding the oldest firearms manufacturing firm in the world.
Gangarossa presents very useful information in detail about the firm and the excellent firearms the firm produces, including the famed Beretta 92FS, other Beretta pistols, shotguns, rifles and even machineguns. Rather than simply listing their characteristics, Gangarossa explains their design origins, their development history and their miliary, police and commercial uses in great detail. He also provides his view of the successes and failures of Beretta's arms.
Also worthy of mention is the most complete history of the M9 handgun trials (the US military trials to select a handgun to replace the aging M1911A1 Colt) and subsequent developments, which dispel many myths and misconceptions about how the Beretta 92FS became the M9.
All in all, I recommend this book highly for firearms aficionados and historians. I also recommend Gangarossa's other books.
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