Beretta Built Danish Contract Gevær m/50 M1 Garand

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  • airbornetrooper

    Active Member
    Nov 9, 2017
    137
    VA
    Known as the Gevær m/50 in Denmark, the M1 Garand was used in quantity by the Danes for several decades after World War II. The majority of these rifles were given as military aid, but the Danes also ordered some from Italy. At the time Italy was a primary contractor for M1 Garand replacement parts for NATO forces in Europe. Contrary to popular thought, although Italy had been given the old Winchester tooling, it did not actually use this to produce rifles. The tooling was deteriorated from being stored outside for years and the Italians needed to reverse engineer it.

    Once complete, Beretta built Garands under contract for various counties. There are lesser known (and exponentially more rare) contract rifles for Yemen, Indonesia, and Sudan amongst others. The Danish contract is the most well known, with approximately 20,000 rifles produced and split evenly between Breda and Beretta. Breda rifles will be marked BMR on the receiver heel, and Beretta made rifles will be marked PB in the same place. In truly annoying fashion, the Italians marked nearly every single part (BMR & BMB for Breda and PB for Beretta). Due to inhospitable political conditions in the United States during the 1990's, the Danish rifles had varied fates. The US made rifles given as foreign war aid were by and large sent to the CMP. The Italian made rifles however were by and large parted out, with the spare parts (sans receivers) going to the states and the receivers going north of the border to Canada. Inevitably some snuck south of the border.

    This rifle is essentially a parts rifle. The stocks were serial numbered to the guns and this one does not match. Most parts on the rifle are correctly marked PB for Beretta, with the exception of the op rod (which if anyone has one please PM me). The rifle has Danish VAR barrel (one of the few parts the Danes made for them). VAR barrels are renowned for their accuracy amongst Garand collectors. I have seen very few all matching Italian produced Danish contract Garands here in the states. Stripped receivers typically fetch around $500 and complete rifles for around $1,500 usually.
     

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    airbornetrooper

    Active Member
    Nov 9, 2017
    137
    VA
    Nice synopsis, great pics (especially of details) and a cool rifle :)

    Thanks. I am currently in grad school for history and just finished my first book. If I could put footnotes in these posts I would! :)

    I had both correct Danish contract Breda and Berretta Garands but recently sold them. They are interesting rifles

    Sound much nicer than mine. Was never able to find a correct op rod or matching stock for either. Would have loved to buy them from you haha.
     

    Orlando

    Active Member
    Heres alittle interesting info on these rifles
    BMR Elevation knobs would be found on a Breda Danish contract garands ,the elevation knob is unmarked on the outside of the drum but marked internally. This is why no one ever finds these knobs as it takes special tools to disassemble pinions .

    PB are marked on the outside on the drum but also marked internally

     

    noddaz

    bonehead
    Jan 9, 2014
    529
    Arnold
    Interesting information. I was wondering what the "P" in "PB" stood for. Google tells me the official name of the company is "Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta". Or in English "Pietro Beretta Arms Factory".
    And now I know what "PB" stands for.
    Thanks for the history lesson!
    Noddaz
     

    mawkie

    C&R Whisperer
    Sep 28, 2007
    4,338
    Catonsville
    Still kicking myself for not stepping up and getting a Breda M1 years ago when they sold sub $1K. Not anymore! Thanks for sharing!
     

    Reptile

    Ultimate Member
    Sep 29, 2014
    7,282
    Columbia MD
    A few years ago an MDS member sold me a Winchester Garand with a Danish VAR barrel and an assortment of Breda and PB parts. Is this nothing more than Frankengun? It's a great shooter.
     

    airbornetrooper

    Active Member
    Nov 9, 2017
    137
    VA
    A few years ago an MDS member sold me a Winchester Garand with a Danish VAR barrel and an assortment of Breda and PB parts. Is this nothing more than Frankengun? It's a great shooter.

    I agree with what Orlando said above. The Danish VAR barrels are some of the finest, nicest shooting Garand barrels ever made. They rate up there with the late 1965 production Springfield barrels and the LMR examples.

    Beretta had a contract with the US Army to supply replacement parts for M1 Garands in NATO countries during the 1950's. The Danes possessed a quantity of Garands loaned from the US, as well as some bought from Breda and Beretta (like the one in this thread). Finding Italian parts on a Danish used, US Garand is normal. They were treated the same in Danish inventories until they were sold off in the 1990's.
     

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