doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Beretta 403 Hammer Gun?

Some while back an interesting thread discussed Beretta hammer shotguns mentioning models 401, 402 but not the 403 which is what I think I just bought on a whim. Included in that thread were excellent line (assembly) drawings of those models. Could anyone help me find anything pertaining to the sxs hammer guns made around 1949 including what I am told is a 403?

With best regards,

FM

I looked at that gun hard a couple of times but showed "restraint".
You bought a vey nice looking gun.

Can't help with the model, but Beretta hammerguns don't show up very often--at least not on this side of the Atlantic. Sounds like you captured a fairly rare gun.

You really need to post some pictures of this gun. The condition and the engraving will determine the model and the price.

I hate to disagree with Larry, but they are not that rare. Most were made as hunters. By this time frame, Beretta was devoting their better efforts to competition guns. Many were treated rather roughly. I own a Beretta 20ga hammer from about the same era. There is not much of a collector market.

Having said all the above, it is still a Beretta.

Pete

Maybe the rareness depends on where you are, Pete--but I can only remember having seen one Beretta hammergun. It was from the 30's, I believe. Contrasting to Bernardellis, of which I've seen far more. And talking hammerless, I've seen way more Berettas than Bernies. But the hammergun imbalance may be because Bernardelli kept sending hammerguns Stateside pretty much right up until they went out of business. Neither my Blue Book nor my Gun Traders Guide even list any Beretta hammerguns.

I do appreciate these replies -- pictures to come once this old girl is delivered. I may post one of the seller's pictures but they mostly were victim of camera flash and focus fuzziness. The model closest by catalogue description and line drawings is Modello 403 Stella. I like the fact it seems to have about 29 inch barrels, I like 30 inch best for swing balance. This one is said to lock up tight and looks pretty good (in fuzzy pictures...) for a 1949 gun.

Sidelock hammerguns sure are a slice of different and beyond the Elmer Fudd look, I think they have an unusual appeal. We shall see...

Cheers,

FM

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn220/rthook21/IMGP3383.jpg

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn220/rthook21/IMGP3386.jpg

See if you can track down a copy of "The World of Beretta", by
R.L. Wilson, Random House, NY, 2000.

There is some information within on the 403 Stella.

Apparantly the "Stella" first showed up as the Model 3 Tipo Stella c. 1926, by 1934 it became the Model 103 and post WWII, or at least by 1947, it was known as the Model 403 Stella and
carried in the Beretta catalogues until 1958. It was originally available in 12, 16, 20, 24, 28 and 32 gauge through 1950,but by 1950 was 12, 16, 20 & 28 ga. only and by 1956 in just 12 and 16 ga. A reasonably high-grade hammer field gun with "Special alloy steel - Titania" barrels.

Beretta apparently did not specifically list "competiton/target" guns during this period, other than those devoted to live pigeon shooting. In 1949, the Model 404 Piccione & 405 Piccione Extra hammer guns were available for that sport.

From a 1956 catalog.







Pete

Yup thats a Stella,and a nice one it appears!
I`m suprised that beretta has`nt an offering for the "vintagers" market.

Pete,

Triplice chiusura is something about 3 closers -- is that the same as triple bite? Wonder why that's specified, particular to the Stella?

Thanks,

Franco

Franco,

Yes it is "gun Italian" for triple bite. The BIS and the VITTORIA did not have a triple bite. I have a VITTORIA. The VITTORIA's suffer from really cheap looking blonde stocks.

I have seen a few STELLA's around, they have much better wood.

Pete

Here is a 1929 model 7 pidgeon. A very rare gun.



Pete

Pete,

Now there's a high grade gun! Looks very nice especially considering 1929 and I am very fond of the bullino style engraving, it's very satisfying even though some folks find it unrefined. Exactly, it's a shotgun and not a cello.

Were there many sidelocks made by Beretta prior to the early '50s? I'm unable to see from these posting pictures if this model 7 is sidelock or plates?? Frame is nicely sculpted and balanced, gorgeous!

I've never realised how nice these vintage Italian sxs doubles can be!

Franco

The model 7 is a side plate as far as I know. There was the early SO series.

In 1910, Beretta was selling WC Scott and Alfred Field hammer guns. That year, they also had a boxlock model 4337. The 4337 was available with Krupp (vero acciaco - real steel) or damascus (vero damasco - real damascus) barrels. They also offered it with triple or quadruple lock up.

I do not have any catalogs from the 1920's.

In 1932 they had models 1011 & 1050 both of which appear to be sidelocks.

In 1938 they had models 450, S.01, S.02 & S.03. There is a small graphic that seems to indicate that the S series was a true sidelock.

An S.01, the lowest S model from a 1935 catalog. While their best hammer gun sold for 1500 Lira, the S series started at 2200 Lira and went up to 3500 Lira for an S.03


The early Italian guns were the equal of any made at the time. They suffer today from a lack of collector enthusiasm. Beretta steadfastly refused to market to the military for nearly 400 years. WWII saw an end to that policy.

Pete

Very interesting ad! I had no idea that there were prewar Beretta O/Us. Always assumed they popped up in the very late 1940s or early 1950s.

Mike,

My understanding is that the Beretta family was very involved in competitive shooting. Hence the adoption of the O/U was a mainstay of their line

Pete

Makes sense.

Actually, Beretta started making military contract arms in or around WWI, not WWII--the Beretta Model 1915 was a substitute standard military automatic pistol in WWI, and they began bidding for military contracts at least that early. And getting them! I'm not sure when their first contract for military rifles was, but they sold fair numbers of the Model 1918 "Syringa" semi-auto 9mm carbine to police and perhaps military right after the war, and I've seen Carcano cavalry carbines made by Beretta from the 1920s. Very hard to avoid that public trough, especially when the slopmaster was "il Duce."

Mike,

Thanks for the correction. Yes, Il Duce seemed to have that effect. The 1938 catalog has some military arms, including a canon if memory serves.

Silvio,

Check your email.

Pete

Information much appreciated, a difficult search since so little organised collector or aficionado to be found online.

Was that cannon a sidelock? ;>)

Hmm, I think a breech lock.


Pete