I was hoping one of the other members of the Beretta Society would jump in here... For a Beretta, it is not an old gun. They have been around for over 500 years.
What we can tell from the catalogs, they started carrying British guns around 1920. By the 40's, they were producing their own, which leaned heavily on British designs.
Jim Bode published this last year. It is the 1940 catalog:
- Mod. 409bis 4 locks, receiver and tubes in Krupp steel, fins
- Mod. 409 PB 4 locks, Krupp receiver, “Prima Krupp” tubes
- Mod. 409E PB As above, w/ejectors
- Mod. 410 Piccione 4 locks, “Prima Krupp tubes”, special engraving
- Mod. 410E Piccione As above, w/ejectors
- Mod. 411 Piccione Extra 4 locks, stainless “Excelsior” tubes, sideplate, toplever gold pigeon inlay
- Mod. 411E Piccione Extra As above, w/ejectors
They were constantly seeking out sources for barrels. Krupp first appears in the 1930's.
Beretta broke with their tradition and produced weapons of war during WWII. The fascist pressure was unrelenting. Eventually, the Nazis attempted to control production. All the while, the Beretta family was quietly supplying the resistance.
To see a gun dated 1944 from Beretta is very unusual. It almost had to have been made for some one special.
Pete