I had a bunch of old Beretta catalogs, and also owned an S3EL engraved by A.Baglioni for a while. From what I remember the designation S. followed by a number was the early post war designation, it was succeded by the SO designation.
Early S models have locks with a screwed down lock bridle. Later models have the bridle in one piece with the lock plate. I had asked the late Giovanni Metelli, chief of the custom shop, about this and his opinion was that each newer generation of the S and SO series was an improvement on the previous one.
When I had my S3 EL I had the chance to put it next to a Woodward OU, and thought that the Beretta was the neater and mechanically better design. Looked prettier too, but that is subjective.
German barrels on early post war Italian guns are common. Probably the German firms were not permitted to produce whole guns in the post war years and supplied unfinished barrels to other makers. However, most S and SOs I have examined had Boehler Antinit barrels.
Last edited by Shotgunlover; 03/22/17 04:07 AM.
