The Beretta BM59 is an Italian

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

-made rifle based on the M1 Garand

M1 Garand

The M1 Garand , was the first semi-automatic rifle to be generally issued to the infantry of any nation. Called "the greatest battle implement ever devised" by General George S...

 rifle, but chambered in 7.62x51 mm NATO, and modified to use a detachable magazine. Later revisions incorporated other features common to more modern rifles.

Development

After World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 adopted the US-designed M1 Garand rifle in .30-06 (7.62x63mm) and also manufactured it under license. This semi-automatic rifle proved itself well during World War II, but in the late 1950s it was considered outdated and obsolete and the Italian military also wanted a new rifle chambered for the NATO-standard 7.62x51mm round.

To meet these requirements, Beretta designed the BM59, which was essentially a rechambered M1 fitted with a removable 20-round magazine, folding bipod and flash suppressor

Flash suppressor

A flash suppressor, also known as a flash guard, flash eliminator, flash hider, or flash cone, is a device attached to the muzzle of a rifle or other gun that reduces the visible signature of the burning gases that exit the muzzle. This reduces the chances that the shooter will be blinded in dark...

/grenade launcher. The BM59 is capable of selective fire

Selective fire

A selective fire firearm has at least one semi–automatic and one automatic mode, which is activated by means of a selector which varies depending on the weapon's design. Some selective fire weapons utilize burst fire mechanisms to limit the maximum or total number of shots fired automatically in...

.

The BM59 was adopted in 1959 and served with Italian, Argentinian, Indonesian and Moroccan armies. In the early 1980s, semi-automatic versions were imported to the USA and sold to private collectors. The earliest BM59s were manufactured from US manufactured M1 parts, including re-chambered barrels.

In 1990, the BM59 was replaced in Italian service by the Beretta AR70/90

Beretta AR70/90

The Beretta AR70/90 is a gas operated self loading assault rifle chambered for the 5.56mm cartridge, and is the standard issue service rifle of the Italian Armed Forces. The weapon also features grenade sights, and is designed to be fitted with a rifle grenade...

 assault rifles.

Military

• BM-59 Mark I: had a wooden stock with a semi-pistol grip stock.
• BM-59 Mark II: had a wooden stock with pistol grip
  Pistol grip
  On a firearm or other tool, the pistol grip is that portion of the mechanism that is held by the hand and orients the hand in a forward, vertical orientation, similar to the position one would take with a conventional pistol such as the M1911....
  
   to achieve a better control during full-auto fire;
• BM-59 Mark III: or Ital TA (also known as the Truppe Alpine), was a variant with a pistol grip and a metallic folding buttstock, that was intended for mountain troops. The BM59 Para was similar to BM59 Ital TA, but was intended for paratroopers. It was equipped with a shorter barrel and flash-hider.
• BM-59 Mark IV: had a heavier barrel with a plastic stock, and was used as a light squad automatic weapon
  Squad automatic weapon
  A squad automatic weapon is a weapon used to give infantry squads or sections a portable source of automatic firepower. Weapons used in this role are selective-fire rifles, usually fitted with a bipod and heavier barrel to perform as Light machine guns...
  
  .

Civilian

The rare BM-62 and 69 are civilian sporting rifles with the grenade launcher and sights removed. with the following:

• BM-62: Semi-auto that came with 20-round magazines that were permanently modified to only accept 10 rounds. Does not have bipod and compensator
• BM-69: Semi-auto with a bipod and tri-compensator.

Users

Used in the Falklands War

Falklands War

The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...

.: Under license at the Bandung Weapons Factory.: Under license by Defense Industries Corporation.

See also

• M14 rifle
  M14 rifle
  The M14 rifle, formally the United States Rifle, 7.62 mm, M14, is an American selective fire automatic rifle firing 7.62x51mm NATO  ammunition. It was the standard issue U.S. rifle from 1959 to 1970. The M14 was used for U.S...
  
   - American battle rifle also developed from the M1 Garand
• Franchi LF-59
  Franchi LF-59
  The Franchi LF-59 is a battle rifle heavily based on the FN FAL. The weapon shared the same reliability as the FAL but the Italian forces selected the BM-59....
  
  
• MAS 49 - A French semiautomatic rifle
• Itajuba Model 954 Mosquetao
  Itajubá Model 954 Mosquetão
  The Itajubá Model 954 Mosquetão is a battle rifle of Brazilian origin. The weapon is a derivative of the Gewehr 43 but chambered in the .30-06 round.-See also:*Beretta BM59*MAS-49 rifle*Vz. 52 rifle...
  
  
• List of battle rifles

External links

• Beretta BM59 at Modern Firearms