Selected Handgun Detail

Manufacturer
	Fabbrica D' Armi Pietro Beretta SpA More Info

About the Gun

Compact single-action open-slide blowback pistol on a steel frame. A frame-mounted thumb safety and a magazine safety distinguish the S guns from the earlier Model 70. Grips are checkered black plastic, often with a left-side thumb rest. The .22 LR variant uses an adjustable rear sight on the slide and a front sight on the barrel; the .380 Auto variant uses fixed sights on the slide.

Production

Production ran from 1979 through 1985.

Market value

MSRP at production was around $300. Current used market value for examples in good to very good condition ranges $350–$500.

Cartridge Specifications
Cartridge:	.22 LR
Alias:	.22 Long Rifle
More Info

Analysis

Beretta added the 70S after the unsuffixed Model 70 as the late steel-frame series gun. A magazine safety was the running change that created the S mark. .380 Auto arrived first, in 1971, as the only .380 Auto pistol in the 70 line and as the export substitute for .32 Auto. .22 LR followed in 1979 on the same steel frame, which is the only compact .22 LR in the series that is not alloy. .380 Auto production ended in 1983; .22 LR ran to the close of the series in the mid-1980s. The unsuffixed Model 70 and the alloy Model 71 Jaguar are separate models. Used 70S pistols are ordinary C&R guns. Boxed examples with the original magazine and thumb-rest grips bring the top of the range.