Selected Handgun Detail

Manufacturer
	Fabbrica D' Armi Pietro Beretta SpA More Info

About the Gun

Compact blowback pistol with a closed-top slide and an external hammer. Alloy frame, blued steel slide, stainless barrel, and black plastic panels. Frame-mounted safety. Single-stack magazine with a button release behind the trigger guard. Fixed sights. The slide locks open after the last round.

Production

Production ran from 1968 through 1982.

Market value

MSRP at production was not confirmed. Current used market value for examples in good to very good condition ranges $350–$650.

Cartridge Specifications
Cartridge:	.32 Automatic
Alias:	7.65 mm Browning
More Info

Analysis

The Model 90 was Beretta’s first production double-action pistol, designed under Dino Boglioli and introduced in the fall of 1968. It was built in Rome, which is why Roma appears on the slide and panels. The name is Model 90. It ran beside the single-action 70 series and was meant for the European double-action market. Production was sporadic and ended in July 1982 at serial 26421. About 22,000 to 25,000 were made. The frame was not strong enough for a .380 Auto conversion, so the catalog gun stayed in .32 Auto. Three internal versions exist, mainly in the hold-open and the hammer channel. They are not separate models. The 81-series Cheetah replaced this size as Beretta’s double-action .32 Auto. The magazines and the plastic panels are the usual missing pieces.