Beretta Model 70 (and Variants)

The Beretta Model 70 is a compact, single-action, blowback-operated semi-automatic pistol manufactured by Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta in Italy, from 1958 to 1985. Introduced as the "New Puma," it was a redesign of Beretta's medium-frame line, replacing earlier models such as the M1934, M1935, 924, 935, and 949. It is chambered in .32 ACP (7.65mm Browning), .380 ACP, and .22 Long Rifle, with the original Model 70 offered only in .32 ACP.

The pistol has a steel frame and slide, a 3.5-inch barrel, an overall length of about 6.5 inches, and weighs roughly 1.5 pounds. It holds 8 rounds in .32 ACP (7 in .380 ACP). Notable design improvements over its predecessors included a simplified takedown lever, a dedicated slide stop (replacing the earlier follower hold-open), a push-button magazine release, and a redesigned trigger guard.

Early production models featured a cross-bolt push-button safety, which was awkward to operate one-handed. This was later replaced with the more conventional thumb-operated lever safety on the left side of the frame. The later Model 70S (late 1970s–1985) added a magazine-disconnect safety.

The 70 series was designed primarily for European police forces and civilian self-defense. In the US, the pistols were imported by the Garcia Corporation and later Berben Corporation, with a thumb shelf added to the grip to comply with the 1968 Gun Control Act.

The broader 70 series extended to models 71 through 76 and the 100/101/102 target variants, but the base Model 70 remains the most recognized. Today, surviving examples are sought after by collectors as a transitional piece in Beretta's evolution from postwar military designs to modern compact pistols.