The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Skunkworks > The Harley Nolden Memorial Institute for Firearms Research

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old January 25, 2005, 08:43 PM   #1
HighVelocity
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 1, 2005
Location: DFW, TX
Posts: 220
Beretta 418 disassembly

I have googled the heck out of this and cannot figure out how to take this gun apart.
I just found it in a box of things that were left to me several years ago that had been packed away in storage. It appears to be in very good condition and I would like to disassemble, clean and lube it before I try to fire it. I am not interested in carrying it, just the novelty of it.
It was made in 1948 and looks like this:
HighVelocity is offline  
Old January 26, 2005, 07:30 PM   #2
HunterTRW
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 3, 2004
Location: The Lower Forty of Hill Country
Posts: 177
Google no more! Numrich Gun Parts Corporation (www.e-gunparts.com) has a downloadable schematic in PDF format available for purchase for Beretta's Model 418 Bantam. Click on "Schematics" on the left-hand side of the page, then follow the instructions.

Hope this helps.

Good luck, and good shooting!
HunterTRW is offline  
Old January 27, 2005, 12:59 PM   #3
Johnny Guest
Moderator in Memoriam
 
Join Date: August 28, 1999
Location: North Texas
Posts: 4,123
Small world.

Personal: I was cleaning up one of these for a friend just last week - - His is dated 1953. Your illustration is of the earlier model 418, with the round grip safety. The later ones had one fared into the backstrap at the bottom.

I've probably owned and/or shot a dozen examples of this type Beretta. I actually carried one for defense at one point in my early career. Other than the Baby Browning type, this is my favorite .25 pistol . . . .

Anyway - -
Disassembly: Remove magazine and clear chamber. Leave the magazine out of the pistol.

Place the thumb safety lever in the "SAFE" or UP position. Pull slide fully to the rear while pressing the safety up, ensuring the hook engages the small notch on the bottom of the slide.

With the slide thus locked open, press the barrel rearward to free it from the frame. (You many need to BUMP the muzzle with the heel of your hand.)

Remove the barrel from the open top of the slide.

Pull the slide rearward while pressing the thumb safety downward, and ease the slide forward, off the frame. The striker/firing pin is held in place by the sear. Note the arrangement of the striker spring and spring guide/cocking indicator. This may be worked loose by controlling it with the left hand while depressing the grip safety and pressing the trigger with the right hand.

Remove the thumb safety from the frame.

The stocks may be detached by removal of the screws with a properly fitting screwdriver. Be careful - - The rear edge of the panels is very delicate and breaks easily. Do not remove the panels from the metal frames unless needed. If you do this, perform the operation over a smooth, clear surface, to collect the tiny fragments, so you MAY be able to glue them back together.

No further disassembly is recommended, and is seldom, if ever, required.

Reassembly: Replace the stock panels, if they have been removed. DO NOT overtighten the screws - - Snug is good enough.

Pre-assemble the striker/striker spring/spring guide and place them into their channel in the slide. Don't bother trying to put them back on the sear - - They are easily lost, and this is the hard way to do it anyway.

Replace the thumb safety in the frame.

Make sure the recoil spring and guide are properly placed in the frame before slipping the slide on the front. When all is arranged, draw the
slide to the rear, pressing the thumb safety upward. This captures the striker assembly in the cocked position and locks the slide back.

Work the barrel back into position. Press it all the way forward. If very snug, you may need to let the slide go forward under spring pressure to properly seat the barrel.

Shooting/Carrying notes: Due to the relatively solid barrel mounting to the frame, these little pistols are surprisingly accurate. The difficulty in shooting them well is usually due to a too-small rear sight notch. If this notch is indeed too narrow, it may be deepened slightly with a safe sided Swiss Pattern file. Then use a safe edge file to slightly widen the notch, a tiny bit at a time.

The Beretta M418 is normally quite well fitted, and the safety arrangement is above average. These factors notwithstanding, it is inadvisable to carry any striker-fired pocket pistol with a round in the chamber. ANY looseness in the slide/frame fit makes for a hazardous condition.

While the pistol should not be stored with the striker cocked, excessive dry firing is not recommended. By the same token, if carried for defense, with the chamber empty, a cocked striker makes chambering a round far easier.

"Historical"/literary note: This is probably the model pistol carried by Commander James Bond, RN(R) in Ian Fleming's original book, Casino Royale.

Hope this helps you out.

Best,
Johnny
Johnny Guest is offline  
Old January 27, 2005, 05:05 PM   #4
HighVelocity
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 1, 2005
Location: DFW, TX
Posts: 220
Thanks Johnny! Thats great info.
HighVelocity is offline  
Old May 28, 2005, 03:55 PM   #5
rahul_does
Junior Member
 
Join Date: February 4, 2005
Location: New Delhi, India
Posts: 3
James Bond

Yes, He did carry this one.

I hope they get the same Model when they go ahead with the Movie that is under production.

Regards.

Ra.
rahul_does is offline  
Old July 19, 2008, 08:46 PM   #6
GERONIMO
Member
 
Join Date: March 12, 2006
Location: Wytheville,Va.
Posts: 32
How about this old post?I was trying to fiqure out how to feild dress this little Beretta 418 25 acp that I picked up in Salem,Va. today.Have never owned one until now.But was doing some yahoo searching and this post showed up..Thought that was pretty neat..Considering the post is over 3 yrs.old...
Johnny Quest;ur dead on the money;thanks for the help..Worked Perfect!!Gordon
__________________
I Have Opinions Of My Own--STRONG OPINIONS--But I Don't Always Agree With Them!!
GERONIMO is offline  
Closed Thread

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:38 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.04156 seconds with 10 queries