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Old March 1, 2016, 12:06 PM   #1
Sid
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Beretta Model 100

These pistols in .32 ACP are rare as very few were imported into this country. That is why you do not often see them up for sale. Anyway, I just got one. It has the 6" barrel and adjustable sights. The one I bought looks brand new. The blueing is perfect and there is not a single mark of any kind on the finish. The barrel is pristine and the match trigger breaks at about 3&1/2 pounds. It is also one of the most beautiful pistols I have ever seen. I can't wait to take it out to the range next week.

I don't know how to post pictures, otherwise I would do so.
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Old March 1, 2016, 01:08 PM   #2
carguychris
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How to Post Pictures

I'd love to see 'em
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Old March 1, 2016, 02:38 PM   #3
WIL TERRY
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Mine will shoot five-shot groups at 25 yards dead on the sights that are well under an inch with factory FEDERAL 32ACP FMJ ball ammunition. I've killed small game with it out to fifty yards deader'n' canned tuna.
It also loves GECO 7.65MM ball ammunition that goes well over 1000FPS from the ever so loverly 6" BBL.
AND so it goes...
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Old March 2, 2016, 03:53 PM   #4
Sid
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Problem with Beretta Model 100

This beautiful pistol that I recently purchased is now giving me trouble. I hope someone here can help me out.

The problem is that I cannot field strip it. I assumed that it would disassemble just like any other Model 70. Here is what I do. Of course I first check to make sure the gun is unloaded. Then I remove the magazine, cock the hammer, pull back the slide and then turn the lug on the right side of the pistol to the proper position so the slide should simply move forward and off. But the slide only moves about 1/8". I can hear and feel that it is blocked by something internal. I have done this over and over and can't imagine what I am doing wrong. I even watched a guy on Youtube do the exact same thing with a Model 70 and the slide came right off.

I would appreciate any advice since I am now totally frustrated. TIA
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Old March 2, 2016, 04:07 PM   #5
gyvel
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It should strip like any of the other series 70 pistols. I have a 101 and it is identical in procedure to the 70 series guns. It is possible that your barrel is so tightly dovetailed into the frame that it is necessary to let the slide hit the barrel under spring pressure to get it to move. I've had to do that on three of my 70 series guns that were close to new. Just pull the slide back and let it go repeatedly until the barrel moves forward off the frame.
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Old March 2, 2016, 05:05 PM   #6
carguychris
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gyvel
It is possible that your barrel is so tightly dovetailed into the frame that it is necessary to let the slide hit the barrel under spring pressure to get it to move. I've had to do that on three of my 70 series guns that were close to new.
At the other end of the usage spectrum... I have no firsthand experience with Series 70 disassembly, but the pistol appears to have a similar barrel retention system and frame design to the Series 81, and I wonder if it has a similar frame battering problem.

With the Series 81, the hard steel guide rod head rests against the softer frame metal; at high round counts (as in thousands of rounds fired), the constant beating eventually flattens the frame metal around the head, causing the guide rod to hang up as the takedown lever is rotated and/or as the barrel and slide are removed from the frame. The fix is to carefully file away the damaged frame metal. However, you have to get the slide off first.

Here's the commonly repeated advice for the Series 81 in this situation:

*Lock the slide open.
*Take out the magazine
*Release the take-down lever.
*Point the gun at a sofa pillow to catch the slide.
*Push the slide release and let her rip.

If that don't do it, get a rubber or plastic tip hammer and beat it off.
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Old March 3, 2016, 08:36 PM   #7
SpareMag
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There is nothing on YouTube or Google?
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Old March 4, 2016, 05:16 PM   #8
Sid
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Beretta Model 100

Here is the final outcome with my pistol. As I might have mentioned before the seller claimed the gun was purchased in 1967, was brand-new, had never been fired and never taken apart. Of course, I took this all with a grain of salt, but it certainly looked perfect when I first received it. At any rate, there is a master gunsmith who lives nearby and yesterday he was able to fit me in. It turned out that the pistol indeed had been fired and also damaged by the shooter when he tried to field strip it for cleaning. Here is what we found after the gunsmith disassembled it.

The blueing on the rear, upper face of the barrel was missing because of having been struck repeatedly with a metal hammer while trying to force it off the frame. In fact, it was hit so hard it created a tiny blip on the top of the barrel. This had to be taken off which also removed more blueing. Luckily this is all hidden by the slide when the pistol is fully assembled. I thought anybody with the least amount of common sense would know enough not to strike a valuable firearm with a metal hammer.

This Beretta was designed for competitive target shooting so the tolerances for the mating surfaces are very close. However, the pistol had not been thoroughly cleaned after shooting. After that it had just been placed in a safe where it remained for more than 40 years. Only the bore was cleaned from the muzzle end. Over time, for this and God knows what other reasons, the slide locked up in the frame. To correct this the gunsmith had to apply a thin coat of an abrasive paste with a Qtip to remove material and get the slide to move freely in the frame. Once this was accomplished this compound was cleaned off and replaced by Lubriplate.

The next thing was that the grips had been removed and then incorrectly screwed on very tight. I had never noticed this. But the gunsmith, with his eye for detail, pointed out to me that there were gaps between the grips and the frame. This produces stress in the plastic which over time, especially with shooting, could crack the grips. So he removed the grips and then replaced them so that all the mating surfaces fitted correctly and there were no longer any gaps.

So, as the Bard said, all's well that ends well. The pistol is now fully functional and I will try to get it out to the range sometime next week. Then I will let you know how it shoots.
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Old March 4, 2016, 05:42 PM   #9
Arizona Fusilier
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Interesting.........would never have thought of the .32 acp as a target round. Awaiting your results......
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Old March 4, 2016, 07:02 PM   #10
carguychris
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Arizona Fusilier
...would never have thought of the .32 acp as a target round.
Keep in mind that the 1968 GCA made it illegal to export the previously strong-selling .32 ACP Beretta 70 to the United States. This made a big dent in Series 70 sales. The 100 and various long-barreled .22LR Series 70 pistols were an attempt to at least keep the production lines open.

Realistically, the 100 was an answer to a question that very few U.S. shooters were asking, which is the reason the pistols are so rare today.
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Last edited by carguychris; March 4, 2016 at 07:08 PM.
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