Beretta M1951 good buy or pass

[Zero19]

You can read all the below or simple replies of yay or nay, pro's and con's, worth it or pass.

I've been looking that the Beretta M1951 on Aims Surplus. I'm still new to getting into older guns with history and value so I'm having trouble gauging if its a good buy or not. My old method was look up the history of them, judge how fast the run out of stock and value/price check on Gunbroker, never was a big fan of the price guide books.

Since it seems to be the inspiration of the famous 92fs and like wise variants I figured I couldn't go wrong with nice piece of imported Italian history but I do have other guns on my want list and I always try to remain smart with my budget. Im wondering if its price is a reflection of how rare it is and if its likely more will ever be imported.

But...
Doing research I've found you can get them a lot cheaper when you do find one and you don't really want a "civilian" model. Its preferred if you get one that was in military service due to the shearing of parts. The ones aims has seem to be from old police trade ins but no one can confirm it they are/have the navy variants.

Basically I'm asking for some help deciding on if its a good deal for the price of 379, at least better than average on a history level or if its not really that special.

 

[GRIZ22]

You're the only one who can determine its a good deal or not.

Many of us have a thing for certain guns. I like S&W Model 10s and Beretta 1934s (which the Brigader was based on). However, being that they a lot of them out there (Model 10s) or not highly prized by most (Beretta 1934s) I usually hold out for private party sales which are bargains. I've paid as little as $100 for a nice Model 10 and $150 for a nickel plated M1934 that lived most of its life in someone's sock drawer in recent years.

In your case I don't see many M1951s around. If you're buying this to carry I'd suggest spending your money on a new S&W, Ruger, or something else in this price range. If you're buying it for fun only you can decide if the price is right.

 

[Jim Watson]

I saw that ad and was tempted. Lack of magazines was the deal breaker for me, same as the early 92s they had before.