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Beretta AR70

1985 COLD WAR MODERN

Beretta AR70 History

The Beretta AR70 series is the standard service rifle of the modern Italian army. Design work on a new, NATO-compatible automatic assault rifle began in the 1970s when the AR70 was used in the .223 chamber form.

So far, the Italian army has used the oft-forgotten Beretta BM59, which is in every way an improved World War II-era M1 Garand semi-automatic rifle with a 20-round 7.62mm magazine. The militarized AR70 appeared in 1985, firing the widely accepted standard 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge, with Beretta taking the lead.

It is adopted by the Italian army (including the navy and air force) as well as by the local police force.

With a choice of cartridges (in line with other Western assault rifles), the AR70 series has a proven gas breech with a rate of fire of up to 650 rounds per minute. The muzzle velocity is 3,100 feet per second and the effective range is up to 1,600 feet. The weapon is fed from a detachable 30-round magazine and can also accept a 100-round C-Mag counter.

Iron sights are also integrated as standard, as are grenade sights for firing rifle grenades. The AR70 can select firepower via a lever that provides semi-automatic bursts with three-shot and fully automatic functions. The weapons are mostly heavy metals, with some polymers used. The carrying handle is integrated on the top of the receiver. A flash suppressor closes the barrel.

The shoulder rest is hollow and has a standard field bayonet mount. A folding bipod is optional, as is the red dot sight.

The AR70 series of pistols includes the AR70S, which lost its bayonet mount and flash suppressor. A related AR90 is a compact touring version of the AR70 with a skeletal folding stock for compactness (suitable for airborne infantry).

The SCP series is further shortened and lighter (similar to an assault carbine), while retaining all the features of the original. It arrives as SCP70 and SCP90.

Despite its status as the standard service rifle for the Italian Army, the AR70 series had its best days with the introduction of the new and state-of-the-art Beretta ARX-160 in 2008.

AR70 was released in Burkina Faso, Egypt, Honduras, Italy, Jordan, Lesotho, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Qatar, Paraguay and Zimbabwe.