Beretta Olympia 22LR Selective Fire

Beretta Forge sat on the banks of the Mella River in the heart of Val Trompia, a center for manufacturing weapons. 1526, Mastro Bartolomeo Beretta received a sum of 296 ducats (gold or silver coins used for trade) for 185 Arquebus barrels. 500 years later, the name Beretta has become synonymous with quality firearms. Bartolomeo's documented transaction makes Beretta the oldest continuous manufacture on the planet. Beretta Olympia (Olympia) Training Rifle
, chambered in 22 LR, endures as an excellent example of the architect's exquisite quality. Olimpia is the translated version from Italian, while Olympia is the Americanized spelling. What establishes the Beretta Olympia as universally unique is its "semi-automatic bolt action" Even the phrase sounds odd. Shooters seeing the action for the first time will have their inevitable "Ah Hah" moment. Beretta's Olympia can operate either as a locked breech bolt-action or recoil-operated semi-auto. Key to Beretta's split identity is its bolt handle, which rotates through a fixed angle. The handle can be locked into position in one of two notches on the right side of the breech. The video
from Clint below offers a clear demonstration of this rarefied 22LR.
Another unique quality is regulating the trigger pull. Insert a screwdriver into a hole in the trigger guard. Turn the screw to give the trigger a firm or loose firing configuration. GunBoard.com forum members say, stiffen the trigger enough, and you have a full-auto rifle. Specifications: (from the one-page owner sheet)
  • Manufacture: Fabbrica D'Armi P. Beretta (Gardone V.T.)
  • Model: Olympia Training Rifle, 22LR
  • Overall Length: 1090mm
  • Barrel Length: 600mm
  • Bore: 5.4mm diameter
  • Twist: 6 right hand grooves/1/100th mm depth-400mm constant pitch/1 inch 40mm
  • Stock Length: 800mm
  • Weight-without magazine: 3.7kg (8.157 pounds)
  • Operation: Single row prismatic magazine/sliding bolt, Walther type enclosure
  • Finish: Blued/Non-reflective
  • Stock: Beechwood
Two variants of the 22LR were built during its brief manufacturing run, the Olympia and Super Sport.

Beretta Super Sport

Super Sport models were crafted for heavy service in target shooting conditions. The 22LR Super Sport featured a stout European Walnut Monte Carlo stock with a checkered fore-end and heavy checkered pistol grip. Also, the Super Sport can be identified by a cheek rest in the stock and longer barrel.

Sights

Olympia has basic iron sights, adjustable rear, and an interchangeable front. Beretta mounted front sights were 2.5mm wide. However, substitutions are available with either a 1.5mm or 2.0mm sight. A vertically installed screw adjusted elevation. Drift can be modified by adjusting the two opposing screws with the rear sight. Profiles for the rear sights are semi-circular, while the front sights exhibit a rectangular frame. The precision of all models are improved by mounting, competition adjustable aperture sights, on the rear of the receiver. Front sight is dovetailed into the base above the muzzle. Note; an accomplished gunsmith should replace sights. Super Sport sights are fully adjustable for elevation and windage, and tangent type on the rear with a hooded front sight. A factory Beretta Olympia, primarily because of such high prices.

History of the Beretta 22LR

Disclaimer: The following intelligence is undocumented. We took all efforts to establish the validity of each detail. However, these insights are essential for prospective buyers and collectors. Beretta's Olympia Training Rifle had its manufacturing run starting in the 1950s, ending in the mid to late 1960s. Some accounts have the ending sometime into the 1980s. Beretta's website does not provide any recognition of the weapon. Documentation proves the Beretta 22LR was made for several Italian military groups. The leading recipient was the Carabinieri for training and basic marksmanship. Several accounts say Beretta produced the weapon for the Egyptian Military around 1950, calling it the Hakim Trainer. Beretta Olympia Training Rifles' date of manufacture should be stamped at the barrel where it meets the receiver. The year of manufacture is the only date stamped. We found the information that follows at several Beretta and historical forums. The Walther Model II and the Beretta Olympia are the same rifle. After the war, Beretta acquired the right to manufacture. Sometime around 1968, a notable military factory of Argentina, Direccion General de Fabricaciones Militares, acquired the license from Beretta. It then produced the rifle in the state under the name Isle.

Surplus Good To Very Good Condition Beretta Olimpia (Olympia) .22 LR Training Rifle

Durable and Accurate

Beretta's Olympia is remarkably accurate. One owner of a Super Sport stated a dead-on impact at 50 yards and one-inch grouping of five shots at 100 yards. SmallArmsReview.com gave this firing test impression of the Beretta Olympia. A firing range provided a test rifle that belonged to the first series produced by Beretta. The weapon had conventional iron sights, in reasonably good condition, with clear signs of having hard training use. Figure 1 Test weapon was identical to the one above The range master estimated there were several hundred thousands of ammo shot through the rifle over a span of 50 years. Authors G. Tansella and A. Wicks of SmallArmsReview were preparing for the firing test, realized almost perfect balance and extraordinary ergonomics of the rifle. Zero for the rifle was not disturbed as it would change the sighting for training purposes. A five-shot grouping certified by the range master showed impact at 25mm (1 inch) at 50m (about 55 yards). Factory test firing had the same five-shot grouping at 19mm (about ¾ inch). Factory firing was on a bench rest while the SMR test was in semi-automatic mode. In both test firings, regular ammunition rather than competition cartridges was used. Lack of documented manufacturing dates and scant proof from Beretta of the Olympia's existence contributes to its intrigue. 50 years of existence and the only reference to the Beretta's production is, "Sometime in the 1950s." Each owner of the Olympia gives nothing but glowing recommendations to its uncanny accuracy and toughness. Bolt-action and semi-automatic, makes the Beretta Olympia singularly unique in the world of performance firearms. Distinctive action and uncanny accuracy. Shop The Beretta Olimpia .22LR Training Rifle
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