(Although in 19, a small number of alloy-framed Beretta M1951s were made using the new alloy developed for the soon-to-be-released Beretta 92 pistol.) The 'second series' Beretta M1951 was nearly 250 grams heavier than the alloy version, but the balance was improved.

This version of the Beretta M1951 was replaced around 1955 by the steel-framed 'second series' model. The initial production batch featured a lightweight alloy frame, which proved to be unable to withstand the shock of the relatively high-powered 9×19mm Parabellum round in the long run. (Previous Beretta semi-automatic pistols were all blowback-operated.) It was in limited production circa 1953 and in full-scale production from 1956 to 1980. The Beretta M1951 was Beretta's first locked-breech design on the market. The pistol was produced strictly for military use and was introduced into service with the Italian Armed Forces and other Italian security forces as the Modello 1951 (M1951), replacing the Modello 1934 pistol chambered for the 9×17mm Short (.380 ACP) cartridge.

The Beretta M1951 is a 9×19mm semi-automatic pistol developed during the late 1940s and early 1950s by Pietro Beretta S.p.A.

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