A Cold War era classic with smooth lines, a legendary back story, and an exotic-sounding name, Beretta's Model 71 was definitely a mouse that roared. 

Debuted in 1958 as a downsized companion pistol line to complement the recently introduced 9mm Beretta M1951, the company's 70-series guns would span no less than 14 variants and sub-variants before ending production in the mid-1980s. Using a fixed barrel and open slide – a hallmark of the M1951 that would later carry on to the 92-series pistols of today – the compact 70-series guns were blowback action pistols with a skeletonized bobbed hammer, a frame-mounted manual safety, and a smooth single-action trigger.

Chambered in .380 ACP, .32 ACP, and .22 LR flavors, they proved a hit both domestically in Italy and on the commercial market.
 

Beretta's circa 1959 breakdown of the Model 70, 71, and 72.
Beretta's circa-1959 breakdown of the Model 70, 71, and 72. Note the penetration tests listed in terms of depth made in pine boards at 27 yards. 
Beretta's circa 1959 breakdown of the Model 73, 74, and 75
As well as the Model 73, 74, and 75 of the same era.  

 

While the Model 70 would see a modicum of Italian police use, such as with the CFS – the federal forestry service – it would be the Model 71 that shined brightest in the series. 
 

Beretta 'Cat' Guns


The new series of post-WWII Beretta semi-automatic pistols were commonly marketed in the U.S. by a series of catchy names, usually feline-based. For instance, the old Model 418 was dubbed the Panther; the Model 70 was the Puma; the later Model 80s were Cheetahs; the flip-up-barreled rimfire series models would carry the Minx (.22 Short), Bobcat (.22LR/.25ACP) and Tomcat (.32ACP) monikers; and the 9mm 8000 series would be introduced as the Cougar – after the M1934 was done using that name. 
 

1950s Beretta ads
Circa-1950s ads showing the Model 418 first as the Bantam, then as the Panther, and listing assorted other Beretta Cat Guns of the era. 


Falling into this naming convention was the Model 71, 72, and 75, which would be marketed in the U.S. as the Jaguar. The difference between the three models was slight, with the 71 shipping with a 3.54-inch barrel, the 72 with both the standard barrel and an additional 5.9-inch target barrel, and the 75 with just the target barrel. 
 

Beretta Model 71 Jaguar 22 LR pistol
The 8+1 shot .22 LR Model 71 Jaguar was marketed in 1959 as a sport pistol "that makes a constant companion for protection at home and field." (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Beretta Model 71 Jaguar 22 LR pistol
Weight, with an empty magazine, is just 16.6 ounces, while with a full mag is still under 18 ounces. This is due to its trim size and alloy frame construction. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Beretta Model 71 Jaguar 22 LR pistol
And, at just 6.5 inches long overall and very slim, they fit well in the hand. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Beretta Model 71 Jaguar 22 LR pistol compared to PPKs
In terms of period comparison, the Model 71 matches well against the Walther PPK/s in size, while being significantly lighter than the .380-chambered Teutonic pocket pistol. For reference, the height on the Jaguar is just 4 inches at its tallest. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Beretta Model 71 Jaguar 22 LR pistol
Note the internal similarity of the Model 71 to the older Beretta 951 series and later 80- and 92-series guns. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Beretta Model 71 Jaguar 22 LR pistol
A closer look at the mechanics for those interested. Showing the operation of the slide catch (5), original cross-bolt safety (2), and push-button magazine release (4). 
Beretta Model 71 Jaguar 22 LR pistol
These were not complicated guns. 
Beretta Model 71 Jaguar 22 LR pistol box
The showcased pistol shown above came in the correct Jaguar-marked box including the extensive period manual from which the above scans were taken. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Beretta Model 71 Jaguar 22 LR pistol PSF sheet
It also came with a January 1959 dated PSF Gardone proof certificate. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Beretta Model 71 Jaguar 22 LR pistol trigger guard
It shows those proof marks on the trigger guard. Note the rotating takedown lever with "smontaggio" which is roughly Italian for "disassembly." (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Beretta Model 71 Jaguar 22 LR pistol
And carries the older Beretta logo, which still features three arrows as it does today. Note the distinctive slide catch lever. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Beretta Model 71 Jaguar 22 LR pistol
Surface controls are a cross-bolt safety button, later replaced with a more traditional 1911-style flip-up safety. The lever only works once the hammer is cocked back. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Beretta Model 71 Jaguar 22 LR pistol
Often marketed as the Jaguar Plinker in the 1950s and 60s, the similar Models 72 and 75 ran a longer 6-inch barrel on the same frame. Here is an M71 with the longer barrel and adjustable sights that came through the GDC Vault recently. Note the later-style grips and thumb safety. 

 

Israeli Spy Pistol?


Part of the big cache that the Jaguar has comes from its often unorthodox overt and covert use. Besides Model 71 fan pages that cite it was long a part of the "bailout" survival kit for Italian military pilots during the Cold War – complete with matching pillbox-style suppressor – its Israeli connections are the most buzz-worthy. It seems the svelte little .22 was an unofficial sidearm throughout the 1960s and 70s among the various Israeli intelligence services, the secretive Mossad, El Al airline sky marshals, and the Sayeret Matkal counter-terror unit. 

As noted by Nick Jacobellis in a 2014 Tactical Life article on the subject:

I suspect that Israeli Mossad operators and sky marshals liked using the Beretta 70 and 71 because these pistols do not feel like a dainty little handgun that a lady would use to make a mugger take his business elsewhere. When you grip a Beretta 70/71 you feel confident that you are holding a pistol that is capable of winning a gunfight, even though it is chambered in a caliber that is not known for significant stopping power.

Pine boards at 27 yards indeed. 

The suave 70 series has also appeared on-screen in almost 100 films, TV shows, and video games including in the hands of Roger Moore's James Bond (A Spy Who Loved Me), Charles Bronson (The Valachi Papers), Jan-Michael Vincent (The Mechanic), Jack Nicholson (Prizzi's Honor), Rutger Hauer (A Moonlit Night), Andy Garcia (Godfather III), and Colin Farrell (The Gentlemen), as well as in The Last of Us franchise. 

While the Jaguar went extinct in the 1980s along with the rest of its 70-series kin, Beretta still catalogs a pint-sized .22 LR, the Model 21 Bobcat.
 

Beretta Model 71 Jaguar 22 LR pistol compared to Model 21
And it stands to be "unseen in the best places" just as much if not better than the old Jaguar. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

 

revolver barrel loading graphic

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